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Red Flag Savior: Rebirth of a Storm


Steel Sponge

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Now that I FINALLY got another one of my spin-off works out of the way, I can now put this new little project into fruition. I've been making a few plans on this. To specify what this is, this is a reboot/retelling of Z-Storm, a spin-off that I announced discontinuing months ago. It will be a miniseries, but it will also complete the story that I've been meaning to complete. (This will also be my last proposed Spin-Off/Lit project for reasons I'll explain later on.) The first episode should be written out sooner than later.

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1. Hero's Origin

     Storm Origin

               Origin Rebirth

 

 

It was dusk. A storm was brewing towards the shore. A ferry was riding along the sea, sailing through the turbulent waves. The ship sat in the middle, navigating across the seas, far-off from their destination. It was sailing smoothly up until the captain’s crew alerted a threat out from the weather deck. One of the stacks combusted before the rain cleared it off and leaving it with a trail a smoke. Suddenly, another shot approached the ferry and it burst onto the deck of the ship. The captain of the ferry gazed through the window of the helm and identified the blast as an electric energy beam. The ship was still under attack when another one of those blasts fired towards it.

 

It was then that the crew took a glimpse at the source of this havoc. It was a mysterious, robotic dragon soaring around the ferry, charging and firing its electric balls of energy before the ship was sinking down. The captain called for an evacuation, as he and his crew jumped out of the ship’s wreckage. The flying object, clad in metal, dashed off from the captain and crew’s sight, leaving them behind, floating in the sea.

 

Months since this event has occurred, news of the MF Iron 200 crew’s disappearance has surfaced through a piece of naval surveillance footage. At this point of view, a high school aged fish is observed, picking up a newspaper article to share the news with his friends.

 

The three friends were hanging around at an eatery. The one with the newspaper in his fins was Bruce. The female fish sitting in the right side of him was Monique. Lastly, but certainly not least, the sea sponge facing his two friends on the other side of the table is named Strezz.

 

“You wouldn’t believe this,” says Bruce, before turning the paper over for Strezz and Monique to see the headline. “The MF Iron 200 sank the other night!”

 

“Yeah and why should we even care?” Monique jeered.

 

“Investigators were able to get a glimpse of the source, but no one knows who or what exactly caused that ship to fall apart,” Bruce responded.

 

“That sounds like something you read off of your comics,” Monique joked.

 

Bruce gave a bit of a pity laugh. “Oh, shut up.”

 

“Well…um, since we got the bad news out of the way, I’ve got some good news to share,” Strezz uttered. “I know what we can do for summer vacation. There was a radio contest going on, and I managed to win three tickets to our getaway place: Seaside Springs!”

 

Bruce and Monique then looked at Strezz to express their astonishment.


“Good for you, dude!” Bruce beamed. “Where is this place though?”

 

“Yeah, and I never really heard of Seaside Springs,” Monique added. “Is it a special resort spot? I would love that.”

 

“Yes, that’s how it’s advertised,” Strezz assured. “As soon as I get home, I’m going to print out the directions. And you know what else? I’ve been thinking about living there.”

 

“Really, is that possible?” Bruce questioned. “Wait a minute, though! Are you saying that you want to leave this town behind? Moe and I think this place is just fine.”

 

Strezz edged a bit from the table, “Yeah, you see…I’ve been thinking about getting away from this town. I think it’s such a drag to be living out here. By the way, we only got tomorrow until we can go to our destination-“


“So we have start packing up right now?” Monique questioned, a little after Strezz finished what he said. “You may want this, but we don’t have to live in Seaside Springs. Besides, you just graduated from Junior High, while Bruce and I are a year ahead of you. You suppose that Seaside Springs has schools nearby?”

 

“I agree. You should think on this more, because we’re just kids here. We’re not all street smart about moving out and living on our own,” said Bruce.

 

Strezz hangs his head and then says, “I guess you’re right, I’ve really jumped the gun. I’ve been always yearning to have brand new experiences. I’ll have to think something as soon as we get to Seaside Springs.”

 

“So you’re going to a fancy getaway spot? I have to say, you’re a really lucky guy,” a bystander said once as she inched near Strezz. It was one of his classmates, Zowe. “Did you make any room for me?” She teased.


“Well, he certainly didn’t leave an extra ticket for someone who got held back once,” Monique tormented.


“Hey, don’t say stuff like that!” Strezz exclaimed, shortly before Zowe left the eatery.

 

“Why, is it because you like her?” Monique remarked.

 

Strezz got all flustered before saying, “Anyways….Bruce, aren’t your parents rich?”

 

“Yeah, my dad isn’t a renowned weather forecaster for nothing,” Bruce responded. “Is it because you think he’d be able to afford all of us a permanent stay at Seaside Springs?”

 

“It’s worth a shot. If you’re both ready to leave with me and head to Seaside Springs, meet me where I usually am,” said Strezz.

 

“Alright, we’ll see you at the presses,” Monique concluded.

 

“Is that your way of saying that you’ll catch him later?” Bruce questioned.

 

“Don’t judge me.”


Bruce and Monique head back home while Strezz appears back to where’s been staying at, with his cousin Ben. Ben, of course, wasn’t enthralled to hear what Strezz had to say.


“But Strezz, you can’t just leave me here like this,” he says, surrounded by five of his children. “I have all these guppies to take care of, and you’re just going to live with your friends at some fancy vacation spot that you can’t even afford?”

 

“Have you ever thought about getting a job?” Strezz asked. “Don’t worry. I trust that you can handle this yourself.”

 

“Look, I know you’ve been feeling rough having to live here because your parents have been financially struggling, but I have my struggles too. I’m left to take care of these kids since I lost my fiancée,” Ben replied. “Besides, don’t you love your littlest nephew?”

 

Strezz folds his arms, carrying the infant, Gavin, saying “Hehehe, oh yes I do!” He turns around to face Ben again and then tells him, “I’m sorry, but I’ve made up my mind on what I wanted to do now.”

 

“Don’t forget what I tell you numerous times, with great power come great responsibility.”

 

Strezz settles Gavin gently on the floor and then comments, “Speaking of responsibility…”

 

“Hold your seahorses! I will get applied for a job in the meantime, and I’ll also have to call someone up to take care of the kids. I just hope you know everything that you needed to know about living on your own.”

 

Strezz didn’t say any more as he headed back to his room.

 

Something’s seriously up with him, Ben thought.

 

The next day, it was morning as Strezz was waiting around at the cul-de-sac for Bruce and Monique. After an hour of waiting, his two friends arrived.

 

Are we all good with living in Seaside Springs?” Strezz asked.


“As long as we can all get a job and pay for rent, that’s what my dad said,” says Bruce. “He will cover some expenses though and he’ll send us some of his funds, as soon as we start looking around for apartments.”

 

“My cousin also decided to give us some “pocket change”, at least what he calls it,” said Monique, while carrying around her bank card. “It’s around 200 sand dollars. He has a high-earning job at the Shell Shack, so this is as much as I expected.”

 

“I got about 35 sand dollars,” Strezz added. “Sorry, that’s all I got. I already got my eyes on my “dream surfboard” once I ever earn enough.”

 

“It’d be nice enough to have a fun summer vacation,” Bruce remarked. “Where exactly is the place anyways?”

 

That was when Strezz whipped out the map he printed out alongside the directions, “Apparently, Seaside Springs is an island, and so we’ll reach that destination by ferry.”


“Oh man, I don’t know how I’d feel about living in an island,” said Bruce. “Don’t you know of a place called the Bermuda Triangle? And what if the ship accident happened close to that island?”


“Don’t be so paranoid, if that radio contest recommends a getaway to that spot, then we shouldn’t be worried!” Monique reassured. “Isn’t that right, Strezz?”

 

“Well…Bruce does have a point,” Strezz stated. “Let’s not waste anymore time, let’s get packing and head for Seaside Springs!”

 

Once as Strezz, Bruce, and Monique were all completely prepared, they waited until they can hitch a ride, with Monique’s cousin Gerald behind the wheel. Hours pass before the three friends were driven close to their destination. They made a stop at a dockyard, whereas their ferry ride to Seaside Springs would take place.

 

Before it was time, Strezz decides to spend time on the surf and catch some waves while Bruce and Monique hang out at the boardwalk. After 20 minutes when Strezz loses his balance from his board from a strong wave, he swims back to the shore before catching up with his two friends, but that wasn’t before Strezz finds a jacket suddenly washed up on shore.

 

For the next 10 minutes, Strezz, Bruce, and Monique waited for the ferry to arrive at the stop.

 

“I forgot to tell you guys: while I was doing some surfing, this was lying around!” Strezz said towards his two friends, showing off the blue jacket.

 

“Are you just going to hold on to it? It’s soaked in the lagoon,” Monique responded.

 

“I can wash it, you know,” Strezz replied.

 

When their ride finally came, Bruce and Monique hopped on. However, before Strezz made his step onto the ship, an unfamiliar face appeared right behind him.

 

“Where did you get that jacket?” The unknown being asked.

 

“Are you talking to me?” Strezz questioned as he turned around to see who’s talking to him.

 

 The unidentified individual fixated his eyes on Strezz and his face grew closer. Strezz stood horrified by the guy’s playful look.

 

“You don’t know? You should know….Z-Storm,” he muttered. “And you should also know why I’ll be after you. I’m here for revenge. My name is Seymour, and you shall not forget it!”

 

Strezz breathed heavily and he fluttered his eyes several times out of horror, before he noticed that Seymour suddenly disappeared.

 

“Are you okay, Strezz?” Bruce asked.


“Are you feeling alright? You look like you’re trying to tell us that you get seasick,” Monique also asked.

 

Strezz turned back to see where his two friends were, still standing on the ferry. Strezz immediately steps onto the ship and then says, “You didn’t see that guy, did you?”

 

“What guy?” Bruce asked, acting all puzzled alongside Monique.

 

“He was talking to me about the jacket, he called himself Seymour….and then he called me Z-Storm,” Strezz responded. He gave out a sigh and he then proclaims, “I guess that was just my imagination running wild.”

 

Later, the ship headed off to Seaside Springs. Halfway towards the destination, fog suddenly started appearing all around. It wasn’t until the three friends arrived that they realized that their getaway place isn’t what it seems to be. No inhabitants were close by, the path from the shore was enclosed by a dark jungle, and the atmosphere was gloomy, in due to the rain and fog. There was nothing else in sight besides one hut, a few coconut trees, an idle naval ship with the entryway opened up wide, and a single signpost that read “Welcome to Shellside Shores.”

 

“Is this really Seaside Springs?” Bruce questioned.

 

Monique took a good look at the sign and immediately realized exactly where she, Strezz, and Bruce arrived at.

 

“You dumbass, we must’ve taken the wrong ship!” Monique yelled towards Strezz. “We’re in some place called ShellsideShores!”

 

“No need to panic, we’ll just get back on the ship and-“Strezz was saying before he turns around to notice that the ferry has already sailed away. “Never mind that, how about we surf our way out of here?”

 

Monique and Bruce were hesitant, but Strezz hopped onto his surfboard and started to paddle away from the shore, until a voice called out to warn him.
 

“Don’t even try getting out of here!” The voice spoke.

 

Strezz promptly turned back and returned to shore to see a young female fish standing beside him, Bruce, and Monique.

 

“Once you set foot on this island, you’ll never get out, let alone with your own life intact,” she said to Strezz.

 

“Wait a minute…” Strezz muttered before he takes a good look at the girl again as he seems to recognize her face from way back. “Shazza, is that you? What are you doing out here?”

 

“G’day, Strezz, I’m surprised to see you here too!” Shazza greeted happily. “Aren’t these your friends? What is their name, mate?”

 

“Oh, um….she’s Monique, and he’s Bruce,” Strezz said, before he was about to pop his most burning question that he had at the very moment. “Can you tell me where I am? My friends and I were supposed to arrive at Seaside Springs, and I was wondering-“

 

“Wait, you know this girl?” Monique asked Strezz.

 

“Yes I do. She was an old classmate of mine, an exchange student from the Great Barrier Reef to boot, she was always very friendly with me, and till just now, it had been two years since I’ve last seen her.” Strezz explained and focused his attention straight back to Shazza. “How have you been these days? Well…unless if this is where you’ve been the past two years…”

 

“Oh, I’ve actually been stuck in this island for the past two years,” Shazza reassured.

 

“How were you able to survive out here for that long!?” Strezz asked.

 

“It’s a long story.” Shazza then approaches Bruce and Monique to offer a shake of her fin, “Bruce, Monique, it’s nice to meet you both.”

 

“It’s nice to see you too, but I have so many questions to ask you,” Strezz said to Shazza. “We’re trying to get out of this place and get to SeasideShores, so I was also hoping you’ll be able to help us out.”

 

Shazza eyed the jacket that Strezz had in hand. She says to him, “I see you have the Z-Storm jacket. It must’ve managed to bypass the island’s strong weather barrier and wash up someplace else. That’s how you found it, didn’t you?”

 

“Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

 

“Don’t fret, mate, I will tell you everything that you’ll need to know about ShellsideShores.”

 

Moments later, Bruce and Monique are seen trying to make a fire while Shazza and Strezz look around for foodstuffs.

 

“You know, it’s a funny thing how Strezz told me that he saw some stranger calling him by Z-Storm,” Bruce said to Monique. “It’s just like the character in the comic books I read!”

 

“Yeah, and I still don’t care,” Monique responded. “Also, please don’t tell me you actually packed up your Z-Storm comics.”


“I hate to break it to you but…” Bruce replied. “Don’t take it too hard, I did bring some important stuff.”

 

“I brought my cell phone, but what sucks is that there are no bars here, and what’s even more annoying is that we have nothing else in order to build a fire besides all this wood!” Monique exclaimed while two rubbing pieces of firewood aggressively. “I could be out in Seaside Springs working my job at a smoothie shop, but this is the life we’re living now!”

 

“Watch your temper, Moe,” Bruce urged. “Besides, the trick to making a fire is to kindle two sticks together.

 

“That’s what I’m trying to do, okay!?”

 

Meanwhile, Shazza was giving Strezz a detailed discussion about her life on ShellsideShores.

 

“You can pretty much say that I ended up here in a similar way that you did,” Shazza was saying.

 

“I won a radio contest for a trip to Seaside Springs, and I wanted to move away from my hometown. I figured I took the wrong boat, or it took the wrong turn, and now I’m here,” Strezz explained.

 

“Like you, I was by myself and I ended up here by accident,” Shazza replied. “I’ve been here for a couple years, but one longtime inhabitant help me getting adjusted to surviving in this place. I would even scavenge for food and fresh water in the depths of the jungle. I wish I could help you escape, but for reasons, I’m unable to escape the island. You see, the island is barricaded by a strong force in the weather. Rain and thunder happen all the time here. It’s not only that, ShellsideShores is under surveillance by Seymour and his army of Turbulent Thunder Troopers.”

 

“Did you say Seymour?” Strezz asked. “I recently ended up meeting him before I got on the ship.”

 

“I see, he must’ve trapped you here. I don’t know exactly why, but Seymour has been seeking vengeance against Z-Storm. To put it simply, the powers of Z-Storm are within that jacket and he’s dedicated his time to search and destroy the owner of the jacket. I know all this because I was Z-Storm before I decided to let go of the jacket.”

 

Strezz slid the jacket from his backside and held it towards Shazza. “Since this is yours, I should return it to you, right?”

 

“It’s not mine, the jacket is a device manufactured by its designer: CORE-al.” Shazza continued. “It’s yours now. I had to discard it because I would still be on the run from Seymour and continue to put my life at risk if I held on to it.”

 

“And what exactly is Z-Storm?”

 

“That’s something you’ll have to figure out on your own, mate. Go ahead and try on that jacket. It’s raining right now, so it should work like it needs to.”

 

Without hesitation, Strezz tucked his arms into the sleeves of the Z-Storm jacket and waited to see what would come into effect. Then, suddenly, Strezz was concealed into a box, which was the jacket doing its work. The jacket continued to form as it completely reshapes into a suit of armor, resembling a dragon. Strezz’s line of sight was now from the inside of the Z-Storm armor.


“Shazza, what’s going on?” Strezz questioned. “Where am I now?”

 

“Don’t worry, you’re just inside the Z-Storm armor, and you’re now in control of it.” Shazza responded. “Can you see in there or are you able to move at all?”

 

“I can actually you and the rest of the island very clearly,” Strezz replied. “So what can this thing do?”


“If you’re having trouble controlling it, extend your arms and legs to where the control mechanisms for each part should be,” Shazza replied. “So, for simple practice, try moving your legs.”

 

Strezz does as directed and Z-Storm started stomping around the beach, which caught the attention of Bruce and Monique.

 

“Now what’s that noise?” Monique said.

 

“I don’t know, but we should be looking for Strezz and his other friend,” Bruce replied. “Are you going to give up on trying to making a fire for a moment?”


“We can’t move until we can make a fire!” Monique exclaimed.

 

Bruce backed away and then said, “Okay, just calm down while I go look for more firewood and Strezz.”

 

As Bruce left Monique alone to work on making a fire, Bruce wandered around the shore to find extra firewood, and he found it next to Strezz inside his Z-Storm armor. Afterwards, he returned to his post with Monique.

 

“This should be effective enough, I hope,” said Bruce. “Gee, if Z-Storm was real, we wouldn’t have to deal with this.”

 

At the moment that Bruce mentioned Z-Storm, Monique groaned. “Ugh, let it go, Bruce! Does it look like I’m into that nerdy stuff you’re into?

 

”You barely even got to know about Z-Storm in detail,” Bruce continued. “Its powers activate when it’s out in the rain. It uses its electrifying powers to protect the kind from violent storms. Its red cape flows in the blustery wind as it stands tall in all its glory! Z-Storm is the the kind of hero you need to see with your own eyes. Just a few minutes ago, I felt like I just saw the hero right in front of me.”

 

“How adorable….” As Monique continued to laugh off Bruce’s jabber about Z-Storm, she suddenly became aware of the previous thing that Bruce just said. “Hold on, did you say that you just saw Z-Storm?”

 

Bruce’s eyes widen as he hurries over to find Strezz and Shazza again, and that was when he saw Z-Storm in front of Shazza.

 

“Now you try activating one of Z-Storm’s weapons to attack, mate. To exemplify, its shoulders have lasers,” said Shazza.

 

“Okay then…” said Strezz and then presses one of the controls inside Z-Storm that activated the energy of the plasma cannon from its shoulders.


“I can’t believe it, it’s Z-Storm, in the flesh!” Bruce beamed.

 

However, the beams from Z-Storm’s plasma cannon ends up hitting Bruce, since he was in the way. Strezz moved over to check up on his friend.

 

“Bruce, are you alright?” Strezz asked.

 

“Strezz…you’re Z-Storm?” Bruce groaned.

 

“I’m stuck inside of this body, I think,” Strezz replied and turned his head over to Shazza. “Is there a way I can deactivate this robotic armor or so?”

 

“The jacket reforms on its own when it stops raining,” Shazza pointed out.

 

In an instant, it stopped raining within the environment of Strezz and in a snap, the robotic armor folded back onto the jacket, as it reveals Strezz.

 

“What do you know…?” Strezz chuckled.

 

“Looks like my beliefs have come true. Z-Storm does actually exist,” said Bruce.

 

“Of course Z-Storm exists,” Shazza restated. “Where did you get the idea that Z-Storm is just some storybook fantasy?”

 

“There are comic books of Z-Storm,” Bruce responded.

 

“Well, isn’t that peculiar?” Shazza laughed. “In case you and Monique haven’t noticed, Strezz is officially Z-Storm!”

 

“Wait a minute, I never agreed to that,” said Strezz.

 

“So let me get this straight, you’re letting Strezz become some robotic superhero, who lurks around in the rain, while he has no connection to it?” Monique inquired. “My day just keeps getting freaky.”

 

“He doesn’t need to have a real connection to Z-Storm, but he has the willpower of a hero.”

 

“Are you kidding me?” Strezz stammered. “I’m honestly terrified about this Seymour person getting back at me for nothing but having Z-Storm’s powers, and it’s going to be a while before I get used to using these powers!”

 

“Don’t fret,” Shazza continued, coming over to comfort Strezz, and then points over to a single gleam of sunlight in the sky. “When your life is in a gloomy state, there will always a guiding light.”

 

“I don’t know what you were trying to say, but I do need to loosen up,” Strezz replied.

 

“I live in a hut with my other two folks that inhabit this island. You and your other two friends can live with us!”

 

In an instant, Shazza guided Strezz, Bruce, and Monique to where her shelter is located in. Once they entered the hut, they were greeted by two of the other inhabitants.

 

“You can just take the jacket off,” Shazza acknowledged to Strezz, “it’s the most recent model, so it doesn’t activate when it’s worn. In all its prototype designs, the jacket would activate the Z-Storm armor on its own, whether or not it’s not worn.”

 

“Thanks for the info,” Strezz remarked.

 

“Since you haven’t met these guys yet, let me introduce you to them,” Shazza continued. “On the left is longtime inhabitant: Sal. On the right is a skipper that we just rescued a few days ago: Nelson Tide.”

 

At the notion of a captain having been lost at sea, thoughts came rushing to Strezz’s head as he realizes another particular thing about the sinking incident.

 

“Wait a minute…didn’t the MF Iron 200...?” Strezz mused.

 

“It’s true, I was manning that exact ship,” says Captain Tide. When I vacated, the seas carried me away until I ended up in this island,” says Captain Tide.


“It’s nice to meet you all, too. Make yourselves at home!” Sal greeted. “So, how did a group of kids like you end up in this place?”

 

“It’s a long story,” Strezz responded.


“I could say the same thing myself,” Sal replied. “If there’s anything you’d want to know about ShellsideShores, I’m free to let you in on some details.”

 

“So mate, do you think you’ll be open for some practice with Z-Storm’s powers by tomorrow?” Shazza asked.

 

“Well, shouldn’t you be in-charge of Z-Storm? You were using its power before,” Strezz responded.

 

“Remember what you said about being horrified? Controlling Z-Storm is a good enough way to test your own strengths and maybe Seymour will see you as a formidable foe once you get used to those powers.”

 

“You don’t understand! At times, I can feel like a total coward! All these issues surrounding Z-Storm isn’t supposed to be any of my concern. I’m sure you feel the same way, but are you telling me that…you’re too lazy to handle these powers?”

 

“If I’m going to be honest with you…yes.”

 

Strezz took a deep sigh and then said, “Okay, I’ll just have to get used to testing out these superpowers, but I’m not going to be enjoying it.”

 

“Relax, since I’ve already piloted Z-Storm before, I can lecture you on how to control the armor.”

 

As soon as it got dark, Shazza showed Strezz, Bruce, and Monique to the room where they kept their beds, which were a set of hammocks. The very next day, Strezz met up with Shazza for a session on controlling Z-Storm’s utility.

 

From that day on, I’ve got a lot to learn about Z-Storm and defending myself against Seymour, Strezz narrates, but still, I haven’t got a clue about how Bruce, Monique, and I could escape the island. I’m getting more well adjusted into controlling Z-Storm, but I’m still not enjoying inheriting its abilities and playing the role of a superhero. However, Monique enjoys it a lot less than I do. There was one moment when I was testing out the flying. I went airborne with her, and she was begging for me to put her down. Thanks to Captain Tide, Sal has even given Monique and Bruce a gift for when they need to defend themselves. Monique has a power-up punch glove while Bruce received a weather scanning watch – and it’s also a shocker. Sal also gave Shazza a surfboard of her own, with several gadgets attached to it. I never imagined that she’s into the sport like I am. It wasn’t until Shazza activated a force field with the board that there was no feasible way of escaping the island, so it’s a worth a shot now that ride off on my surfboard with my friends, but I now came prepared…


Strezz was now shown with Shazza, Bruce, Monique, Sal, and Tide riding along the surf within Shazza’s force field. Sal and Tide were holding on to Shazza’s board while Bruce and Monique were holding to Strezz’s board. While treading through the waves, a sudden noise echoed out from the sea. As he knew it would happen sooner, Seymour was approaching Strezz. Strezz exited out of the force field and let the jacket do its trick, preparing for his fight against Seymour.

 

This is the fate that I have to accept now. I am not just who I am, I am Z-Storm…

 

Strezz got up in the air and prepared to attack Seymour. He fired with his plasma cannon, but Seymour managed to react fast enough to move away from it. Seymour lands the next attack onto Strezz, activating his laser blade with a simple blow. Strezz almost got knocked into the raging tides. He ascends right back to Seymour and back to his original altitude. Going through several controls, Strezz manages to activate Z-Storm’s laser storm in his utility. He then uses it to clash against Seymour and his laser blade before Strezz manages to land a hit on Seymour. Afterwards, Seymour starts to dash around, leaving Strezz to keep his eye on him and think about his aim. Not being quick enough to react, Strezz gets hit by Seymour’s laser blade. He gets hit again before instantly crashing into the sea. Seymour then electrifies the water to deal more damage against Strezz. Strezz steadily gets back up and keep a watchful eye for Seymour’s incoming attacks. At the moment Strezz realizes that Seymour is going to strike once more, Strezz attacks him with his laser blade and clashes with Seymour again. It goes on until Strezz strikes Seymour once more, but for Seymour’s next move, he grabs Z-Storm and he smacks down onto the bottom of the sea, causing a giant wave to form, coming towards Strezz’s allies. Strezz submerges to see the tidal wave about to crash into his friends. Strezz quickly rummages through Z-Storm’s controls for options to stop the powerful wave. It was until he pressed a button that activates an ability that calms the wave with sonic waves. He manages to condense the volume of Seymour’s wave before coming back to his opponent to continue the fight. Strezz was trying to catch some breaths when he focuses back on Seymour. Strezz then fires his plasma cannon to hit Seymour. He succeeds as Seymour dashes towards Strezz to slash away with his laser blade. At that moment, Strezz held on.

 

“I see that you’re a persistent fighter,” said Seymour. “I can also see that you know your attacks very well.”


“I learned a couple techniques from someone who has piloted Z-Storm before me,” Strezz panted.

 

“No matter, I can still take you down easy,” Seymour replied as he takes Strezz towards the skies – into the heart of the storm.
 

“Now what do you want from me?” Strezz asked.

 

“What? You’re not brave enough to take me down in a situation like this?” Seymour tormented.


Strezz then looked around to see his two friends, as well as Shazza, Sal, and Tide being held by Seymour’s guards.

 

“Hey, who the hell are you anyways!?” Monique exclaimed.

 

“Come on Strezz, finish him off!” Bruce cried out.

 

“Strezz, is it?” Seymour questioned. ”Oh, I I haven’t caught your name earlier – if that’s what you really expect me to call you, Z-Storm.”

 

“Let them all go,” says Strezz, referring to his friends. “They have nothing to do with you….well, except Shazza, but I won’t let you do this!”

 

Seymour didn’t say a word for a moment before he mutters, “Excite me. It would be nice to see you continue this fight for me.”

 

Strezz was hesitant to keep fighting Seymour. However, a minute later, Seymour’s two guards took off with Bruce and Monique. While Shazza, Sal, and Tide were able to escape and jump into the sea, Strezz tried to catch the trail of Seymour and his guards, but sadly, he lost them and flew back to ShellsideShores. Shortly after, the rain stopped and Z-Storm was deactivated. Strezz fell backwards onto the sand-filled soil out of fatigue.

 

“I don’t understand. What does that guy want from me?” Strezz questioned.

 

“I’m sorry about what happened to you friends, mate,” Shazza said, consoling Strezz. “At the very least, he didn’t kidnap all of us.”

 

“I’m sorry to say this, but maybe Seymour really proved me to be a coward,” Strezz replied. “I can’t use these powers any longer. Seymour probably won’t want to bother me anymore if I just stopped holding on to it.”

 

“Don’t worry, I know your friends will be able to return,” said Sal.

 

“But where would Seymour take them to?” Strezz continued. “I don’t even want to think about what kind of things he could be doing to Bruce and Moe.”

 

“There’s one thing we can do,” Shazza ensured as she points Strezz over to Seymour’s base of operations, which is the inside of his naval ship. “That’s where we’re going to get to Seymour, and maybe this time, you’ll show him what you’re capable of.”

 

Strezz gave a good look at the ship and then spoke firmly, “Well, then it’s settled…”

 

Before Strezz and co. could start, Strezz saw something overhead. He saw someone falling right onto the island. As he saw the person crash, he came closer to see a face that was familiar to him. He took and a closer look and he saw….

 

“Zowe…how did you end up here!?” Strezz asked.

 

“I….I was scammed!” She moaned.

 

To be continued.

Edited by Steel Skeet
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This ended up taking longer to finish because this part ended up being longer than I originally planned for it be. 9,210 words no less. Still though, I finally got something out since such a long while.

 

2. Dive In

    Dive Out

    Dive Deep

 

Strezz, Shazza, and Sal inched closer to look at Zowe, who had gotten up from where she descended into the island.

 

“Is she a friend of yours?” Shazza asked Strezz.


“She’s a girl I know from junior high school,” Strezz responded. “I don’t know how she ended up here on this island, but she was one of the last few people I’ve encountered before I arrived.”

 

Zowe struggled to get her legs to stand up. She clutched onto the handle of her luggage that she was carrying to support her balance.

 

“I hitched a ride to Seaside Springs by helicopter,” Zowe was explaining. “There was another radio contest going on and I managed to win that trip. The pilot dropped me off here, which is why I feel like I just got scammed!”

 

“Do you know what he looked like?” Strezz asked.

 

“I remember very little about him before he dropped me off, but he was wearing some black jacket,” Zowe replied. “So, what the hell is even going on here?”

 

“That’s what I’ve been wondering,” Strezz says flatly, shaking his head.

 

Shazza walked up to Zowe, greeting to her, “You may not know me, but I’m Shazza. I’ve known Strezz for a while, and it’s a pleasure to be meeting someone like you!”

 

“Nice to meet you too, did you have anything to do with trapping Strezz and I in this place?” Zowe jeered.

 

“Hey! You kiss your mum with that mouth? The little guy also happens to be in-charge of the Z-Storm armor inside that jacket,” Shazza retorted.

 

“Uh, I was planning to keep that a secret!” Strezz said before letting out a miserable groan.

 

“And where did Strezz get those marks from? Did you put him in danger somehow?” Zowe inquires.

 

“Hold on a moment! Bruce, Mo, and I ended up here because some stranger named Seymour wanted revenge against me since I have this jacket that contains Z-Storm’s powers, that in which Seymour is familiar with. In addition, he’s the leader of a force that pilot giant robots such as Z-Storm.” Strezz explained. ”That’s my story.”

 

“Please don’t tell me you’re making this up.” Zowe remarked.

 

“It may sound weird, but I’m not joshing you!” Strezz replied, wrapping his jacket around his arms and back. “Look what happens when I put this on in the rain!”

 

As rain started pouring on the island again, Strezz’s Z-Storm armor instantly activated in front of his folks.

 

“It’ll be awhile before it turns off,” Strezz muttered inside the armor.

 

“I believe you now, even if you’re acting weird,” Zowe remarked. Yet, he must look very bold wearing that armor. After getting caught on one of her own thoughts, she opens up again to ask Strezz, “Since your two other friends are here too, where are they anyway?”

 

“Seymour captured them,” Strezz said solemnly. “The only probable place Seymour could be keeping them detained is inside his ship over there.” He then points over to Seymour’s base of operations standing outside on the shore. “I’m going to save my friends by infiltrating Seymour’s base. Do you want to join me?”

 

At that moment, Strezz’s Z-Storm armor deactivates as the rain has now stopped.

 

“Oh and just like that, the armor folds itself back onto the jacket,” Strezz added.

 

“Well, if you want to save your two friends, that’s your problem, not mine.” Zowe answered. “Before I do anything else, I want you to hold my things.”

 

Immediately, Strezz offers to hold onto Zowe’s luggage, but as soon as he starts to carry it, he drops it and it smashes his hand on the ground in due to the weight.

 

“It’s like you got people packed in there,” Strezz gasped.

 

“Oh brother,” Shazza says as she moves over to hold the luggage.

 

“Oh yeah, would you mind opening it up for me?” Zowe asked. “I smuggled some of my friends on board.”

 

Unzipping Zowe’s bag, three of her friends stood up and stepped onto the island. One was a girl around Strezz’s age, dressed in her summer clothes. Another was a guy around Zowe’s age who wore a black hooded shirt. The last one was the oldest, and he was dressed like a juvenile delinquent.

 

“Um, is this Seaside Springs, Zowe?” The girl, named Marina, moaned.

 

“This doesn’t look anything like how it was advertised. What is this hellhole?” Zack commented.

 

“This is a peculiar looking place for me to work on some investigations,” Cam remarked.

 

“Great, now we even got more people trapped on this island,” Strezz deadpanned.

 

“Come on, I’m sure your other friend is very welcoming to a few new guests,” said Zowe. “Besides, Strezz, I’m sure you already know Marina.”

 

“That doesn’t help with the fact that we’re all still stuck on this island!” Strezz exclaimed.

 

“We know, you don’t have to keep reminding us! Why don’t we just take that submarine and jet along out of here?”

 

“Seymour has other robot soldiers working for him, so his place would be heavily guarded.”

 

“You know, Strezz, I never would’ve imagined that we be stranded here together, but I’m just happy to know that you’re safe,” said Marina. “Do you want me to hold you to keep you warm?”

 

“No, please, that’s not necessary,” Strezz responded.

 

“I’m pretty sure you haven’t got to know Cam or Zack yet.” Zowe continues. “Cam is fascinated with detective stuff. He’s a self-proclaimed private investigator. Also, he’s very suspicious and he doesn’t like being around cameras.”

 

“You know, judging the atmosphere in this area, it feels like we’re being watched,” Cam said towards Strezz.

 

“Now that I think about how I’ve told you guys about my time in this island, you’re very much right,” Strezz responded. “So, what kind of investigation work do you do?”

 

“I can’t say,” Cam replied. “And if you’re wondering who I am exactly, I can guarantee you that I am nowhere…”

 

Cam disappeared from the scene. Moments later, he submerges from the shoreline, giving Strezz and co. a bit of a jump.

 

“By nowhere, I mean I would be nowhere in your sight; I prefer to hide myself.”

 

“So, can you tell me about Strezz’s little girlfriend?” Shazza asked Zowe, referring to Marina.

 

“We’re not in a relationship! We’ve just known each other back in junior high!” Strezz exclaimed before he notices Marina touching his hand.

 

“Yeah that’s Marina alright, she’s a good friend of Strezz,” said Zowe.

 

Marina then examines both of Strezz’s hands and head. She says to him, “You look injured. I can tend to these bruises…”

 

“It’s all in part of fighting guys like Seymour,” said Strezz. “I’ve just fought Seymour, but don’t worry about my scratches, okay?”

 

“And then there is my good pal Zack-“Zowe was saying before Zack cuts her off.

 

“I can introduce myself my way,” Zack interrupts and turns his head over to Strezz. “You’ve heard of me right, the proud juvenile delinquent, the guy who blew up a classroom with one test tube, the guy who’s still on the run from truancy police? I may be trouble, but I will be cool around you.”


“Isn’t this guy serving time in juvie?” Strezz asked Zowe.

 

“I bailed him out, so don’t judge him like that,” Zowe replied. “So, who is your friend from the Great Barrier Reef that we never heard of?”

 

“Oh yes, this is Shazza,” Strezz continued. “We’ve gone to school together before she suddenly disappeared. I never thought that I would find her here as a former commandant of this jacket.”

 

“Now that we’re all here, we should find something to do,” suggested Zowe. “Do any of you have some good ideas on what to do?”

 

“Die?” Zack deadpanned.

 

“Find a way out of here?” Marina suggested.

 

“Or…you know, save my two friends, who are being used as hostages?” Strezz asserted.

 

“I already told you, I don’t want to help you,” said Zowe.

 

“Seymour’s base is heavily guarded, and when I suddenly get some extra help, no one else wants to help…okay, you guys can sit around like the captain’s quarters that you are.” Strezz muttered and started storming over to the parked submarine. “Let’s get a move on, Shazza.”

 

“Mate, you don’t have to act so rude,” Shazza cajoled.

 

Strezz stopped, shuffled his feet back, and gave a sigh. “Yeah, I am acting a little pushy. You should know how paranoid I can get.”

 

However, before Strezz could do anything else, he sees the passageway closing up before the submarine sinks below the surface. Feeling frustrated once again, Strezz paces around on the shore.

 

“DAMMIT! Damn it all!” Strezz exclaimed. “Now all we can do is sit around and do nothing!”

 

“Well, that’s what happens when you wait too long,” Zack deadpanned.

 

“You know, for a beach, I can’t help but acknowledge how sturdy it feels to touch the ground,” Cam added. “Even if you try to feel beneath it more, the ground feels like solid titanium.”

 

“Cam, I don’t think it’s a good time to talk about the island’s random anomalies,” Strezz grunted.

 

“But Seymour’s organization must be hiding something from underneath,” Cam continued. “Surely, there’s a solid surface if we dig deeper into this sand.”

 

Then, suddenly, a trapdoor was activated below Strezz’s feet. Strezz slips down, as he gives out a loud yelp. Cam then immediately inches over to the spot where Strezz fell under.

 

“Looks like I was right, and you managed to find something from down there,” says Cam.

 

In an instant, everyone else then hops down into the room for Strezz.

 

“I wonder if there’s a way for us to get back up to the island,” said Zack.

 

“You didn’t think about that before you all jumped down here?” Strezz questioned before he turns around to make eye contact with Zowe, “And I thought you said you weren’t going to help.”

 

“I thought that I’d change my mind since I felt that a small, yellow fellow like you could use some extra protection,” said Zowe.

 

“I already have the Z-Storm armor to do the job for me, but I suppose you have a point. I’m still not completely used to these powers.”

 

Time passes by as Strezz and co. wander around the elongated hallway for half an hour. Momentarily, they caught a glimpse of a set of battle armor in display.

 

“This must be Seymour’s storage room, but how do we get to the submarine from here?” Strezz inquires.

 

“Is any one of those guys Seymour over there, who you’ve always been talking about?” Zack asked, pointing over to Seymour, currently speaking with members of his troupe.

 

Strezz peaks his head from the wall to see Seymour and his guards standing in front of some sort of entryway. Strezz was astonished and pervaded with anxiety. He had to hold his own voice as he was about to shriek and he then moves his head back against the wall that he was hiding in, all to insure that he hasn’t grabbed any attention from Seymour or his guards.

 

“Well, you gave me a bit of a wake up call,” Strezz said towards Zack.

 

Strezz and co. then lean their heads to focus and eavesdrop on Seymour’s exchange with the guards.

 

“I better return to our base of operations for research and development in the abyss to attain some findings on how we can create the perfect storm,” said Seymour.

 

“You know, he exactly looks like the guy who shoved me off the plane,” Zowe remarked. “If he’s really the one who’s been giving you so much trouble, then I’ll take care of him for you, Strezz.”

 

“I should’ve known, but you can’t be talking if we’re in the middle of a stakeout,” Strezz responded.

 

“You should also shut up, and that goes for me as well,” said Zack.

 

Going straight back into the perspective of Seymour, he then says to his guards, “I also have some vital information about Z-Storm – he’s hanging around in the premises.” Seymour then takes out a card with Strezz’s picture shown on it, revealing that he has had pickpocket Strezz’s student ID card. “Right now, this is who Z-Storm is on the outside, or rather on the inside of the armor. If you see a teenager who looks exactly this, destroy him.”

 

“Crap, now everyone in his troupe will know who I am,” Strezz whispered.

 

“I’d like to see how such a scrawny child like that could fight as Z-Storm,” one of Seymour’s guards spoke, who is by the name of Hector.

 

“You’ll see soon enough, but for now you can guard against anyone who passes through this gate,” Seymour continues as he uses a card key to open the door. Inside was a room with escape capsules that lead down into the undersea depths. He and Hector step inside. Before exiting and after the entryway slides shut, Seymour then adds, “I have already detached a couple of Z-Storm’s little trespassers. That kid probably won’t give up a fight to take them back, but I know the Crimson Kill would put up a better fight than Z-Storm would.”

 

Focusing back into the perspective of Strezz’s group, Zowe says, “So, what are those guys doing inside there?”

 

“The only way to know is if we can get access through that door,” said Shazza. “It needs a specific card, but none of us have that.”

 

“So we’re stuck here until someone gets that door to open, thanks a lot, Strezz,” Zack complained.

 

“There’s always a way around something like this. I’m sure Cam has an idea,” Strezz replied.

 

“I see a computer standing next to that door at the right,” Cam was saying. “We can hack into the computer’s database to register a name and then create ourselves an ID card to get past that keycard lock like so.”

 

“Or…we can just nab that guy’s card key,” Zack said, pointing his finger to one guard standing to the left of the door.

 

“Why can’t you just think on things a little harder?” Cam retorted. “That guard may be equipped with armor just like Strezz and Seymour.”

 

“I am thinking on it more wisely!” Zack exclaimed. “I want to see some action if Strezz can usually put up a fight as Z-Storm! Besides, we haven’t seen that kind of power yet. Don’t you want to show it off for us, Strezz?”

 

“I don’t know,” said Strezz. “The first time I tried to fend off Seymour, I lost to him, which is why he’s taken my two friends as hostages.”

 

“Who’s making all that noise?” The guard said who went by the name of Rico. He takes a good look at his surroundings.

 

“And now we got his attention,” said Strezz. “Well, if you want me to show a fight, then I guess I’ll show him Z-Storm’s power. Oh, and don’t move! Keep yourselves hidden back there.”

 

Strezz exposes himself by walking over to the keycard locked door and met himself against Quinn.

 

“Stop, aren’t you Strezz Stormond?” Rico asked.

 

“Well…there are a lot of sea sponges named Strezz Stormond,” he stammered, “and uh…I don’t think that I’m the one that you’re looking for, because, you see….I’m just a passerby…”

 

Rico interrupts Strezz before he could attempt anymore excuses by threatening him with an open-hand strike.

 

“You’ve got an interesting jacket there. I don’t know how to utilize battle armor, but Seymour told me about Z-Storm’s powers, so I’d know that you’re the one holding onto them. You want to fight? Come at me! I’m a Shichidan black belt and I’ve clouted through a body of armor three times before!”

 

“Is this how you’re going to treat someone who doesn’t his way around here?” A voice called out. As precisely as his voice echoed from the hall, he entered, revealing his physical appearance. His outfit was that of a researcher and developer.

 

“Who are you supposed to be? Are you another spy?” Rico asked.

 

“I’m a professor for CORE-al, and Seymour has been expecting me,” the person responded.

 

“Well, Seymour is expecting me to seek and destroy the one carrying the jacket made by the company that you work for!” Rico replied.

 

“How about I let you keep my silence of trespassing here and I won’t tell Seymour that you couldn’t get rid of Z-Storm while he was on your watch,” the professor continued as Rico let go of Strezz. In an instant, the professor makes eye control with the yellow fellow. “So, what’s a kid like you doing out here?”

 

“Who are you anyway?” Strezz asked.


“I am none other than Professor Algae. I know a lot of information about CORE-al and this island,” he greeted.

 

“I’m Strezz and I also happen to be under control of the Z-Storm armor,” Strezz responded nervously, unsure of what side Algae was playing on.

 

“I see. I’m wondering if you’re here to invade Seymour’s base. If you ask me, I’m here to make a delivery to Seymour.”

 

As he didn’t want to, Strezz didn’t anything in response. Then, Professor Algae shifted his eyes towards Cam, who was scrambling through the database of Seymour’s task force.

 

“Do you have any friends with you?” Algae asked.

 

“I am looking for two of my friends who are being used as hostages by Seymour and I’m trying to get to where he is right now,” said Strezz. “I found this place by myself and by accident.”

 

“You at the computer, what are you doing browsing the database?” Algae chimed, directly at Cam.

 

At that point, Cam attempted to rush out. He zoomed out from the computer, exclaiming “There’s no one at the computer!”

 

“If it is access that you want, you can just take it from me since this young ward here also wants access to Seymour’s base of operations,” Algae responded.

 

In an instant, Cam stepped rearward and rebounded back to where he was near the computer, as Professor Algae and Strezz were now examining it.

 

“Do you really know how we can get inside Seymour’s submarine?” Strezz asked.

 

“We’re going to let this computer print out a key card with an ID,” Algae clarified. “I suppose one of your friends is willing to pose as a member. I’m not going to take the risk and I know you wouldn’t either because you’ve been blacklisted by Seymour.”

 

“I’ll do it, but I also have one question...” Cam was saying and used the touchpad to scroll through some of the members of Seymour’s troupe before he lands on a certain name: Matthew Lucifer. “What’s my brother doing on the database?”

 

“Oh, is he your brother?” Algae asked. “He’s a profuse battle armor operator based on what I’ve seen from Seymour’s defenses.”

 

“And how do you know about that?” Shazza said who had just walked up to see Strezz, Cam, and Professor Algae at the monitor screen.


“I’m just a witness. I’ve skimmed through the database before and I’ve seen some troopers staking out here before, but you know, even if your friend is related to someone working alongside Seymour, he’s still a friend to me,” Algae continued before Cam’s key card was processed.

 

“Alright, we’re in, but I can’t call you a friend since we all just met you,” Shazza said towards Algae.

 

Momentarily, Zowe, Zack and Marina walked over to where the rest of the group was as Strezz was about to punch in Cam’s identification card in order to unlock the door.

 

“I hope you weren’t planning on just leaving us out here,” Zack jeered at Strezz.

 

“You and your friends aren’t very good at keeping your distances away from danger,” Algae pointed out.

 

“Well, I’m usually very good at stealth and surveillance,” Cam remarked.

 

As Strezz used Cam’s card to unlock the door, Algae says to him, “You know, there’s a kid of Seymour’s who is around or less than your age. I’ve seen him in this storage room before, and he’s such a Good Samaritan that he’ll lend anyone his key card. His name is Arthur, from what I recall.”

 

“That’s fairly interesting to know,” Strezz remarked.

 

Once as the door opened up automatically, Strezz and co. were met by one of Seymour’s guards, standing and waiting at the other side.

 

“What do I have here, a bunch of intruders?” The guard, Hector, spoke. “Ha, I’ll drive you all out!”

 

“I guess I have no choice than to take you on,” said Strezz. “You better let us through. I’m here to find two of my friends.”

 

“I recognize you from the photo that my boss showed me and he says that you’re the one with Z-Storm’s powers,” Hector continued as he was about to turn on his armor. “He also told me that he’s using two rascals as his hostages, so if it’s them you want, you have to get past me, or otherwise…Crimson Kill!”

 

In a flash, Hector’s armor turned on, shining with a hue of rich, deep red. Strezz wrapped his jacket around his body, tucked the sleeves through his arms, and instantly so, he was inside the Z-Storm armor. Hector started attacking with a double palm laser beam, piercing Z-Storm’s armor. Strezz activated his laser blade and swiftly swung it to hit the Crimson Kill armor. Then, Hector launched out a set of crimson-colored missiles aiming towards Strezz, damaging Z-Storm in the process. Hector releases another set of his missiles, but they miss as Strezz dashes past, getting as close as he could towards Crimson Kill, before then shocking Hector and his armor with a plasma cannon. Hector then grabs Strezz before he activates some form of aura in his hands, making Strezz bleed inside and outside of the Z-Storm armor as he continues to grip on him.

 

“Seymour told me that you were fast on your feet,” said Hector. “However, I can see that you can’t keep your own guard.”

 

Continuing the fight, Strezz tries to release himself from Hector. He activated his laser blade and then swings it through Hector’s right arm hard to make it lose grip. However, Hector was still holding onto Z-Storm with his left hand. Hector then fixates on the aura on both his hands to attempt using his blood fist attack once more. In a panicked state, Strezz fired off a set of blasts from his plasma cannon attack. Hector looks from the back and narrowly dodges them all. Strezz fires away one more blast, aiming for the left hand, hitting it, and forcing Hector to let go of Z-Storm’s armor. Strezz once again activates his laser blade while Hector activates a laser spear, which was in the shape of a trident. Hector spins it around to fire beams at Strezz. Strezz activates his boosters to dodge and float away from the laser’s aim. Strezz gets beamed one time before Hector’s laser spear has to recharge. At that point, Hector tries to stop Strezz with his double palm laser beam until Strezz bounces it off with his laser blade. He swings it around several times before he lands some damage on Hector’s armor. Before both would stop, Strezz lands a powerful blow with the same technique. Strezz and Hector were both now out of breath.

 

“It would sound weird for me to compliment you, but you’ve got some interesting techniques,” Strezz panted.

 

“Z-Storm also has a wide variety of them, but I haven’t seen much from you,” Hector groaned. “Granted, you’re the brand new successor to Z-Storm.”

 

“If you still want to settle this, I can still fight you!” Strezz replied.


“Consider our fight a draw. You still need to get past me if you want to face Seymour, but I’ll let you pass at this point now that your worthiness of killing has went up threefold for me,” Hector continued before stepping on one of the escape capsules. “You won’t want to mess with me the next time I fight you, but by then, I’d like to see how much of Z-Storm’s abilities you have gathered.”

 

With that, Hector exited the storage room inside the escape pod, and left without a clear trace.

 

“Oh yeah, now that’s the way to fight!” Zack remarked. “I think that other guy decided to chicken out.”

 

“You may think that it’s such, but Seymour’s troop can be very persistent,” Algae pointed out.

 

“And they won’t give up until they destroy the armor inside of this jacket?” Strezz says after Z-Storm was deactivated.

 

“…Actually, Z-Storm can be seen as more than just a body of armor, Strezz.” Algae responded. “The design has been around for ages and it has had several other operators before you. That’s what I’ve heard.”

 

Strezz didn’t say a word. He looked out the window to see if Seymour’s submarine was cruising around below the surface. From that point of view, there were barely any traces of Seymour and his troop members in sight.

 

“Okay, so how are we going to find Seymour’s submarine now? Wouldn’t the escape pods take us somewhere of interest?” Strezz asked.

 

“Don’t ask me. I’ve snuck in here before, but I don’t know what exactly the troop uses these for,” Algae responded and then looks out the same window. “It appears that we’re somewhere in the abyss.”

 

“You think?” Strezz replied sarcastically.

 

“Who knows what kind of things that they’ll do out in the deep abyss.” Algae remarked.

 

“Great, do you have any ideas about where we should go now?”

 

“Hey, I’m as smart as I sound, but you don’t need to ask me everything. There’s one thought that has been in the back of my mind, though. I’ve heard a rumor about Seymour having his real base of operations inside a temple that’s invisible from the outside.”

 

“And how are we supposed to find that when it’s INVISIBLE!?” Strezz says, suddenly shouting.

 

Cam suddenly pops up in-between Professor Algae and Strezz and then suggests, “From the way it sounds, the invisibly of the temple should be based on the matter of camouflage. Perhaps I should dive down into the abyss, then search and stumble upon any evidence of camouflage.”

 

“Are you sure you can sustain yourself long enough in a large body of brine?” Algae asked. “We will come back to get you once you locate the temple for us, so don’t worry if you still want to take that risk.”

 

“Have you ever heard of a fish drowning?” Cam asked back.

 

“…Ehhh…erm…” Algae stammered. “Actually, I have a better idea: Z-Storm will help us locate the hidden undersea temple. Strezz, isn’t your armor resistant to brine?”

 

“I’ve been submerged once and I never really had that feeling of my pores collapsing,” said Strezz.

 

“Then it’s settled!” Algae continued. “We’ll all take the escape pod and you, Strezz, can cloak on that jacket to activate Z-Storm.”

 

“I’m feeling nervous about this plan,” Strezz replied. “Z-Storm turns on when it’s raining from the outside.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll have enough time before the jacket is triggered to turn on the armor,” Algae replied. “We’ll still come back for you. Does that sound like a good plan now?”

 

Strezz gave a reassuring nod. As most of the group had already stepped inside an escape pod, Algae hides out back to communicate with one of Seymour’s troop members through a radio transmitter.

 

“Yes, they know where we are. Don’t worry about them for now. I need to you change the weather pattern on this island once I give you my word.” Algae whispered.

 

Professor Algae ran back to where the rest of the group was waiting. Before getting inside one of the escape pods, he turns to the one that Strezz was curled up in. Professor Algae instructs Strezz to press the single button from the inside, and it sends him downwards into the abyss. Strezz then presses the button to let the chute open, letting him out of the escape pod before wrapping his jacket around his body. Strezz looms over to the surface to see that it was raining, and so in an instant, Z-Storm activated. Strezz exhaled once as he appeared inside the armor with the operations. Strezz then zooms around in the abyss to find a spot that where a camouflage could be visible. It would be then that Strezz would find a speck with a texture mixed with a mossy green and a texture of mahogany. Strezz then starts to swab his hand around until he notices that he’s touched upon a solid surface covered with a disguised mat of moss. Upon his discovery, he turns to Algae inside his to direct to him the location of the invisible temple.

 

Strezz continued to swab around the solid surface before he revealed an opening. This prompted for the rest of Strezz’s group to then open up the hatches from their escape capsules and swim through and above the dark opening. However, as Strezz was about to paddle towards the dark tunnel, his armor deactivates. Strezz then struggles about with his jacket before he begins to feel like collapsing. Back to the perspective of the rest of Strezz’s group, they spotted a patch of light from above and swam over towards it before their heads appeared floating in the pool of brine. As they knew it, they were inside the undersea temple.

 

“Alright, we’ve made it,” said Algae. “How about we take a look inside now?”

 

“Shouldn’t Strezz be here very soon?” Shazza asked, looking around to notice that Strezz hasn’t showed up.

 

“Oh, I just remembered, we need to come back for him!” Algae gasped.

 

“And thanks for reminding us so late!” Shazza scowled and sunk herself back in to exit the temple and find Strezz struggling for breath.

 

Shazza grabbed a hold of Strezz’s arms and swam back into the temple as fast she could. Shazza and Strezz climbed back up to the surface with Strezz gasping heavily for breath.

 

“Are you feeling alright, mate?” Shazza asked Strezz.

 

“I was fine before Z-Storm got turned off,” Strezz panted and then shifted his eyes towards Professor Algae. His look became stern and he lunged at him. “You said you would come back for me!”

 

“I nearly forgot, please forgive me!” Algae croaked. “I didn’t even know that the weather would change as soon as you tried to catch up with us!”

 

Strezz stopped and sighed, not saying another word as he now strolls through the hallway.

 

Bruce and Monique were now shown inside of a cell within the undersea temple. They were curled around with their heads leaning against a wall. They were bored out of their minds, but also eager for Strezz to come and save them. Hours had passed as they waited around with nothing occurring from their point of view. However, it wasn’t until they came across a figure in the form of a small sea dragon with light blue skin, walking by from behind the bars. He was also wearing white gloves with a gold-colored band, and a red shirt along with a white short-sleeve jacket, similar to one that Strezz had.

 

The small dragon saw the duo through the bars and called out, “Hello, did Seymour capture you?”

 

“Of course he did, why else would we be here!?” Monique exclaimed. “Are you here to take us in?”

 

The dragon shook his head. “Oh no, I’m here to free you both before Seymour comes back to see you two.” He then takes out a single, decrepit jail key. He lifts his feet up to place the key into the lock, allowing for the door to open up. “So, what are your names? I’m Arthur.”

 

“I’m Monique and this is Bruce,” She greeted. “We got separated from our friend.”

 

“His name is Strezz and he has the powers of Z-Storm inside of a jacket,” Bruce added.

 

Arthur’s mind beamed up and he then asks, “Where can I find this person with those powers?”

 

“So I suppose you’re another one of those comic geeks,” Monique joked. She, alongside Bruce, pulled the unlocked cell door and stepped out from the room. “He’s in the same island with us, but if you need anymore details, he’s a sea sponge, so he shouldn’t be so hard to miss.”

 

“Thanks, and it is nice meeting you two but I have to leave,” Arthur replied. “You both should find a way out of this temple. There’s a place you can dive deep and once you swim past it, you’ll find the surface above you, and it’ll take you back to the island.”

Immediately so, Arthur took off, leaving Bruce and Monique’s sight as he headed north from the corridor. Only a few minutes would pass as Strezz and his group would find themselves at the same hallway to see Bruce and Monique standing around. Strezz came to embrace his two friends the moment that he took a glimpse of them.

 

“I’m so glad to have found you two!” Strezz cried out. “Did Seymour try to do anything to you?”

 

“He hasn’t done anything to us since he dragged us out here 3 hours ago, but just recently, we got freed by some kid named Arthur,” said Bruce.

 

“So Strezz, can you tell me who all those guys are?” Monique questioned, pointing her fin towards Strezz’s group. “And what’s Zowe doing here?”

 

“Zowe got a helicopter ride and the pilot forced her to land on the island with her friends, Cam, Zack, and Marina…” Strezz paused as he realized that Marina was not visible in the group. “Wait a minute, Marina’s missing!”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? She was with us the whole time!” Zowe exclaimed.

 

“If I remember correctly, I didn’t see her entering one of the escape capsules,” Cam pointed out.

 

“Hey guys!” Marina beamed, who suddenly appeared with the group. Strezz and co. heard the voice to see that Marina apparently got inside the temple.

 

“Dear Neptune, you had me frightened!” Zowe said. “Can you just stick with us next time?”

 

“I’m sorry,” Marina responded. “I found my way here when I found a transporter in the other room. I got sidetracked when I found this wandering around.” At that moment, she revealed a white eel slithering beside her. “I followed it and it led me to the machine to transport me here. Someone must’ve abandoned it, don’t you think?”

 

“And by abandoned, you mean left there by a troop member, right?” Strezz questioned.

 

“How can you tell?” Marina asked.

 

“I see that it’s got a collar tag with Hector’s name on it, which means it’s not lost at all, AND it belongs to someone that I just fought not long ago!” Strezz replied.

 

“Oh…so that’s why you’re getting all sweaty again just now,” Marina replied and then held up the albino eel to let it lie on one of her shoulders.

 

“Hey, don’t touch it!” Strezz warned. “That might be an electric eel!”

 

“I don’t think it’s dangerous. Besides, I still feel pretty bad when I saw it alone.”

 

“Even if he belongs to a push-over like the guy who controls what he calls “Crimson Kill?”” Zack remarked.

 

“I take offense to that,” the albino eel uttered.


“Holy shit, it can talk!” Bruce exclaimed.

 

“It’s true, we superior agents of the Turbulent Thunder Troopers are stronger and more intelligent than you all are,” the eel continued. “Don’t forget this either: I’d rather be referred to by name. My partner calls me Burden, and don’t wear it out. Now, go about with your lives, I will only listen to Hector.”

 

Freaked out, the entire group, except Marina, decides to ignore the eel. Strezz focuses back on his conversation with Bruce and Monique.

 

“Well, now that we’re back on the same page….Zowe got here after getting dropped off by a helicopter pilot, and she also snuck her three friends on the ride. Seymour’s submarine went down under, we tried to find a way into his base of operations and I ended up stepping on a trapdoor on the beach that sent me to the troop’s storage room. We ran into Professor Algae who helped us hack into the database, I fought Hector to get past the room he was guarding and then try to locate the real hideout. I went underwater as Z-Storm to find any sort of camouflage in the abyss. I found it, I almost drowned, Shazza saved my life to get me inside of the temple, and now we’re here,” Strezz explained.

 

“That’s interesting to know, but what should we all do now at this point?” Monique questioned. “The kid who freed us suggested that we escape.”

 

“I need to settle a score with Seymour,” said Strezz. “I think we should keep going.”

 

“I really like that determination,” Algae remarked. “Even if we do go further, we’ll discover some more info about Seymour and his troop.”

 

“Now I’m down with that idea,” Strezz replied. “After all, you’re pretty useful considering that you’ve heard about Seymour having a hideout kept in secret.”

 

“I’m still wondering where he got that idea though,” says Shazza, acting suspicious.

 

“I’ve heard the rumor from an associate of mine, Nelson.” Algae stated. “He’s not a researcher and developer like I am, but he told me that when he’s out at sea near Shellside Shores, his ship would feel something flat.”

 

“So you know Captain Tide? We met him on the island and he told us that he got stranded there when his ship capsized,” said Strezz.

 

“What a coincidence!” Algae replied. “Now let’s move along, shall we?”

 

As the entire group continued to walk along the passageway, Shazza peers over to Strezz and says to him, “Mate, I don’t think Professor Algae is completely trustworthy.”

 

“I didn’t want to feel the same way, but I’ve had a similar hunch,” Strezz responded.

 

“I suggest we play along with his act long enough until we get ourselves in a fix, so then we would all have to escape,” Shazza whispered.

 

“What gave you that idea?” Strezz asked.

 

“I never knew this person until just now and I’m starting to realize that Seymour is setting up a trap with this guy. In fact, I’m beginning to recognize that I’ve been here one time. I can’t seem to remember everything about being in this temple, but I think I know what the troop was planning to do with your two friends.”

 

“You know, I’ve had my doubts too when it came to the guy,” Cam whispered, suddenly popping in to the conversation.

 

“You two are pretty savvy,” said Strezz. “Now that you mentioned it, Shazza, my suspicions towards Professor Algae are being raised.”

 

Eventually, Strezz’s group met themselves with a door that had another key card lock. Promptly so, Cam punched in his identification card to unlock it. The room inside revealed an arena-shaped interior with a fountain erected at the middle. As the group stepped closer, they spotted someone standing in front of a door.

 

“…Brother?” Cam questioned.

 

“Oh, Cameron,” the figure dressed in black uttered. “I still remember you, but I am curious to know how you ended up here.”

 

“I’ve had some help from my friends, including Strezz, who bears the powers of Z-Storm,” Cam responded.

 

Cam’s brother, Matt, turned around to take a glimpse at Strezz’ jacket.

 

“So, he’s the one that our leader has been rambling on about,” says Matt. “That’s some very interesting power that you’re holding on to.”

 

“I’ve never intended to take the place of being able to control Z-Storm, so don’t say that I’m holding on to it dearly,” Strezz retorted.

 

“So, what caused you to become part of Seymour’s army?” Cam asked Matt.

 

“If you decide to join, it’ll help make you feel strong and overwhelming,” Matt explained, “Seymour made me feel that exact way.”

 

“We can all be strong on our own,” Cam replied. “You don’t need to part of them, and besides, Seymour has created schemes that are simply heinous!”

 

“You probably don’t know our leader so well. If you want to negotiate with him, then I’d like to see how well your friend handles with the Z-Storm armor. Be warned, I’m one of Seymour’s top ranking officers.”

 

In an instant, Strezz started to act very nervously. He flinched at the idea of fighting Matt.

 

“Uh…I wasn’t looking to fight you,” said Strezz.

 

“Very well,” Matt responded. “However, I’m not the kind of guy who lets people off with an easy bargain. Come here, Warden!”

 

As directed, another one of Seymour’s guards stepped in. His armor was a shining purple and its attributes resembled that of a knight in the medieval age.

 

“Hold off these intruders for me,” Matt finished before he would make his exit towards that passageway that is adjacent to him.

 

I shouldn’t have to rush things but it was a long road ahead of me when it came to just trying to approach Seymour, Strezz narrates. I had to fight a troop member named Warden to go on further. Warden, in particular, had telekinesis abilities when it came to his armor. It was a fairly tough fight, but that was because I got drenched by the fountain in the middle of the room. I didn’t know that it had any stored power until Warden tossed Zowe into it. I’ve been told that it was the Fountain of Confidence. It took away Zowe’s confidence, or in other words, made her fear our opponent. Like I mentioned before, I ended up taking the same effect. Thankfully though, my friends decided to spring into action. Bruce, Monique, and Shazza really helped with the fight, considering that they had their own gadgets. A little after Warden admitted defeat, he peeled off a gem that was adorned on the fountain. Furthermore, fountain’s effects disappeared as Zowe and I suddenly felt like us again.

 

We came to the next room that looked the same as the last one with another fountain. The person guarding it was a woman known as Adrianna. She had armor that was similar in design to Warden’s, but it was known as Cannon Cadet. Her abilities are based around wide-range attacks such as missiles. Monique ended up testing out the main effect of the fountain when she got blasted into it. She looked a little younger, and that’s when I instantly recognized it as the Fountain of Youth. Again, I ended up touching the fountain, but it strangely enjoyable for me. After a while, Cam and Marina would end up getting blasted into the fountain, but at that time, they turned into infants. Some of the time I tried to fend of Adrianna, but Zowe was the only who really help and got most involved with the fight. We managed to defeat Adrianna, but she also took the gem from the fountain before she made her exit. Immediately so, the fountain’s effects would also wear off. It was enjoyable while it lasted when I became 9 again, but I have more important things to take care off.

 

Onwards to the third room, it was another fountain. Reading the plaque next to it, it is referred to as the Fountain of Disaster. Right now, we were all doing fine, except Zack who sprained his leg after a rough landing when trying to fend off Adrianna. I thought for sure that things wouldn’t be so challenging for me…but that was until I was met face to face with Hector again…

 

“Isn’t this a surprise? I thought the person in-charge of Z-Storm wouldn’t be strong enough to make it this far, but here I go, having another round with Z-Storm,” said Hector. Eying at Strezz’s team, however, Burden lying beside Marina immediately caught his eye. “What are you doing with Burden, young girl?”

 

“I found him inside that drafty storage room,” Marina asked. “You can take him since he’s yours.”

 

“It’s good to see no harm having been done to him, but you’ll all pay since you stole from me!” Hector fumed.

 

“I wouldn’t say that I “stole” your eel…” Marina muttered.

 

“Consider myself lucky Z-Storm, because you’ve come across my favorite testing room for my abilities – as well as for my favorite cheat abilities.” Before Hector would activate his Crimson Kill armor, he swiftly nabs Burden from Marina’s shoulder.

 

“What are you going to do with Burden?”

 

“Use it to give me more of an edge in this fight, of course.”

 

“So you’re just going to use abilities of others at this point? Zack inquired. “That sounds pretty cheap to me.”

 

“Oh no, I still have my own armor and abilities at my utility,” Hector reassured and turned his head back to Strezz. “Now, Z-Storm, prepare to face off against a different kind of battling technique!” Likewise when he retrieved Burden, he quickly filches Strezz of his Z-Storm jacket. “DNA activate: Crimson Storm!”

 

Once as Burden got inside of the Crimson Kill armor, Hector takes out a device to transfer powers from the Z-Storm jacket into his own armor, creating “Crimson Storm” in the process. The armor now shone with a hue of Persian blue in one half, and crimson in the other half. The cape was also half-red and half-blue.

 

“Now this is getting too intense for me,” Bruce remarked. “Somebody hold me!”

 

“Now I got nothing to fight you with, this isn’t fair!” Strezz argued towards Hector.

 

“I know,” Hector said solemnly. He then pins down Strezz and knocks him against the wall with a plasma cannon that shone with a mix of red and blue. “Burden is also known for adaptability that ranks up with the modern technology of CORE-al. He’s useful in the processes of rebooting, recharging, and repair: the three R’s to put it bluntly!”

 

Burden then uses his electro-productive organs to produce a static discharge from within the Crimson Storm armor. Hector lifts the arms to touch the fountain, activating an earthquake to make Strezz’s group tremble. Afterwards, Hector then uses the fountain to create a cyclone until it forms into a whirlpool. The gusts of wind force Bruce, Strezz, Marina, and Zack into it while the rest of the group tries to hold on. The whirlpool eventually dissipates while Hector then blasts Strezz with his ordinary crimson blast for his next turn. Hector then conjures a blade similar to Z-Storm’s, but had attributes to Crimson Kill’s spear. Burden releases another discharge as it connects to the laser blade as Hector would then strike at most of the group with it.

 

“You’ve got to do something!” Zowe cried out at Strezz.

 

“I can’t when Hector has the upper-hand,” Strezz responded, “especially when I don’t have any powers on me. Professor Algae, you can think of something through this, right?”

 

“No, I’m sorry,” Algae said bluntly.


“Strezz, this one of those moments where we’ll all have to bail,” said Shazza. “Isn’t it a good time to do that?”

 

“Sorry Shazza, but I’m not ready to give up!” Strezz groaned.

 

The fight continues as Burden uses more electricity to boost up Hector’s blood fist attack, it aims for Strezz, but he narrowly dodges it. Hector then targets a portion of the group with a crimson blast, which ends up hitting Zowe. Focusing back on the fountain, Hector conjures up another whirlpool but he then uses Crimson Storm’s static force to give it an electrifying attribute. It hits Zowe and Monique, paralyzing them in due to the shock.

 

“Alright fellows, I’m stepping in,” said Zack.

 

“One of your legs is injured,” Strezz pointed out.

 

“Then it’s a good thing that I can at least use my other leg!” Zack reaffirmed.

 

Zack opens up against Hector with a kick in the armor’s gut. Hector then uses the fountain and Burden’s electrical discharge to then cause an earthquake but to also conjure the water in the fountain, forming a tidal wave to crash into Strezz’s group. While Zack still stood on his feet, Shazza loomed around the room to see a light switch. As Hector continues to use the fountain’s power, Shazza flicks the switch to interrupt Burden from using his energy before he would create a discharge to lighten up the room again. However, this caused Burden to feel fatigued. As quickly as she could, Shazza lunged out from her distance towards the light switch. Hector then switches towards using the armor’s attacks, now provoking the group with an X-shaped blast, hitting everyone besides Algae, Cam, and Zack. Zack continued trying to damage the armor with his kicks in an attempt to try and reduce the armor’s power so it could deactivate. At a slower pace now, Hector tries to conjure a crimson-blue plasma blast against Zack, but it easily misses him. Zack continues to strike through the Crimson Storm armor until it deactivates. As the armor turns off, Hector bent down to take in some breaths with his head feeling hazy. Burden also drew in some breaths before trying to recharge his electrical power. As Hector was nearly down, Strezz took the opportunity to snatch back the Z-Storm jacket.

 

“I guess that’s it for him,” Strezz mused.

 

“We better get inside the next room if you all want to survive,” Zack suggested.

 

The rest of Strezz’s group agreed and went inside the next. Of course, they were met by another fountain at the center, labeled the Fountain of Thought. Aside from Strezz and his group, there was no one else in sight. Hector was now shown in the previous room alongside Burden, still feeing drained. Hector buries his hands in his forehead as his inner thoughts come rushing towards him.

 

“I must continue…I cannot let master Seymour down…I can’t be no better than someone as scrawny as that sponge and his group of friends,” Hector groaned.

 

It was then that something that Seymour said to him popped up in his mind:

 

…I know the Crimson Kill would put up a better fight than Z-Storm would.” It echoed.

 

“Right…he has put all of faith in me, and it’s not too late for me to impress him!” Hector exclaimed.

 

Back to Strezz and his group, they were examining the room. There was a small window on the door up north. Algae peeks his head around to see part of Seymour’s body inside of the room.

 

“Hey Strezz, I’ve spotted Seymour inside the next room,” Algae notified. “I’ll be able to deliver my discs to him, and you’ll be able to fight him. Are you ready?”

 

“I’m feeling ready now,” Strezz responded.

 

“But let’s think about Hector for a moment,” Shazza mentioned. “He and Burden are probably trying to restore energy. If we face off against him at the next moment, we need to plan a way to bypass him. He’s using the eel as his source for power, and Hector won’t have enough energy if Burden’s power burns out.”

 

“You’re very much right,” Strezz compliments. “I even saw you kill the power so that the eel would try to brighten up the room. It’s a plausible enough idea to work if we get him distracted.”

 

“In other words, why should we feel so worked up about that dork right now?” Zack questioned.

 

At that very moment, Hector destroyed the door behind the group with his crimson blast. He was back inside the Crimson Kill. Burden, however, was lying beside him.

 

“It looks like he just answered your own question!” Strezz says as he wraps the jacket back on to his body. Momentarily, Z-Storm was reactivated.

 

The Fountain of Thought also contains a very useful power,” Hector proclaims. “Just watch and learn…”

 

Burden slides over to dive inside of the fountain. As it would appear first, nothing happened. Strezz now realizes the fountain’s power after he saw Burden’s body climbing back out from the fountain and then seeing Zack’s body coming straight for him.

 

“I have now transferred my eel’s mind to one of your friends,” Hector mentioned. “Try getting yourself out of this situation now!”

 

The fight against Hector continues as Strezz now finds himself trying to fight against Hector AND Burden inside of Zack’s mind. Strezz focused on both Hector and Zack as he fires his plasma cannon at both targets. Afterwards, Strezz looked at Zack nervously…

 

“You would hurt your friend?” Burden teased. “That’s pretty shameful.”

 

Burden uses his mind to conjure static from within Zack’s body. He lifts one of Zack’s fingers to fire an electric beam to shock Strezz. Hector is next to attack and targets Strezz with his double laser beam. Strezz manages to dodge it as he whips out his laser blade to try and hit Hector, but it fails when he saw Burden getting in the way of the attack. Strezz stalled himself as Hector would then fire his X-shaped blast at Strezz. Strezz continues trying to attack Hector while ignoring Burden in Zack’s mind by trying his hand at striking Hector with his laser blade again. As he saw Burden heading towards his trajectory, Strezz shuffles himself to the right, and then goes behind Hector to hit him with his respective attack. However, Burden was behind Strezz and shocked him again with his static discharge. Hector would then attempt to use his blood fist against Strezz before Strezz is introduced to another one of Z-Storm’s abilities by conjuring a spheroid water blast, an attack specifically known as Hydro Sphere. Hector unleashes his next move on Strezz by attempting to use his blood fist technique once more. Strezz activates his boosters in order to avoid Hector’s attack while jetting around the arena. Strezz then unleashes another Hydro Sphere against Hector, hitting him in the process. Burden attempts to fire away another static discharge to hit and stun Strezz, but Strezz dodges it. Hector then releases a series of X-shaped blast, it manages to hit Strezz once, but Z-Storm still held in as Strezz would then use his plasma cannon to hit Hector. Crimson Kill’s damage was now slowing Hector down, but he wasn’t down before Burden would try to form another discharge to damage Strezz’s armor, only for Strezz to lift Hector to toss at Burden’s attack, shocking him and causing the Crimson Kill armor to turn off. Hector and Burden didn’t have enough energy to get themselves back up, allowing for Strezz to toss Burden back into the fountain water, reversing the effects of the fountain. Burden climbs back out to come back to Hector’s side. However, it didn’t seem like Hector was done fighting as he left a crimson-tinted missile in front of the room and it was ready to go off. Hector and Burden slowly make their way out as Strezz and his group (with Zowe carrying Zack) scurry over to the next room.

 

With Strezz and co. now inside Seymour’s room of operations, they look back to see Hector’s missile going off with a loud bang. This, of course, caught the attention of two people with their bodies facing back. They both turned their heads, revealing themselves as Seymour and Matt.

 

“Ugh…ouch,” Zack moaned. “Did you really have to hurt me?”

 

“I’m sorry about that, I had to wing it while trying to fight Hector,” Strezz responded.

 

“I hate to break the bad news here, but we already got company,” Shazza said, referring to Seymour and Matt staring at the group.

 

To be continued…

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3. Sub-Merged

          EMergency

            Merger 

 

“We’ve been expecting you, Z-Storm,” Seymour said directly to Strezz.

 

Seeing himself in the same room with Seymour, Strezz could already sense the chills coursing through his body. Cam also felt nervous to confront Matt again.

 

“I can tell that you managed to survive long enough to even evade Hector,” Seymour continued. “He’s a skilled combatant with his armor, but when he goes overboard, he wears himself out enough to get beaten down.”

 

“Yeah, but you’re the one who’s obsessed with fighting, especially against me since you’re after this jacket,” Strezz replied, stretching the left side of the jacket’s vent.

 

“I do have to have other things with my time,” Seymour replied. “I’m not the one, who’s running this organization, so why don’t you have a chat with our valuable leader who just gave us his discs?”

 

Professor Algae then reveals himself, passing through Seymour and Matt in-between, before he and Strezz see each other up close.

 

“So, you must’ve been pulling a ruse on us this whole time,” said Strezz. “Well, I’m not going to believe anything you’re going to say now!”

 

“You won’t believe me even if I told you the truth that we have been keeping from you?” Algae inquired. “Since you’ve gone so far to save the two prisoners that Seymour had caught, I’ll tell you right now that I ordered these Thunder Troopers to apprehend all you intruders.”

 

“That makes sense now as to why you’re a V.I.P. for this base’s operations and how you have acquired knowledge of the organization’s fighters,” Cam affirmed. “You must be the leader of this whole debacle.”

 

“I wouldn’t call it a debacle. This was a success from the start: being able to lead a group of strong, armored fighters,” Algae continued. “I’m no professor, but I worked with CORE-al long enough to form this plan. You all can just call me Vandyke.”

 

Before Strezz could continue the conversation, Hector bust through the door that the rest of Strezz’s group was trying to block. He, with Burden by his shoulders, walked feebly towards Vandyke.

 

“You, what are you doing!?” Hector exclaimed. “Aren’t you going to get the job done?”

 

“I don’t know, weren’t you?” Vandyke jeered. “Hey, don’t sweat it. I know you, Burden, and Crimson Kill at least tried to get rid of the boy with Z-Storm’s armor.”

 

“Well, now that you decided to drop that act of yours, how about you give me one of your discs?” Hector asked.

 

“I’ll give you one as long as you don’t intervene in this discussion that I’m having with the new Z-Storm,” Vandyke responded. “My eyes and earstones are all on him.”

 

Hector so then opted to remain quiet until he eyed an orb being held onto by Vandyke. He then says to him, “What do you think you’re doing with that? You know that belongs to me!”

 

“This will be my last resort against the Z-Storm and his group,” Vandyke answered. “I will link the orb to the discs and they will explode. I just thought that I could utilize this weapon in a better way.”

 

“But then it will destroy our base!” Hector exclaimed. “You can’t just sacrifice that!”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Seymour and I have already made up our minds.”

 

“Can we just get back to the subject?” Strezz suggested. “Tell me what this is all about.”

 

“You see, I’ve done more than just set up my defenses in our base,” Vandyke was explaining. “This organization was a lifelong vision of mine. I wanted to prove Nelson, Sal, and everyone else from CORE-al wrong with this kind of work. For long, I’ve wanted the Z-Storm jacket and invest my research in its hidden power, but I’ve done enough research without it to create battle armor that could utilize as much as Z-Storm’s armor.”

 

He knew Sal? Shazza thought. “So, you’re telling us that you’re doing all this for corporate revenge?” She then spoke.

 

“That sounds very tedious if you think about that for a moment,” Zack remarked.

 

“I could explain more, but now I wanted to bring up something else now that I’ve come to recognize you,” Vandyke said towards Shazza. “I’ve known each of these Thunder Troopers since Seymour helped me form this organization and he provided me with some help in finding some recruits. I can still remember when I tried to consider you as part of our group of fighters.”

 

Shit, now I understand exactly what this guy was trying to do with his organization with this base of operations, Shazza thought. If Vandyke remembered the time he tried to make me one of his troopers, and I didn’t, then…what could that mean? Speaking up once again, Shazza then says to Vandyke, “I could only wonder how you tried to do just that.”

 

“I’ve had to install some of your memories to a disc until the progress became incomplete,” Vandyke responded, carrying and waving around a disc in the air before putting it back in his pants pocket. “However, I am curious to know why you’re not holding onto Z-Storm’s powers as of now.”

 

“You and Seymour would’ve just stopped trying to attack me if I let go if it. I remember very well that I’ve been told by someone that I had to protect the jacket with my own life and use it to my own advantage. I was so lazy to keep myself invested in those powers, but I also couldn’t handle the job of piloting Z-Storm any longer.”

 

“Now tell me how Z-Storm’s powers fell into the hands of…this weak link,” Vandyke replied, glaring at Strezz.

 

“What do you know about Strezz that I don’t? You’ve known the Thunder Troopers long since you tried to get them to be part of your group, but I’ve known Strezz long before I saw him again and long before you did.”

 

“To be fair, I had to get access to his information just by snatching his ID card. Speaking of which, I don’t need to keep holding on to it…”

 

Through his own words, Vandyke tosses out Strezz’s student ID, flicking it directly towards Strezz’s face.

 

“Strezz…if that’s your name, you’re probably begging to know how you and your friends ended up here.” Vandyke was explaining. “I can tell that you’re already thinking I’m behind this. I’ve had to get Matt to form that contest you and another local of yours won. Then I’ve had Hector lead you and your friends to this island.”

 

“I guess I didn’t mess up with my map,” Bruce remarked. “Then again, I don’t tend to have a good sense of direction.”

 

“Seaside Springs was also part of our setup, as such place doesn’t exist,” Vandyke continued. “Now you know, so what I’m going to do now is-“

 

Strezz interrupted Vandyke by exclaiming, “What we’re going to do is fight, huh? I deserve a fight against you!”

 

“I’m an inventor, I don’t fight.” Vandyke said before Matt had his armor turned on. Matt strutted over to where Strezz and Vandyke faced each other, and then stood beside his leader. “Matthew is going to fight you, that is if you’re willing to put up a fight with one of the most skilled combatants I know. Don’t even try pushing your luck by attempting to escape, because I still have something to use as a last resort.”

 

“Fine, I’ll accept your challenge,” Strezz responded. “If I beat one of your troopers, you’re going to regret using two of my friends as hostages.”

 

Shazza turned her head towards Strezz before his Z-Storm armor activated. “Mate, do you think now is a good time to bail?”

 

“Don’t these guys have something of yours?” Strezz questioned, referring to the disc in Vandyke’s pocket.

 

“Point taken,” Shazza replied. “I’ll just take the disc when Vandyke is distracted.”

 

Strezz turned his armor’s head to face Matt, saying to him, “Let’s just get this over with. Show me how good of a fighter you are.”

 

“I became top of the line after I urged to have revenge against my brother,” Matt said before he turns around to face his brother, Cam. “You were such an annoying brother, but my life has changed with Vandyke and Seymour’s study on this kind of technology, I’m now stronger than I ever dreamed to be!”

 

Something’s really going on with my brother, Cam thought. I’ve never seen him become as bad as this. More-so, he’s part of a very shady organization.

 

Before the fight could begin, Matt held up his hand and said, “There’s something I need to do first.”

 

In Matt’s other hand was a gemstone. His hand pressed on it tightly and he watched it glow immensely bright. The glow then incorporated through Matt’s Dark Goliath armor. As a test, Matt whacked Strezz with a swift punch.

 

“What was that all about?” Strezz inquired.

 

“That was our secret weapon doing its job,” Vandyke answered. “That gemstone was from the Fountain of Radiation. Are you already feeling outmatched now that Matthew’s power has doubled?”

 

“I’ve done quite a lot of fighting for just one day to end up here,” Strezz replied, getting back up to confront Matt. ”I feel a bit worn out, but that’s not going to stop me!”

 

Strezz then controls his armor to lunge at Matt/Dark Goliath. Strezz then activated Z-Storm’s laser blade when Matt activates Dark Goliath’s high voltage blast, passing through the blade and then causing significant damages towards Strezz. Strezz then tries his plasma cannon attack, but then Matt activated a set of bullets from his armor, which collide with Z-Storm’s attack. Strezz once again activates his laser blade while Matt activates Dark Goliath’s plasma shield and laser blade. Matt counterattacks Strezz’s blade with his shield, before using the blade in his other hand to damage Strezz’s armor. Strezz tries to counter Matt’s next attack with the blade, but once again, it got blocked off by the shield. Matt then flips his two weapons in the other respective hands. Matt then jumps out of his way from Z-Storm before he lands far from Strezz’s range of attacking. Strezz tries his hand again with his plasma cannon attack, which end up getting blocked by Matt’s blade and shield while Matt sprints back to damage Strezz with his blade. Strezz jumps rearward in order to dodge Matt’s attack. Strezz activated his blade again to try and counterattack, but loses his focus by Matt’s weapon flipping technique before Matt damages Strezz again with his dark blade. With Matt attempting another swing, Strezz activates his boosters to dodge and tries to conjure his Hydro Blast attack in the air against Matt. Matt uses his high voltage blast to collide it with Strezz’s attack, creating an explosion that sends both Strezz and Matt flying.

 

“It looks like I hit you that time,” Strezz said, panting for breath.

 

“That didn’t hurt as bad as you’d think,” Matt jeered. “You look good as dead, though.”

 

Strezz tries to get back up and move his armor again. In the process, Strezz groaned in pain.

 

“I don’t think I can go on like this…but I must…!” Strezz groaned.

 

Matt inched closer to Strezz, preparing to use his next attack. In his left hand was a stick, while he was conjuring, dark, electrical currents in his right hand. He then said to Strezz, “Unless you can take it, this will seriously hurt.”

 

Strezz just stood in his Z-Storm armor, nervously waiting for Matt to unleash his attack. Strezz was so in pain that he could barely try to get his armor to budge a step away from it.

 

“Strezz, what are you doing? Kick that guy’s ass!” Zack exclaimed.

 

“Hang in there, Strezz. You can beat him!” Monique hollered.

 

Shazza stared at the wounded Strezz/Z-Storm and murmured to him, “Strezz…I-“

 

“Don’t tell me, I know what I need to do…” Strezz acquiesced. “We need to leave – NOW!”

 

Strezz turned on Z-Storm’s boosters and motioned for his armor to fly straight away from the battlefield. Strezz’s group then hurried after him to take his lead. Vandyke went chasing after Strezz as well while Matt activated the boosters of his Dark Goliath armor to try and catch Strezz’s trail. Strezz’s group sprinted as much as they could. Shazza, alongside the rest of the group, rushed through the base until she focused on Vandyke and then tries to take the disc from his pocket. She slid past Vandyke and pulled her fin on one of his pockets, grabbing a disc. She then jumps over Vandyke before grabbing a hold on to the backside of Z-Storm’s armor. Eventually, Strezz felt so worn out, that he stopped using his armor’s boosters. He and Shazza then waited for the rest of their group to catch up as they made it back to the area with a drenched opening, but Matt and Vandyke had already surpassed them. Matt was preparing to use one his attacks to stop Strezz dead at his tracks. The rest of Strezz’s group then lunged to grab a hold of Z-Storm before Strezz dived below into the abyss.

 

Narrowly escaping Matt’s blast that created a burst underwater, Strezz paddled over to the surface area with his friends tugging on his back and one of his arms and legs. Strezz then struggled to rise back up as Z-Storm deactivated, as he’s now wounded and trying reach back up for oxygen without his brine-resistant armor. Before Strezz could swim back to shore, his group had already their heads peeked back up to the surface area and swam back to land. Out of fatigue, Strezz collapsed while the rest of the group lay on their backs on the sandy soil to have some breathing space. They examined the sky to see that the day has already fallen into night during their infiltration.

 

Bruce, Monique, Zowe, Cam, Zack, and Monique all went back inside the hut while Shazza waited for Strezz to regain consciousness.

 

“I’m glad to see you made it all out just fine,” Shazza said to Strezz.

 

“Same, but now I’m not in any good health because all that fighting took a lot out of me,” Strezz responded. “I was so focused in using Z-Storm’s powers that I couldn’t see for myself of how badly injured I’ve gotten.” His arms, legs, and back were covered in bruises while he could see blood-stained cuts on his arms.

 

“Bruce and Monique got freed while I got the disc that’ll give me some answers on some of the things that I forgot when I still had the jacket,” Shazza said. However, when she took out the disc, she noticed that it was hot to the touch. “Hey, how did this get so hot? Wait…”

 

Shazza then tossed the disc into the water before it let out a strong shock wave 20 seconds later.


“…Just when I thought I accomplished something today, I took the disc that Vandyke was meaning to get us killed with,” Shazza huffed. “That means that he still has my disc all the way back in his base.”

 

“You don’t have to feel so bad. I still felt like a coward after everything that I went through today,” Strezz replied.

 

“Shut up, you acted a lot more confident with the Z-Storm armor the more that you I saw you using it,” Shazza replied. “In fact, you were never willing to back down from a fight so you could save your two friends, and that was until you decided to take my advice. We got as far as to attain some information about Vandyke’s organization and we ran away with it alive.”

 

“Then why did you say you felt like you barely accomplished anything during the mission?”

 

Shazza was feeling choked up in what to say before she bent down with her legs curled up and spoke to Strezz, “When I was Z-Storm, I barely fought and won any of my own battles. Like I said a while ago, I was only told that I have to use Z-Storm’s powers for my own benefit and to protect the jacket with my own life. It was more than just laziness that I had to discard the jacket. I couldn’t handle the pressure of taking fights that I never wanted to be involved with. When I had the opportunity to fight for my own right, by trying to back what Vandyke’s organization took from me, I failed to achieve my goal.” Afterwards, tears streamed down Shazza’s face. “I guarantee that I’m more of a coward than you.”

 

“I couldnt imagine that I would have something to share with you, but don’t take it so hard. You told me how some of Z-Storm’s powers work and you helped me get used to them. Besides, you still at least gained something from these perils, right?”

 

Shazza stood back up. Strezz struggled to do the same, bending over while Shazza grabbed his arms to keep his balance.

 

“You’re right, mate. I’ve learned something about the organization and I’m willing to tell you and your friends about it, so let’s go back inside the hut.”

 

 

“What do you mean?!...” Strezz exclaimed.

 

“Yeah, I’m highly certain that Seymour and Vandyke are using this island as a tourist trap,” said Shazza. “It’s like what Vandyke said: Seaside Springs doesn’t exist, so he and his organization are using that falsehood as a ploy to receive more soldiers.”

 

“That’s not completely true,” Sal spoke as he stood up from where he had perched. “I’ve been here long enough to live in an island that used to be known as Seaside Springs.”

 

Strezz’s eyes then widened up more from a state of shock. “So this whole time, Seaside Springs was Shellside Shores?!…I mean…” he stammered.

 

“It’s true. This place used to be lovely too. There were other inhabitants such as me until Seymour’s troop invaded the island and changed its climate,” Sal explained. “Just about everyone else who lived here evacuated, but I’ve seen some civilians being selected by Seymour. They either had all their minds blanked out before they could only be ordered to serve the organization, or got killed for lack of competence.”

 

“I don’t remember how I exactly got here, but I could only imagine that I was set up,” Shazza added. “The organization also must’ve tried to erase my memories and make me one of them, which is why I don’t remember much of anything that happened to me in those past two years.”

 

“…and considering that my brother is with the Thunder Troopers, that means that he was manipulated into serving Seymour and Vandyke!” Cam uttered.

 

“Speaking of your brother, do you know what he was like before somehow ending up in Shellside Shores, mate?” Shazza inquired towards Cam.

 

“I could speak at great length to describe my relationship with him,” Cam replied. “The last time I saw him, we were mad at each other. When the time feels right for me, I could go more into detail about that.”

 

“Okay, let’s call it a night,” Shazza affirmed. “We’ll have to avoid the Thunder Troopers since most of us aren’t in good health to face him again.”

 

Before all the castaways sprawled onto their hammocks, Marina waited to be alone with Shazza for a talk.

 

“I just wanted to tell you that I feel shameful about not doing anything much to help,” said Marina. “I want to be able to fight some battles so I could protect you, Strezz, and everyone else.”

 

“You shouldn’t feel ashamed,” Shazza responded. “Earlier today, Strezz got me to feel less regretful about how I couldn’t put up a good fight during our infiltration.”

 

“You’re the most courageous person I know, so that’s why I wanted to ask if you could motivate me.” Marina replied.

 

“I don’t see what you could do, but I’ll figure something out. You can count on me, mate.” After that small talk, Shazza and Marina left the room to rest in their hammocks.

 

Later, in the middle of the night, Strezz could be seen sleeping well before a rushing sound awoke him. When Strezz’s eyes opened up, he saw Seymour, with his disturbing grin, standing in front of him.

 

Strezz’s heart skipped a beat. He felt like squealing before Seymour instantly whispered to him, “You were a stalwart fighter from what I saw. I’ve gotten a stronger urge to fight you, but I want to see how much of Z-Storm’s abilities you’ve mastered in due time. You have two weeks before we unleash an all-out attack. Don’t forget.”

 

Strezz blinked nervously before Seymour disappeared in a flash. With Seymour on his mind again, Strezz struggled to keep his eyes shut.

 

Time moves forward as night falls into morning. All the islanders had gotten up to see that Strezz barely slept the other night.

 

“Are you feeling any better, mate?” Shazza asked Strezz. As she saw him, Strezz appeared to be half-asleep. “I guess he still needs some time-“

 

“I have two weeks to get stronger before Seymour and his troopers attack us all!” Strezz uttered. “What do I do from here on out?”

 

“Just…don’t worry about it, that’s enough time for us to figure out what else Z-Storm is capable of,” Shazza responded. “We’re also going to spend the rest of our time delving into the jungle for more information about this island.”

 

Sal caught wind of what Shazza said and he then spoke, “Are you sure? The last time I’ve gone to the jungle, I was face to face with an unusual monster.”

 

“With Z-Storm at our side, we can handle a trip to the jungle,” Shazza responded. “Besides, do you recall seeing some important things in the wilderness?”

 

“There was an assembly of fountains with each of their own extraordinary powers,” Sal proclaimed.

 

“That’s why were going.”

 

Strezz and all the others except Sal and Tide left the hut and examined the row of tall, tropical kelp surrounding the island.

 

“Come on people, can’t we at least go one day without having to worry about all this Z-Storm and Thunder Troopers crap?” Monique suggested. “I’d like to spend one day in the wilderness just to camp out before we consider search all around the place.”

 

“That sounds pretty dull,” Bruce remarked.

 

“That sounds like a fine idea coming from someone who really wanted to be rescued from this island from when I first got to know you,” Shazza commented.

 

“I’m glad you feel the way I do, but keep in mind that I’m trying to get used to being stuck here,” Monique replied towards Shazza.

 

So, we then spend the first day of these two weeks by taking Monique’s advice and spending a good amount of time in the great outdoors, Strezz narrated. It wasn’t an interesting experience as went through the day without any trouble. We then spent the rest of that day in the hut. Shazza and I had a chat with Tide about the events that took place since yesterday. He told us that he managed survive washed up on the island with a case filled with discs intact. Considering that he used to work alongside Vandyke at CORE-al, he knew how the discs worked. The power inside them can be downloaded into the unzipped pockets of my jacket when the discs are slid into them like a card reader. Unfortunately, none of the discs had any data.

 

 

 

The next day, all my companions, except for Shazza, played a game of capture the flag. It didn’t end so well when Bruce closed the blast door inside of Seymour’s submarine shut. I had to save Bruce and the rest of the folks, while they got mad at Bruce for the rest of the day.

 

 

 

The next day, Bruce felt so upset, that he decided to join a group of pirates when he a saw a ship treading around the island. Because I felt fit enough to give the Z-Storm armor a test run, Shazza set me up for some more practice that day. There wasn’t anything else that Shazza knew in using the armor, so it turns out that I already know all the basics. Later that day, I used my armor to rescue Bruce, who was being crossed by the pirates, lead by a member of the Thunder Troopers: Rico, who went under the name of Captain Jetsam. I could also assume that Rico’s pirate crew got stranded on the island and were intended to be drafted for the Thunder Troopers.

 

 

 

The next day, we ventured through the jungle with Sal. We discovered a temple while out in the wilderness. Inside, it had a diamond in plain sight. I don’t know what it could do, but I kept it with me, so later on, I could see if it holds any sort of power like the fountain water and gems that the Thunder Troopers took. Most of us ended getting sick from a strange, typhoid illness after Sal opened up a treasure chest filled with parasites. That cut our trip short. Shazza and I were immune while Bruce was left untouched and had to care of the infected folks. Shazza and I went back to the jungle and found the cure. Oh, when Bruce came back to the hut with a totem piece, it gave him ice powers. What a day, indeed.

 

 

 

The next day, my group and I tried to sneak through Seymour’s base again as an attempt to retrieve any discs or more information from the group. The base was being guarded by a Thunder Trooper with invisibility and illusionary type of powers while there was no other member in sight. He went by the name of Quinn and his armor was known as Chameleon Collision. I won the fight against him but we headed out with nothing sadly. It wasn’t until the next day that something very eventful happened…

 

 

“Six days in and I still feel much unprepared to fight Seymour again,” Strezz remarked.

 

“We still got a little over a week left,” Shazza reassured. “We still got a little over a week left. We’re going to make another trip to the jungle today.”


“I was thinking I could experiment with this little diamond that I found in the temple,” Strezz replied. “I know it could be used for something.”

 

“It’s fancy seeing you going about your day trying to use Strezz like an experiment, Shazza,” Zowe remarked, who just stepped out from the hut.

 

“What’s so serious about that? Strezz is getting a lot more used to Z-Storm’s powers,” Shazza retorted.

 

“Strezz is free to choice what he wants to do, like I am,” Zowe argued. “Case of point, I don’t want to waste a day out here in the jungle.”

 

“I can see where you’re getting at, but we can’t just let Seymour overpower us.”

 

While Shazza and Zowe continued to argue, Strezz looked at both of them anxiously.

 

“You can’t tell me what I’m supposed to do and what I shouldn’t do. It’s not like you’re my parents.” Zowe continued.

 

“I’m not trying to control your actions, but I’d like to see you try and see what it’s like to be using the Z-Storm armor like Strezz.” Shazza argued.

 

“How about you eat a cu-“

 

“Break it up, you two!” Strezz interrupted. “Zowe has a fair point, I have to make my own choices, and I choose to practice more with Z-Storm’s powers.”

 

Shazza and Zowe both kept for quiet and listened to what Strezz had said. They remained silent until Shazza said, “Give me a minute,” before going back inside the hut.

 

Shazza and Zowe can’t seem to get along, Strezz thought. They both have faith in me, but they have two different ideas on how I should fight. Strezz then went back inside the hut to see Shazza.

 

“I’m feeling pretty stressed out,” Shazza muttered. “What really brought me down is the way Zowe told me I was acting like a mother towards her.”

 

“Zowe can be very stubborn at times and sometimes,” Strezz was saying, “…certain people just need to be shut down.”

 

“It’s not Zowe’s behavior that really upsets me,” Shazza responded. “For some of my life, I’ve been orphaned. I think before I ended up in this island, I was only by myself.”

 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Bruce asked, jumping in to the conversation.

 

“Bruce, I don’t think you need to get involved,” says Strezz.

 

“Sorry, I just feel like telling Shazza to lighten up,” Bruce continued. “At one point of her life, she had the powers of Z-Storm. I say she at least some fighting spirit still inside her. I’ve learned to lighten up after I realized that I shouldn’t trust pirates. Now I have powers of my own, which is pretty cool.”

 

“Maybe at some later point, I’ll have my own, extraordinary powers,” Monique remarked.

 

“And I thought you don’t care about superheroes or superpowers,” Bruce teased.

 

“Being normal can actually feel pretty dull sometimes,” Monique replied.

                                                                                                                                                             

Minutes later, the entire group, except Sal and Tide, had exited the hut to prepare for their next one. However, everyone was present except…

 

“Wait a minute, Bruce isn’t here,” said Strezz. “I better go back inside the hut to check and see if he’s there or if he’s alright.”

 

“He should be alright, he always is,” Monique remarked.

 

Moments later, Strezz walks back out of the hut to tell the group, “I couldn’t find Bruce in the hut. He’s gone missing!”

 

“He’s missing again?” Zack deadpanned.

 

“Wherever he is, we have to keep looking,” Shazza suggested. “He shouldn’t be on that pirate ship again, that’s for sure.”

 

Strezz and co. are later shown to be walking through the kelp-surrounded jungle. The group stopped their tracks when they heard a scream coming from Zowe.

 

“Did anyone else hear Zowe’s scream?” Marina asked before she turned her head to find that Zowe can’t be seen with the group. “Guys, Zowe is gone!”

 

“She went missing too?” Strezz said. “I have a feeling Seymour must be behind these captures, but why would he do that if he told me that he was going to leave us alone for a while?”

 

“That’s a mystery that is yet to be solved,” said Cam. “I have an idea that involves you, Strezz. Whatever or whoever is behind these disappearances, can you activate Z-Storm and observe the jungle from above?”

 

“It’s raining right now, so I’ll take care of that request now,” Strezz responded.

 

Strezz then pulled on the sleeves of his jacket to put his arms through. In an instant, he was in Z-Storm’s armor. He turned on the boosters to view the jungle from a good aerial perspective.

 

“I don’t see anything suspicious,” Strezz was saying, “but I’ll keep searching around…”


Meanwhile, Arthur, the small sea dragon wearing a red and white tinted jacket, can be seen curling his body to rest inside a cave.

 

I don’t know how long I should stay hidden out here from Seymour, Arthur thought. I have to be sure if Seymour’s cooperatives aren’t wandering around in the jungle.

 

Just then, thunderous sounds coming from the jungle had alerted Arthur’s senses, making him stand up. Momentarily, Arthur peers with his head from the cave to see the commotion.

 

I can hear noises, but where is it all coming from? Arthur pondered. Wasn’t there also something that I was supposed to today? Oh yeah, I have to find Z-Storm, but whoever has the jacket now, his friends never specified where he could be. After taking some time to think, Arthur shifts his head upwards to see a metallic figure hovering in the distance. Is that Z-Storm that I just saw? I’ll tail him!

 

Arthur exited the cave to feel the downpour soaking through his skin. Only by leaving himself into his thoughts does Arthur activate his armor. An armor that was tinted white with a red-colored breastplate, limbs, and shield alongside a blue cape surrounded Arthur. Arthur turned on the boosters for his armor to fly to where Strezz/Z-Storm was. Arthur then instantly recognized the Z-Storm armor once as he got a closer look of it.

 

“Hey, you must be Z-Storm!” Arthur spoke.


The childlike voice alarmed Strezz as he turned around to see someone else close to him, adorn with a coat of armor.

 

“Who are you?” Strezz asked. “Are you with the Thunder Troopers?”

 

“Oh no,” Arthur reassured. “This is Brave Bolt’s armor. I’m using it the way it is suggested to be used, which is for good.”

 

“Then I could use some help from you,” Strezz replied. “I’m trying to look for a mysterious force that made two of my friends disappear.” Although, I’m not completely sure if I can consider Zowe as a ‘friend,’ he thought.

 

“A mysterious force, you say?” Arthur replied. “I was thinking the same thing.”

 

Once again, a rumbling noise can heard from the jungle, alerting Strezz and Arthur.

 

“Strezz, watch out!” Arthur exclaimed. “I can sense it!”

 

“Where do you sense it?” Strezz questioned.

 

Having no time to react, Strezz could feel himself getting whacked before he crashes into a branch of kelp. He could also feel his armor malfunctioning until Z-Storm deactivated. As Strezz was attacked, Arthur retaliated by firing beams from Brave Bolt’s palms, towards the object that appeared to be invisible. After Arthur landed a hit, he could then see a big, white flashing outline of what looked to be a giant sea snake before it was unveiled. The sea snake quickly slithered away from the area. Arthur could see a peculiar jacket on the snake’s backside alongside Bruce and Zowe on its coiled up tail. Arthur then came rushing to Strezz to check on him.

 

“Say, your friends told me that a sea sponge was piloting Z-Storm,” Arthur remarked. “You really are the new successor to Z-Storm.”

 

“Yeah, but…ow,” Strezz groaned. “You saw what just happened, didn’t you? For some reason, Z-Storm won’t restart.”

 

Arthur then examined the Z-Storm jacket to see that some bite marks cut through the cloth and circuit board.

 

“For now, it looks like your jacket is too damaged to work,” said Arthur. “Fortunately, the broken circuits will regenerate after some time.”

 

“By the way, my name is Strezz,” he greeted. “I never got to know what yours is.”

 

Before Arthur could say anything, he and Strezz heard a yelp coming from Monique. Arthur sprung into action as he placed Strezz on the back of his armor and flew off to where the voice was coming from. Immediately, Strezz and Arthur appeared alongside the rest of his group. However, Cam was nowhere to be seen among the group.

 

“Cam is gone,” Monique sniveled. “Not only that, I saw him being dragged away by a giant snake!”

 

“Strezz and I saw the source of the disappearances too,” said Arthur. “I attacked it indirectly to null the invisibility function that was coming from the Chameleon Collision jacket on its back. It’ll be a while before it starts working again, though so we’ll have to find that sea snake again.”

 

“That must mean Quinn is behind is, but why?” Strezz wondered.

 

“Is that a new friend of yours?” Zack asked, referring to Arthur inside the Brave Bolt armor.

 

“I’ve only just met him,” Strezz reaffirmed. “He was on my side while he and I were trying to fend off the sea snake, but now my armor is temporarily busted.”

 

Hearing another loud rumbling noise, Arthur hurried for the source as Strezz and co. followed after him. The giant sea snake was seen right in the flesh, giving Arthur an opportunity to attack. From its hands, Arthur unleashed a pair of vivid blasts from his armor, barely doing any damage to the snake. The giant sea snake then focused its eyes on Arthur before he would attack again by pulling out a gray dagger and aimed for the snake’s neck. However, it had little effect. Afterwards, the giant sea snake gapes its mouth onto Arthur’s sword, clutching it with its fangs before tossing it out, aiming it at Arthur. Arthur dodged the throw as he rushed to pick it back up. The giant sea snake then moved its tail and lashed it around to hit Arthur, Strezz, and his remaining group. The sea snake then uses it tail who wrap Monique, Marina, and Zack around it. Strezz and Shazza managed to dodge. Arthur continued to try and attack with vivid blasts, as well as with other attacks from Brave Bolt’s utility, including surge spheres and its shield.

 

“This snake is too sturdy,” Arthur stated. “I could deal more damage to it if I used another one of Brave Bolt’s powers…”


“Then do it now!” Strezz exclaimed. “Right now, this fight is only up to you.”

 

“I hate to say this but I’ll only use my special power for some particular situations,” Arthur responded.

 

“We’re all going to get mauled by an enormous sea snake!” Strezz replied. “Isn’t that enough of an emergency for you to use your special power?”

 

“Maybe…but I won’t use that power now.”

 

“So, this is how it goes,” says Shazza. “I tend to lose a lot of things, but I can’t afford to lose my friends, even Zowe...”

 

“Shazza, you can’t keep beating yourself down like that,” Strezz informed.

 

“I’m not,” Shazza reaffirmed. “I’m going to try and take down this giant sea snake myself. It’s a good thing that I brought my multipurpose surfboard!”

 

Before Shazza could access one of the utilities from her surfboard and before she could lunge at the sea snake’s body, a mysterious figure emerged from the kelp tops and lunged at the sea snake. The figure appeared to be female, adorn in decorative but tattered clothing and she had nothing in her utility besides a couple of long, sharp twigs and a herb. Beating it down with the twigs to put the sea snake’s guard down and for it to let go of its captives, the girl then jumps down and held the herb close to the sea snake to repel it. Like so, the giant sea snake slithered away as the Chameleon Collision jacket slid off its body.

 

What kind of girl is she? Strezz thought.

 

“I don’t believe it,” said Arthur. “Brave Bolt’s techniques couldn’t get that giant sea snake to back down, but how?”

 

The unknown girl then eyed Strezz’s Z-Storm jacket and rushed over to examine it, startling Strezz in the process.

 

“I recognize this jacket,” the girl said. “I was ordered to return it to someone.”


“I reckon you’re working for Seymour,” Strezz inferred.


“Who is he?” She questioned. “I don’t really know.”

 

“Well I can’t hand this jacket to you. I’m using it to my own defense.”

 

The girl then blanked out as she was left into her own thoughts before then saying to Strezz, “Okay, I understand!”

 

“Thanks for saving all of our skins, but who are you?” Shazza asked.

 

The girl breathed in for a few seconds before quickly saying, “No problem, you all can call me Kiyoko! I’m thirteen, I’m a pageant star, and I’ve been stuck here for months since I’ve been transported here from the East Sea! Oh, there’s a lot that I can talk about myself, we can chat for hours and hours…!”

 

“It’s nice knowing you, but we don’t have time to sit and chat with you,” Shazza replied.

 

Bruce walked over to Arthur, who was still inside the Brave Bolt armor, and gazed upon him in awe. “Do my eyes deceive me? You’re Brave Bolt, aren’t you!?”

 

“Yep, that’s me,” Arthur verified. “How did you know so well about…?”

 

“Brave Bolt is a hero in the comics I’ve read, which includes Z-Storm. I really got to hand it to you for trying to save my life back there,” Bruce replied.

 

“Here we go again with Bruce talking up a storm about the comics,” Monique said jokingly.

 

“You sound a little familiar to me as well,” Bruce continued. “Do you mind if I see what’s underneath that battle armor?”

 

Like so, Arthur deactivates Brave Bolt to reveal himself as the light-blue sea dragon that Bruce and Monique came across a few days back.

 

“You’re the kid who saved me and Moe from being lackeys for Seymour!” Bruce said in a surprised tone. “You really are a hero!”

 

“Anyways, let’s all return to the hut now that our predicament is over,” Shazza instructed before she then picked up the Chameleon Collision jacket that was left on the ground. “Quinn must feel pretty foolish for leaving this out in the open.”

 

“That’s where you’re wrong!” A voice cried out.

 

As it was then revealed, Quinn emerged from the kelp tops and quickly snatched back his jacket, startling Strezz and co.

 

“You couldn’t just leave us alone,” Strezz chided.

 

“Hey, I was warming things up just like everyone else,” Quinn retorted as he put the sleeves of his jacket through his arms. “Since I’m still here though, I’m eager for a rematch against Z-Storm.”

 

“Sucks for you to hear, my jacket is a little worn out at the moment,” Strezz replied.

 

“I don’t care, I’ve already made up my mind,” Quinn replied. “I just want to see you beaten you down by my trusty abilities.”

 

Before a fight would between Strezz and Quinn would commence, Arthur walked in and looked at Quinn in the eyes.

 

“You’ll have to face me before you ever get through to Strezz,” Arthur scowled.

 

At the sight of the small, light-blue sea dragon, Quinn couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine, but it’s your funeral, small fry.”

 

“I have no other option than to use a special ability and I’m telling you…it will really hurt.”

 

Arthur then restarts his armor, but as everyone else could see, Brave Bolt was forming differently. Arthur’s body glowed with a bright white hue as he and his armor expanded in size. His limbs and tail also joined with the armor, as his light blue skin was showing. His eyes could also be seen from the helmet.

 

Quinn stepped back for a few moments out of disbelief. “What the hell is that?” He sputtered.

 

“Thine is Brave Bolt’s ultra form,” Arthur said, with his voice having gotten thin as well. “Go on thou, make thy move.”

 

Quinn could barely budge his own body as Arthur generated a dagger appropriate to the size of Brave Bolt’s expanded form. With a single swing, Quinn was flung out from the jungle, with the Chameleon Collision armor taking serious damage. With the job all done, Arthur then deactivated his form and dropped to the ground once as he was now normal sized.

 

“That was astounding back there!” Strezz complimented towards Arthur. “I guess now I can see why you didn’t use that ability earlier.”

 

“Yes, because…” Arthur muttered before he clenched his chest. He headed over to the bushes to cough out blood, much to the disturbance of Strezz and co. “I’m sorry…you all had to witness that.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Strezz inquired.

 

“You see, I activated a stronger form of Brave Bolt by merging with the armor,” said Arthur. “Doing that takes a toll on my life the longer that I am merged with Brave Bolt.”

 

“That sounds painful, but would you mind if you can teach me how I can merge with Z-Storm?” Strezz asked.

 

“That’ll have to wait,” Arthur replied. “You’ll also need to know when would be the right time to merge with your armor.”

 

“Fair enough, but there are some things that I need to learn about Z-Storm, and I was wondering if you could lend a hand. I have a little over a week left to fight Seymour again and he wants to fight me with the fullest strength.”

 

Arthur turned his head back with a smile and said, “Then it’s settled. I’ll have you learn about some of Z-Storm’s other abilities, starting tomorrow.”

 

“Thank you so much for saving my life!” Kiyoko said who went up to squeeze Arthur’s body tightly. “You’re so cute and strong!”

 

“You’re pretty strong yourself, because you’re squeezing me so tight, I feel like I could choke, so please let go of me!” Arthur gasped. As directed, Kiyoko stopped hugging Arthur. “By the way, I didn’t get to tell you all who I am. My name is Arthur.”


“Nice to meet you,” said Strezz. “You’re always welcome to stay at our hut, if you’re looking for a place to cozy up in.”

 

After a long day, Strezz and his companions, including Kiyoko and Arthur, walked out of the jungle and went back inside the hut. A new day of training now awaits Strezz.

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As I'm writing this, I'm still in the process of finishing the last half of this episode. Because publishing the episode in full won't reach the site's data limit for each of its posts and so that it won't feel a lot like a chore to read, I'm splitting this segment into three separate posts. Just so you guys are warned, the episode is over 20,000 words. It was longer than I anticipated for it to be.

 

4.                                       A Hidden Truth

                                      An Unveiled Truth
I Will Fight for You and That’s the Truth

 

Within view was the outside of a semi-detached home. There was a female individual similar to Strezz shown walking over to the house in formal work attire and with a handbag on one of her shoulders. She turns a key on the knob of the locked door to her household and she was greeted by her three kids upon entering inside. Her husband was also home, as he was sitting beside a wooden table, waiting for her to return from work. The wife had herself a seat with her husband at the same table. In an instant, they took a glimpse at the family photos hanged around the kitchen before walking back to the den to see the pictures hanged on its walls. One thing that both the husband and wife couldn’t take their eyes off of was one of their sons who, in particular, looked just like Strezz.

 

He’s been gone for about two weeks without a single word, the husband thought. What could have led for this to happen? Where is our son?

 

The wife took notice of her husband from the sweat and serious eye contact that he was feeling anxious. The pressure from the thought of an implicit loss consumed him. Ultimately the husband spoke, “Did things go well while you were at work? Were you caught by any stress?”

 

“I was able to handle everything,” the wife reassured. “Although, I couldn’t stop thinking about Strezz…”

 

“So have I,” the husband replied and embraced the wife. “We’ve always been thinking about him since he suddenly went up and left.”

 

Before the couple could have another moment, the sound of a doorbell came through to them.


“Now who could that be?” The wife inquired.

 

The wife opened up the door to reveal a face unusual to them but familiar to other parts of the ocean. He was in very casual business attire while his dorsal fin was gelled down to the back of his head. Within that physique was Vandyke. Other than him, there also appeared to be someone standing beside him, in the form of a small girl who was only four inches taller than Strezz’s two brothers.

 

“Are you two Mr. and Mrs. Stormond?” He asked with a blank but solemn expression from his face and tone. “I’ve been expecting you two. This place tells me that this is where you and your children live.”

 

“Vandyke,” the wife spoke, who somehow recognized him. “What are you doing here at a time like this?”

 

“I came to deliver a message,” Vandyke responded. “I’ve had obtained directions that would lead me here from your work. I came to deliver a message to you about one of your sons.”


“Is he alright!?” The wife immediately exclaimed.


Vandyke delivered a moment of silence before he could tell her, “He is in good health.” Through his words, the fretfulness in the wife’s eyes has turned to relief.

 

“How is he?” The wife asked again.


“I’ll answer your questions later.” Vandyke then shifts his eyes towards the husband and holds his right arm out. “We should be telling each other our names first. I’m Vandyke Chambers, mister…”

 

“Trevor, Trevor Stormond,” he greeted as he and then his wife give Vandyke’s hand a shake.

 

“And though we’ve already known each other, I’m Diana, in case you have forgotten,” she greeted. “You would mind if I introduce you to the rest our family, right?”

 

“Go ahead,” Vandyke continued.


As Vandyke and the child walked inside the house, the child laid her jacket on the coatrack. Diana moved over to see her children from where they stood inside the living room. Her two sons were seated in-between the couch and the television screen. Diana held her arms in front of her two sons. “They are Farley and Leon. Over there is Cassandra,” she said gesturing towards her daughter, lounging on the couch, preoccupied with her phone.

 

“Hey there,” said Cassandra. “Don’t bother me.”

 

“And isn’t this…?” Vandyke questioned, gazing upon a photograph of Strezz.

 

“Yes, that’s our other son, Strezz,” Diana responded, taking a look at the picture herself. As she looked back at Vandyke, she immediately noticed the small child that has been following him around. “Pardon me, but I didn’t notice you have your own kid.”

 

“You could say that, but I would refer Nike as a creation of mine,” Vandyke said, introducing her to Diana.


Diana looked down to see Nike, saying to her, “It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

 

“I’m feeling so bored,” she grumbled.

 

“Nike, while I have a nice, long chat with the couple, why don’t you play around with their kids?” Vandyke suggested.

 

“Okay,” Nike droned, walking over to Farley and Leon.

 

Vandyke hurried over to the kitchen, pulling up a chair before seating himself beside the table as he waited for Diana and Trevor to sit alongside him.

 

“So, Vandyke, tell me…” Diana said. “How have you known that Strezz is still alive and what has he been doing during the past few weeks?”

 

“Allow me to ask one question before I could answer,” Vandyke uttered. “What’s your story on your son’s alleged disappearance?”


“If you insist...and it’s going to hurt Trevor and me just saying it. All of a sudden, Strezz ran away.” Diana explained. “It started when Strezz told us and his cousin Ben that he won a trip to a getaway spot called Seaside Springs from a radio contest.”


“He said that he took two of his friends with him, so we can’t help but think that Bruce and Monique’s parents are worried about them as well.” Trevor added.

 

“This is why I came to you both,” Vandyke responded. “It’s so that I could tell you that Strezz and his two friends are having a fine stay at Seaside Springs.”

 

“How would you know?” Trevor asked.

 

“Diana, you were notified six years ago that I quit my job at CORE-al, correct?” Vandyke inquired. Diana simply nodded. “These days, I’ve been making a living as a booking agent at the vacation spot.”

 

“If that’s the case that Strezz and his friends are just enjoying their time at Seaside Springs, then why didn’t he give us a message or a phone call to reassure us that they’re alright?” Diana asked. “Strezz has had times where he acted stubborn, but…”

 

“Relax,” Vandyke interrupted, “the downside to living in Seaside Springs is that there’s no service there, but its staff is working on that.”


“Can you please notify us once thats taken care of?” Diana asked.

 

“How about I come back here for another visit once that job is done?” Vandyke suggested. “I’m going to be very busy for most of this week and the next.”

 

Diana just lowered her head close to the surface of the table and then spoke, “I understand.”

 

“So, let’s talk about the issue at large. Your son seemed to be in such a hurry to leave his home behind, so what do you think might’ve caused him to behave as such?”

 

“We don’t know exactly why, but it’s hard not to think that it might’ve been our faults,” Trevor responded. “Raising Strezz has been difficult, and it’s a long story to tell.”

 

For a moment, Vandyke became motionless as he lost himself in his thoughts. Focusing back on the conversation, he then says, “I’m into long stories. Tell me anything that I should know.”

 

“This story goes all the way back to the beginning, during the first few years that we have raised Strezz,” Trevor was explaining. “His life was completely normal until sometime after he started Kindergarten, when he suddenly became distant from the real world. Less and less he would respond when we called his name. Less and less, he would talk as well. He even appeared not to be in good spirits most of the time. The few things that always kept him feeling satisfied was watching surf videos on TV or playing with his favorite things. When Diana and I noticed that our son was this displaying this sudden shift in behavior, we took him to a doctor who diagnosed him of having ASD.”

 

“I’m sad to hear that life wasn’t very easy for your son,” Vandyke uttered.

 

After giving his say on the matter, Vandyke turned his head to see a portrait of young Strezz on the wall. In the picture, Strezz was seen with a frown, clutching onto a stuffed animal close to his face, and a teary look in his eyes.

 

“The story doesn’t end there,” Trevor continued. “Strezz would start becoming more responsive after we got him his first surfboard. He also went through several therapy sessions, and once he entered the second grade, we enrolled him for a special education class that would help get him on track. Since there, Strezz was able to talk more. However, major progress hasn’t been made until a miracle happened sometime after he entered the third grade. While he was in special ed, he met a student who exchanged from the Great Barrier Reef. Her name was Shazza.”

 

Hearing that name was enough to make Vandyke’s heart skip a beat. Keeping his composure, he then asked the couple, “How much has Strezz changed since he met that girl?”

 

“No other kid around Strezz’s age could be able to communicate with him the same way that girl did,” Trevor continued. “She and Strezz became such good friends. She got Strezz to break out of his shell, talk more, and learn more words. He would even hang out with the girl at the orphanage that she stays in, pretty often if I might add.”

 

“She must’ve meant a lot to your son,” Vandyke remarked.

 

“Yes, and since those days, Strezz has acted a lot less secluded…at least until two years ago, when Shazza had to leave to revisit the Great Barrier Reef. I was told by Strezz that his friend reassured to him that she will come back. However, we never saw her since, nor did Strezz. This took a toll on him after three months went by with no word back from her, as some of his past behaviors have returned and he started to fall behind with school again. His siblings were at least around to console him and make him feel less isolated and distant, but during that timeframe, I’ve had to quit my first job to provide Strezz some proper care, like enrolling him in group therapies. Once some things have improved for Strezz when we reregistered him for those sessions, we stopped scheduling them for him until we noticed that he’s been feeling so much better than before. He still inherits a few behaviors such as refusing to make eye contact though, but that’s never a problem for us because we’ve already come to terms that our son’s ASD is a part of who he really is.”

 

“So, I suggest things have been fine until something convinced Strezz to suddenly run away.”

 

“Actually, not everything has been fine. Since I was unemployed at the time, our family eventually faced a financial struggle. Diana and I had no other option than to have Strezz temporarily move in with his cousin Ben. We were able to afford to let Strezz revisit our home every once in a while, but I can’t help but think that this decision of ours might’ve lead to the decision that Strezz had made to just leave with his friends out of the blue because he was completely against the idea of having to move out.”

 

“Yes, that sounds like the very reason that he ran off to Seaside Springs.”


“Having Strezz move out was a dreadful moment in our lives,” Diana spoke. “We didn’t want him to think that we were kicking him out and I’m afraid that was how he felt since he lived with Ben. We check on him frequently and we would usually call to ask him if he’s become adjusted in living with Ben. He would always tell us that he’s feeling alright.”

 

“That sounds quite peculiar,” Vandyke remarked. “Is there anything more about your story on Strezz that you’d both like to add?”


“He met one of his friends through his group sessions,” Trevor spoke, “Zowe in particular. Interestingly enough, Strezz will focus his eyes on Zowe quite often. It’s like he’s attracted to her.”

 

“Hmmm…” Vandyke mused. “I think I’ve heard enough about your son. Hopefully, I can get him to send a message back to you two once I return to Seaside Springs.”

 

“So we’re done here, right?” Diana asked as she and Trevor pulled their chairs back.

 

“No,” Vandyke continued. “Trevor, you’ve told me that you’ve had to leave your old job behind, I’d like hear about that.”

 

“First of all, I was able to find a new job a mere four months ago,” Trevor responded. “My second job involves pollution control. About my first job, I’ve had my first career as a comic book writer and illustrator.”

 

“You do have copies of your own comics, right? If you are willing to share your work to me, I’d be delighted to see it.”

 

“If I can trust you to keep track of our son’s whereabouts and let us know what he has been doing out there in Seaside Springs, then I’ll be willing to show you my work.”

 

“You and your wife can fully trust me to keep watch over Strezz. As soon as we see each other face to face again, I’ll let him know how much you both miss him.”

 

“Don’t forget to tell him that his brothers and his sister miss him so as well,” Diana added.


“Just count on me, I’ll report back to you two with information on your son in a matter of days. Anyways, Trevor, do you know where you keep your comics?”

 

“My office should be at the right from our living room. By the way, do you think you should check on that girl of ours…what’s her name again?”

 

“Nike? I’m sure she’s already spending some quality time with your kids.”

 

 Several minutes prior, during Vandyke’s conversation with Diana and Trevor in the kitchen, Nike was shown following around with the two brothers Farley and Leon upstairs.

 

“So, I’m Farley and he’s Leon,” he greeted.

 

“And where are you both taking me to?” Nike asked.

 

“It’s just a cool place to hang out in,” said Leon. “If you want, you can call this place home.”


The twin brothers approached one of the doors and turned the knob to reveal a room with a single bed. Also shown inside was a television set atop of a cabinet with a couple of video game consoles, video game controllers, and an arrangement of DVDs, a large shelf containing video game cases, a surfing themed wallpaper with plastic surfboards decorated on some of the walls, a side table drawer with a lamp and an unplugged night light atop of it, and a bed with a surfing themed comforter, sheets, with an assortment of stuffed animals.

 

“Is this…?” Nike asked towards Farley and Leon.


“Yep, this room belonged to our big bro,” Leon answered.

 

“It may look like he’s still living in it, but without our big bro being here, his room feels really empty,” Farley remarked. “Since the past year that our big bro had to move, he didn’t take as many things in his room with him.”

 

“Yeah, he’s really changed since,” Leon continued. “Usually, big bro wouldn’t feel comfortable at night without a night light and a group of stuffed animals at his side, but the only one of those things that he took with him was the stuffed polar bear that he would always sleep with.”

 

“Big bro also left a good collection of video games here. He fell out of touch with them since a couple years ago,” Farley adds. “Most of these games are a bunch of basic surfing games. Tell us if you’re interested in those kinds of games and we’ll let you play one of them, but big bro has more games than just those.”

 

Nike was pacing around Strezz’s bedroom, gazing around at some of its details, moving her mouth around while trying to think of how to start a conversation with Farley and Leon.

 

“Is there something that you want to say to us…erm, whatever your name was?” Leon asked.

 

“…How is school for you two?” Nike inquired.

 

Farley and Leon showed some confused looks at first. Farley chuckled and then said, “Who talks about school during summer vacation?”

 

“You should see how our big bro acts when he talks about school,” Leon added. “When we ask him about school, he complains about it a lot. We’ve only gotten past the third grade while he’s graduated middle school, so ”


Now thinking of a good question, Nike then asks the twins, “Is there anything that you two like to talk about…besides your brother, I mean?”

 

For a moment, Farley and Leon have now left themselves into their own thoughts. Leon then said, “We do talk about other things, but since we heard that he has been missing for weeks, we can’t stop thinking about Strezz. Plus, we haven’t seen him in months, nor have we heard anything back from him since the past month.”


“Playing a video game is one thing that usually brings us together,” said Farley while examining the games on Strezz’s shelf. “How about you give one of these games a try, uh…?” He then stammered as tried to remember Nike’s own name.

 

“Just give me something that I might like,” Nike suggested. “I don’t want to sit here with nothing to do.”


“Good idea,” Farley said as he grabbed a case, walked back over to Leon and Nike, and knelt down on the carpet to show them his pick. On the cover was the title “Splero the Hippocamp.” “It’s an old one, but between us and our big bro, it’s a classic.”

 

Nike didn’t hesitate as she already gestured towards the twins that she’ll try playing the game. Farley and Leon then inserted the disc into the respective console compatible with it, before the twins would then plug in a controller and insert the plug connected to the console into an outlet. As Nike examined the controller, she could envision the controls from the inside of a suit of armor. The buttons within the controller aren’t some of the same type, or follow the same scheme of the controls from inside of battle armor, but the idea of having to use a controller to play a video game seemed familiar to Nike. Before Nike could realize it, the game had already started up and the file menu was already on-screen. Nike then focused her eyes on the television screen and on the twins when one of them spoke.

 

“Do you know how to use the controls?” Leon asked.

 

“Um, no,” said Nike. “Actually, I’ve never done what you two call “playing a video game,” so I don’t even know where I’d start.”

 

“I would start with pressing the “start” button,” Farley informed.

 

Nike looked down on the controller in her hands to see the said button with the exact text below it and pressed it. Eventually, Farley and Leon had to tell Nike about the rest of the controllers. In under six minutes, Nike created a save file on an empty space. It wasn’t until she inputted her name on the file that the twins would completely know what her name was.

 

“So your name is…Ny-key?” Leon questioned.

 

“Since we haven’t said this to you before, it’s nice to meet you, Ny-key,” said Farley.

 

“You didn’t know?” Nike asked back. Wasn’t I supposed to tell them my name once I met them? She then thought. My master never told me about that. ”By the way, it’s Nee-kay.”

 

“We didn’t know. We also want to get to know you better too, Nike,” Farley continued. “Like, is there anything that you usually like to do for fun?”

 

“I like testing out my battle armor,” Nike responded. “It’s always fun whenever I control it and face those who stand in my way.”

 

Those words from Nike left Farley and Leon even more confused. For a moment, they didn’t realize that the game had already started with the first level and the idle character on-screen.


Eventually, Leon then asked Nike, “I beg your pardon, but do you think we’re bothering you?”

 

“I don’t know,” Nike answered. “I never wanted to be here, but you two are being so nice to me and giving me a share of your own comfort so I can’t be all mad.”

 

“So, are we giving you a little too much comfort?” Farley questioned. “We’re so welcoming towards you because we learned from our big bro to treat anyone like we want them to treat us.”


“Yeah, big bro gets all antsy if he sees us not getting along,” Leon added.

 

“We don’t know about this life you live, but whatever it is you think is fun, I think you’ll find it more fun playing this game,” said Farley.

 

With the conversation being focused back on the video game itself, Nike’s eyes motioned back on the television screen. She moved one of the two analog sticks on the controller and felt a bit of surprise to see that she could move the player character.


“Playing video games can be fun because you’ll begin to feel like that you’re the character that you’re controlling,” Leon remarked.

 

That statement from one of the twins brought Nike back into her thoughts of using her battle armor as it drew parallels to the described feeling of playing a video game.

 

“Since this is your first time, we’ll have to explain to you some of the controls within the game while you play,” Leon informed.

 

“What do you do in this game anyways?” Nike asked

 

“You just find and collect things, as well as beating out the bad guys!” Farley responded. “It should sound pretty simple. Besides, ‘simple’ is just how we really like our big bro.”

 

During the time that Nike was growing invested in the game that the twins let her play, the couple began to show Vandyke around Trevor’s old office. As expected, there was a pile of comic books in its standard issue size, sitting on some shelves of a cupboard. Examining the comics, Vandyke’s eyes widened for a moment when saw the title “Z-Storm” in big, bold lettering.


“Oh yes, these are the ones I’ve been talking about,” Trevor said as he edged over to the cupboard.


Still glancing at the covers of each of the issues, Vandyke then inquired towards Trevor, “Was there any sort of inspiration behind these comics?”

 

“Of course there was,” Trevor replied. “What came to me that I should write a series that centered on a sci-fi theme was when I started to do some research on the history of a set of jackets that have all contained artillery and special abilities. So, the machinery depicted in these comics was derived from the armored suits within those jackets.”

 

“And how did you know stuff like that?” Vandyke asked. “The jackets in question are valuable artifacts that dated back to ancient times in the Mediterranean Sea. I’m curious to know why you chose to take inspiration from a culture that I assume you weren’t part of.”

 

“Well, it’s true that I don’t have ancestry from the Mediterranean, but my wife actually comes from those parts.”

 

“Since I work for CORE-al, I’ve shown my husband around the technology that the company had preserved,” Diana added. “You can very much say that I’ve helped him with the research that he needed to write his work.”

 

“That’s not the only thing that influenced me to write those comics,” Trevor continued. “I started writing them at the time that Diana and I were raising our first child and while our second one was going to arrive. I desired to impress our son by how we interpreted him to be as heroic and virtuous once he grew up. Although, we haven’t taken the courage to tell Strezz the full story behind these comics, mainly because he grew up much different than we’ve imagined. Still, I do hold on to my past work very dearly.”

 

While Trevor and Diana’s eyes weren’t focused on Vandyke, he took a peek at one of the issues of the Z-Storm comics for a small moment before quickly lifting down the plastic covering from the front and turning his head back towards the couple.

 

“You know, I actually have one more question about your son that I can’t shake off,” said Vandyke. “Was Strezz really born with such a name?”

 

“No, he wasn’t actually born with the name,” Diana responded. “In fact, we certainly can’t tell you his original name because it will seriously bring him down if someone referred to him by that name and we fear that you will tell him or ask him about it.”

 

“Is there a story behind his current name?”

 

“It came from a word that he made up on his own,” Trevor explained. “In fact, he began to adopt Strezz” as his own name from before we diagnosed him during the point where it was one of the only few words he would say and when he would only get our attention if we said that word. Of course, that would lead us to legally change his name.”

 

“So that’s why he has that name,” Vandyke remarked. “Knowing your son a lot better now, I bet it must feel awful that he’s out there alone. Since I’ve confirmed that he has his two friends at his side, and that he’s enjoying himself while at Seaside Springs, I don’t think you two should worry so much about him right now.”

 

“It’s scary to think that anyone like him at his age and with autism spectrum disorder wouldn’t survive living out on their own,” Diana replied. “And all this time, we thought that Strezz and his two friends just went missing.”

 

“It was crucial that I would reach out to you two, in person, to let you know that he’s alright. So, of course I understand that you both are feeling so concerned about your son’s wellness.”

 

“So, is there anything else that you want from us?” Trevor asked.

 

“No, that will be all. Until the next time that I encounter Strezz, we will meet again.”

 

Vandyke and the couple then leave the old office as Vandyke goes upstairs to see Nike before he can tell her that it’s time to leave. Nike was still hanging out with the twin brothers and playing the Splero game, as she merely got past three levels of the first stage prior.

 

“Looks like you were able to have some fun with the Stormond kids,” Vandyke remarked towards Nike. “Please hurry up because we’re going to leave in a few minutes.”

 

“Aw, can I stay here for just a half hour more?” Nike pleaded.

 

“Sorry, but we need to leave very shortly,” Vandyke replied. “I have some more errands that I need to run.”

 

Nike consequently put the controller down and went downstairs to regroup with Vandyke. The twins then followed after Nike and stood at the lower level of the staircase so that they can wave goodbye to her.

 

“Bye, Nike!” Leon said. “Just so you’d know, you can come back here and hang with us any time you’d like!”

 

“Vandyke, I didn’t know you so well at my work, but I appreciated your visit and it was a nice time talking with you.” Diana complimented. “You have our support now that we know that you’re keeping watch of Strezz.”

 

“Thanks, you all take good care of yourselves,” Vandyke finished as he retrieved Nike’s coat from the rack, before he and Nike stepped outside and closed the door.

 

What do you know about Strezz that I don’t?


Those past words from Shazza echoed in Vandyke’s mind before he could return a smirk, thinking to himself, Sooner than later, the new successor to Z-Storm will be very surprised to know how much information about him I managed to obtain. Vandyke then hid himself and Nike in an empty space where there were no video cameras in sight either. At the spot, he removed the ordinary-looking coat to reveal Nike’s shiny red and light blue jacket that he hid underneath. Afterwards, Nike pulled her arms through her jacket and activated its armor. Vandyke then held onto the back of the armor.

 

“It’s a chore to follow my directions as Lightning Speed and to keep those powers incognito, but after a few more stops, you can rest,” Vandyke says to Nike.

 

“Then I can practice with these powers more, right?” Nike asked.

 

“Absolutely,” Vandyke responded. “This week is going to be a busy one for us since there’s a big day ahead.”

 

“When can I visit that place again?” Nike asked once more. “I’d like to hang out with those two kids another time.”

 

“After I give the Stormonds another report on Strezz…I doubt we’ll ever visit them again,” Vandyke replied sternly. “You cannot make allies with those who have ties to our enemy, especially when you behold such great powers.” He hangs a piece of paper in front of Lightning Speed’s eyes and then says, “Now, take me to this address.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Nike said sullenly. Given the name of her armor, she uses one her abilities to zoom away. In a matter of a few seconds, she and Vandyke had vanished.

 

Hours have passed from when Vandyke and Nike were now shown emerging from a transportation pod inside of the Thunder Troopers submarine. In that same room included a monitor screen with windows showing information on some of the islanders. Seymour and another individual were both watching as Vandyke and Nike returned.

 

“How was your information exchange plan?” Seymour asked Vandyke.

 

“Hopefully I didn’t raise any suspicions from the islanders’ respective guardians,” Vandyke responded. “On the bright side of things, I managed to get quite a lot of details about those islanders that we’ve trapped, especially on Strezz, our main target.”

 

“And you’ve managed to do all that without giving away too much about us?” Seymour asked again.

 

“It was difficult just to pass off as a curator at Seaside Springs,” Vandyke explained, “but I’ve had to reassure to those folks that their kids are alive and doing well so that no one will quickly rush over to this island and find out about our plan. Even if we are found out, we won’t ever let anyone else enter our domain with all the power we have in hand.”

 

“So we’re all good enough to launch our attack?” The female individual inquired. “The kid with Z-Storm’s powers has survived long enough to know some things about your organization and he’s got quite a lot of friends at his side, including the one with Brave Bolt’s powers.”

 

“My scheme isn’t done at this point, Kinuyo,” Vandyke continued. “As our agent, our organization has a job for you to do at this time being. After learning so much about Strezz, he seems to be more vulnerable than we thought. If possible, I want you to exchange some more information about him and his friends while remaining hidden from them. I also want you to focus on the girl they call Zowe, as she is the one person that Strezz cares most about.”

 

“Fine by me,” Kinuyo replied. “Leave it to me to carry out your request before the big day comes.”

 

“Thanks. Meanwhile, I still have a job to do before that day comes. I’ll have to go back and deliver a message to the guardians of those islanders. Seymour, if you’ll come with me, I’ll tell you all that you should know about our enemy…”

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(continued from the previous post)

 

Seymour instantly took Vandyke’s offer and walked off with him into one of the halls. During this time, Strezz was getting ready to learn some of Z-Storm’s techniques that were new to him through Arthur…

 

“You got your jacket, right Strezz?” Arthur asked.


“Yeah, I’m just putting it back right now since a storm’s coming,” Strezz responded.


“Wait, you don’t know how to switch on and switch off Z-Storm’s armor at will?”


“I can do that!?”

 

The thought of being able to regulate the armor gave Strezz a surprised feeling. Afterwards, Arthur then said to him, “Now that’s going to be one of the things you’re going to know about in today’s practice. Are you ready?”


“Aren’t you? I’d thought you’d be using your armor…” said Strezz.


“Not yet,” Arthur reassured. “There still isn’t a drop of rain in sight, so I can still lecture you about this one technique. You’ve gotten used to Z-Storm’s physical abilities, so now you’re going to learn about the abilities you can only access by focusing on the mind and soul.”

 

“That sounds like quite a lot of information…” Strezz wavered.

 

“All you have to do at this point is concentrate on the feeling in which you want to activate your armor,” Arthur explained. “Let the powers of your armor flow through you.”

 

Strezz watched as he saw Arthur concentrating on his thoughts to generate sparks of electricity from his jacket before he saw the metal concealed within it spreading out and forming around him. Just like that, Arthur was now within his Brave Bolt armor.

 

“It’s your turn now. Don’t forget what I’ve told you to do,” Arthur lectured.

 

Focusing his energy solely on the mind and soul, Strezz’s thoughts were fixated on the image of Z-Storm’s armor. As expected, Strezz felt a surge of electricity forming around his jacket. He watched as the metal began to decompress around his body before realizing that he had completed activated Z-Storm’s armor without the occurrence of a downpour.

 

“Hey, it worked!” Strezz cheered. “Okay, now what, Arthur?”

 

“You move on to the second phase in using your mind and your spirit,” Arthur informed. “There is a way to make your arsenal a lot stronger and it’s a process known as amplification. It’s not just a simple shortcut. You need to really concentrate on your thoughts to send enough nerve signals to generate a course of electrical energy to amplify the power of the attack of your choosing.”

 

Once more, Strezz felt out of loop from Arthur’s instructions, as he then tells him, “Can you shorten that for me? I didn’t process all of that.”

 

“Didn’t you listen?” Arthur questioned.


“I really was trying to listen…”


“To make your attacks stronger, use your inner thoughts to amplify the energy of which ability to use. I’ll show you how I do it.”

 

Once again focusing on his inner thoughts, static energy formed around Brave Bolt’s armor. He then conjured and released a few surgical spheres that caused a massive burst after hitting the water. After seeing those intensified powers in action, Strezz began preparing his Hydro Blast ability – but not without focusing his inner thoughts of overcoming Seymour first. Using the amplification ability, Strezz conjured a power that combined his collected electrical charges with an immense, fast-flowing, tube-shaped rush of water. As Strezz released his attack far into the shore, it caused a small eruption once it touched the water.

 

“That’s good,” Arthur remarked. “As long as you don’t think too hard, the added volume to your powers won’t deal so much on our targets and on yourself. I’ll leave you off with one last technique. I’ll try to explain it as simply as I can.”

 

“What do I have to do?”

 

“Once again, you need to release the power within your thoughts and within your soul. Think about something that is most important to you and you’ll unlock a hidden ability in Z-Storm.”

 

Strezz paused for a moment before then telling Arthur, “Finding a way back home…that has always been on my mind lately.”

 

“I could already tell,” Arthur continued. “Now think about what you have to do to achieve that goal.”

 

As suggested, Strezz left the controls to the armor idle to concentrate on his thoughts.

 

I just need to defend myself and everyone else on my side.

 

Strezz then reengaged his grip on Z-Storm’s controls, using his mind to transmit nerve signals around the armor. Strezz eventually felt a surge of energy in the hands of Z-Storm’s armor and saw it conjure a long, elastic strap attached to what would then appear to be a spectral pair of seahorse, glowing with a golden hue reminiscent of electricity.

 

So Strezz is a fighter of the guardian kind, Arthur thought. He is truly meant to inherit Z-Storm’s powers. “That was incredible, Strezz! Just disengage the energy to your special ability, and we’ll call it a good day’s work.”

 

Strezz, focusing on his thoughts to stop the flow of energy around the armor, turned off Z-Storm’s hidden ability. Now focusing on the image of his own self, Strezz instantly deactivated his armor.

 

“You’re really getting the hang of Z-Storm’s powers,” Arthur complimented.

 

“Yeah, I won’t be so worried about being too unprepared for my next fight with Seymour at this rate,” said Strezz.

 

After all the practice was done, Strezz and Arthur saw Zack passing by through the shore with a makeshift fishing rod.

 

“Oh hey Zack, what brings you here?” Strezz asked. “Also, what’s with the fishing rod?”

 

“This is for the fight that we all have to prepare for,” Zack responded. “I can’t make a fuss about it while I’m without a weapon of some kind, so I’ve made this tool. I’ve given myself a week to make this and now it’s done.”

 

“That’s good for you that you’ve planned ahead,” Strezz remarked.

 

“Cameron has already made plans of his own too and he’s talked to me about how he’s going to fight his brother without fighting him at all,” Zack replied. “I don’t know what’s gotten to his mind, thinking of going through with that crazy plan, but whatever strategy you’re using against that asshole Seymour, I have my trust in you to take him down.”

 

“You do?” Strezz questioned. “I never thought that I’d hear you say that to me.”

 

“I’ve seen you fight while we were breaking in to that dude’s base. By the way, if you’re looking for your two friends Bruce and Monique, they’re exploring the jungle right now, looking for whatever mystical artifact. Shazza also told me that she’s arranging a group meeting between all of us as soon as they come back.”

 

“Wait, Bruce and Mo are in the jungle by themselves?”

 

“Doesn’t Bruce have powers of his own now? We also got that chameleon guy to piss off for a while, so I wouldn’t worry about them.”

 

“Okay. …Well, if you want to know how I’m doing, I’m making excellent progress in learning Z-Storm’s abilities through Arthur’s knowledge from piloting his own armor.”

 

“Alright, I’ll smell you both later then.”

 

Once as Zack left to return inside Sal’s hut, Strezz and Arthur immediately noticed a peculiar couple of individuals. One was covered in draperies and carried a staff while the other appeared to be a serpent with a body comprised of brine. Their eyes were staring completely towards the ocean’s waves. Even as the two felt Strezz approaching them, they didn’t become fazed and kept focusing on the view.

 

“Um…hello there, what brings you here?” Strezz asked the pair.

 

“Are you the boy with Z-Storm’s jacket?” The mysterious individual inquired.

 

“Arthur, do you recognize these two?” Strezz whispered to him.

 

With sincere uncertainty, Arthur shrugged his shoulders and responded to him, “Beats me.”

 

Strezz then focused back on the mysterious pair and then responded by asking him, “How did you know about me…and-and the jacket?”

 

“It’s true that I have not seen how you’ve tested the abilities of Z-Storm, but I could tell by the commotion that you are the one.” Strezz jumped once as he saw the unknown figure and his serpent turn around to face him. At that moment, Strezz’s eyes were focused towards the man’s body, as well as towards the serpent.

 

“Can you at least tell us who you are?” Strezz asked once more.

 

“My presence has given you plenty of questions to ask, I expected as such,” the man continued. “As for my name, you can refer to me as The Rainmaker and nothing more.” Strezz was going to say something before the Rainmaker resumed, telling him “Before you ask me anything else, I’ll give you some answers – answers in which I can only share with you and your friend with Brave Bolt’s powers. Given my name, I indeed bring order to the weather of this island, until that order was destroyed by a certain enemy with Dark Strike’s powers and his corps.”

 

“Dark Strike, isn’t that…?”

 

“I could already tell that you knew Seymour like I have. He has brought turmoil onto this island for years. I still remember when the tragedy started five years ago like as if it just happened today. Seymour and his associates turned a pleasant inhabited island into a wasteland with no point of return. He took away the lives of many of this island’s natives. Some of them were kept as hostages. Some of them were brainwashed. Most of them were killed. However, two men stood to rise against Seymour. One of them found a jacket, the one that is exactly like yours. That person had a tight bond with the spirit embedded in it and vowed to use those powers as a guardian, just like they were meant to be used. Years after several skirmishes with Seymour, the savior was challenged by him to a fight against him and nine other adversaries one by one. The savior defeated all but Seymour. After his loss two years ago, he just simply disappeared.”


Strezz’s eyes were still focused on The Rainmaker’s serpent as he was explaining his story.

 

“You look to be very fond of my serpent. He has been animated and sharpened through my powers and he keeps me company. Go ahead and try to touch him, he won’t hurt anyone with a negative aura, and he looks to be fond of you too.”

 

“Two years ago…that was around the same time that Shazza ended up here,” Strezz muttered.

 

“Ah yes, she was the girl that the man passed on the powers of Z-Storm to, I’m guessing that she somehow passed it on to you,” The Rainmaker responded.

 

“She did, but…but I found and took the jacket after I saw it washed up on shore…from the last place I was before my friends and I got stranded on this island.” Strezz explained. “It’s a long story.”

 

“I see,” The Rainmaker mused. “I would be enthused to hear your story, but you don’t have to tell me. You looked familiar to someone that I knew who shared a story to me that I think is similar to yours. Getting to know you however, you’re different compared to the other guy in many ways. Now I have a question for you: for what reasons do you hold onto Z-Storm’s powers?”

 

“Protecting my own self and others with these powers is my only means of being able to return home right now. In the process, I need to defeat Seymour. You seem very strong. If I can completely trust you, do you think you can assist me in my next fight with Seymour?”

 

“I’m afraid I can’t. That’s because I’m not the one that Seymour wants to fight. You are part of a cycle in which Seymour must fight Z-Storm, and you must fight him as Z-Storm. Sadly, that’s also why I couldn’t stop all the havoc that was wrought into this island after all those years. I believe you can overcome because you’re the only one right now who can defeat Seymour and his corps.”

 

Directing his eyes towards The Rainmaker’s own eyes, he then says to him, “Prove it to me then that you’re not some phony. I’ve been fooled by someone named Vandyke and I’m not going to be fooled by you. Unless you’re not up to it, I want to know how strong you are and I also want to show you how strong I’ve gotten!”

 

The Rainmaker gave a bit of a chuckle and then said, “At first glance, you seem to be a very nervous child, but you’re really showing some moxie. Okay, if it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get.”

 

“Hey Strezz, are you sure about this?” Arthur questioned.

 

“I’m positive,” Strezz responded. “Don’t worry about me. This is not your fight.”

 

Using his mind powers, Strezz instantly activated Z-Storm’s armor within the jacket. Strezz started his match with the Rainmaker by charging himself up. He waited for his opponent to draw his attack before Strezz could unleash Z-Storm’s Hydro Blast attack. In that moment, The Rainmaker counters Strezz’s attack by conjuring a swift and raging tide before then using his staff to conjure a cyclone attack to deal some damage on the armor. After regaining his composure, Strezz then conjured his laser blade, preparing to strike against The Rainmaker before the opponent reacted as quickly as he could to motion his serpent to attack Strezz with a freeze-dry breath, immobilizing Z-Storm’s right arm. Before Strezz could try to break out of the stiffness in one of Z-Storm’s forelimbs, The Rainmaker stroke him with an enlarged tidal wave. After taking the hit, Strezz then regained complete control of the armor and fixated on both The Rainmaker and the serpent.

 

He’s a lot faster than I am, Strezz thought. Should I use his strength to my own advantage or should I wait until his guard is down?

 

Strezz, once again, charged up his power before then using his amplified plasma cannon attack against The Rainmaker. Each shot missed as The Rainmaker dodged them as quickly as he was able to. The Rainmaker then motioned for his water serpent to attack Strezz, with a physical rushing move. Strezz tried guarding it with his laser blade to little benefit. As The Rainmaker prepared his swift tidal wave attack, Strezz quickly used his boosters to try to land a hit on his opponent head on, slashing through his attack in the process and then striking a second time on the opponent, but by doing little damage. The Rainmaker, already being able to regain his composure, then used his staff to make him levitate above the beach. Strezz followed suit by reactivating his boosters. Both Strezz and The Rainmaker took their own time in charging their own powers. Strezz watched his opponent as he was amplifying one of his powers before unleashing it. Strezz prepared his Hydro Blast attack until it was cut off by The Rainmaker, who used his staff to summon a bolt of lightning to damage Strezz and his armor.


The previous blow had now reduced Strezz’s power of flight as well as weakening his stability. While The Rainmaker was still above ground, he then conjured another high tide attack against Strezz, landing another hit on him. Strezz then waited for The Rainmaker to descend. Reactivating his laser blade, Strezz rushed over to The Rainmaker, clashing with the water serpent that acted as The Rainmaker’s guard until Strezz landed a hit on the opponent. Strezz then used his amplification technique before using his powered up Hydro Blast attack. Strezz landed on another hit on The Rainmaker as it managed to sear a spot through the opponent’s draperies. It was after that moment that The Rainmaker then stretched both of his arms outward and exclaimed…

 

“Enough!”

 

Strezz deactivated his armor as soon as he noticed that The Rainmaker had stopped himself completely.

 

“Boy, can you tell me your name?” He questioned. “I never actually quite caught it.”


Strezz felt confused by The Rainmaker’s question for half a minute. Deciding not to be hesitant, he then spoke explicitly, “My name is Strezz…Strezz Stormond.”

 

“Strezz…I have now seen your worth,” The Rainmaker continued, “but I cannot continue our fight. We agreed only to see how skilled we are in combat. I did not want any bloodshed. I hope you understand that.”

 

Strezz fixated his eyes to the ground, tied his hands around his back and then mumbled, “I understand. So, um…does this mean that I won the fight?”

 

“Since I’ve withdrawn, you can call it a victory on your part,” The Rainmaker replied. “However, I wouldn’t call the fight the kind that determines a victor. Those powers embedded in Z-Storm that you’ve used, I hope that isn’t all you’ve known.”

 

“I’ve actually learned so much more than all that I’ve used in my fight with you. I was afraid that I was going to seriously wear myself out if I used my special techniques more.”

 

“Well, you should be ready for your imminent fight with Seymour, right? You must be ready. One secret that I know about him that I could at least share with you is that he can merge with his armor and he can sustain himself in such a form without losing a drop of blood.”

 

“Now that you’ve told me that…I still don’t feel like I’m ready to fight him again. He even said that he wants to see Z-Storm at its fullest strength…”

 

“Just keep on with your practice on Z-Storm’s powers. Don’t forget, I believe you can put an end to Seymour’s reign over this island.”

 

As The Rainmaker finished speaking to Strezz, he, alongside his water serpent, stared at the ocean floor once more and began to tread through it.

 

“Hey, wait a minute!” Strezz exclaimed. “Aren’t you going to tell me more about how I could defeat Seymour? Or do you know if there’s anything that my friends and I can do to return home?”

 

The Rainmaker turned his own self back around to face Strezz and then said to him, “Whatever answers you seek, you’ll find out yourself soon. …However, I’ll let you in one more secret since I understand how much it means for you to escape this island. I ask of you and your friends a favor to carry out. The island’s weather effects come from a source that is possibly located within the depths of Seymour’s organization. Destroy the source, plain and simple.”

 

“I also have a lot of questions to give and I know you’re willing to talk to me about what’s going on and…” Strezz replied.

 

“Talk is cheap,” The Rainmaker interrupted. “I bid you farewell and good luck.”

 

Strezz watched as the Rainmaker and his serpent treaded through the briny sea and he saw the two mysterious individuals disappear as they completely submerged themselves below the ocean’s surface.

 

Strezz Stormond, The Rainmaker thought, I’ve recognized that name somehow…

 

Hours have passed as Strezz now appeared alongside the other islanders outside the hut, all benched on a set of broad wooden stumps.

 

“I called for all of us to meet here because Seymour is going to launch an attack against us within the next few days and we need to talk about forming a strategy,” Shazza explained.

 

“How do you know if Seymour also wants us to play his game?” Zowe questioned.

 

“I think I know why,” Strezz muttered. “Um, while Arthur had me test out some of Z-Storm’s powers that I haven’t known before, I met someone very strange. He said he used to control the weather of this island and he knew about one of the jacket’s previous owners. There, he said something about Seymour setting him up in a fight with him and nine others who were on his side. He called himself The Rainmaker.”

 

“That seems like the funniest story that I’ve heard all day,” Monique remarked.

 

“It’s true,” Arthur reaffirmed. “I was there with him. Strezz even challenged that guy to a test to see how skilled they both were in combat. The Rainmaker ended the battle to congratulate Strezz for having learned so much about Z-Storm’s powers, but he also told me he needs to practice more on his fighting.”

 

“As I was saying,” Shazza continued, “Seymour has a group of reinforcements and it’s likely that he will enlist multiple troopers for his attack since there are twelve of us here. If we leave Sal and Tide to take care of the hut, that makes us a group of ten and Seymour will probably have nine of his troopers on his side to balance things out.”

 

“So, what kind of plan do you have in mind?” Bruce questioned.

 

“For the first phase in our defense, each of us will face off against one respective target,” Shazza was explaining. “Of course, Seymour will be targeting Strezz. As for the rest of us, we fight against whoever we end up with. If anyone gets caught in a life-threatening situation, either one of us will act as support. One of us will then try to finish a fight that someone in our group cannot finish. We all should have a weapon of some kind at this point. Strezz has Z-Storm’s jacket. Arthur has Brave Bolt’s jacket. I have my surfboard that’s supplied with gadgets. Bruce and Monique have their respective objects that they found in the jungle…”

 

As Shazza was talking, both and Bruce and Monique were eying at their gemstones. The artifact that Monique had just recently found and obtained for herself appeared to be a sandstone gem with a red hue.

 

“That reminds me, I don’t think I’ve shown everyone this thing that I’ve found,” Monique interrupted as she then lifted up the sandstone gem for everyone else to see.

 

“Have you tested to see if it has some powers embedded in it?” Shazza inquired. “It’s important that you assure for yourself that it is an enchanted gem and that it’s not just a piece of junk.”

 

“I haven’t tested to see if it has powers, but I definitely will soon before the big day,” Monique replied.

 

“My weapon is a fishing rod that I made by myself,” Zack added before pointing his thumb towards Cam, “meanwhile, this guy is going empty-handed.”

 

“I plan to fight against Matt,” Cam was saying, “and I want to do it without doing anything fighting myself.”

 

“Are you sure?” Shazza asked him. “Now you’re making me afraid that you won’t be able to handle yourself in your fight with your brother.”

 

“I’m positive,” Cam responded solemnly.

 

“Alright…” Shazza continued, “So, Cam has his reasons not to use a weapon of any sort. Is there anyone else without one?”

 

Upon receiving Shazza’s question, Zowe and Marina casually raised their fins.

 

“I’m guessing this is the part where you rat us out for being unprepared and all,” Zowe remarked. “Marina and I never had any battling experience and we never really worried about having to fight either.”

 

“No,” Shazza said modestly. “You and Marina still need some means of fighting since the ten of us taking down one of each of Seymour’s group is still part of our proposed plan. I’m sure Captain Tide will think of something for you both.”

 

“Yeah, but what if I don’t want to fight?” Zowe uttered. “I never wanted any part of this and I would like to keep myself separate from this Seymour person and his business.”

 

“What would your plan be then?” Shazza asked.

 

“I have no plan. Maybe I have really wanted to be someplace nice like Seaside Springs, but I’ve never planned to be deserted on this island or to put up with anyone that’s been happening here.”

 

“I know you’re upset, mate. At least understand one thing about your friends Marina, Cam, and Zack. They want to help assist in our fight and they very much want to help you. Do you think you can do the same? We’re all dealing with a life or death situation.”

 

Zowe’s body was quavering around, trying to hold back any more frustration until she then exclaimed, “You’re forcing all of us to take care of this mess! Besides, you’re the one who decided to fully lend Strezz powers that used to be your responsibility and he never wanted to hold on to them!”

 

At the moment Zowe mentioned Strezz’s name, he let out a small, nervous mutter.

 

“I didn’t want to deal with the responsibility of being Seymour’s target!” Shazza exclaimed. “You’re right, I may have urged Strezz to continue that responsibility, but he’s not angry with me. He’s feeling really honored that he’s taking on the role of a guardian. I’ve put my trust in him that he can take out Seymour and he’s entrusted us to stay by his side and help him when he needs assistance. If you agree to fight alongside us, you’ll be fighting for him and your friends. You’ll also be doing it for yourself. So tell me why you don’t want to fight with us.”

 

“You wouldn’t understand!” Zowe cried out. “Ever since my parents wanted for me to change my own self, I’ve had to keep in mind what I’ve been told numerous times that if I continued to act hostile, I would end up hurting others and I would continue to hurt myself! You were never there during my early life when I was constantly bullied until I became a bully myself. You were never even there when I had to get psychological help! So if you would be so kind to me right now, just shut the hell up!”

 

The atmosphere went completely silent after Zowe’s vent, as did everyone. Strezz had a horrified look on his face when he noticed that he was involved in another squabble between his two friends Zowe and Shazza until seconds after the bickering had stopped.

 

“Zowe…” Shazza said softly. “If you had personal issues that prevented you from coming into our agreement, you could’ve told me.”

 

Zowe, currently refusing to speak, was now looking down on her own self with her arms crossed.

 

“I’m sorry for pressuring you on this topic,” Shazza continued to say towards Zowe. “Sal and Tide told me that they won’t be able to handle themselves in battle and I thought you were viable in being part of our team.”

 

Zowe, once again, said nothing in response.

 

“Okay, let’s get back to the subject of our strategy. Kiyoko, you didn’t confess when I asked if you didn’t have a weapon on you. Do you actually have one?”

 

“I’m glad you asked!” Kiyoko responded as she then pulled out a large wooden club from behind. The sight and weight of it startled everyone except Zowe, while especially startling Strezz. “It’s a wooden stick; a stick made out of wood.”

 

“I’m not going to argue whether or not you’ll be able to handle yourself with that kind of weapon,” Shazza replied. “Still, if you need help, just call on us. Anyways, let’s move on to the second phase of my proposed strategy. After each of us has completely reduced the energy for any of Seymour’s Thunder Troopers to continue fighting, we must remove their jackets and then carry them to our hut. Seymour and Vandyke’s intentions are still a mystery yet to solve, but we’ve learned the truth that they’ve been trapping people on this island before turning them into soldiers indebted to work for them. Either we can restore their memories or we reform them through our own means. I don’t want any of us to be held responsible for the death of someone who can be reformed.”

 

“…Can you shorten that, Shazza?” Strezz spoke. “I was listening, but I feel like I can’t follow all of those steps…”

 

“Sorry about that. I should’ve remembered that you were like that when I was showing you the ropes for Z-Storm’s powers,” Shazza responded. “Strezz, what we need to do is defeat one of our targets. Then we take off their jackets. Then we take them to our hut. Then we try to free them of their mind control. Did you get that, mate?”

 

“I understand now,” Strezz replied.

 

“In case you don’t know what to do first, I’ll repeat it for you. You will have to fight Seymour. If you need help, just call on either one of us.”

 

“I don’t know. The Rainmaker also told me that Seymour is only looking for a fight with Z-Storm. So, I’m afraid to think about what Seymour would do if any of you interfered…”

 

“Did he say anything else important to you?”

 

“Oh yeah, he said that the source to the constant rain and thunderstorms on this island may be coming from inside the base of Seymour and his group. He then said that he just wants us to destroy.”

 

“And so the third phase to our plan is to fix the weather. Once we take care of that, we will be able to escape.”

 

“Wait a minute,” Cam chimed in. “Don’t Seymour and his organization have their own way back to the other side from the island? They should have a transportation device inside the base. That was how Marina caught up with us during our infiltration.”

 

“Is the transporter that Marina found in the storage room underneath the island the same one that can easily take us back home?” Strezz questioned.

 

“That’s what I’m thinking, but I feel more certain that they have another transporter inside the submarine that allows for them to travel outside the island,” Cam continued. “So after I take care of things with my brother, I’ll volunteer to sneak through the submarine.”

 

“Is there anything else that we need to do, Shazza?” Marina asked.

 

“I don’t think so,” Shazza responded. “In that case, we’re done for the night.”

 

“Oh, come on!” Kiyoko uttered. “Weren’t we all here to share our own stories? Can I share mine if Zowe shared hers?”

 

“We don’t have time for that,” Shazza replied. “I would actually be interested to hear whatever story you have, but it’s getting late.”

 

Everyone else took Shazza’s advice as they all went back inside the hut to rest. As night fell into day, Strezz was shown with Arthur, repeating the same lessons from the previous day on his newly learned powers. After having finished the rest run, Strezz, who still had the Z-Storm armor equipped in him, turned to Arthur.

 

“Arthur, can you tell me about how I can merge with my armor?” Strezz spoke. “I really want to know before the big fight.”

 

“This feels pretty sudden, don’t you think?” Arthur asked. “I could have you wait until tomorrow, but since you’ve been doing excellent and because you really wanted to, I’ll let you in on how you can merge with Z-Storm, but I will not show you. It will hurt after you’re done, but once you’ve learned that technique, you’ll have learned everything about Z-Storm’s powers.”

 

“Okay, so what do I do?” Strezz replied.

 

“Once again, you’ll have to use your own mind,” Arthur was explaining. “Energize it to your fullest potential. Think of yourself being bolder than ever.”

 

“That doesn’t sound difference from all the other techniques that I’ve learned yesterday…”

 

“Actually, it is different. The first thing you need to do in order to accomplish this technique is you need to do while you’re outside of your armor.”

 

In an instant, Strezz focused on his mind to deactivate his armor.

 

“So, why do I have to redo this process?” He then asked.

 

“You can’t merge when you have already activated your armor without linking your mind with the spirit embedded in the jacket,” Arthur explained.

 

“There’s…there’s a spirit that lives in my jacket?” Strezz said with an incredibly dazed expression.

 

“It may sound very odd, but every other jacket that has been crafted like Z-Storm’s carries a spirit within them,” Arthur continued. “As you should know, these coats have been around since hundreds of years past.”

 

“Yeah, and that might be one of the reasons why Seymour and his group are after anyone who carries Z-Storm’s jacket,” Strezz remarked.

 

“We may not know everything about Seymour’s intentions, but that may be true. Anyways, in order to learn the ultimate technique, the first thing you need to do is focus on your thoughts. Then, you need to give yourself enough emotional force to link with the spirit in your jacket. Lastly, you then concentrate on the thought of activating your armor while still focusing on the thought of the spirit.”

 

Strezz’s eyes shifted below, looking down at the ground and at his own two legs as he himself appeared very much like that he didn’t completely comprehend the instructions that Arthur gave to him.

 

“I know, it’s not an easy process to follow, but trust me, you’ll get it one step at a time.” Arthur said.

 

After nearly half an hour of having to repeat some of the steps to the technique, Strezz began feeling understood of how the process works more and more. Eventually, Arthur saw has Strezz started his attempt in assuming his ultimate form with the armor. From where he stood, Strezz felt electrical currents surging through his body from his neuron signals as well as a barrier or wind swirling around him. He focused his mind on the thought of combining with the jacket’s spirit before then focusing on the thought of activating his armor concurrently. At this very point, Strezz felt like he knew everything in unlocking the special kind of power, but after unleashing his gathered energy, he realized that no significant change had occurred in him. Thereafter, the flow of energy that he had felt had completely dissipated.

 

“I thought I had understood everything…” said Strezz. “What happened? Am I not strong enough?”

 

“You did actually get the whole process right,” Arthur reassured. “I’m not sure why it didn’t work for you.” Strezz’s frown continued to show as Arthur huddled one of his arms around him and then said to him, “Hey, don’t feel so upset. Eventually, you’ll figure it out and maybe you won’t have to learn that special technique to defeat Seymour.”

 

“I’d try to, but The Rainmaker…he told me that Seymour can merge with his armor and can stay in that form for as long as he’d like,” Strezz replied. “What do I do then?”

 

“I hate to say it, but you got me there,” Arthur replied. “Whatever happens, just know that we are all here for you.”

 

As Strezz and Arthur were walking closer to the hut, Arthur stalled as soon as he noticed Kiyoko, sitting around on a wooden stump, gesturing for his attention.

 

“Now if you’ll excuse me for a moment, Kiyoko wants me for something,” Arthur said to Strezz before walking over to Kiyoko and planting himself next to her.

 

“How’s it going, Arthur?” She asked.

 

“I’ve just had Strezz practice some of Z-Storm’s powers that he had learned yesterday,” Arthur responded. “Is there anything that you wanted to talk with me about? You’ve called for my attention.”

 

“Yeah, there’s something I’ve wanted to tell everyone since last night!” Kiyoko replied.

 

“Well, go on and tell me,” Arthur replied. “What’s been on your mind?”

 

 “…Have you ever felt like you’ve been living in a different universe? I don’t think I came from here.”

 

Kiyoko’s query had now left Arthur in a state of shock. With an open jaw and his eyes widened, gazing towards Kiyoko, Arthur then asked her, “What…gave you that idea?”

 

“I’ve been wondering about how I ever ended up on this island,” Kiyoko was saying, “and that was when I remembered that I came here from a whirlpool inside of a well and it brought me into a fountain in the jungle.”

 

“Actually Kiyoko, I don’t think you may actually be from this universe. I’m not from here either.”

 

“Excuse me if I’m interrupting,” Strezz chimed in, “but what’s this about?”

 

“Kiyoko just asked me about the whole idea of there being other universes,” Arthur responded towards Strezz. “She was also talking about how she felt that she came from a universe that was different from the one we’re all living in.”

 

“What!?” Strezz questioned with astonishment.

 

“Yes, and I was about to continue the conversation with my place in this world,” Arthur continued. “The truth is I never really came from Shellside Shores or any other part of this universe. I remember coming from another world and being dragged into this one from a fountain. That fountain had the power to generate paths into the worlds outside of the other. That’s all I know about it, at least from what Seymour had told me about it before he then said to me that it didn’t work anymore. …Unless…Kiyoko, how long did you think you’ve been on this island?”

 

“Aw, I don’t know. I can’t keep count,” said Kiyoko, “but I remember the last time I was in my own world like it was a year ago…”

 

“So that’s it then!” Arthur uttered. “Seymour lied to me so he could hold me in this universe!”

 

“Arthur, do you know how long you’ve been in…our world?” Strezz asked.

 

“Oh yeah,” Arthur continued. “I’ve actually kept track of how long I’ve been outside of my own world. I ended up here seven years ago. That was two years before Seymour and his group caused trouble on this very island.”

 

“I know the Z-Storm jacket is what Seymour is really after, but I wonder if he’s also been after something that Shellside Shores holds,” Strezz mused. “Maybe it has something to do with the fountain that can apparently open paths to other worlds?”

 

“We should tell Shazza and the others about a fountain like that being somewhere in the jungle. It may or may still not work, but we’ll never know until we explore it. Something with that much power shouldn’t be so touched up so irresponsibly by Seymour’s organization to be ruined. I’ve been here before and I remember when this place was filled with life.”

 

“Right, that was when this island was once Seaside Springs.”

 

“If you think it’s crazy that I somehow crossed paths here, there’s something else that I need to confess. When I was made property to Seymour, Vandyke, and the rest of their organization, Seymour took part of my name and made us brothers.”

 

“So, does that mean that he and you are both…related!?” Strezz said, stunned.

 

“Yes, but only terms of him making me part of his property. I’m Arthur Veil while he’s Seymour Veil. Even if I have my associations with him, do you still trust me, Strezz?”

 

“Of course I trust you, but doesn’t Seymour trust you?”

 

“Seymour might already know that I’m on your side, but it shouldn’t matter to him since he currently has his own time to attend to and I’ve escaped his attempts to corrupt me several times before.” Arthur then stretched one of the sides of the Brave Bolt jacket to acknowledge Strezz of his powers. “If you’re wondering how I’ve taken the responsibility to hold onto Brave Bolt’s powers, I’ve had to steal it from the company that was preserving it along with the other jackets. I couldn’t afford for another one of these powerful tools to be abused by Seymour and his organization.”

 

Before the conversation would continue, Bruce and Monique ran over to the same spot where Strezz, Arthur, and Kiyoko were idling in as Monique flaunted her red sandstone gem once more.

 

“Good news! The gem does have magical powers!” Monique exclaimed. “It gave me the ability to control and use sand! Did you see it all work, Strezz?”

 

Strezz, whose eyes were only focusing on Monique’s sandstone gem, promptly shook his head in response.

 

“Oh, but you’ve should’ve seen us out there,” Monique scowled.

 

“Hey Monique and Bruce, you two were in the jungle the other day,” Arthur spoke, “Have either you ever encountered a fountain somewhere over there?”

 

“No we haven’t,” Bruce confirmed. “Was it similar to the fountains we saw in Seymour’s base?”

 

“Strezz, Kiyoko, and I have been wandering about it,” Arthur continued. “Even though I was told by Seymour that the fountain’s powers to link between worlds didn’t work anymore, Kiyoko said that she came to Shellside Shores merely a year ago. Now that you’ve mentioned the other fountains, Bruce, I also can’t help but wonder why is it that Seymour and his group have confiscated the powers to the other fountains while they left one fountain operating in the island? These clues bring me to the conclusion that the one fountain is still working and it’s still in its original spot.”

 

“Should you remember where that fountain was located, since you also came into this island from it?” Strezz asked Arthur.

 

“I honestly don’t. Seaside Spring had changed a lot since Seymour’s tirade,” Arthur answered.

 

“Wait, you and Kiyoko came from a different world?” Monique questioned.

 

“It’s true!” Kiyoko uttered. “We were also just getting started in telling some stories about each other since we couldn’t do that last night.”

 

“That’s not the reason why I was here…” said Strezz.

 

“If you want us to join in on this conversation, then I guess we will. Mo and I probably wouldn’t mind talking about ourselves,” Bruce volunteered. “We might as well also call for everyone else to be here.”

 

“Everyone except Zowe, unless she’s still not too down in the dumps since last night,” Monique added.

 

I didn’t want for this conversation to involve all of us, but we ended up getting everyone else in it. After all that talking that I’ve had to do, I was never ready to participate in this kind of conversation because I really didn’t want to have to say some things about myself. Not right now…

 

“You know, I’ve always been meaning to see some part of my life change, because back when I was in my hometown and when I was in school, I was a complete doormat,” Marina explained. “I was constantly bullied until I met Strezz, who was the first person to be at my side…”

 

The moment that Marina had mentioned Strezz in-name, he had felt a rush in his heart. Until Marina continued on, that feeling became neutral.


“Strezz wasn’t the only one who helped me through middle school, though,” Marina continued. “I’ve also eventually met Zowe. Upon becoming friends with her, she tried to show me how to be more assertive, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Now…just thinking about how I’ve become a threat to a particular group, it feels thrilling to me, but I’m also scared because I’ve never been able to learn how to fight for myself before.”

 

“I’ve talked with Strezz about it the past week, but I’d best share this with the rest of you,” Shazza spoke. “I’ve been stranded on Shellside Shores for two years and I’ve being feeling really distressed about my purpose of being here since after Seymour erased most of my memories about my past discoveries on this island. One of the last few things I could remember after resisting the organization from being used as a weapon, I was told to protect the Z-Storm jacket with my life. I never felt like I was qualified to hold onto the jacket’s powers and continue being a target to Seymour and his organization, so I let it go. While I’ve already felt that it was hopeless trying to escape the island, all I could hope for is that the jacket would never be found in anyone else’s hands and then Seymour would quit his scheme after I let it fly off in a strong gust of wind. But then…I saw Strezz and his two friends on the island with the same jacket…”

 

“Pardon me for interrupting, but didn’t you say one time that you and Strezz knew each other some time ago?” Bruce asked. “What was that like?”

 

“Yeah, that was the part I was getting to,” Shazza continued. “Strezz and I were best friends since I met him while we were in third grade. When I met him, he was very secluded and didn’t seem to have any friends, so I’ve tried to make him my friend. I could still remember feeling so surprised by how very well I’ve succeed. In the way that I’ve responded to him by his name, he felt so happy. …So, anyways, when I saw him again, arriving on the island, I could’ve felt happy, but the thought of him carrying the Z-Storm jacket and being stranded as well was the first thing on my mind, and so I felt worried.”

 

“Do you remember how you exactly ended up in this place, Shazza?” Monique asked.

 

“Yes, mate. Although I don’t remember much about my time on the island before I was lent Z-Storm’s powers, I could very well remember how I got on this island in the first place. I fell for one of the organization’s traps. I was told by a source that I had relatives back in the Great Barrier Reef who wanted to see me. This news surprised me because I’ve been orphaned for most of my life since sometime after I’ve started primary school. It was ever since I’ve heard that both of my parents were killed by fishermen. Then, years later, I would figure out that I still have family – family that I haven’t got to know before. Even if this could be a lie made by Seymour’s organization, I’ve been meaning to get back to my home country to see if it’s real. So, if we all ever escape this island, the first thing that I will do is go back to the Great Barrier Reef.”

 

“You’ll be leaving?” Marina questioned.

 

“I have lived in the same suburban area as you, Strezz, and his other friends, but the Great Barrier Reef is my original home. I won’t be gone for long, mate.”

 

Zowe lays still and emotionless in her spot, like she did the previous night. That was until she suddenly spoke, “You know what? I’ll talk. I’ve already let it all out last night, but I’ll be clearer this time.”

 

The rest of the islanders remained in their respective spots in silence before they could hear what Zowe had to say.

 

“Sometime during my childhood, I was bullied by other kids,” Zowe explained. “That led to the decision where I became one myself and after a while, I’ve realized just how it didn’t feel right. I’ve become one of the popular kids and I hated most aspects about it. When my parents noticed my behavior, they checked me into group therapy sessions where I would engage in social conversations with other people in the same room. It was a good way for me to try and be a better person. It wasn’t until I met someone who couldn’t speak for most of the sessions when I felt like I was becoming a different person. …That boy I met was Strezz. He would be staring away from the other kids in the group, but sometimes his eyes would look directly at me. Whenever I saw him in walking around in school, he also looked like a lost, scared baby penguin. He looked like he really needed some help, so that’s when I decided that I would guide him through the hell that was middle school. Because I kept my credibility as a popular student, I used that to my advantage. Barely anyone dared to bother Strezz as I was wherever he was going for any chance I could be.”

 

“So we really do have one thing in common after all,” Shazza remarked.

 

“Yeah,” Zowe continued. “After getting all that out of my system…I’ve felt like I’ve changed my mind about backing out from the fight. However, I will fight under the condition that I will be at Strezz’s side for most of the time.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that you’re now on the same boat as us,” Shazza replied. “If I remembered it right, you said that were was something else that was holding you back.”

 

“Right, it was something that I was told by my therapist about my attitude. I was told that if I continued to hurt others, it would hurt me and my self-esteem.”

 

“You’re a lot more considerate than I thought, Zowe,” Monique commented. “I’ve always hated the whole setting where I’ve had to fight climbing the social ladder since middle school. I’ve never got the chance to be as popular as you, so I got heated over anyone who was at the top of that ladder and then decided that I would try to make friends with people who didn’t have anyone to hang around with. That’s how I became friends with Strezz.”

 

“When we first knew him, he seemed like the kind of guy who preferred to be alone, but we got him feeling comfortable with us just fine,” said Bruce. “I’ve struggled to make friends in junior high and when I started high school. Even though Mo and I were a year ahead of him, he stuck around with me. I’ve just been casted off for being interested in comic books and having a couple of rich parents that little to no one is interested to know. I barely ever get to spend time with my parents, so that makes my life more of a drag.”

 

“Some of you are saying that you’ve had it so bad, but wait until you hear about my life,” Zack uttered. “I’ve faced illegal troubles. I have my reasons, reasons for which I’m not proud of. I’ve never wanted to become a troubled youth or be treated as one, but I’ve been under pressure to be something that I shouldn’t so I could be liked by people. I’ve mostly been pressed be as such because of my tigerfish parents, hassling on me for not aiming towards a goal that they pre-planned for me in which I should be a lawyer just like them. Also, when they hear from me that I’ve caused trouble with the law, my parents would scold me even more. I didn’t want to keep dealing with this, so I’ve got myself expelled from high school and I eventually landed in juvie after several truancies and getting caught underage drinking and driving.”

 

“Didn’t you say that you were a proud juvenile delinquent?” Shazza asked.

 

“I lied,” Zack responded. “Or actually, I just didn’t tell you guys about the real me until now. How I’ve described myself when I first got stuck in this island is what other peers have said about me. Because of the whole dilemma with Seymour, I thought I still had an image that I need to keep, but the longer that I’ve been stuck here, I’ve realized that I don’t need to be edgy to be liked.”

 

“I feel awful that you’ve had it so rough, Zack,” Marina remarked.

 

“Even I escape this island, I won’t really be happy to be home,” Zack continued. “Zowe tried what she could to get her family to pay my bail, and I came to the agreement that I would do community service and the officers won’t have to place me on house arrest if I stay on my best behavior. I made that excuse so that I could be able to leave without a trace and start a new life in a place like Seaside Springs. If I come back, I’ll definitely be sent back to juvie and I can only imagine that my parents will degrade me even more once they see me again.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Cam assured towards Zack. “Even once we escape this island, we’ll still have your back.”

 

“I’ve already been through hell, so I know that I’ll be able to handle myself in the fight,” Zack continued. “By the way Cameron, what’s your story with your brother who is working with Seymour? You’ve said it a few times before that you’ve had a falling out with him and you’ve never told us all about it.”

 

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about it,” Cam responded, “but since we’re all here telling each other things about ourselves, I guess I’ll have to come clean then. The last time that I ever talked to and saw my older brother, before I found out that Seymour’s organization has been using him as a weapon, was when I blamed him for destroying my good name. I came from two novelist parents. I became interested in detective work when I read books about them at a young age as Matt had got me into those kinds of books. I was a young part-time private investigator since I was eleven and I became so well-known and knowledgeable about investigative work that I was given a letter from a university that offered me to skip getting my high school degree and study abroad on the career that I aimed to be in right ahead. The problem was, I would be starting college the same year as my older brother would and he didn’t want me to get in his way. Shortly after I got the letter, my brother and I had a violent argument at a library that got caught by the security cameras. Once my school’s officials found about, I lost my part-time job and my offer to enroll in the university was annulled.”

 

Cam paused afterwards and lowered his head out of his own disgrace. For a moment, the atmosphere had gone completely silent for a moment while the other islanders waited to hear more from him.

 

Cam continued on to say, “It was merely a year ago since I last saw or spoke to Matt. The last time I heard from him was when he sent me a message saying that he got a scholarship to someplace I never heard of. I couldn’t try convincing him not to go since we had already kept our distance from each other. As the months went by, I became more certain that my brother had gone missing. The so-called college would send my family fake letters supposedly written by him that sounded genuine to me at first, but eventually I would realize that I know my brother more than anyone else to believe them. Now I’ve figured out why he’s been gone for so long…” As Cam continued trying to speak his thoughts, he was visibly shaking as both of his hands were buried in his face. “On top of that, I’ve been feeling like…this all happened because of me.”

 

“So, what was this you were saying about how you got our backs? From the sounds of it, you don’t seem like you could take care of yourself for the fight,” Zack remarked before Cam exchanged a glare. “Sorry. The point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t be holding yourself down like that. Why blame yourself for your brother’s behavior anyway?”

 

“I am the problem, that’s why!” Cam exclaimed, leading the rest of the group in the conversation back into silence. “After I impressed my parents about my investigative knowledge, they have been paying more attention to me than towards Matt. That’s very much why he’s grown to hate me.” As Cam continued, his body was shaking more visibly. “When I face him again, all I want is to get him to come back to his senses and I want to tell him…that I blame myself for what had happened to him…”

 

“Cam…” Monique said solemnly. “It worries me to see you feeling that way. I can help you in battle if you need me to.”

 

“I’m fine, I won’t let my feelings for my brother get the best of me,” Cam reassured. “Thinking about Matt and what had happened to him, it just really discourages me. I probably won’t do my mission alone, so I could ask for help from any of you.”

 

“Alright,” Shazza said as she then stood from her spot. “I think we all said enough tonight. We only have a few days left before Seymour attacks us, so let’s make them count.”

 

However, before Strezz could stray away from his spot, Arthur uttered, “What about Strezz? He has been especially quiet tonight. He should have something to say…”

 

At the moment that everyone else began to turn their heads to gaze at him, Strezz let out a gasp and burrowed his face with the sides of the Z-Storm jacket while his eyes still stared directly down at the grainy beach.

 

“Is there something wrong, Strezz?” Arthur asked him.

 

“I…I just don’t feel comfortable talking about myself,” said Strezz.

 

“Come on, we’ve all trusted you as our leader and some of us haven’t got to know you much,” Arthur replied. “Some of our stories have even been coming back to you. If there’s anything that you are comfortable about saying, you can tell us.”

 

As Strezz’s eyes were still looking down, he eventually closed them. After a moment of silence, he then spoke, “All I feel like saying is that after all this time I’ve spent here...I just want to be home again. Before, I was in such a rush to be like a grown-up, living by myself, depending on myself and all. Then my feelings changed when I got set up for a trap along with my other friends. I also couldn’t help but feel like it’s partly my fault we ended up here like Shazza, Kiyoko, Matt, and you, Arthur. My mom, my dad, my three younger siblings, they’re all really worried about me now, and one of the last times that I’ve been with my parents, they…” As Strezz continued to speak, he was shaking as he a cracked tone of voice. “…They…they kicked me out!” And at that very moment, Strezz tore up.

 

“They didn’t really do that, did they?” Shazza questioned. “I’ve known your parents and I’m sure they couldn’t do something like that.”

 

“You’re right…” Strezz continued. “I had to move out with my cousin Ben because my parents were struggling financially and they told me that I’m old enough to be able to live with someone else. My parents didn’t kick me out, but it felt like I was. I was never ready to deal with a situation where I had to move so suddenly, so I planned to get out on my own before I graduated middle school.”

 

After Strezz had stopped talking for a moment, Arthur then asked him, “Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?”

 

“No, I’m done for the night,” Strezz responded.

 

“That settles it then,” said Shazza. “Let’s all go back inside the hut and call it a day.”

 

As the ten islanders headed back inside the hut, Kinuyo was shown to have been hiding behind a thicket of kelp.

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(Continued from the previous post)

 

I’ve felt relieved to have ended that conversation, because I’m no good at them. There’s so much else that I feel like that I need to tell my friends, but I’m nervous about how they would feel if I told them that I have autism. Someday, I’ll take the courage to tell them, but not now. Someday too, I could be able to talk to them without having to speak. How soon will it be until I can? I have to socialize if I really need to survive on this island, but I don’t feel so much like myself when I do…

 

After that stressful night, I’ve spent the next few days practicing what I’ve recently learned of Z-Storm’s powers. My other friends have been making preparations as well. Captain Tide gave Zowe and Monique gadgets to use in the battle. He gave Zowe a pair of electrical brass knuckles and an automated force field belt to protect against attacks and he gave Marina a detachable circuit board that can deactivate armor. Then the day finally came. First thing in the morning, I’ve noticed that Arthur was gone from his hammock while a dry husk that looked like him laid there. Arthur came into the room to reassure me that it was his dry skin pelt that he had shed a day after our first day of practice. He also told me that he’s planning to use it during the battle so that he can take less recoil damage when he merges with Brave Bolt. I trust him, but it’s going to feel weird to see him looking all dried up and baggy.

 

Before I get out there to fight Seymour, I just wanted to say that I am thankful to all the people who have had my back during this journey: Shazza, Bruce, Monique, Zowe, Cam, Zack, Marina, Kiyoko, Sal, Captain Tide, and Arthur. This might be the last page that I’ll ever write, so if I die during my fight, then hopefully someone will find my journal and give it to my family. I want to tell my younger siblings that I love them a lot: Cassie, Farley, and Leon. I want to tell my parents that I respect them too and that I have no hard feelings towards them after I had to move in with my cousin Ben. Ben, I’ve wanted to say that you’ve done of a good job of looking after me. You are a great cousin.

 

Yours truly,

 

Strezz Stormond.

 

After Strezz finished inscribing in his journal, he places it inside of his polar bear stuffed animal backpack, zipping back up the opening afterwards. He then squeezed his stuffed animal gently and set it still on his hammock before grouping up with his other companions. There, Shazza handed each member, including herself, a wireless earpiece.

 

“Sal and Captain Tide will watch over the hut,” Shazza was explaining. “The captain had set up a wireless radio signal that will connect between us and this place. If any of you are in a dire situation, just holler.”

 

“Hey Zowe, where are your weapons?” Strezz uttered, pointing out that Zowe had both her brass knuckles and belt unequipped on her.

 

Taking notice, she then said, “Oh silly me, I left them with my other things! Hold on while I get them.”

 

As Zowe left the room, she scrimmaged through the purse she had close to her hammock to grab an ordinary-looking belt and a bag of coins. She promptly places the bag into one of her pants pockets while tying the belt around her waist. As she returned to the group, Marina peered through the window to see Seymour, Vandyke, and eight Thunder Troopers inside their respective battle armors walking towards the hut.

 

“Here they come,” Marina alerted.

 

“Then it’s time we stepped out,” said Shazza. “Is everyone ready?”

 

The other members of the team nodded in agreement. However, before Zowe could step out, Shazza stopped her, motioning her to have a small talk.

 

“Zowe, I can’t help but notice how different your belt looks compared to the one we gave you,” she acknowledged. “Don’t tell me you lost it, mate.”

 

“I’m very sure this is the one that the captain lent to me,” Zowe responded. “Also, just to be safe, I have my brass knuckles in my pocket.”

 

“Just make sure you take this mission very seriously, okay?” Shazza replied. “You’re going to be assisting Strezz. That’s a huge responsibility.”

 

“Trust me, I will,” Zowe replied. “Oh, and by the way…Strezz is mine. Don’t forget that.”

 

“If this is a romance thing, then I’d say he’s all yours. Jokes on you mate, I’m asexual.”

 

Zowe put her arms behind her head and then said, “Hey, I didn’t know that! Forget what I said, then.”

 

After Shazza and Zowe were finished talking, they regrouped with their other companions outside. Strezz’s group waited as Seymour’s group continued to walk down the shore to meet face to face. Seymour and the rest of the armored Thunder Troopers were lined up. Unarmed, Vandyke had positioned himself at the center of the assembly alongside Seymour. Strezz’s group had also lined themselves up with a battle-ready pose. Kiyoko, Monique, Bruce, and Zack stood on the left. Shazza, Zowe, Marina, and Cam stood on the right. Of course, at the center of the battle formation was Arthur and Strezz, the latter in which was giving Seymour sincere eye contact. In addition, Strezz appeared to be anticipated in activating Z-Storm.

 

Vandyke walked closer to Strezz and his group and spoke, “Since Z-Storm has a team of ten, Seymour and I handpicked our nine best combatants to even things out…and I’m glad we went through with that decision because you all look very prepared. Perhaps it’s because you have Seymour’s adopted brother Arthur on your side.”

 

“Funny, we only see nine of you,” Zack remarked.

 

Vandyke gave a small chuckle and continued, “We do have ten on our side. Wherever he or she may be is something that you’ll have to figure out yourself.”

 

Seymour, Vandyke, and the Thunder Troopers watched as each member of Strezz’s force stared at their opponents fiercely.

 

“This will be the most exciting bloodbath that Seymour will ever experience,” Vandyke sneered, “or we’ll have most of you become prisoners for our organization. Whatever the outcome may be, it’ll still be fun to see how any of you will manage to survive. I’ll be waiting inside our base…”

 

As each opposing side was filled with anticipation, Vandyke walked slowly back inside the submarine. From that point forward, the battle had begun. Within the first few seconds, Strezz activated his Z-Storm armor, while every other comrade on his side started to budge. Seymour was idle, but the rest of the members of his side started to make a move.

 

Strezz started off flying into Seymour’s range to try and land an early hit on Seymour. However, at the moment that Strezz could make an impact, Seymour changed his direction and quickly lifted himself up above ground. In the instant that Strezz realized that he had missed his target, he looked up to see Seymour, who had then started to soar away from his sight. Strezz reactivated his boosters to come chasing Seymour in his path, leading into the far left side of the wilds. Zowe then came following after Strezz.

 

As the rest of Strezz’s team began to lunge towards one of the Thunder Troopers, all eight reacted by shifting their direction towards the thicket of kelp and retreated into their own respective paths. Straightaway, Cam came after Matt, who is piloting the Dark Goliath armor. In the direction that Matt went, Cam found himself in the left section of the jungle and leapt atop of a kelp tree immediately afterwards to conceal himself from Matt’s trajectory. Kiyoko was agile enough to be on the tail of Chameleon Collision, piloted by Quinn. She followed him into the middle section of the jungle. Arthur activated Brave Bolt and his boosters shortly after to launch himself through the same section of the jungle that Kiyoko bypassed, having caught eye of a suit of armor with a shiny coat of red in most of its body and a shiny hue of blue on the limbs. As she was caught within Arthur’s view, Nike, who pilots Lightning Speed, zoomed around his field of sight to mesmerize him. Thereafter, she landed a direct on Arthur’s Brave Bolt armor.

 

Without a target clearly in their sight, Shazza, Bruce, Monique, Marina, and Zack headed off into the jungle in a direction of their own. Shazza and Marina dashed into the middle-to-left section of the jungle. Bruce directed himself towards the far right section as Monique crossed the middle-to-right path. Finally, Zack rushed his way into the far left section of the jungle – the same direction that Strezz and Zowe previously took.

 

Shazza was shown sprinting through the jungle while trying to watch everything in her move.

 

I have to keep a sharp eye on any suspecting enemy, Shazza thought. I need to form a viable battle strategy before I have to act.

 

Looking for a place to be hidden, Shazza slowed her feet and then turned to face the area surrounded by kelp trees. She climbed up to on and stood on its left branch. She looked down to inspect any familiar looking objects while pondering about her strategy. Eventually, she saw the armor of Crimson Kill, piloted by Hector, patrolling around. There, she jumped down as an act of ambush.

 

“Hey, I never thought I’d only take me this long to find someone that I can fight,” said Hector.

 

Before Hector could ignite any of his powers, Shazza solemnly said to him, “Before you can try to do anything to me, I have a couple of questions to ask you. …First of all, what was the last thing you’ve remembered before you were drafted into Seymour’s organization?”

 

Thinking about Shazza’s words for a moment, Hector then responded, “Are you serious? I’ve always been close to Seymour. Most of my memories are from when I’ve worked alongside him.”

 

“That’s not the kind of answer I’m looking for,” Shazza replied sternly. “Do you recall how you got on this island at all or anything that happened before that?”

 

Once again, Hector paused for a moment. Hector spoke, “I could remember very well that this island is my home. I could also vaguely remember the faces of my own family, that I’ve been wondering for a while because all that I seem to know about my family is that Seymour told me that they’re go-“

 

Hector’s words were interrupted by a shock coming from the neck of his Crimson Kill armor. As it then filtered into the armor’s controlling area, Crimson Kill’s legs bent down while Hector groaned in pain from the shock.

 

“What was that?” Shazza questioned.

 

“It’s none of your damn business,” Hector said as Crimson Kill stood straight back up.


“One more thing I need to ask: do you know about any of my past memories from when I first arrived on the island?” Shazza continued. “I don’t know some of my memories either, but I do know that Vandyke has been holding on to them. I was wondering if you know what he’s hiding.”

 

“I’m just an ordinary foot soldier,” Hector replied. “I don’t have access to whatever it is that they’re keeping. …Say, you were probably buying some time with your talk, weren’t you? Well, I don’t have time for any more of your questions! Let’s fight!”

 

“Have it your way,” Shazza said as she laid down her surfboard gadget, pressing her feet unto it.

 

Hector starts the fight by blasting his double palm laser beams. Shazza manages to dodge Hector’s attack once she activated the surfboard’s hovering function. Afterwards, Shazza turned on the gadget’s cannon and it fired a plasma blast against Hector. Hector lifts his armor’s right arm to sustain Shazza’s attack before launching a series of crimson honing missiles. Rotating her surfboard around the field, Shazza strives to dodge each of the missiles. While she ends up running into a few of Hector’s missiles, Shazza kept her composure on her surfboard, managing to hold on to the surfboard after the impact for each missile strike and escaping from the smoke clouds that came into her view. Shazza then used her surfboard to fly higher above the field. She then shifts the weapon on her surfboard from the cannon into an eight-barrel projectile. As she was preparing to fire her weapon, she aimed at Hector with a dive and landed several hits on his armor. Hector retaliated by conjuring more double palm blasts that Shazza managed to dodge with ease. Hector then fired another series of his missiles. At same time of trying to dodge each of the honing rockets, Shazza fired more rounds from her surfboard’s laser projectile. Shazza waited as Hector cleared the smoke from the damage that she landed on the Crimson Kill armor. Both fighters stopped to take in some breaths before Shazza fired more shots from her laser projectile while Hector launched more of his honing missiles. Charging up the boosters on her surfboard gadget, Shazza used the enhanced amount of speed to bolt north into the jungle. Hector chased her until they both reached a creek. Shazza and Hector stalled the fight once more to catch some breaths. Hector then deactivated his armor to uncover Burden from the folds of the Crimson Kill jacket.

 

“So you think you have the upper hand against me,” Hector remarked as Burden slithered over to his back shoulders. In an instant, Hector reactivated his Crimson Kill armor while Burden still stood at his side, discharging electrical currents through his armored body. “Consider that last squabble as a warm-up. It’s time to get serious!”

 

Shazza starts by swapping the weapon on her surfboard gadget back with the cannon. Hector begins to display his boosted power by conjuring a faster and larger double palm blast attack at Shazza. Shazza narrowly dodges the attack while firing a series plasma blasts from the cannon. Hector manages to dodge most of Shazza’s attacks before launching his next honing missile attack. This time, the boost from Burden made them into a series of missiles that turn into a large rocket missile when touching each other. Shazza quickly shifts the weapon on her surfboard into that of a shield to barricade herself from the attack. The impact of the hit sends Shazza flying forward while still on her board.

 

“You seem strong, but that weapon of yours feels like nothing more than a gimmick!” Hector exclaimed.

 

“Yeah, I do have a lot of tricks on me, but it matters more that I have a good idea on how I can get you to crack,” Shazza responded.

 

As Shazza regained composure and shifted her weapon for a set of torpedoes, Hector prepared his blood fist attack. Shazza flinches for a moment as Hector’s attack reaches her. Plotting to reuse the same attack for his next few turns, Shazza moved her surfboard around the shield in order to dodge each attack. As Hector used his next blood first attack, Shazza went above Hector and quickly fired the torpedoes with a dive. Shazza zoomed further from Hector’s range as he then launched a series of double palm blasts. Each time, Shazza shifted her surfboard from left to right before firing her next set of torpedoes against Hector as he was in the midst of shooting another plasma blast. Hector dodges Shazza’s attack, however, as he then shot his next double palm blast before releasing another set of his missiles. Shazza was above Hector’s range and as the missiles got closer to her and formed into a large rocket, Shazza dived and got as close as possible towards Hector before she lets his own attack do damage to him. Shazza quickly swapped the weapon on her surfboard back to her eight-barrel plasma projectile and fired multiple shots into Crimson Kill just before Hector could completely regain his composure. Hector then resorted to releasing a series of X-shaped blasts. While barely trying to avoid each blast, Shazza once again swapped weapons on her surfboard for the torpedoes. As Hector was preparing his blood fist attack, Shazza fires her next set of torpedoes at the very moment that Hector would land his hit. As Hector’s blood fist attack had touched Shazza, she flinches in pain before using her surfboard to move higher above ground, barely avoiding one of Hector’s X-shaped blasts. Shazza waited as Hector fired his next set of missiles before beginning to unleash another blood fist attack. Shazza moved herself closer to Hector’s range while the missile rocket chased her. Shazza avoids the blood fist attack, gets behind Hector, and fires her next set of torpedoes straight-on. Afterwards, she zooms under the Crimson Kill armor before Hector would lose balance and lets his missile rocket completely reduce his energy to continue fighting. Shazza saw as Hector’s armor deactivated and walked to where he laid.

 

“I guess I underestimated you, but I…” Hector groaned. “…I refuse…to admit that I’m weak!”

 

“You did put up a fight,” Shazza remarked. “As I carry you back to my keep, I’ll make sure that the Crimson Kill jacket is no longer in your hands.”

 

However, as Shazza was about to remove the Crimson Kill jacket from Hector’s body, she heard a voice that came off as someone being in danger. Without much hesitation, Shazza left Hector behind and ran over to the source. She then found Marina being apprehended by Warden, who pilots Teletorrent. Warden was pointing a musket attached to the left arm of the Teletorrent armor at Marina while she appeared to be bound to a kelp tree, wrapped tightly in iron materials that came from a temple nearby. Marina’s attachable circuit board gadget appeared to be on the ground, suggesting that she had dropped it during her confrontation with Warden.

 

“Be careful Shazza, he has the ability to move around metal objects!” Marina cautioned.

 

“What are you doing with her?” Shazza asked Warden.

 

“What does it look like?” Warden responded. “I’ve worn her down before I can take her in to our headquarters as a prisoner.”

 

In an instant, Shazza reactivated her surfboard gadget and placed her feet onto it. She set the laser projectile as her weapon of choice, but before she could attack with it, Warden quickly moved Marina’s circuit board and flung it into her surfboard, nullifying it thereafter. While Shazza tried to remove the circuit board, Warden then took control of the surfboard gadget and then used his telekinetic ability to slam it into Shazza and detain her to a kelp tree next to where Marina had been held. Warden then took out a set of electrical metal spears. He yet again uses his telekinesis to repress Shazza’s arms and legs, as well as tossing one spear close to her neck.

 

Warden laughed and then said, “My bosses will feel very proud of me to have caught a couple of rebels. Heck, I’m very proud of myself.”

 

Warden then conjured a couple of wires from the waist of his armor. Now moving the metal objects he concealed onto Shazza and Marina, he then immediately tied their hands around with the cable wires before tightening them.

 

“On to Seymour’s ship with you two,” He ordered, forcing Shazza and Marina to follow him out of the jungle. “It’s his orders.”

 

At the very least, I’ll now eventually find out what Vandyke is hiding, Shazza thought and turned her head towards Marina. Hold on, Marina.

 

Cam was still shown to be hiding among the kelp trees. He looked to see that his target Matt patrolling was around close to where he is.

 

I will not show myself to him yet,” Cam thought. I already promised myself that I won’t fight Matt when I do reveal myself to him. I will try to dodge anything that Matt will try to use on me until he loses all of his energy to fight. If I need help, I will call for backup. Yes, that is definitely a plan that I can work with. Before I consider calling for backup though, I must check and see how anyone else is doing…

 

Cam moved westward, jumping from one kelp tree to the next until he spotted Marina and Shazza being escorted out by Warden.

 

This does not look good, he thought to himself. I must not go any further. Cam headed east, back to his original post. He looked over to his left earpiece and spoke, “Sal, Captain Tide, this is Cam. If you can hear me, I need to let you two know that Shazza and Marina are held captive by one of the troopers. Is there anyone else with you inside the hut?”

 

“I’m afraid not,” Sal’s voice spoke through Cam’s earpiece.

 

“Dammit,” Cam muttered. “Well, if any one of us comes back, tell them to find Shazza and Marina.”

 

“Will do,” Sal finished.

 

Cam continued trekking through the kelp trees, going east until he spotted Arthur in his Brave Bolt armor. Cam couldn’t see the opponent that Arthur was facing, so he kept making his way east through the jungle before he saw Kiyoko with Quinn, the latter in which appeared to be assisted by an invisible object in front.

 

That’s the guy with camouflage powers, Cam thought. I better steer clear from his view.

 

Kiyoko was now shown preparing her fight with Quinn.

 

“You must’ve made a mistake showing yourself in front of me without much help,” said Quinn. “I will definitely enjoy bringing you down.”

 

“Oh, but I am ready for a fight,” Kiyoko said.

 

The invisible moving object, courtesy of Quinn’s Chameleon Collision jacket, made its first move against Kiyoko. The unidentifiable object missed Kiyoko as she then jumps over to where Quinn’s jacket rested on the object, whacking it off with the stick and revealing the now-visible creature. It was a giant enemy crab.

 

“You…you broke my façade!” Quinn exclaimed. “Now you’re really asking for it!”

 

Quinn then grabbed his Chameleon Collision jacket and hopped onto the top of his crab ally before activating his armor.

 

“You might’ve already figured out one of my tricks while I was experimenting with Chameleon Collision’s powers, but I’ve still got some more aces up my sleeve,” said Quinn. “Try and see you can get through this!”

 

Quinn touched both sides of the crab’s head. His arms then phased through before the rest of the body of his armor vanished. The giant crab’s eyes then turned white and each part of its body began to move at Quinn’s own free will.

 

“Now I’m in control of this creature!” Quinn exclaimed. “Are you feeling all down on your luck now!?”

 

Controlling the giant crab, Quinn started by trying to whack Kiyoko with its left claw. Kiyoko jumped out of the way from the enemy and ran further north into the wild until she came across a tall, giant creature that resembled a plesiosaur. She stunned it on the head her with her stick before getting atop of its back. She and her allied creature both turned to face the controlled giant crab.

 

“So, it looks like we’ll have to fight with our monsters,” said Quinn. “No matter, I can still put up a fight!”

 

Meanwhile, Arthur appeared to be struggling in his fight against Nike as Lightning Speed. Nike was running swiftly across the field while Arthur tried to focus his eyes on her armored shell. Every time that Arthur caught eye of it, none of his attacks manage to hit Nike. After Arthur lost sight of her, he felt a shooting pain at the back of his armor. Nike had swiftly come behind Arthur, charged up the power in her middle and index fingers and attacked him with a quick stab. The shock had caused for Arthur to turn the opposite direction, only to see that Nike was still zooming across the field to divert him before she would hit him again, but in the form of a fist.

 

Nike gave a laugh and taunted to Arthur, “What’s wrong? You can’t catch me? I’m not too far!”

 

While Arthur left himself in his thoughts about a possible strategy, Nike continued to attack Arthur through her same methods by doing damage to him from behind.

 

“Hahaha, you can’t catch me!” Nike teased. “Come on, try to get me! I don’t want a dull fight!”

 

He or she is too fast for me to hit properly, Arthur thought. I can’t merge with my armor unless it’s a real emergency and I can’t leave my spot if my opponent is going to keep trying to beat me until I’m down. If I’m going to have my opponent where I need them, I’ll have to create a diversion myself…but what do I do?

 

Nike then struck Arthur with another stab from her middle and index fingers before resuming zigzagging across the field.

 

Okay, I got it now…if it’s going to take until I’m down for her to stop for just a moment, then I’ll have to pretend to be defeated. If I’m going to have to make it look convincing though, I’ll have to play along this opponent’s little game of tag for a while…”

 

Arthur started to budge, looking around for an image of Nike’s armor in his view. He then activated his boosters, flying around the field to appear as if he’s really trying to catch Nike. As Nike caught notice of Arthur’s change in direction, she fired several small laser beams at Arthur, who tried to sustain the damage by covering his upper body with both arms.

 

“Come out and show yourself, why don’t you?” Arthur called out.

 

“Okay,” Nike responded.

 

Arthur saw as Nike suddenly stopped for a moment. Arthur was about to prepare a surge sphere attack, but Nike quickly unleashed an electrifying sucker punch attack from her left arm as bright, clear flashing light coming from it blurring Arthur’s surroundings for a moment before he felt the blow coming straight into him. As Arthur expected, the clear image of Nike’s armor had instantly escaped from his sight after she landed the attack.

 

So she changed her fighting pattern but she still has the energy to evade any attack that I would try to use on her, Arthur thought. So I ought to keep up with my act. That way, maybe I could also learn about her pattern.

 

Arthur continued to try and create his diversion by flying around the field while trying to sustain Nike’s physical shock attacks in the process. As Arthur saw Nike suddenly stop again, he quickly exposed his shield. While the shield managed to block Nike’s shocking fist attack, she quickly reacts and zips over to hit Arthur on the backside. Regaining focus, Arthur continues to zip around the field to tempt Nike.

 

“I’m going to catch you!” Arthur proclaimed.

 

“No you won’t!” Nike retorted.

 

Charging up a great deal of power into her left hand, she slams her left fist straight into Arthur’s armor. At the time Arthur could react and see Lightning Speed, Nike then zoomed around the field, but while frequently landing a hit on Arthur’s armor at the same time. After getting hit by Nike’s flashing, sucker punch shock attack, Arthur resorted to letting his armor fall over. At that very moment, Nike stopped and walked over to inspect it.

 

“My masters said that he would be strong, but I guess he wasn’t strong enough for me-” Nike commented.

 

Once as Nike slowed herself down, Arthur quickly drew out his large dagger and quickly swung it through her armor. The impact sent her flying into the trunk of a kelp tree. Before Nike could regain her composure, Arthur then unleashed a flurry of vivid blasts and struck her armor with his dagger once more. Arthur waited to see if Nike was down, and to his surprise, she hasn’t budged after the dust cleared.

 

Should I get back up? No, I shouldn’t let the thrill of a battle get all over my head, Nike thought to herself as she’s shown inside of her armor. I’m not just here to fight. I need to find the one that my masters call Strezz…

 

Nike then willingly turned off her armor and laid herself on the ground with her eyes shut, to appear critically injured.

 

Oh my gosh! Arthur thought. That was just a child inside of that armor! Upon seeing Nike lying down motionless, Arthur, while still inside of his Brave Bolt armor, removed her jacket, held her up, and carried her over the shoulders, making his way back to the hut. “That fight turned out easier than I thought. She had a very skilled fighting style, though. Hopefully, she’s just exhausted.”

 

I don’t know where this guy is taking me, Nike thought. Wherever he’s taking me, I should be able to get myself closer to Strezz. It’s best that I play possum until I get my chance to run off.

 

Strezz, now outside of his armor, and his companion Zowe were now shown wandering around the far west section of the jungle, still looking for Seymour.

 

“Oh man, I just hope everyone else is doing fine,” said Strezz. “Why isn’t Seymour showing himself to me right now? Is he buying time?”

 

Suddenly, Zowe got a hold onto Strezz’s right hand and then reassured to him, “Don’t get all worried. You’ll find him soon enough and you at least have me by your side.”

 

“Yeah, you do make a point,” Strezz replied sheepishly.

 

“Before we keep going Strezz, let’s wish each other good lucks, in hopes that we both make it out alive,” Zowe replied.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

It was then that Zowe clutched onto Strezz’s body to hug him. Realizing her actions, Strezz returned her affection and wrapped his arms around her as well. However, while Strezz wasn’t paying attention, Zowe was gone as a suit of armor peculiarly took its place. As Strezz’s eyes looked back up, he saw an orange and red-tinted suit of armor. He gasped as he tried to back himself away, but he already appeared to be in its clutches.

 

“You’re not Zowe!” Strezz cried out.

 

“Good on you for figuring that out just now,” a voice spoke. Strezz turned around to see someone standing atop of one of the branches of a kelp tree. It was Seymour’s agent, Kinuyo. She was draped in a kimono with loose threads of silk around her fingers. From Kinuyo’s own eyes, however, there appeared to be a couple of spirits connected to her loose clothing strings that Strezz couldn’t see.

 

“Where is Zowe!?” Strezz demanded towards Kinuyo.

 

“Great work, Deacon!” Kinuyo chirped towards the armored individual. “If it weren’t for my help, you wouldn’t have been able to pull the wool over the eyes of anyone with Cyclone’s powers.”

 

“Hey, aren’t you going to tell me what you did with Zowe?” Strezz asked, still directing towards Kinuyo.

 

“You must hold still,” Kinuyo responded as she lifted her right and left little fingers. “It will hurt, but you will feel a lot better afterwards.”

 

As Kinuyo was about to hurl one of her silk threads onto Strezz’s jacket, Zack suddenly jumped in to block it with the pole of his fishing rod. Zack then swung the hook of his rod onto Strezz’s head to pull him away from Deacon’s grip.

 

“Zack, you-“ Strezz spoke.

 

“Strezz, get out of here and find Seymour!” Zack interrupted. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of this one!”

 

“What about Zowe?” Strezz asked.

 

“You go find her too,” Zack replied.

 

Following Zack’s advice, Strezz nodded before then reactivating Z-Storm. He turned on his boosters and made his escape from the area.

 

“It’s no fun when someone has to go and interfere,” Kinuyo said towards Zack. “It’s such a pity now that I can’t take control of that Strezz kid, but I could still make use of you and your hooded jacket.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Zack demanded.

 

“Just be still and you’ll find out,” Kinuyo replied as she flung the thread of silk from her left finger sticking onto Zack’s hooded jacket. To prevent resistance, Kinuyo ordered for Deacon to grab a hold of Zack. As Zack is unable to break free from Deacon’s grip, Kinuyo launched her second thread from her right finger and onto the same article of clothing.

 

Kinuyo watched as her web demons phased inside of Zack’s jacket and eventually into his subconscious. Zack was visibly groaning in pain and trying to fight it until the demons completely took over control of his mind. Deacon had now let go of Zack once as his eyes widened up and gazed at Kinuyo obediently.

 

“You know those so-called friends that you stand up for?” Kinuyo said. “They’re the real enemies. Now…I have a favor for you to do: get out there and find us some game.”

 

“Definitely,” Zack said with a dampened tone and a menacing grin on his face.

 

“Alright, then let’s go!” Kinuyo perked. “Come on, Deacon!”

 

In the eastern section of the jungle, the real Zowe appeared running through the jungle with an aggressive look her face.

 

“Damn that bitch for capturing and interrogating me like that!” Zowe exclaimed, with the image of Kinuyo displaying her head. “I need to find Strezz, now!”

 

Zowe continued running through the jungle until she came across someone in red and violet armor. It appeared to be Adrianna, piloting Cannon Cadet. Zowe stopped as Adrianna motioned her to do so.

 

“Hold it right there!” Adrianna exclaimed. “I’ve been wandering around here for a while looking for someone to fight.”

 

“Out of my way, I’m not here for you,” Zowe retorted.

 

“Hey, you look familiar,” Adrianna replied. “You’re the one who upstaged me that one time while I was guarding Seymour’s hideout! This feels exciting now that I have a second chance to take you down.”

 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Zowe replied. “Now get out of my way. I don’t have time for this.”

 

Adrianna let out a small laugh before then saying, “Well, if you want me to make this quick, then I might as well.” Adrianna lifted the right arm on her armor to show the Fountain of Youth gem that she has attached to the palm. “Say your prayers as I wither you out of existence!”

 

Zowe grunted in annoyance as Adrianna conjured a blast through her gem. Before it could hit her, Zowe immediately pressed a button on her belt to activate an electromagnetic shield and ducked from the gem’s range for safety. Seconds later, she noticed the force field’s deflective abilities as she saw the gem’s beam striking Adrianna herself.

 

“Hey, what’s the meaning of this?” Adrianna said as her voice was becoming shriller. “I can’t make it stop!”

 

Zowe watched as Adrianna struggled. It wasn’t until Zowe heard the sound of a baby crying that she willingly deactivated the force field. She was still bent down from the gem’s range until the gem’s blast stopped due to the lack of weight from inside the controls forcibly deactivating Cannon Cadet. Adrianna’s jacket, gem attachment, and as well as her own clothes, was left in a pile. Zowe examined the pile to see if anything was moving. Once as she noticed a tiny particle moving underneath the jacket, she lifted up the jacket to see a small single-celled organism in its place.

 

“It’s good to see that she’s apparently still alive,” said Zowe. “I didn’t expect for the fight to be a cakewalk, but now I more time to try and find Strezz.” Zowe picked up the Fountain of Youth gem and then Adrianna’s reduced body on the pile of her clothes before covering her back inside of said pile. “But now I have to return back to the hut to show them this before the gem’s effects wear off.”

 

Zowe began running south from the jungle, directing herself back to the hut while carefully holding onto Adrianna and her clothes with her right arm.

 

Meanwhile, Bruce and Monique are shown running along their path in the jungle. While trying to look for any willing opponents, the two stopped as they nearly ran into each other.

 

“I guess we’re destined to stick together,” Bruce remarked towards Monique.

 

“Yeah, I guess…Let’s go somewhere else, we haven’t found any one of Seymour’s troopers here,” Monique suggested.

 

“That’s where you’re wrong!” A male voiced uttered.

 

Bruce and Monique looked behind to see two armored individuals now in front of them. One was colored in white and gold while the other is colored in blue and black.

 

“Hey, speak of the devil,” said Bruce.

 

“Look Tempest,” the male voice continued, “we have ourselves a double!”

 

“I don’t know who you two are, but since our eyes met, you’ll have to fight me and my brother Terrell,” says Tempest.

 

“So, what do you call yourselves?” Monique asked.

 

“I’m AC Arrow!” Terrell answered.

 

“I’m DC Downpour!” Tempest answered.

 

“Well, we don’t have our own personas, but we do have our own powers,” said Bruce.

 

Bruce and Monique held onto their gemstones with their palms and waited for their respective powers to form within them. Bruce’s skin and clothes turned light and dark blue while Monique’s eyes turned brown and was shrouded in sand.

 

“Heads up Mo, I’ll take on that AC fellow while you can take on DC,” Bruce advised.

 

“Fine by me,” Monique replied.

 

Bruce started his fight with Terrell by conjured a vast ball of ice and hurling it swiftly at him. Taking out his bow, Terrell retaliates by shooting thunderbolt-shaped arrows at Bruce. Bruce froze part of the ground to create an ice wall to try and block them, but Terrell’s attack shatters the wall and does damage. Bruce more parts of the ground to skate closer to where Terrell stood in his armor. He then touched the bottom limbs of the AC Arrow armor before bringing out a large ice pick to shatter the ice on the legs and deal damage. Terrell kept balance as he then shot electrical currents into the ground with his arm cannons. Bruce felt pain from the first few currents but reacted quickly enough to jump backwards into the ground that wasn’t covered in ice. Terrell launched out his next attack by focusing on his mind. The clouds in the field overhead turned gray as Terrell summoned a swarm of golden, electrified arrows to strike at Bruce. While getting hit by some of the arrows, Bruce managed to dodge most of them while he prepared his next attack. Bruce shot a blast of icy air into the gray cloud and motioned for it to move above the head of Terrell’s armor. Bruce then motions for the cloud to produce hail, inflicting some damage on Terrell as well as diminishing his guard. Bruce then stomped over to the ground covered in ice and created a frozen upward ramp. Bruce slided over and got himself close into Terrell’s range. While mid-air, Bruce created a set of icicle sticks, tossing them and dealing more damage on Terrell’s armor. As Bruce got under and appeared behind Terrell, Bruce’s opponent turned the other way to face him and prepared to shoot another set of thunderbolt-shaped arrows. Bruce jumped over to reach Terrell’s upper limbs, froze them, and finally damaged them with his ice pick. As Bruce came down, Terrell aimed at the ground to send electric currents, which ends missing after Bruce freezes the lower limbs. Terrell now prepared to use his arrow summing power, but then Bruce froze the rest of his metallic body before completely taking him down with another hit from his ice pick.

 

Monique started her fight with Tempest at the same time as Bruce’s fight with Terrell. Tempest starts things up by unleashing a small, raging tidal wave to crash down on Monique. Sliding of its range, Monique managed to dodge it before conjuring up a sandstorm to hit Tempest. However, it misses as well when Tempest nullifies it with her water blaster. Monique unleashes her next attack by shifting the ground beneath the feet of Tempest’s armor to point up and send her flying and hit the ground. Letting the pointed stones return to its smooth, sandy position, Monique watched as Tempest sent out her next swift tidal wave attack. It misses as Monique then shifts the ground within the wave’s range into a trench. Monique then shifts the same flooded trench to hit Tempest right back before letting the soil return to its normal state once more. Tempest then uses her mind to summon a raincloud and send large bolts of lightning down on Monique. After getting stricken by the attack a few times, Monique then has herself concealed by conjuring a sandy force field. Monique then shifts the shield into another sand twister attack that Tempest interrupts once more. Monique then conjures another sandstorm, but this time, from behind. That time, it manages to inflict damage on Tempest’s armor before she falls into the ground. Tempest gets back up and summons another raging tidal wave. Monique shifts the ground beneath her own feet to raise herself higher from the attack before then creating a few more clay pedestals, motioning for them to hit Tempest. Tempest’s next attempt to summon a tidal wave is interrupted as the pillars restrain her. Monique finishes off the fight by sending a strong gust of sand against Tempest.

 

The lack of energy from Terrell and Tempest’s respective armors would then cause for them to deactivate. Monique and Bruce deactivated their abilities and rushed over to the two troopers who are both lying motionless due to their exhaustion.

 

“At first I thought they wouldn’t be just a couple of pushovers,” Bruce remarked.

 

As she and Bruce removed the twins’ jackets and held them up and onto their backs, Monique replied, “I was thinking the same thing. Let’s head back to the hut.”

 

In the Midwest portion of the jungle, Cam continued to check around to see what Matt is doing. While Matt appeared to be waiting impatiently for a battle, he didn’t display any clear violet behavior.

 

“Come out Cameron,” Matt was heard saying. “I know you’re out there somewhere!”

 

The time still doesn’t appear to be right to reveal myself to my brother, Cam thought. I better check the progress of any other member in my group again.

 

Cam traversed further left into the jungle to see Warden, Shazza, and Marina completely out of sight. However, looking up high, he saw Seymour and Strezz in his Z-Storm armor face to face. To avoid confrontation with Seymour, Cam immediately made his way into the eastern section. He saw Bruce, Monique, and then Zowe running back over to the hut as well as Kiyoko and Quinn still in the midst of their fight. Returning to the spot where he saw Matt, he noticed something else. A figure was feebly crawling his way over to the Dark Goliath armor. It was Hector, Cam realized.

 

What is he doing down there? Cam mused. Did he already lose a fight to someone? If so, then why is he still there with his powers intact?

 

“Fancy seeing you Hector,” said Matt. “What the hell happened to you anyway?”

 

“I was beat out by that Great Barrier Reef girl,” Hector responded. “She left me here, but I thought that I’d make my way over to you. I may not have enough energy to continue fighting…” As Hector continued conversing with Matt, he then took out the power slicing device from his pants pocket, “…but I’d like for you to carry out my task.”

 

“You’re a persistent fellow,” Matt replied.

 

Without any other option, Cam slid down a kelp tree and showed himself in front of Matt.

 

As Cam noticed the device in Hector’s hand, he then thought to himself, No, this does not look good.

 

“Oh look Matt, your brother is here after all,” Hector informed.

 

“It’s about time you showed yourself,” Matt said towards his brother. “You didn’t arm yourself, eh? Heh, I’m definitely going to enjoy beating you to a bloody pulp.”

 

“I’m not going to fight you,” Cam uttered. “Even if you’re hell-bent on destroying anyone that gets in your way, you can’t forget that I’m your brother. I’m here to make you come to your senses.”

 

“What’s that, you don’t want to fight me? Well, too bad,” Matt retorted. “Whatever Seymour says goes. So we’re going to fight even if you don’t want to!”

 

As Hector lent his Crimson Kill jacket and power splicing device over to Matt, Cam immediately made a run for it.

 

“Now he’s trying to escape,” Hector pointed out.

 

“Not on my watch,” Matt said as he then holds out the Crimson Kill jacket and Hector’s device with both hands. “DNA activate: Dark Crimson!”

 

Back inside the hut, Arthur, with his Brave Bolt armor currently deactivated, was the first to rush back inside. Holding on to Nike, he placed her gently on one of the hammocks and then placed her Lightning Speed jacket on a table.

 

“Welcome back, Arthur!” Captain Tide called out.

 

“Arthur, if you’re not too busy, there’s something we need to tell you,” Sal addressed. “Cam told us that Shazza and Marina have recently been captured by one of Seymour’s guards.”

 

“Well, I better get out there and do the job to rescue them,” Arthur said with a confident tone in his voice.

 

However, before Arthur could step out, a voice sounded from the radio transmission. It was coming from Cam.

 

“Sal, Tide, I’m reporting to tell you both that I’m in the middle of a dangerous situation!” Cam’s voice spoke. “Matt has combined his powers with that of Crimson Kill and I need reinforcements! I saw Arthur, Bruce, Monique, and Zowe heading back to our main location, so if they’re there, I need you to send either one of them to help me!”
 

Right on cue, Bruce and Monique came rushing into the hut with Terrell and Tempest on hand. Immediately after coming inside, they placed the two troopers on a hammock and put their respective jackets on a table alongside Nike’s jacket.

 

“Just hang tight, Cam. We got our backup right here,” Sal said in a reassuring tone.

 

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Cam’s voice responded.

 

“So, what’s going on right now?” Bruce asked.

 

“One of Seymour’s guards has taken Shazza and Marina into Seymour’s keep,” Arthur explained. “Cam is in serious trouble as well.”

 

“What should we do?” Monique then asked.

 

“Cam’s situation right now seems like the kind that I think I should handle,” Arthur responded. “I suggest that you two do the task in invading Seymour’s headquarters and help Shazza and Marina.”

 

“That seems like a good plan,” Bruce said.

 

Before any of the islanders could step out, however, they saw Zowe barging inside of the hut with Adrianna and her belongings.


“Hey Zowe, weren’t you supposed to be assisting Strezz in his fight?” Arthur questioned.

 

“Yes, but a certain someone captured me this morning to interrogate me about Strezz,” Zowe was explaining. “I suppose that the bitch had replaced me with an imposter while I was held up.”

 

“Do you mind telling you what you have in your hands?” Arthur questioned once more.

 

“I fought Adrianna and I deflected the powers from her gem to reduce her into this,” Zowe continued as she then uncovered Adrianna’s jacket to reveal her as a single-celled organism. “The effects should wear off pretty soon, but now I don’t have any more time to explain what happened. Where’s Strezz? I need to know!”

 

“He must be alone with Seymour,” Arthur suggested. “Now I can’t help but think that he could be in a serious situation as well…”

 

Just above the jungle now shows Seymour and Strezz facing each other, inside of their respective battle armors.

 

“So, you’ve managed to find me, Strezz,” Seymour spoke. “Our eyes have met once more and possibly for the last time too.”

 

“Tell me where Zowe is and then I’ll obliterate you!” Strezz demanded.

 

“Unless she got bested by one of my guards, I’m sure she’s doing fine,” Seymour replied. “I’ve had one of my agents hold her in captivity while her accomplice took her place to lure you into her trap. But alas, you’ve escaped. Enough talk for now, I’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t disappoint me…”

--------------------------------------------------------
NOTES/TRIVIA:

-Official character debuts for this episode: Nike, Trevor Stormond, Diana Stormond, Terrell, Tempest, Deacon, Kinuyo

Spoiler

 

-The respective targets that each member of Team Z-Storm have faced up with:

Strezz/Z-Storm: Seymour/Dark Strike
Bruce: Terrell/AC Arrow
Monique: Tempest/DC Downpour
Shazza: Hector/Crimson Kill
Zowe: Adrianna/Cannon Cadet
Zack: Deacon/Cyclone
Cam: Matt/Dark Goliath
Marina: Warden/Teletorrent
Kiyoko: Quinn/Chameleon Collision
Arthur/Brave Bolt: Nike/Lightning Speed

-The current status for each character up to this point:

Team Z-Storm:

Strezz: Preparing for his ultimate fight against Seymour/Dark Strike.
Bruce: In the hut, contemplating on a plan to save Shazza and Marina.
Monique: In the hut, contemplating on a plan to save Shazza and Marina.
Shazza: Captured by Warden.
Zowe: In the hut, wandering about Strezz's current situation.
Zack: Currently serving orders for Kinuyo alongside Deacon, as his mind is corrupted by her.
Cam: In the middle of a dangerous fight with Matt.
Marina: Captured by Warden.
Kiyoko: Currently in the midst of her fight with Quinn.
Arthur: Inside the hut, making plans to cover for Cam in his battle.

Thunder Troopers:

Seymour: Preparing for his ultimate fight against Strezz/Z-Storm.
Nike: Resting inside Team Z-Storm's hut while actually pretending to be unconscious until she can have the opportunity to start searching for Strezz.
Hector: Defeated by Shazza, but has stumbled across Matt to lend him the powers of his jacket.
Matt: Beginning his fight against Cam, having recently combined his powers with Hector's Crimson Kill powers.
Terrell: Resting inside the hut after being defeated by Bruce.
Tempest: Resting inside the hut after being defeated by Monique.
Warden: Keeping guard of Shazza and Marina inside Seymour's headquarters.
Adrianna: Inside of the hut. Reduced to a small organism after one Zowe's gadgets causes for the powers of her Fountain of Youth gem attachment to affect her. 
Quinn: Currently in the midst of his fight with Kiyoko.
Deacon: Working alongside Kinuyo and Zack to seek any willing foes.

-I had originally planned to continue writing Kiyoko and Quinn's fight for this segment, but due to the episode being as long as it needed to be, it will instead be carried into the next episode.

 

 

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5. Our Fight
     My Fight
        Fight to the Death

 

Strezz.

 

Strezz was all that was on Nike’s mind as she lay inside the hut in Shellside Shores to recover from her skirmish with one of her supposed enemies. She had been informed many times that Strezz was the main target to the Thunder Troopers for he held on to powers of old that were crucial to Seymour, but she can’t help but wonder if she is really the only person who sees Strezz as the person he is than just the essence of the jacket that Seymour and his group has been really after: Z-Storm…

 

…But why is Z-Storm so important to Seymour? Nike also thought. There was already so much on her mind as she left herself to wonder. Among the events she had seen transpired up to this point, one particular incident that she had kept firm inside of her own mind was when she saw Vandyke visit Strezz’s parents one last time before tomorrow’s major battle…

 

Vandyke was at the doorsteps to the household of Strezz and his family. His parents, in an instant, answered the door, expecting his return with news about their son’s disappearance. Without his notice, Nike had transported herself to the same ideal location and followed him inside, keeping herself hidden while Vandyke conversed with the two parents.

 

“Have you heard back from our son?” Diana asked.

 

“Yes, I do indeed have some news to share about Strezz…” Vandyke responded.


“Come in, then, it’s a pleasure to have you here again,” said Trevor.

 

“I’m not here to stay and chat for a while, because you see…it is not very good news,” Vandyke continued. The look on Strezz’s parents went from feelings of relief to concern in that instant. Before Trevor could say a word, Vandyke then reassured “He’s still alive and well, but it seems that he doesn’t want any more to do with his family.”


The expressions on Trevor and Diana’s faces had now changed to a complete state of shock.

 

“What do you mean?” Diana asked, with a very worried tone.

 

“I’ve told Strezz about you both and of your concerns that you two had of him having run away. Strezz gave me his response, and as it appears, his decision to stay at Seaside Springs was final. When I told him about the talk we’ve had together about him, he acted very tense.”

 

“What did he say to you?” Trevor asked.

 

“He wanted me to tell you both that he still personally felt that he had been kicked out of your home and that it’s your own faults that he decided to run away to Seaside Springs.” Vandyke responded.

 

“Did he at least write a letter back to us, letting us know that he is doing alright?” Trevor then asked, who was now visibly petrified, along with his wife, from his tone and from the look on his face.

“But how can Strezz be able to handle making a living there? Doesn’t he need money and a sustainable job to afford living at Seaside Springs?” Diana questioned.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve known that you two would have nothing but questions to give me,” Vandyke replied. “As sad it is for me to say, your son was too stubborn to write anything back to his parents or to his younger siblings. Again, I apologize. I’ve tried to reason with him, but he’s already made up his mind.”

 

“But Strezz couldn’t be able to sustain a living on his own,” Trevor replied. “I know he’s got two friends to guide him, but we know our son so well. He sees the world at a different angle and he communicates in a different way. That’s what concerns us about him so much. How should we expect him to do just fine, wherever he is now!? That’s one thing we still don’t understand!”

 

“I hate to make such a suggestion like this, but there are some things you haven’t known about your son. He’s grown up and he wants to prove that he can live like a responsible adult…”

 

“But he’s only fourteen!” Diana exclaimed. “To us, he’s still just our little baby boy!”


“Listen to me!” Vandyke uttered. “…Like I said, your son has matured and he’s going the path that he chose to go on. It even breaks my heart to see that he wouldn’t want to talk to either of you. Maybe someday, he’ll begin to miss you two, but it is best that I don’t bring you two back up if I ever speak to him again. Strezz will be alright. He’s got two of his friends to help him out with certain things like getting a job, if that answers your deepest worry about him not making an affordable living. We also have a school established at Seaside Springs, so Strezz can start going to high school there. At the very least, you two could send him money so that he can be able to live at Seaside Springs and not worry about any possible financial problems. Strezz is happy living there, so it’s best that you two leave him to be his happy self.”

 

“If you could please allow us to, we’d like to visit him every once in a while,” Diana suggested.

 

“No,” Vandyke said in his solemn tone. “It would be very hard for him to handle if you both did.”

 

At that point, Trevor and Diana couldn’t say any more. Vandyke’s full disclosure on their son’s current situation had now left them speechless.

 

“I’m sorry that it’s come down to this,” Vandyke continued. “I know how you two feel about your son. Id simply advise to never give up on him.” Vandyke cocked his head to look at the wristwatch on his left fin, pretending to feel alarmed about the time. He then concluded his talk with the couple, saying to them, “Trevor, Diana, it was nice seeing you again. If you’ll both excuse me, I need to return to my post.”

 

“Take care then, we’ll be fine,” Diana said, before she returned to show her genuine feelings, showing a sad look.

 

“If you get more information to share about our son, please come back to talk to us,” Trevor finished.

 

After the conversation ended, Vandyke stepped outside and bolted to where he left the vortex connecting back to the headquarters of Seymour’s organization. Inside the household of Strezz’s family, his parents walked inside their kitchen and sat at the table to grieve. They took a plastic photo of their missing son and wept immediately afterwards.

 

Nike stood beneath the railing of the stairs, where she hid to catch wind of the whole conversation, and watched as the couple was in tears. She snuck downstairs to retrieve a piece of note paper and a red ink pen to write something down before heading outside. Nike then made her way to the back of the house to find a window to attach the note to. She climbed up a window to Cassandra’s bedroom. She tapped on the glass two times before Cassandra would briefly turn away from the music that she had pre-occupied herself with. Cassandra glimpsed at the window to see Nike’s figure for a split second before she disappeared from her eyes. She now focused on the note attached to her window pane and picking it up, she read:

 

Don’t give up on him. Thank Nike later.

 

-L.S.

 

Just a moment after Cassandra had read the mysterious note, she, alongside her younger twin brothers, were called from downstairs by their parents. After the couple had explained most of what Vandyke had told them about Strezz, Farley and Leon were driven to tears and embraced their mother and father. Cassandra, however, had a blank expression on her face, and also seemed to be unfazed by their news.

 

“He’s still alive. He’s out on his own now, but he’s not coming back, we’re sorry,” Trevor said. “He’s gone.”

 

As the twins and both parents continued to mourn, Cassandra eventually spoke, “I know this is a sad family moment, but…how do we know if this is all true and that Strezz would go as far as to just leave and turn against us?”

 

“He’s a changed man,” said Diana, “he must’ve been like this since after we had him move in with Ben.”

 

“No one knows my brother more than we do,” Cassandra replied. “Strezz is a very sensitive guy. We can’t guarantee how he may act most of the time, but I know without a doubt that if he were to say cruel things about someone or even hurt anyone, he would never mean to. As for this Vandyke guy, I don’t know who he is, but I think he’s hiding something about him from us. We have to find out.”

 

Trevor, Diana, Farley, and Leon had all now stopped their crying after hearing Cassandra’s encouragement. As she continued to speak, she held out her to phone to show her kinsfolk something peculiar on her screen.


“Besides, I’ve had to do some fact-checking and when I searched for map results for Seaside Springs, I’ve gotten none for it.” Cassandra continued.

 

“But the very last thing that Strezz told us was that he was going to such a place with Bruce and Monique,” Diana pointed out. “He told us this over the phone with his own voice too.”


“See, if we’re going to find out what happened to Strezz and his two buddies, we need to piece together the facts that we do know about his sudden disappearance. Did he tell you where exactly they were going to go to get to this so-called place?”

 

“I’m afraid he hasn’t,” Trevor responded.

 

“Well, someone else may know where he was at one point. It can’t be just Bruce and Monique.”

 

“Then I think I know someone who does know…” said Diana.

 

Ben was now seen at his own apartment home. His eyes were slightly red as he was struggling to take care of his and his ex’s kids. The sound of his phone ringing made him groan before taking it out from his pocket to answer it.

 

“Don’t tell me…this is about Strezz,” Ben spoke.

 

“Ben, what was the last time you saw Strezz?” Diana asked through the phone. “This is serious. You know that guy who stopped by to tell us about what’s happening with our son?”

 

“You mean Vinnie, or whatever his name is?” Ben inquired.

 

“He’s keeping him somewhere and we don’t know where exactly he’s gone,” Diana replied. “Vandyke told us that Strezz is staying at a vacation spot called Seaside Springs, but now I believe that he’s been lying to us since there’s very little information regarding it.”

 

“I should’ve known this was some weird scam from the start,” Ben replied. “Even I believed it was real at first because when Strezz told me about this place that he was going to, he was very genuine about it and he did get directions to a ferry dock that would take him there.”

 

“Where did you last see him, Ben?” Trevor now said over the phone.

 

“I last saw him waiting around the block along with his two friends, waiting for a ride. Usually, that Monique girl would have her cousin take her and her two guy friends places, so he should definitely know where he drove them to.”

 

“Thank you for telling us, Ben,” said Diana. “We’ll call you again once we find out more about what happened to our and his friends.”

 

Just a short moment after Diana hung up on Ben there was a knock on the door. The two parents immediately opened it up to reveal Monique’s cousin, Gerald, standing there.

 

“You’re the parents of Strezz, right?” Gerald asked. The couple answered with a simple nod. “My cousin Monique, as well as her friends Bruce and Strezz may actually be missing.”

 

“We could already tell,” Diana insisted.

 

“Monique’s parents recently got a couple messages in-person from some guy named Vandyke, and I just recently drove myself to the ferry dock that I dropped them off at since the past four weeks just to make sure that they all are doing fine out at Seaside Springs,” Gerald explained. “That was until I was told by the ferryman that they refused to let any of their ships pass since an incident last month where one ship sunk near a far-off location.”

 

So it’s not just us that Vandyke has reached out to. Trevor thought. “If you’re here to tell us that you need your cousin back, say no more. We’re going to get our son back; Bruce and Monique too. Since you know where the dockyard is, you’re driving us there.”

 

“Fair enough,” Gerald replied.

 

“Cassandra, we need you to stay here to watch Farley and Leon until we come back,” Diana ordered.

“I will, I don’t have any other choice anyway,” Cassandra responded.

 

“I will take you both to Azure Harbor,” Gerald was saying to the parents, “but I don’t think the shipmasters will let you through…”


“They must,” Trevor reassured. “I have had experience as a sailor. I’ve been currently working to keep the oceans from being polluted.”

 

“Please stay safe, alright?” Cassandra pleaded.
 

“For the sake of this family, we’ll do whatever we can to get Strezz back,” Trevor said, turning around to face his daughter. “But my wife and I will be take care of ourselves, also for the sake of this family.”

 

Trevor and Diana both exited their home and hurried inside Gerald’s car to begin their search for the missing teens.

 

After Nike’s thoughts had finished recollecting her experience with sneaking back inside Strezz’s home without notice from the Thunder Troopers, she began to recollect the past times that Vandyke brought her along to talk the parents of the other islanders that she had only become aware of at the time.

 

She thought about the short visits that she and Vandyke made with Bruce and Monique’s parents, Mr, and Mrs. Coleman, then Mrs. and Mrs. Seaver respectively. Of course, Strezz’s disappearance was also acknowledged to them, but he had reassured to each of their parents that they were enjoying their stay at the non-existent island and that they’ve no need to worry about them.

 

Nike then thought about the visits that she and Vandyke had made with Marina and Zack’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vieira, then Mr. and Mrs. Morello. Marina’s parents, being overprotective of their daughter, showed a great amount of worry for her. Vandyke had to tell them that she’s been on an extended vacation with her friend Zowe, but he did bring up Seaside Springs. Rather, he pulled out a name of a local vacation spot. Nike also remembered Vandyke discussing to himself about having Deacon cover Marina’s tracks by masquerading as Marina and Zowe as Cyclone at the said vacation spot when the time required him to.

 

In the case of Zack, his parents expressed worry for their son as well, feeling that their strict discipline and judgment of him for being a juvenile delinquent is the reason why he has fled many miles away across the sea, or that was at least what Vandyke told them. For this occasion, Vandyke had masqueraded as a police officer and notified them that he and his task force are on the hunt for him.

 

Nike then started to reminisce when Vandyke had taken her and himself to see the parents of Cam and Zowe. Those two moments, she thought, aside from his two visits at the Stormonds’ home, were what led her to have doubts about working for him and Seymour.

 

At Cam and Matt’s home, Vandyke and Nike saw as their parents answered the door for them. While they didn’t recognize Nike, they recognized Vandyke from past visits.

 

“I’ve returned with some news regarding your eldest son, Mr. and Mrs. Lucifer,” Vandyke announced. “Of course, I also have some news regarding your younger son…Cameron, is it?”


“Please, do tell us,” says Cam and Matt’s mother, Agatha.

 

After Vandyke and Nike stepped inside as Nike put her disguised jacket on their coatrack, Vandyke presented the couple with a postcard that was seemingly written by Matt. As the couple skimmed through the letter, they both returned to him with a scowl.

 

“Vandyke, do you take us for idiots?” Agatha questioned. “This is the same kind of letter we’ve gotten from him since the past 12 months. They don’t sound anything to me like what Matt would write anymore.”

 

“I’m not pulling any strings,” Vandyke reassured. “I’m just a university official, it isn’t usually my job to check these letters.”

 

“Well, we’ve been having this strange feeling of déjà vu for Neptune knows how long,” the husband, Edward, said. “Almost every visit you made, I’ve seen you with that child of yours,” he continued, referring to Nike. “Are you positive that you can’t afford to have someone babysit her?”


“As I’ve expressed numerous times before, yes,” Vandyke responded.

 

“We’ve been trying to get a hold of our son Matthew for months, and now our other son has gone missing and it’s just…mindboggling,” Edward replied.

 

“This so-called news is not helping our case, so we kindly want you to leave,” said Agatha.

 

“I swear that I am being earnest with you two. Besides, you can’t have me leave without listening to what I have to say about your other son, Cameron.”

 

“Where is he?” Edward asked. “No, let me guess: he went to search for his brother without telling us.”

 

“I’d say that’s likely,” Vandyke suggested. “Cameron has actually stumbled across our university and he’s in good health right now. That was what I needed to tell you about him. If you’re wondering why neither of them haven’t returned to you yet, there’s several reasons for that. One thing’s for sure, Matthew is still trying to earn his degree, so much to the point where he’s been going to our college over the summer while Cameron has been meaning to spend some quality time with him.”

 

“Do they still think about us and know how worried we are about them?” Agatha asked. “Why haven’t they given us a single call since after they both suddenly left?”

 

“Look, I can’t provide an answer to each and every one of your questions. I’m not one to jump to conclusions, but I believe they just do not want to talk you either of you.”

 

“I see…so now my husband and I would like for you to leave,” Agatha chided. “We’ll find a way to get a hold of our sons on our own.”

 

“Okay,” Vandyke finished with a dull and serious tone. “But I will keep you two updated about your sons. It’s time to leave, Nike.”

 

Before leaving the Lucifers’ home, Vandyke took Nike’s jacket from the coatrack, slipped it on her, and escorted her out. Outside, Vandyke commanded her to activate her Lightning Speed armor and take him to another home, but Nike hesitated.

 

“Come on, get moving before someone notices us,” said Vandyke. “If you’re upset about my talk with the Lucifers, keep in mind that it has nothing do with you.”

 

“There’s one thing that I don’t understand,” Nike was saying. “What do all these people on the island have to do with Z-Storm?”

 

“Strezz is the one with the Z-Storm jacket while the others are associates of him,” Vandyke responded. “We need them kept there for when we need any more recruits. Remember why I have you here: we need to cover our tracks.”

 

“But those two parents seem to be on to us,” Nike pointed out.


“So? If they try to get through to us, we’ll always be able to take them down easily. Now hurry up, we need to make another stop.”

 

Per Vandyke’s orders, Nike used the powers of her armor to disappear from the scene in an instant.

 

Nike’s mind now flashes back to when she and Vandyke visited Zowe’s home. After they were let in by Mr. and Mrs. Resnik, Vandyke started up the conversation by acknowledging her interest in Strezz. Then, of course, he had some alarming news to share with them.


“She’s in rehab!?” Zowe’s father, Harold, exclaimed.

 

“That’s right,” Vandyke confirmed, “She checked herself in our facility and she will be out of there on her own accord.”

 

“How bad was she?” Zowe’s mother, Aberdeen, asked.

 

“She checked in for substance abuse,” Vandyke explained. “She had some drugs in her body, plain and simple. Do not worry about her though, she’s being taken care of.”

 

“Can you tell us where she’s being held, so we can be able to visit her?” Aberdeen then asked.
 

“I certainly will. I’ll email you the address after I return to my office, which I shall do right now. I hated to break the news to you, but it was still a pleasure talking with you too. You both take care, alright?”

 

“We will,” said Harold, as he and Aberdeen still expressed concerned looks.

 

After Vandyke finished his talk with the couple, he led Nike and himself outside, hid, and directed for his accomplice to reactivate her Lightning Speed armor.

 

“Pardon me for asking, but is Deacon going to cover for Zowe in two different places now?” Nike questioned.

 

“Deacon is going to masquerade as Zowe in three different occasions, actually,” Vandyke answered. “It may seem like a lot of work for him, but don’t worry about it. He’s been under our wing as Cyclone for three years. I know he can do the task.”

 

“What’s the third occasion for?” Nike then asked.

 

“To deceive Z-Storm while he has our spy with him to then corrupt the boy’s mind. That way, we can easily dispose of him and turn the jacket over to Seymour if that plan pulls through.”

 

Nike groaned heavily before she then spoke, “Z-Storm, Z-Storm, Z-Storm, Z-Storm! Is that all you need me for, just to help you get one stupid jacket?”

 

“This is not what I want, but it’s what the leader Seymour wants. Once this mission is complete, I’ll tell you all there is you have to know about why we’ve needed your help. You’re done for the day now, so whatever other complaints you have, you save them for later. Now hustle!” At that moment, Vandyke took out a spear with an electrical current surging from the top to the middle of the stick. “I’m not a fighter for the group, but I can and will use brutal force if I needed to.”

 

Just seconds after Vandyke had threatened Nike, she, with Vandyke, sprinted her way back to the vortex that led them back inside their base.

 

The view changed to show Nike still lying down on a hammock at Sal’s hut, but with her eyes now awake.

 

Sooner than later, I will know the answers to all these questions that I have, Nike thought, turning her head to stare at her jacket that was put on a table, and I will start by taking Strezz back home and then take the jacket for myself.

 

“Bruce, Monique, do you mind if I ask you something about Strezz?” Arthur asked.

 

“Not at all,” Monique responded.

 

“Do you ever notice how Strezz acts a different way when he’s inside and outside of the Z-Storm armor?” Arthur inquired.

 

“Now that you mentioned it, yes,” Bruce responded. “Although, we’ve already noticed how different he acts compared to Mo and I since we became friends with him. Most of the time, he doesn’t make eye contact with us, other times he can get easily worked up over small things and he can tend to have trouble understanding the feelings of others.”

 

As Bruce was speaking, certain images of these instances came to his mind, including when he was at the café with him and Monique, Strezz’s eyes were fixated on the newspaper. Then, it was when the trio had first arrived on Shellside Shores, as Strezz was gazing all around the place until Monique yelled at him. Then, he recollected when Strezz appeared confused to see Shazza being happy to see him again. Then, he recollected when Strezz snapped at Zowe for her refusal to partake in a mission to free him and Monique from being Seymour’s hostages. Then, he reminisced during the campfire conversations in which Strezz was keeping himself isolated and staring down for most of the period. Finally, he recollected the two times when Strezz saw Zowe and Shazza arguing and how sensitive he felt from their quarrels.

 

“Yet, when he’s Z-Storm, he’s not like his usual, timid self,” Monique added.

 

“Yeah, those are my thoughts, exactly.” Arthur replied. “Thanks for sharing.”

 

Outside of the hut, Kiyoko and Quinn were shown in the jungle, both having already started their fight with their respective creatures. Quinn used his control of the giant crab to try and clobber Kiyoko and the plesiosaur she’s assisting. Kiyoko dodged the attack as quickly as she could while the plesiosaur sustained it. Kiyoko then poked the plesiosaur with her stick for an attack. The plesiosaur opened its mouth to release a burst of bright energy to damage Quinn and the giant crab. While Quinn was recovering from the blast’s impact, Kiyoko poked the plesiosaur again for another command. As Quinn controlled the crab to raise its claw, Kiyoko’s plesiosaur slammed it and Quinn with its right flipper. Quinn then controlled his giant crab to take a hold of its left flipper to counter its attack before damaging it with a pinch of the crab’s claw. On instinct, the plesiosaur then lifted the crab and Quinn with its teeth and tossed it against a temple wall. Quinn motioned for the crab to get back and jump back to its original position.

 

“Urgh, no more messing around this time…” Quinn grunted.

 

Taking advantage of Chameleon Collision’s jacket now, he uses it to turn himself and the crab invisible, deceiving the plesiosaur. Quinn controlled the giant crab to whack the plesiosaur from left claw to right claw. Kiyoko tried to maintain control of the plesiosaur, but to no avail as the creature began to blindly attack Quinn and the giant crab with little to no avail. While Quinn controlled the giant crab to dodge each of the plesiosaur’s attacks, he got next to the marine reptile and began controlling the giant crab to attack with its pinchers multiple times at each side, dealing great damage to it. Kiyoko then tried motioning the plesiosaur to use a breath attack, but once as she tried to do so, Quinn controlled the giant crab to grab the plesiosaur by the neck and then slammed it to the ground. Sustaining her injuries, Kiyoko then whacked the plesiosaur with her stick to get it back up quick before Quinn would unleash his next attack, as he then controlled the giant crab to slam into the plesiosaur with its hard shell.

 

At that point, Kiyoko began to rely on her own senses and then directed for the plesiosaur to attack from the direction that she pointed with her stick. The plesiosaur bashed its head into the crab, managing to touch its shell. Seeing the strategy working, Kiyoko then used her stick to draw a curve in the air, motioning for the plesiosaur to attack Quinn and the controlled giant crab with a head bash to where it believed the crab’s weak spot was. Like a fast-moving whirlpool, the plesiosaur zoomed over the crab, got underneath, turned upside down while Kiyoko held on, and struck the giant crab’s head with its own, breaking the effects of the jacket’s invincibility in the process. As Quinn tried to regain composure, the plesiosaur breathed out a bright blast against the giant crab before jetting towards its enemy head on, restraining it with its teeth, and then finally hurling it against a temple wall. The impact of the crash now caused for the Chameleon Collision’s powers to deactivate, and for the giant crab to regain its original senses.

 

Quinn, now outside of his armor, clutched onto the wall with one fin, while gripping onto his Chameleon Collision jacket with the other. He struggled to keep himself still until the giant crab, on instinct, used one of its claws to slam at the stone structure. Quinn tried to escape from the falling rubble, but ultimately ended up getting crushed. After the giant crab left Kiyoko’s sight, she pointed her stick straight, directing for the plesiosaur to return amongst the wild. After letting the plesiosaur roam free, she then saw as the Chameleon Collision jacket flew in the stormy wind until it touched the ground.


“I hope my folks will understand what I needed to tell them,” Kiyoko said, looking down at the abandoned jacket. “I know I have to return this to the hut, but maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to them if I held on to it…”

 

Immediately so, Kiyoko bolted back to Sal’s hut. In the distance, Kinuyo, Deacon, and the corrupted Zack were ambling their way over to the same location.

 

“Look what I got, everyone!” Kiyoko chimed in as she stepped inside the hut.

 

“Where’s the guy who carried the jacket?” Sal asked.

 

“He got killed by one of the creatures of the jungle he took control of,” Kiyoko assured. “This is what’s left of him. …By the way, can I keep it?”

 

“Just leave the jacket where no one can touch it,” Arthur commanded. “There is some unusual enchantment embedded in each of these that has been making its bearer behave in such a malicious way and we don’t know what.”

 

“I don’t care, I think it should be fine if I use it,” Kiyoko replied. “Can I just test it out?”


“No, we need you to stay put in this hut to watch over the enemies we’ve retrieved along with Sal and Tide-“ As Arthur was issuing his task to Kiyoko, he then saw her put on the jacket before beginning to activate it outside. “No, no, no, Kiyoko…!”

 

When Kiyoko turned on the Chameleon Collision armor, she felt her mind becoming hazy until she lost her own self-awareness from the jacket’s enchantment. As Chameleon Collision finished being formed, its eyes glowed red and bright. The jacket’s control over Kiyoko enhanced her alertness to her surroundings, turning around to face Arthur, Bruce, Monique, and Zowe, pointing at them with a blaster.

 

“Are you all Z-Storm’s allies?” Kiyoko asked.

 

The four were hesitant to speak, trying to think of a way out of the situation before Zowe pointed her fin at the center of the jungle and blurted out, “Z-Storm went that way!”

 

Per the jacket’s control over Kiyoko, she turned on the armor’s boosters and zoomed off into the wilds.


“Okay, so now one of us has to go after Kiyoko before one of Seymour’s soldiers do,” Arthur said with an exasperated tone.


“This is what happens when she doesn’t listen. Besides, there are other things to be worried about because we’ve got some more trouble up ahead,” Zowe said, referring to Kinuyo, Deacon, and Zack out in the distance.

 

The three individuals treaded their way over to where the four members of Strezz’s group stood. Zowe was most surprised to see Zack in his current state, realizing that the two adversaries with him had somehow made him one of them.

 

As the three members of Seymour’s group reached Strezz’s four allies, Kinuyo finally spoke, “Is this the place where you’re keeping our allies? If you don’t mind, we’d like to take a look inside.”

 

“You’ll have to get through us first, though!” Bruce retorted as he and Monique were preparing to unleash their powers against the group.

 

“What happened to Zack?” Zowe asked.

 

“I’ve fixed him up myself,” Kinuyo grimaced. “He serves us now and as long as the demons are still controlling him, there’s no getting him back to his old self.”

 

“What demons?” Zowe questioned.

 

“I can’t say, it’s a secret that I know and others who have one of my abilities know,” Kinuyo replied. From her own perspective, she was shown stroking her loose strings of cloth, with ghostly spirits connected to them. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to let me inside your little home or am I going to have Deacon or Zack force you to all to let us in?”

 

Upon Kinuyo’s request, Zack and Deacon began to corner the four members of Strezz’s group. Deacon threatened them with a plasma gun while the controlled Zack threatened them with his fishing rod and pocket knife.

 

“I’ll fight you,” Zowe uttered, raising her right fin. “I don’t know who you are to take me far away from Strezz, but I’d figured you’d be the one that I have to take down.”

 

“I guess I have no other choice than to make a deal here,” Kinuyo wondered. “Alright, I accept your offer for a fight.”

 

“Zowe, while you take care of her, Bruce, Monique, and I will split,” Arthur informed. “I will cover for Cam in his fight with Matt while Bruce and Monique will retrieve Hector if they can.”

 

“Go ahead,” Zowe responded.

 

As Bruce and Monique ran off into the wilds to find Cam, Arthur rushed back inside the hut for some supplies and noticed that Nike and her jacket were nowhere to be seen.

 

“Hey, one of them is gone!” Arthur exclaimed. The thought of now having the responsibility to find and restore Kiyoko and now re-retrieving Nike has left in his mind in a state of panic and frustration. It will be fine… He thought. Just focus on Cam…

 

Arthur left the hut and immediately turned on his Brave Bolt armor. He turned on his boosters and then swarmed over the jungle to get Cam in his sight. Meanwhile, Zowe was preparing what she assumed would be fight her with Kinuyo, attaching her electrical brass knuckles to her right fin.

 

“Oh, I forgot you tell you,” Kinuyo uttered. “I won’t be fighting you. I’m just a spy for Seymour and I don’t have enough fighting experience in me to take you on myself.”

 

“Then who am I supposed to fight?” Zowe asked.

 

It was then that Kinuyo had directed for Zack to step up to the fight with Zowe.

 

“To hell with you, there’s no way I’m doing any real harm to him!” Zowe exclaimed.

 

“I know, I should’ve discussed our deal,” Kinuyo admitted. “This will be a two round match, where you’ll have to defeat Zack and then Deacon. If you’re lucky, you could restore Zack from my spell and you’ll be able to keep him. If you’re thinking about backing out, you’ve no other choice because if you do, then we’ll have to infiltrate that hut.”

 

No more holding my own self back, Zowe thought as he conjured an electrical current through her brass knuckles. This is now for Strezz and Zack. “I hope that you’ll soon come to your senses Zack. There must be some part of you that’s still in there.”

 

Zack responded by whipping his fishing rod, releasing a sharp snap as it nearly touched Zowe’s legs after she inched away from the attack.

 

“I’ve been waiting for this moment where I can destroy you,” Zack seethed. “Die.”

 

Zack used his fishing rod to lash a hit against Zowe once more. Zowe jumped away from the attack before landing next to Zack to shock him with her brass knuckles. Zack managed to resist and swung the line of his rod to damage Zowe.

 

“This fight is going to hurt me more than it does for you,” Zowe muttered.

 

The fight continues as Zack tries to attack Zowe with his fishing rod multiple times. After Zowe managed to dodge most of them, Zack resorted to taking out his pocket knife and then rushing over to her before Zowe reacted by attacking him with her brass knuckles, hitting him in his abdomen. Zowe heard Zack groan in pain. Zowe stop attacking as Zack tried to numb the pain, bending over and pressing his fins onto the sand. Not long after Zowe stopped, Zack grappled back his fishing pole and quickly swung it at Zowe. Zowe now tried to sustain the pain she had received from Zack while also trying to dodge more of Zack’s swings of his rod. Zowe’s face was filled with panic as she became more hesitant to fight Zack the more that the fight continued on.

 

In the jungle, Cam was still shown to be buying time from fighting Matt. When Matt realized that Hector couldn’t keep up due to his injuries, he began to carry him with his Dark Goliath armor. It wasn’t until the reinforcements that Cam requested showed up when Matt ceased fire. Arthur, in his Brave Bolt armor, flew in the way of Matt’s aim while Bruce and Monique surrounded him and Hector.

 

“This is supposed to be my fight with Cameron!” Matt exclaimed. “You all stay out of this!”

 

As Arthur’s presence left Matt distracted, Monique used her sand powers to discreetly free Hector from Matt’s grasp while Bruce used his ice powers to prevent Hector from trying to resist.

 

“If you want a fight, fight someone who may be stronger than you!” Arthur argued.

 

“Don’t make me laugh,” Matt replied. “You must be Seymour’s adoptive brother, but no matter, I’ve got more power in my armor supplied to wipe you out easily.”

 

“You’ll never understand until we talk this all over, but this isn’t the real you,” Arthur informed. “Your armor isn’t even being used for what it was originally designed to be used for, which is for good. I believe that you still have your own memories locked inside your mind, and I know for sure that you still care about your brother very much-“

 

As Arthur conversed with Matt, Cam returned with a small smile in agreement. Matt then interrupted Arthur’s talk by swiping his laser blade close to Brave Bolt’s armor.

 

“Shut up! I’m not here to make compromises!” Turning his head around, he saw that Hector was out of his grasp. “I see the trick you’re trying to pull. You’ve distracted me so your friends can take Hector for themselves.”

 

“Hector isn’t like himself either,” said Arthur. “There’s something about those jackets that are taking control over your own mind and transmitting information to you that isn’t even true.”

 

“If you’re trying to get me to change my ways, then that’s never going to happen,” Matt replied as he struck Brave Bolt’s armor with his weapon. “Enough talk, let’s go!”

 

“With pleasure, and I’ll make sure you won’t lay a finger on your brother.”

 

Bringing out his shield, Arthur was ready to commence his fight with Matt. To ensure his safety from the imminent carnage, Cam climbed up one of the kelp trees to look over.

 

With Seymour and Strezz now shown, they were just about started with their own fight. They activated their respective blades, dashed head on, and clashed their weapons together before Strezz used Z-Storm’s amplification ability to enlarge his blade and cause Seymour to go a distance away, Strezz then flew over to where he was and swung his blade which Seymour barely managed to avoid.

 

“You’ve gotten better…” Seymour uttered. “I like that, but try this…”

 

Seymour pressed his hands together to conjure a electrical surge through his armor before releasing his hands to unleash a powerful discharge to damage Strezz. Strezz remained well-balanced in the fight as he then tries unleashing an amplified Hydro Sphere attack big enough to still aim Seymour. It struck his opponent, but Seymour still stood strong. As Seymour was ready to launch his next attack against Strezz, Strezz thought for a moment on what to do next. Seymour had switched the hands of his Dark Strike armor for a cannon attachment. In an instant, he shot fast, dark-tinted energy beams, but the attacked missed Strezz as he then amplified the speed of his boosters to zoom behind Seymour and swipe at him with his enhanced laser blade.

 

“I’m improved a lot since our last fight,” Strezz spoke. “This time too, I will be able to take you down!”

 

“You think you’re strong?” Seymour questioned. “I’ll only know once you’re able to wear me out.”

 

Continuing the fight, Seymour activated his weapons attachment for his the other arm of his battle armor and then for the abdomen. Using the same previous attack as before, he shot multiple, fast-moving electrical blasts and as soon as took notice of Strezz’s previous strategy, he turned his armor around to deal damage to Z-Storm. Resisting the attacks, Strezz moved himself into the lower part of the field, as did Seymour. At that time, Strezz had begun charging his amplified Hydro Sphere attack and aimed it for Seymour, but it missed as Seymour quickly ascended from the attack’s range. Strezz got back higher, but Seymour used his fast dashing technique to land a fast hit on his armor with his laser blade. Strezz reactivated his own laser blade and waited for Seymour to unleash his next attack. Once again, Seymour dashed around to deceive Strezz’s line of sight, but Strezz then amplified the speed of his boosters to escape from the impeding attack. Expecting for Seymour to reappear from behind him, Strezz swung his blade and managed to barely hit him. Strezz turned his armor around and saw that Seymour was charging up for his next technique against him, but Strezz didn’t react quickly enough as Seymour clasped his hands onto Strezz’s Z-Storm armor to release a shock wave powerful enough to stun him.

 

As Strezz tried to regain mobilization of his armor, he was being swiped away by Seymour by his laser blade, and he was once again using his fast dashing technique. Before Strezz recharged his armor to continue fighting, Seymour finished his combo by striking Strezz with a larger version of his blade. Sustaining the damage from the attacks, Strezz began to breathe heavily as Seymour was already about to land another hit against him. Strezz left himself to think of a possible diversion. Seymour switched to his arm cannon while Strezz retaliated with an amplified plasma cannon blast. Strezz soared up and waited for Seymour catch him. As fast as he could, Strezz unleashed a powerful enough Hydro Sphere attack to send Seymour into lower altitude. In a flash, Seymour got back up with his laser blade. Strezz had already reacted by clashing it with his before using his amplified boosters to zoom out of Seymour’s sight multiple times and hitting him until Seymour destroys his diversion.

 

Strezz was still feeling exhausted while he saw that while Seymour’s armor was visibly damaged, he still stood firm. At this moment, Strezz was ready to bring out his more powerful technique and summoned his two electrically formed seahorse (both referred by him as Donder and Blitzen). He controlled them by pulling on the elastic, golden, spectral reins to charge into Seymour with a discharge of electrical energy on impact. Seymour tries to counter it with his laser blade before he ends up being landed with another hit from Strezz’s technique. Before Strezz could land another hit, Seymour then formed another surprise attack by summoning an electrical and black-tinted form of a shark. The shark appeared larger in size compared to Strezz’s seahorses and when Strezz controlled them to charge into Seymour once more, Seymour’s technique interrupts Strezz’s own.

 

Seymour then deactivated his summon and then reactivated his laser blade. Strezz reacted by preparing to use his own. The two blades clashed with each other, until Seymour hit Strezz’s armor from underneath. Strezz waited for Seymour to use his next technique, which was where he dashed around before piercing Strezz’s armor with his laser blade. Knowing his strategy, Strezz dodged Seymour’s attacks several times by amplifying his boosters. After Seymour had stopped to use a different technique, Strezz reactivated his laser blade, enhanced it, and prepared to strike Seymour with it, but the attack missed as Seymour got behind him in a flash and briefly stunned him with his laser blade before then re-summoning his electrical shark in a matter of seconds to strike Strezz with its discharge.

 

How much…longer? Strezz thought, beginning to feel out of breath. I’m scratching up his armor, but he still doesn’t feel tired at all.

 

As both Strezz and Seymour continued their fight, they now started colliding against each other with their own respective techniques, one at a time, and after merely a few seconds for each one, until they both felt the need to recharge the power of their armor.

 

“Do you still think you’re tough?” Seymour groaned.

 

“I’m…still…standing!” Strezz panted. “We could do this…all day if we have to!”

 

“I appreciate your persistence,” Seymour replied with a sinister grin. “One finishing move should probably end this and I’ll be the one to finish the job once and for all.”

 

“I don’t know what your deal is with Z-Storm, but…I’m not…backing down. Not until I figure everything out about this whole scheme.”

 

Seymour didn’t speak for a moment before he then said, “Then I guess you’ll be the one to finish me off, Strezz. No, it was…Evangelos, wasn’t it?”

 

Evangelos.

 

The fact that Seymour said it, the fact that he somehow knew it, the name Seymour uttered left Strezz in a frozen state, as he was now feeling too horrified to move his armor.

 

“How did you know…how did you know…my old name!?” Strezz exclaimed.

 

“Ha, how could I forget about your one weakness?” Seymour taunted. “You try to prove your heroic stature as Z-Storm, but you’re really sensitive either way you are.”

 

“You talked to my family…didn’t you?” Strezz muttered.

 

“Me, I couldn’t, but I got my information through Vandyke,” Seymour replied. “So tell me, Evangelos…”

 

“That’s not my name…”

 

“If you do care to talk with me, I’d like to know what’s in the true name of yours in which you’ve decided to erase your older one. That should be simple enough for you to answer, but if not…”

 

To Strezz’s surprise, Seymour used his Dark Strike armor to reactivate his laser blade before landing a critical blow against Stezz and his armor.

 

“I have another question to ask you, Evangelos, how does it feel? How does it feel to be at the brink of death?”

 

Strezz, too speechless and stunned to move and react, sustained another blow from Seymour, but with his blade being amplified that time around. Strezz was sent down to the ground, with the damage of his armor causing Z-Storm to deactivate.

 

“What’s this now, Z-Storm? You were so trying to talk me down, but now you can’t talk to save your own life? It brings me to shame to see how pathetic your new owner is. Oh well…you did try to put up a fight.”

 

Strezz appeared to be in tears as he lay motionless on the damp ground while Seymour prepared his finishing move by amplifying his blade once more, as it now appeared larger than his Dark Strike armor. As he was about to slice Strezz with the blade, he was approached by a surprising attacker…

 

“Hey, that’s my target!” Kiyoko’s voice spoke.

 

Seymour saw as the girl in the Chameleon Collision armor provoked him and interrupted his finishing move.

 

“Quinn, what are you doing!?” Seymour groaned before he reactivated his blade to send Kiyoko flying far out of the field. No, that couldn’t be him, he then thought. Regaining his focus, he re-examined the field to see that Strezz was suddenly out of his sight. Dammit! Where did he go!?

 

Seymour, still in his Dark Strike armor, brought himself up to a higher altitude to inspect the whole island to scope out Strezz, to no avail. He descended before deactivating his armor to breeze into his organization’s base within his submarine to confront Vandyke.

 

“Vandyke! Have you checked to see our prisoners in the past five minutes?” Seymour asked him. “If Evangelos, or Z-Storm, is in here, then submerge this vessel and take it into the abyss. That way, no one can try to infiltrate this base and he would not be able to get out easily.”

 

“I don’t believe any of our guards have captured him, sir, but I think I have a very good idea of who took him,” Vandyke responded.

 

“Good to hear, whoever it is that took Z-Storm and its holder away from me, that person must be punished severely,” Seymour finished.

 

Before Seymour began to seek Strezz, Nike, in her Lightning Speed armor, was in the wilds and carrying the exhausted Strezz in her arms. She took a deep breath and activated one of her abilities by moving at an extreme speed that stalled the passage of time from her perspective. She was already out of range from the island’s violent storm force field. Within a few seconds, she was already at the Azure Harbor dockyard. In a matter of another few seconds, she was in the bustle close to Strezz’s old home. Moments later, she was at the place where she needed to be. However, she saw Vandyke standing outside the Stormond household nonchalantly.

 

“Fancy seeing you here, Nike,” Vandyke spoke. “I see you have the prize that we’ve wanted. I suppose this has to do with whatever it is that you’re hiding from us.”

 

“Strezz…Z-Storm…whatever it is that Seymour is after, I’m not letting him take either,” Nike replied. “He means the whole wide world his family and I’m here to return him here. I will also return the Z-Storm jacket to where it originally was, so you and your organization won’t go around trying to hurt people for it anymore.”

 

“So, you’re defecting,” Vandyke asserted. “It pains me to see that you’ve stooped this low.”

 

As Nike tried to use her armor’s main ability to run away from the dilemma, she found that she could only move at a normal pace.


“There’s no use in running,” Vandyke informed. “I’ve just stalled time while you still appear to be in excessive speed. No one can see us or hear us. It’s just you…and I.” As Vandyke continued to talk to Nike, he walked closer to her. “You’ve only got two options now. Either you try to stop me or you hand over the boy and the jacket to us. Take the second option and you’ll have to remain loyal to our organization for the rest of your life.”

 

“I should be free to make my own choices,” Nike replied, “and my decision is final. I will protect Strezz from you.”

 

“You would choose to hurt me? Come on. Don’t forget that I’ve created you.”


“And I’ve just realized something: you’re not my creator!”

 

“But what if I was?”

 

The moment that Vandyke had asked Nike that question she was already at a loss for words and froze.

 

After the small moment of silence, Nike then responded, “I can always find someone that I can call family, like the Stormonds.” Nike lifted Strezz down and then said to Vandyke, “That’s why I will stop you!”

 

Vandyke had also gone silent for a moment before then responded to Nike, “Try me, then.”

 

Nike turned away from Vandyke. Then, she turned around to bolt straight at Vandyke with her sucker punch attack, but before she could hit him, Vandyke brought out his shocker and knocked Nike out cold.

 

The hassle brought Nike and Strezz to the inside of Seymour’s base in an instant. Nike recovered and awoke from the stunner’s effects half an hour later. Looking at her jacket and as well Strezz’s, she realized that they were attached by a microchip that neutralized them. Nike tried to detach the chip. After four attempts, she deferred that there wasn’t any use right now to take it off. Defeated, Nike banged on her arms on the bars of the cell confining her and Strezz.

 

The sound of Nike’s frustration awoke Strezz. His heart raced, seeing that he was still alive. Examining his surroundings, he already figured what he was in the base for. He still felt discouraged after his recent loss against Seymour to bother knowing the girl in the cell alongside him, so he returned with his glum expression, turned his head back, and isolated his own self, left staring at himself and his jacket.

 

Further away from the two, Shazza and Marina stood inside their own cell, with little to no other options on their side than to wait for something to happen.

 

Warden has to be checking on us soon, Shazza thought. The only way out of this situation that I’m seeing is to wait for him to appear where we are. I have unfinished business with Vandyke. I could wait for him to return, either by himself or with Seymour, but I would risk losing Marina to them. For sure, they would try to convert her into their group, first thing.

 

“Hey Shazza,” Marina spoke, “don’t you have a plan to get us out of here?”

 

“Honestly mate, no I don’t,” Shazza responded. “Our best bet is to wait for Warden to come back and see us. If it’s Seymour, or Vandyke, or both, we have to fight our way out of being converted into their resistance.”

 

“If we don’t make it out okay, I should at least give you this,” As Marina said this, she held out a bright, violet-colored jewel in her hands, showing it to her friend.

 

“What is this, mate?” Shazza asked.

 

“I’m sorry…I never wanted to get myself in a fight with any of Seymour’s guys, so for a while, I wandered around the jungle until I found something that I thought you’d like,” Marina explained.

 

Shazza grabbed the gem and then replied to her, “I do like it. I wasn’t expecting for you to get a gift in a time like this, though.”

 

“You see, I got it for you because it’s pretty, like you-“Marina paused. “It reminds me so much of you, I mean.”

 

“Whatever reason it may be, you can tell me exactly why you got me this jewel. All I can say is thanks.”

 

“I could, but I’m so nervous to say it…”

 

Before Marina could continue to speak, Shazza peered through the bars of the cell to see Warden walking close.

 

“You’ll have to hold that thought, I see Warden coming.” She then turned to Marina and said to her “Just take it from me” before turning around to face Warden once as he approached the cell.

 

“You’re just the couple that I needed to see,” said Warden. “Vandyke is going paying a visit with Seymour and the kids with Z-Storm’s and Lightning Speed’s powers. He is busy right now, but he’s also expecting you two after I notified him that I made a couple of prisoners out of you both.”

 

“Wouldn’t it be easier if he took care of us first?” Shazza suggested.

 

Marina was unsure if Shazza was planning something. To ensure that she and her friend don’t raise suspicions, she held her own words in her mind.

 

“So you’re asking for Vandyke’s treatment?” Warden asked. “I don’t trust you. I expect you two to do some funny business, but I won’t let that happen as long as I’m here.”

 

“Even if I’ll never be the same person, I would at least like to have an appointment with him since he’s been keeping something from me,” Shazza replied. “Besides, I can’t pull any tricks since you’ve neutralized my surfboard with a CORE-al gadget that we intended to use against you and I believe only your two leaders know how to take it off.”

 

“How do I know you don’t want me to open this cell for you and your friend just so your weapon could be fixed?”

 

Upon Warden’s query, Shazza responded by throwing her surfboard gadget on the ground, showing herself empty-handed.

 

“Marina and I have already accepted our fates,” said Shazza.

 

“Yes, that’s right…” Marina muttered, trying to play the same act that she now believed Shazza tried to stage.

 

“If you two say so,” Warden responded as he unlocked the cell. “Come with me, then. Try to escape from me and your punishments will be harsher.”

 

To ensure how solemn his words were, Warden reactivated his Teletorrent armor while Shazza and Marina stepped alongside him across the hall, empty-handed. Per his orders, the two captives stuck beside him.

 

There’s no way out of this now, Shazza thought. I could only hope for something to happen.

 

As Warden, Shazza, and Marina continued to walk across the ward, Shazza noticed Strezz and Nike inside of a cell. Like that, an opportunity struck for Shazza.

 

“Oh no, Seymour really has captured Strezz,” Shazza spoke.

 

“You can blame the little runt of a traitor,” Warden remarked. “She chose to betray us and protect the weakling by herself. She was foolish enough give Vandyke to have her and the Z-Storm kid captured, or as I should be calling him, Strezz, Evangelos, whatever his name is.”

 

Shazza waited patiently as Warden had gone on a small tangent. She was distracted in her thoughts for a moment when she noticed that Warden somehow knew Strezz’s old name. Strezz and Nike, through their confinement area, gave Warden a stern look as they listened to his words.

 

“Let’s keep moving, I don’t have any more time to waste,” Warden resumed.

 

“Could we at least say a few words to Strezz?” Shazza suggested. “He’s a very important person to us.”

 

“One sentence is all that you two will speak,” Warden insisted.

 

Marina walked closer to the cell. She then leans her head to look right at Strezz. Strezz, of course, didn’t make eye contact with Marina and kept his glum expression.

 

“I’m sorry; I couldn’t be as strong as you,” said Marina.

 

Strezz gave no response.

 

“He’s not talking. I guess the boss crushed his spirit by a lot, Warden thought. “Does your partner have anything to say to her little friend?” He said towards Marina.

 

Both Warden and Marina now realized that Shazza was nowhere to be seen in their presence. Out of the blue, Shazza appeared with the mechanical surfboard she had dropped prior. She bolted straight into Warden’s line of sight, preparing to whack him with the board before he could react fast enough to swipe it away with his armor’s telekinetic abilities.

 

“You two really were trying to deceive me,” Warden said as he used Teletorrent’s kinetic energy to throw Shazza’s surfboard against the wall and out of her reach. “Now I shall make sure you two never escape!”

 

Shazza and Marina positioned themselves beside the bars of Strezz’s and Nike’s cell. Warden then used his armor’s metal attracting powers to pull out the bars of an empty cell. Marina covered her eyes while Shazza held on to her with her left arm. Out of harm’s way, Shazza jumped out of Warden’s aim and got behind him. Shazza, with Marina still in her grip, then dashed out of the way the very second she saw Warden turn his head and readjust his aim. This causes for Warden to become trapped between a wall and the jail bars that flung into him. On instinct, Warden deactivated his armor to prevent it from resisting any more of the sturdy pressure from the bars. In quick succession, Shazza and Marina snagged Warden’s jacket off of him. Marina was left to hold off the now-nullified Warden while Shazza then retrieved his jail key to unlock Strezz and Nike’s cell. Before Shazza could say a word to the two, Nike pointed to her ankles, gesturing for her to undo the locks securing her legs. Nike swayed her legs around to feel herself being able to move freely again.

 

“I don’t know your name, but I thank you for letting us go,” said Nike.


“I’m Shazza,” she introduced.

 

“It’s nice to meet you Shazza,” Nike replied. “Let’s talk again again later, okay?”

 

Without warning, Nike started making a dash to where Vandyke’s office would be. Before Shazza could try to speak to Strezz, he came running after for Nike. Remembering Warden, Shazza turned her head to look at Marina, who was still resisting him. To give Marina the extra support, Shazza tied Warden’s hands up with Teletorrent’s cable, which he had dropped during the tussle.

 

“What happened to Strezz?” Marina asked Shazza.

 

“I’m not sure,” Shazza responded. “Don’t worry about it, mate. Right now, I trust you to take the responsibility of preventing this guy from taking back his jacket since he still has energy to try and do that. Go back to the hut and let him rest there.”

 

“What are you going to do?” Marina asked.

 

“I have to stay here until I finish my business with Vandyke,” Shazza answered.

 

“Attention to all Thunder Troopers that can reach this message,” a voice echoed from the speakers. “We have captured Z-Storm. So to prevent its owner from escaping, our vessel will submerge in five minutes! It is required that you report back to this ship immediately.”

 

“Besides, we don’t have any other choice,” Shazza continued.

 

“…Okay,” Marina muttered. “Can you escort me back, though?”

 

Shazza lifted up Warden, putting him over her back. She responds to Marina’s offer, saying “Why wouldn’t I? I guess there was still something important that you needed to tell me.”

 

“Yeah, it was about the jewel I got for you…” Marina was saying. “It’s also about everything you’ve done for me. I appreciate all that, and it makes me want to be resistant and courageous as you are because I…because I love you.”

 

Shazza smiled and then held a Marina’s fin with her own, responding to her “I know,” before walking with her back to the entrance of the submarine. Shazza waited as Marina hopped off with the guard they detained before walking out, remaining inside the vessel to focus on her mission.

 

Back outside, and minutes before Marina’s escape, Zowe was shown again to still be struggling in her fight against the corrupted Zack. In her current situation, Zowe has brought her strategy down to resisting herself from Zack’s attacks. Zack, while controlled by Kinuyo’s demons within his hooded jacket, continued to dash around and strike Zowe with his rod. This experience went on until Zowe was seen bending over. Taking notice of this, Zack stopped what he was doing.

 

“Are you giving up?” Kinuyo questioned. “I’m afraid you’re too exhausted to even take on the second match I’ve assigned for you.”

 

“Maybe I am, but before I admit defeat, I have to ask what you did to make Zack act such a way?” Zowe asked with a faint tone.

 

 “Why don’t you ask him?” Kinuyo suggested.

 

“Zack, what did she do to you to make you turn against us?” Zowe then inquired towards him.

 

“Kinuyo did nothing to me, she came to aide me,” Zack responded. “My mind has told me that you’ve been doing some shitty things behind my back, so I sought revenge.”

 

“What kind of things did I do!?” Zowe exclaimed. “You must have remembered something before you somehow lost your mind.”

 

“You’ve made cruel jokes about me. You’ve talked about taking me back to juvenile detention. You didn’t even care about me when it came to my stupid parents who want nothing more than to see me suffer!” Zack replied. “Those are some things that I couldn’t help but think about now.”

 

“That all isn’t true! Maybe I did make jokes that involved you, but I never made them to hurt you. I care about you all the time. I know what you’ve been through. I was the one who bailed you out of juvenile detention, for goodness sake! Something’s been messing with your mind, I can tell. Either you’re lying to yourself or Kinuyo somehow implanted all these lies into your mind. If what I’m saying is not enough to make you change this attitude of yours, then go ahead and finish this fight for me. I can’t take any more of this.”

 

Zack paused, stared at Zowe, and lifted his pocket knife up high, then finishing, “Call it lies, but this is all the truth to me. There’s no changing my mind. Too bad for you…”

 

As Zack was about to aim his knife into Zowe’s chest, she sucker punches Zack in the gut with her electrical brass knuckles. The punch caused for Zack’s hooded jacket to slide off of his body as he then flies down into the sand. Zowe had a tearful look after she had landed a powerful hit on him. She waited to see Zack get back up and ran over to his side when she saw him moving.

 

“Zowe…” Zack groaned.

 

“Are you still your evil self?” Zowe asked.

 

“Evil, what are blabbering about?” Zack questioned.

 

“Never mind what I said,” Zowe replied before giving him a tight embrace. “Long story short, you were being manipulated by a spy for Seymour.”

 

“Oh yeah…I remember now,” Zack recollected. “I was attacked by that woman and her friend. Strezz was there when it happened and I let him escape to find Seymour while I tried to hold them off.”

 

“Enjoy your friendly reunion while it lasts,” Kinuyo interrupted. “Zowe still has to pass round two, like in the deal we’ve made.”

 

“Not until you tell me where Strezz is!” Zowe argued.

 

“I’m afraid I have no idea where he has gone,” Kinuyo replied. “The last time I saw him, he escaped my trap. He’s probably still fighting off Seymour for all I know.”

 

“Can you at least explain to us what’s going on?” Zack inquired. “What kind of tricks were you playing on us?”

 

“Zowe did manage to break through my ruse. Since you two can’t figure it out, I will tell my secret,” Kinuyo responded. “I come from another dimension. Since I was little, I’ve had powers to see demons known as yo-kai. On top of that, I can create yo-kai from threads of my own clothes and age them to a hundred years, allowing for them to possess even Zack’s jacket.”

 

Zack was shown to still being shirtless as he was carrying his jacket and fishing rod with his arms upon mention.

 

“Of course, you two can’t see the yo-kai, as I’m the only one on this island who can. On how I used my yo-kai against people like Zack, I started off by attaching one yo-kai to his jacket to then connect to his brain and disrupt his mind. I then sent another yo-kai to attach to the same jacket and connect to his brain to collect memories and create false ones. My main role in Seymour’s organization has been to collect information about those marooned on this island, but I’ve done more than just that. I’ve used my abilities to seal the spirits within the jackets used by my allies to maintain balance and to prevent the spirits from making the users overcome manipulation. Then I attach two other yo-kai to the jackets, one to feed off of memories of those who are carrying the jacket’s powers, and the other to implant fake memories to ensure that they stay loyal to their leader.”

 

“And you’re enjoying this?” Zowe questioned.

 

“When I was little, I also realized how fun it is to make people suffer. I will also admit it to you that I want to escape this island too. I have to follow Seymour’s code and his orders to avoid punishment. With him in the way, I can’t turn on the fountain portal in the middle of the jungle to return to my home dimension, especially not until I can reunite with my little sister, who ended up here the same way I did.”

 

“Now I know what you’ve been plotting against us,” Zowe replied. “Go on and bring your buddy over for a fight, then. What’s the worst he can do?”

 

Kinuyo laughed and then replied, “You shouldn’t underestimate Deacon. You’ll see why later.”

 

Zowe and Deacon both got in their positions, readying themselves for their match. Zowe was first to launch an attack, aiming for Deacon with her brass knuckles. Deacon, as Cyclone, resisted the attack by countering it with the right fist of his armor. Zowe inched back and then tried to aim for what would be his weaker spots. Zowe socks Cyclone in the head, dealing some damage. Deacon was able to quickly regain his closure as he then dodges Zowe’s next attack where she aims for the left shoulder. Deacon then unleashes a rotating plasma blast from Cyclone’s hand cannons. Zowe watched the movement of the attack as careful as she could and narrowly dodged the attack. Deacon continues by dashing at Zowe with a static discharge surrounding the armor. Not being able to react to it fast enough, Zowe took the damage. As Deacon attempted the same attack another time, Zowe then tried to dodge by ducking, sustaining less damage and also regaining focus in the process. Zowe leaps to aim for the head of Deacon’s armor once more. Predicting the attack, Deacon dodged by edging away from the Zowe’s jab. Deacon launches another rotating plasma blast. Zowe dodges it again and, at the same time, prepares her next hit against Deacon on his armor’s right shoulder. After landing the hit, Zowe watches as Deacon tries to block Zowe’s next attacks. Zowe now attempts to hit Deacon several times with her brass knuckles. Being unable to block each punch fast enough, Deacon resorted to sustaining the hits until Zowe was tired out. After Zowe was done, she waited for Deacon to make his next move.

 

“Your partner doesn’t seem to be as much of a threat,” Zowe remarked towards Kinuyo. “You’ve put a lot of faith in someone who can barely fight.”

 

“Just you wait,” Kinuyo taunted. “You haven’t got to know Deacon’s main ability as Cyclone.”

 

When Zowe was about to strike Deacon with great force, her opponent vanished. The appearance of Deacon’s armor was replaced with an obscuring mist cloud that now revealed Strezz’s figure in front of it.

 

“Please don’t hurt me, Zowe.”

 

Zowe recognized the sound of his voice in an instant. She was in shock to see Strezz again and right in front of her. Hearing his words, Zowe also couldn’t help but feel confused. Then, her expression changed to a petrified look when she saw Strezz’s scared look shift into the kind that made him appear cold and ruthless. “Strezz” then lands a punch strong enough to make Zowe lose focus and drop her brass knuckles. Being too motionless and stunned to pick her feet back up, she saw as “Strezz” picked up the brass knuckles and began throwing static jabs against her.

 

“Oh look, Strezz has returned to you!” Kinuyo teased. “I don’t know what he’s angry about, though. He’s not my responsibility, so you can figure that out yourself.”
 

Zowe did her best to try and avoid the attacks coming to her, but she remained unable to provoke, because of her sheer unwillingness to attack someone with Strezz’s image. Zowe now saw as “Strezz’s” attacking style became more aggressive as he was now nailing her with her pilfered weapon. To further intimidate Zowe, “Strezz” shifted his position at a frequent pace and did back and front flips after most of his turns. With no will to fight her opponent now, Zowe resorted to avoiding and resisting the hits.

 

“Heads up Zowe, you’re still in the middle of a fight with one of Seymour’s guys,” Zack spoke. “That isn’t the real Strezz! That guy has shapeshifting abilities!”

 

“I appreciate you for reassuring, but I can’t see myself hurting Strezz,” Zowe responded.

 

“Pull yourself together and do something!” Zack exclaimed. “The real Strezz wouldn’t fight outside of his Z-Storm armor.”

 

“You don’t understand, this is almost like what I’ve said before when I talked about how hurting certain people would hurt me emotionally,” Zowe replied.

 

Losing her focus, Zowe got struck by a painful jab from Deacon’s Strezz disguise. While Zowe continued to sustain the attacks, Marina arrived at the scene and she couldn’t bear to watch more of what was going on.

 

I can’t stand to see Zowe being hurt like this, Marina thought. I’m through not being able to put up a fight, so I have to do something. Oh, what do I do?

 

Sometime after Zowe restored Zack, Arthur was still fighting against Matt as Dark Crimson. Both Arthur and Matt had done a fair amount of damage to their respective armors. On the other hand, their strategies were different. Arthur started by evaluating Matt’s pattern of attacks and adjusting to Dark Crimson’s combination moves. Matt, being as impatient as he is, was persistent and quick in launching his attacks.

 

Arthur rushed towards Matt and swiped away with Brave Bolt’s dagger, striking the Dark Crimson armor. Matt retaliated by firing a series of crimson bullets that Arthur blocks with Brave Bolt’s shield. Rotating his weapons, Arthur returned to using the dagger while Matt brought out his dark crimson blade to clash against it, shortly after firing his bullets. Arthur dived with his armor to then aim at Dark Crimon’s legs with his sword. Matt was quick enough to react by blocking the attack with his own shield before landing a swift jab against Brave Bolt’s chest plate, doing damage to Arthur. Predicting for Matt to do a combo with his dark red blade, Arthur shifted to his shield to block it during the third strike. Briefly afterwards, while still covering part Brave Bolt with the shield, Arthur flew around the field to launch surgical spheres against Matt. Matt flew through the attacks head-on, trying to sustain the in the process. Matt aimed at Arthur with his dark red blade once more. Arthur rotated his shield for his sword to counterattack. While trying to hold off Matt’s blade, Arthur conjured a vivid blast with his other hand to deal some damage to Matt’s armor.

 

Both Arthur and Matt flew backward, anticipating for each other to make their next move. Arthur fired a series of vivid blasts and then saw as Matt blocked them with his shield. Still using his shield, Matt flew straight to Arthur to ram into his opponent with it. Predicting Matt’s attack, Arthur zoomed upward to dodge the attack and shot himself straight down to strike Dark Crimson with his sword. The moment Matt realized his attack was avoided, he activated his crimson bullets in an instant, dealing damage to Brave Bolt while Arthur still had his sword in hand. After Matt fired a second round, Arthur held up his sword towards the range of the bullets to try and deflect them. While some of the bullets came straight back to Matt, he avoided each one and then prepared to unleash a double-handed, high voltage blast. At that moment, Arthur switched to his shield and dived straight down to then switch to his sword and swipe at him. Matt reacts and ceases the attack with his shield.

 

Holding down his shield now, Matt then released another double high voltage blast. Arthur blocks it with his own shield with one hand and then releases a series of surgical spheres in his other hand at Matt. He avoids it by barring it with his shield, and now began to rush into Brave Bolt with it. Being close in range with Matt’s previous attack, Arthur sustained damage from Matt’s shield. Arthur kept his focus and then released a series of vivid blasts and more surgical spheres against his opponent. Matt dashed and swiped through the attacks with his blade. Predicting Matt trying to strike at his armor with the blade, Arthur switched to his shield to protect against it while turning his armor around to ensure that Matt would use the same attack at different directions. Arthur switches to his sword now and sees as Matt fires his crimson bullets. Arthur avoids by ducking and then hovers underneath Matt’s armor to try and give him an uppercut with his sword. As Matt predicted the attack, he blocks it by covering his lower armor with his shield before then switching to his blade and slashing it through Brave Bolt. Matt continues to jab at Arthur’s armor a few more times with his blade as he tried to regain his focus. Arthur descended his armor to the ground and viewed his opponent, who continued to hurl attacks at him. Matt then fired another round of crimson bullets while Arthur deflects them with his sword.

 

He sure is a tough and persistent fighter, Arthur thought. It may be life-threatening, but I have to merge with Brave Bolt.

 

Arthur deactivated Brave Bolt before using the power of his mind to reactivate it, but to now merge with the jacket’s spirit to form the more powerful version of Brave Bolt.

 

“Surrender now or feel the true power of Brave Bolt!” Arthur exclaimed.

 

Arthur then swung his longer dagger through Matt’s Dark Crimson armor to deal greater damage to it. Matt maintained his focus and then prepared to hit Arthur with his blade, only for it to get barred by Brave Bolt’s larger shied. Arthur then fired stronger vivid blasts against Matt. While Matt was able to dodge them, he gets hit by Arthur’s enhanced surgical spheres. With Matt’s armor weakened again, Arthur then struck Dark Crimson with his dagger once more. Matt was running low on energy to continue fighting. His armor was still on, though he struggled to keep balance. Arthur continued using Brave Bolt’s powers to weaken Matt until his armor would deactivate. However, Matt was now dodging each of the attacks with the force left inside him, and then he began to speak…

 

“Your armor may have the ability to use its complete strength,” Matt said as he held out the gem from the Fountain of Radiation he had kept, “but as long as I have this, my power could still overwhelm yours!”

 

Noticing the immense glow coming from the gemstone, Arthur felt inclined to turn off his armor, as he was now thinking that the best thing to do in a dilemma like this would be to bail along with Cam to safety. He waited as the gem’s glow grew more intense.


He's going to blow a fuse with that gem, isn't he? Arthur thought. This is bad!
 

“Are you and Cameron feeling intimidated now?” Matt continued. “This is my ultimate power, and I shall use it even if it could kill us! Are you hearing this, Cameron? Continue to hate me for what I’ve done. Just know that I’m doing this not just to prove it to you that I am greater. I want you to feel proud of me too. Tell me, is that how you feel!?”

 

Matt’s last sentence had shaken Cam. He couldn’t help but stare at his brother until he saw as Arthur sheltered him with his armor.

 

“Now perish!” Matt exclaimed.

 

The power emitting from his gem reached its fullest as Matt released a discharge that was strong enough to cause a nuclear blast. Arthur, holding onto Cam, zoomed out of the jungle in time. The explosion was intense enough to spread to some parts of the jungle. Kiyoko, who was still under the influence of Chameleon Twist’s control, darted away from the scene the moment she heard the blast. Zowe and Deacon were still in the middle of their fight as it happened and they stopped and looked to use the nuclear reaction once they felt a tremor. The blast was even intense enough to awaken the Thunder Troopers held inside the hut. While Bruce and Monique kept their eyes on the restrained members of Seymour’s pack, Sal and Captain Tide looked out the window to see the ruckus.

 

Arthur and Cam were hovering over the ocean, near the shore to look back at the destruction from their distance. Once Arthur felt that it was safe to land, he unmerged from his armor and returned to his normal self, but appeared to be in pain.

 

“How are you doing, Arthur?” Cam asked.

 

“My dried pelt helped reduce the amount of pain I could’ve taken from merging with Brave Bolt,” Arthur groaned, “…but the time I spent in that form still took a bit of a toll on me…”

 

“What about my brother?” Cam then asked.

 

“I hate to this say this. We have to leave him there for now,” Arthur responded, his tone still weak. “It’s not even safe to return to where he is while it is poisoned with radiation.”

 

“I still have to see him. I can’t focus on my mission if I don’t know whether he’s still alive or not.”

 

“I’m sorry. I know how concerned you are for your brother. If you want to go back to the jungle to see him, you should keep yourself very safe. If you want, I can take your job in shutting down the generator. Oh, and don’t worry about me. I can walk off this pain.”

 

Thinking about what to do for a moment, Cam then said to Arthur, “I’ll still carry out my mission, but I need you to stay with me.”

 

“No problem!” Arthur replied.

 

Arthur and Cam gazed at the front entrance to Seymour’s base. Afterwards, they began walking up the bridged hatch to go inside.

 

Matt, I know you’re still not the same person you used to be, Cam thought. No matter who you are, everything that I’m doing in this mission up to this point, I will do it for you.

 

A short time after Arthur and Cam reached the inside of the base, the hatch door slid up and it closed behind them.

-----------------------------------------------------------
NOTES/TRIVIA:
 

Spoiler

-Strezz's original name is revealed to be Evangelos/"Evan"
-Kinuyo, a spy in cahoots with Seymour's organization, is revealed to have played a role in making Seymour's guard acts loyally to him through her yo-kai sensing/crafting powers, by sealing the spirits inside the jackets and then manipulating the minds of its users.


-The current statuses for each of the characters:

Team Z-Storm:

Strezz: Captured by Vandyke inside Seymour's submarine alongside Nike, but later escapes captivity thanks to Shazza and Marina.
Bruce: In the hut, looking after the restrained guards of Seymour with Sal and Captain Tide.
Monique: In the hut, looking after the restrained guards of Seymour with Sal and Captain Tide.
Shazza: Escapes her capture along with Marina, but chooses to stay inside the submarine to look for Vandyke.
Zowe: Struggling in a fight with one of Seymour's guards, Deacon.
Zack: Regains his senses after having been manipulated by Kinuyo's powers and is giving Zowe his support in her current fight.
Cam: Escapes the jungle with Arthur and enters Seymour's base to find and shut down the generator, after Matt's use of the Gem of Radiation caused a nuclear explosion in the jungle.
Marina: Escapes her capture along with Shazza.
Kiyoko: Controlled by Quinn's Chameleon Twist jacket. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
Arthur: Inside Seymour's submarine alongside Cam.

Thunder Troopers:

Seymour: Inside the submarine, keeping Strezz and his jacket within his grasp.
Nike: Captured by Vandyke inside Seymour's submarine alongside Strezz, but later escapes captivity. She is currently making her way to Vandyke.
Hector: Taken inside the hut by Monique and Bruce.
Matt: Consumed by a nuclear blast he had caused himself through the powers of the Gem of Radiation. His fate is currently unknown.
Terrell: Inside the hut.
Tempest: Inside the hut.
Warden: Taken outside of the submarine with his jacket removed, after being apprehended by Shazza and Marina.
Adrianna: Inside the hut.
Quinn: Crushed to death from a creature he lost control of, after losing his fight with Kiyoko.
Deacon: Fighting Zowe.

 

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6. Lost and Won

    Lost and Found

    Lost Soul

 

The battle between Zowe and Deacon, assisted by Kinuyo’s supernatural power, continues on with Zowe still struggling to fight against Deacon’s appearance as Strezz, while the Cyclone jacket user still inflicts damage on his opponent through his disguise. In the sidelines, Marina, ever so faint at heart, is rooting for Zowe to overcome her opponent while also trying to avert her attention towards the fight and Zack continues to try and convince Zowe that the Strezz that she’s fighting is an imposter, to little avail.

“What are you doing!?” Zack exclaimed. “You can’t just these two win like that!”

“I know…it’s just that I can’t bring myself to cause physical harm to someone I really care about…” Zowe groaned, “…even if he’s not the real Strezz. All I can do…is bide my time.”

“And just how long do you plan on keeping this up?” Kinuyo tormented. “I thought by using Evangelos to your disadvantage, we would be able to search the hut sooner than later. Turns out you are so much more persistent than I bargained.”

“…Evangelos?” Zowe questioned.

“You mean you don’t know his actual name? I thought you knew almost everything about your precious lost and scared baby penguin!”

“If he never told me about his real name, then how did you know about it…and how did you even know about what I’ve been referring to Strezz as?”

“Like I’ve said, I’m Seymour’s spy. Vandyke has also been acquiring personal info from the world outside this island as well, while posing as agents for different kinds of work, and likewise, that brand-new information is spread to all the other members of the troupe. Making assumptions as you will about why I’m assisting Seymour, but my motive for that is similar to those of you and your marooned friends: to have my own life spared, to be given a sense of freedom, and most importantly, to survive. That has been my vow ever since I’ve been brought here from my own universe against my will, and ever since I’ve been separated from Kiyoko after I was found and then taken in by Seymour to become one of his pawns.”

“Kiyoko is your sister, huh?”

“That reminds me, where has she gone?” Zack questioned. “The last I’ve heard from her, she was going after one of Seymour’s guards.”

“Since I’ve said enough that you’d ever needed to know about me, I’ll give Deacon the honor to lay the final blow on you.”

“Zowe!” Marina cried out.

Marina and Zack saw as the disguised and controlled Deacon produced a punch with an intense electrical discharge, knocking Zowe unconscious in the process. Deacon stared down at Zowe’s unmoving body that yet continued to pulse. Before Deacon could do more, Marina and Zack interfered by approaching to her side while Kinuyo’s eyes were focused on the hut.

“Now that we’ve taken care of our hindrance, we can continue with our job and search the hut of Seymour’s missing troopers,” said Kinuyo. “After that, we can investigate the source of that loud explosion in the jungle and see if Kiyoko is involved somehow. Let’s move out, Deacon. Your fight is over.”

After being knocked out by Deacon, Zowe found herself elsewhere from the island. She viewed from her surroundings that she was now inside what appeared to be a rehabilitation center.

Am I…back home? Zowe thought. No, it doesn’t like it. Where am I and what am I doing here out of the island anyway?

“Thank Neptune you’re okay, Zowe!” She heard her mother speak. That was when she viewed her parents entering the room to run up to her and embrace her.

“Speak to us, Zowe! What happened to you? Are they taking good care of you?” She heard her father speak.

Zowe attempted to say something, but she wasn’t able to move her mouth. She didn’t know why. Her parents continued to talk until the image around her began to blur and warp into something different. This time, Zowe saw herself someplace else that was also unknown to her. She saw herself in front of what appeared to be a hotel room within a resort, and in front of Marina’s parents.

“Where’s Marina?” She heard Marina’s mother ask. “We’ve been told that you’ve both been staying here and we need to know if you haven’t gotten her into any real trouble.”

Once again, Zowe tried to speak but her still body prevented her from doing so.

“You have been looking after her, haven’t you?” She then heard Marina’s father ask. “I don’t understand why our daughter trusts you when you’re a druggie and you won’t even talk to us when we need you to.”

Desperate to speak now, Zowe’s words were cut as the image in front of her began to blur out again. She was nowhere now except in a dark, black background with no one around. However, that was until she saw…herself, with a look and posture of shame.

“I apologize that I made you experience what I have experienced while I covered for you,” the other Zowe spoke, revealing herself to be actually Deacon.

“What’s going on?” Unable to comprehend all that she was witnessing around her, this was all that Zowe felt the need to say towards her double.

“I can explain,” the other Zowe continued. “Those events that you’ve just witnessed are, of course, not your own and they are my own memories. I have a feeling though that they do say something about you, am I wrong?”

“Reveal yourself, already! I’ve already dealt with enough crap!” Zowe exclaimed, who was about to tear up from her frustration, confusion, and anxiety. “Why should I have to tell you my true feelings? You’re just someone who’s been made an enemy by Seymour!”

“I’ve been fed information about you by Vandyke, Seymour, and Kinuyo. They have forced me to act as you just so they could easily get a hold of Z-Storm and the boy who wears the jacket without having to fight. Being tasked to make myself convincing as possible in impersonating you was where I’ve come to realize that I’m not truly myself and learned self-control while Kinuyo’s back is turned.”

“So how have you been able to overcome Kinuyo’s control and reach out to me?”

“While I don’t have the ability to see the yo-kai nor the threads from Kinuyo’s kimono that they latch onto, I have just figured out how to use the threads to my advantage after I managed to tug on one of the invisible strings connected to my jacket, so that I could then latch it onto your head.” Deacon, while still under his appearance as Zowe, then reveals the yo-kai and the respective thread that he’s been gripping on. From what it appeared, they were visible. “From what I guess, we seem to be inside of the world that connects the yo-kai and its hosts, which is why we can see it here. As long as I still got a hold of this yo-kai, we’re still confined from conscious world.”’

Zowe left herself speechless for a moment trying to process all the information given to her by her double. She then took a deep breath and continue by saying “Look…I don’t understand everything that you’re trying to say to me. All I need to know is why this is all happening to me right now.”

“I reached out to you so that I can help you,” the other Zowe continued. “I’m still being controlled by Kinuyo’s yo-kai since I’m still attached to Cyclone’s powers. Now that I got her yo-kai within my own control for this short while, I can arrange a fairer fight against you.”

“So, let me get this straight: if you let go of the yo-kai, we’ll both be back on the island like normal?”

“I’m not sure how time works here, but I do know that we don’t have enough of it to stay here since Kinuyo’s just about ready to infiltrate the hut and she may have already noticed that I’ve seized the yo-kai controlling me. So before we snap ourselves back to the island, I have one important question that I still need you to answer: do those memories of mine that the yo-kai displayed reflect your own memories? It’s just a feeling that I have…”

“To tell you the truth…there’s one other main reason why I’ve tried to leave for Seaside Springs before I knew about it being a lie. I just never had the heart to tell my parents or my other folks that I’ve turned to drugs to cope with my mental health issues and I thought entering a fresh start would help me kick the addictions that I succumbed to. When I won the fake contest and was given the opportunity to start a new life, I never told my parents that I would be going someplace they might have never heard of, so I lied to them by saying that I was going hang out with Marina for most of the summer and I never told them why or when I was going to come back. I’ve been sober for almost a month after being trapped in this island, but there were moments where I wished that I relapsed and this situation wasn’t helping me with becoming a better person.”

“Do you believe you have improved as a person? I am aware that you have loved ones and when you stepped in to fight me and Kinuyo, it was for the sake of your loved ones.”

“You’re one to talk when you let Kinuyo take advantage of me and you didn’t have the self-control to drop your act as Strezz when I wanted the suffering to stop!” Zowe suddenly snapped. “I am so sick of suffering. Through fighting you, I’ve convinced myself that I can’t keep wallowing about my past, so there!”

Taken aback by the intensity of Zowe’s words, her double paused for a brief moment before then responding, “That’s exactly what I needed to hear from you. Now do you understand why I’m talking to you as you?”

“Of course I do, I feel like I’m talking to my own reflection.”

“You also understand Kinuyo’s weakness, do you? I can’t promise a fairer fight with you if her guard isn’t down.”

“So, can I go back now?”

“There’s no more time to waste. Before I do that, think about why we’ve had this heart-to-heart. Remember who you are and don’t think of me as your target, think of me as the old you; the old you that I give you permission to hit as hard as you can. That should be able to prove how much you’ve grown as person.”

In a flash, both Zowe and Deacon left the nonphysical world and returned to Shellside Shores, where they spotted Kinuyo in the midst of breaking into the hut to seek Seymour’s now-former guards. Before she could use her powers, Zowe strikes at Kinuyo with her brass knuckles. At that same time, Deacon changed his appearance to that of Zowe’s, as part of his promise.

“I knew something was peculiar when I noticed Deacon was unconscious like you,” Kinuyo remarked. “I now know that you’ve been hiding Seymour’s guards in there, so it’s too late.”

“Haven’t you forgotten how persistent I am?” Zowe provoked. “I won’t let anything bring me down, bitch! My fight still isn’t over, so I won’t let you lay a finger on them.”

Kinuyo used her silk to fling Zowe back in the battlefield alongside Deacon, then saying to her, “Fine, I’ll give you another round. Once you’re down, it’s all over. Now Deacon, do me a small favor and transform back into Strezz for me.”

Before Kinuyo could control the yo-kai within Deacon’s armor, her request was interrupted by Zowe, who landed a punch against her opponent.

“What are you doing!?” Kinuyo exclaimed towards Deacon.

“Deacon and I had a talk,” said Zowe. “You can’t fool me now, Kinuyo. If you’re going to use your tricks, then I’m going to focus on you for my fight.”

“Have it your way then, no dirty tricks,” Kinuyo replied. “I’ve already wasted too much precious time for this anyway.”

Zowe’s fight with Deacon resumed as for the second and final time. Zowe relied on her electrical brass knuckles as her sole weapon while Deacon, unable to fight as Cyclone while transformed, resorted to using his regular physical strength. Due to Zowe’s boosted confidence, the fight was going well within her favor. For the first remainder of the fight, Deacon dodged numerous hits from Zowe. For the rest of the fight, Zowe managed to overwhelm Deacon after getting his strategy down. After a while, Deacon was knocked down, before reverting back to his original form.

“I’ve defeated Deacon fair and square,” Zowe said towards Kinuyo. “You should be able to leave us be now, since that was part of the whole deal.”

“That I shall,” Kinuyo responded. “However, I can’t possibly leave without returning to Seymour with a little something special.” Before Zowe, Zack, or Marina could remove the jacket from Deacon, Kinuyo uses her yo-kai to uncloak her partner. Afterwards, Kinuyo then showed the Cyclone jacket in front of Zowe. “I thought you were weak at first, but you proved yourself to have quite a lot of fierceness and bravado. With an attitude like that, you should be begging to become a member of the Thunder Troopers!”

As Kinuyo flung the jacket towards Zowe’s abdomen, Zowe resisted by holding it back from herself. She gripped on the sleeves of the jacket and to budge her legs forwards as Kinuyo tried to push her back with her force. Finally, while still clinging on to the jacket, Zowe uses up her strength to lift the jacket with the threads attached and throw Kinuyo overhead to break free from her force.

“Looks like I’ve no more business with you folks anymore. There’s nothing else for me to do than find my sister…” Kinuyo finished as she then made a run for the jungle.

“You’re not getting away!” Zack called out, throwing the line of his fishing rod to try and catch the spy.

Kinuyo uses her silk threads to shield herself from the rod and then uses her same powers to fling Zack’s knife into Deacon’s chest, piercing him through. With the three castaways coming over to support Deacon, Kinuyo was already out of their sights.

“Dammit, she escaped,” Zowe snarled, “…and by using Deacon as a sacrifice!”

“Damn her, she killed him with my own knife,” said Zack. “I feel guilty for this.”

“Don’t be…” Deacon spoke. “I should’ve known that she’d double-cross after I regained control of myself.”

“You don’t deserve to die like this!” Zowe said. “If we could just go and retrieve our medical supplies, I’m sure you’ll live-“

“I’m sorry…there’s no saving me,” Deacon interrupted. “What matters now is that I’m free.”

“This is terrible…” Marina spoke in a soft tone, in tears.

“Before I die, I owe you three thanks for removing my comrades from Seymour’s control. …Tell them I said goodbye for me…” Deacon finished. Afterwards, he lost all consciousness.

The three castaways gave themselves a good moment to express their sadness towards the fallen Thunder Trooper. The trio returned to their serious moods after they’ve finished grieving and began refocusing on the main mission.

“We’ll find a place to bury Deacon later,” Zack was saying. “For now, let’s focus on the mission of vanquishing Seymour, reforming his soldiers, and getting out of this island. We still need half of our team back in one piece: Strezz, Cam, Arthur, Kiyoko, and Shazza. Someone has to go after Kiyoko while I go after the others. Zowe, you can...”

After Zack had mentioned Zowe, she collapsed from fatigue, prompting for Zack to check on her.

“All that fighting has worn her out,” said Marina. “Zack, you and Zowe shouldn’t worry about me running into Kinuyo. I’m going to find Kiyoko and bring her back here. If I’m lucky, I may also find the others in the jungle too.”

“And if they’re not there, I can always try and find them inside Seymour’s submarine,” Zack continued. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

“Shazza and I were able to hold our own against one of the guards after we got captured inside there. Even though I escaped, Shazza’s still out there, as she’s going to face Vandyke, so you’ll surely find her there.”

“Then it’s settled, but before you go out and find Kiyoko, you’ll have to carry Zowe into the hut so she can rest. Anyhow, I can start sneaking inside the submarine right now…shit!” Zack said as he noticed that the submarine was gone from the shore.

“What are you going to do now, Zack?” Marina asked.

“So Seymour made off with the submarine. Well, that’s not going to stop me! Marina, there’s a transporter to the base inside that storage room that’s below our feet. Do you remember where it is?”

“I can’t say that I have. I found it while following Hector’s pet eel.” Marina replied.

“If I shouldn’t worry about you, then you shouldn’t have to worry about me.” Zack replied. “I’ll find the transporter myself.”

 Zack then steps on a rough patch of the flat, sandy surface, activating the trapdoor that sent him down into the storage room.

Marina peered down at Zack from above and said to him, “You’ll come back soon, right? I’m wishing you good luck!”

“Just leave this task to me,” Zack responded and make his way along the halls. I can’t promise her if I will be able to return. He thought. This is a life or death situation that I’ll be facing. I’m the oldest of the team and I’ve seen someone die right in front of me, so I know I’m up to the risk.

Meanwhile, inside the submarine, Cam and Arthur could be seen climbing around on the overhead of the submarine.

“Attention to all Thunder Troopers,” a voice echoed from the speakers overhead. “If you’re receiving this message, the submarine is on lockdown in case of intruders in cooperation with Z-Storm, to ensure that none get out. Report immediately if any of you spot an infiltrator.”

“How do they expect to have reinforcements when we have reduced their numbers?” Cam whispered to Arthur.

“Let’s stick to our plan: we find the device that’s transfiguring the weather patterns in Shellside Shores and turn it off,” Arthur whispered. “Then we flee with the other members of Team Z-Storm through the escape pods, if we can find them.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Cam replied.

Strezz and Nike are walking along the passage leading to Vandyke’s office. Nike was preparing for her moment of reckoning while Strezz continued to look down on himself. He couldn’t think about why he’s having to aide Nike either, leaving himself to his thoughts.

Why? He thought. Why do I have to end up like this? Why do I have to carry such a heavy burden after falling for that fake contest, putting my lives and everyone else’s on the line in the long run? I guess I really am just so selfish for wanting to do everything on my own.

Shifting the perspective to the month before, Strezz is shown inside his bedroom in his former shared apartment with Ben, listening to his radio.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed the music,” said a voice from the radio, coming from Matt. “We have a special giveaway going on, so right now, we’re going to be taking some calls. The lucky caller will win a free vacation to the Seaside Springs with family and friends. For those who are interested in this contest, call this number…”

Being interested as ever, Strezz immediately called the exact phone number that was given.

“We have our first caller on the line. Go ahead and tell us your name,” said the “radio host.”

“Um…my name is Strezz Stormond,” he spoke in a soft tone.

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to speak up for me.”

“My name is Strezz Stormond!” He blurted with a fretful tone.

“Can you spell out your first name for me? You have quite an uncommon name there.”

“S…T...R…E…Z…Z, that’s two Z’s.”

“So, Strezz, just how old are you?”

“I’m fourteen, and I have autism, so I’ll need you to speak clear and slow for me, please.”

“I hear you loud and clear. You must be proud to be answering the phone by yourself, wouldn’t you say so?”

“What do I have to do to win your contest?”

“All you have to do is answer this one question correctly and you’ll win your trip to Seaside Springs! Now here’s your question…can you give me the full name of this 6-name long multi-award winning championship surfer?”

“I think I know it! Is it Sydney Teegan Rhonda Evelyn Zamora-Zucker?”

“Wow…and you didn’t have to try and think it over.”

“Does that mean I’ve won?”

“Yes, your answer is indeed correct! Strezz Stormond, you have just won yourself, and a few lucky folks of your choice, a vacation at the exclusive Seaside Springs! How does that make you feel?”

“Thank you so much, sir! I’m feeling really happy about this!”

“That’s the spirit. All you have to do now is remember and/or copy these instructions to your destination…”

Strezz’s flashback ends as he is now shown once again walking across the passage with Nike. She continued her usual impatient pace while Strezz didn’t question or comment about it.

“Strezz, you may not know me that much, and you don’t trust me because of my association with Seymour’s group, I am here to help you,” Nike spoke. “I…met your family Strezz. They are super worried about you.”

Strezz gave no response.

“You still won’t talk?” Nike questioned. “If you’re upset that I got you and I captured, then I accept every bit of blame that you can give me.” While Nike talked, she and Strezz saw themselves in front of the door to Vandyke’s office. “Oh! Now I can give Vandyke a piece of my mind!”

Nike opened the door and as expected, Vandyke was waiting for them. He examined the two jacket-wearers while sitting on a chair in the center of the room.

“Back so soon, Nike?” Vandyke inquired. “I believe you and Strezz are here to turn yourselves completely loyal to Seymour. No wait, I forgot. You two are here to send me your last prayers before I remove your memories.”

“I know you’re keeping something from me,” Nike responded. “Before I should surrender, I demand some answers.”

“Make that two of us that you owe in giving back our stolen memories!” Shazza chimed in, stepping inside the office.

“Well…you’re all going to forget before I have you each indoctrinated, so I might as well show you the truth,” said Vandyke. “Strezz, do you have any objections are specific words to say in your own behalf?”

Strezz gave no response other than a sad, defeated look on his face.

“Color me surprised. It looks Seymour broke you somehow,” Vandyke remarked towards Strezz. “Now then, follow me as I escort you three towards the conversion & operations room…”

Arthur and Cam continued to trail the corridors of the submarine overhead when they spotted Vandyke with Strezz, Shazza, and Nike, the last in which caught the eye of Arthur.

“Hey, it’s that girl that I rescued and ran off from the hut,” Arthur said, pointing over to Nike below. “I wonder what she’s doing here, but we’ll worry about that after we shut off the generator.”

“Should we intervene?” Cam suggested. “They’ve held Strezz hostage, and this whole mission will be in vein once as these Troopers gain absolute control of Strezz and Z-Storm.”

“That depends on the scenario,” Arthur replied. If Strezz, Shazza, and that other girl are in the utmost danger, they’d make a call for us to answer.”

“Besides, if Vandyke is keeping watch of Strezz and the others, then that means one thing…”

That was when Arthur and Cam would eventually crawl around the hatches until they spotted the specific room from below. It was being guarded by Seymour. He caught the sound from the noise that the duo were making and he leaned his head upward to spot the source before shifting his focus back towards his area of observation after catching no sight of intruders. In a fast and quiet pace, Cam and Arthur strode away to conceal themselves to avoid being within earshot from Seymour.

“Of course he wouldn’t just leave it unguarded.” Cam said, directed towards his partner. “No matter what we’re going to do, we have to face these powerful guys head-on.”

“You have a good way of thinking, Cam,” Arthur replied, “and that’s why I trust you to be able to turn off the generator.”

“I don’t know…” Cam replied with a skeptical tone. “Considering that these guys have CORE-al-influenced tech, the machinery could be too complex for me to figure out under pressure.”

“…You may not realize it, but Strezz is lucky to have someone like you who’s so smart and reliable sticking to his side. I trust you to put your abilities to good use while I divert Seymour’s attention.”

“Are you going to do it? Seymour seems to be only interested in Strezz, and Vandyke has him hostage…”

“Precisely, so I’ll be luring him to Vandyke so I can let Strezz, Shazza, and that mysterious girl escape. Speaking of which, they should have some vacant emergency escape capsules, which we’ll all retreat to when we have the chance.”

“Okay, if you think this plan will work, then I entrust you to handle Seymour.”

“Thanks…I’ll be back soon.”

After Arthur had finished his talk with Cam, he jumped down from the rafters and landed inside the very room Seymour was guarding. Cam laid motionless, hiding himself from Seymour’s surroundings, due to Arthur confronting the adversary head-on.

“So, you’ve decided to show yourself to me, Arthur,” Seymour spoke. “If you’re here to rescue Z-Storm, you’re too late.”

“As long as I’m still standing, I won’t let Z-Storm’s powers fall into your hands, so I’m making an offer to fight with you,” Arthur declared.

“If you say so,” Seymour replied before re-activating his Dark Strike armor. “Fighting Evangelos at his fullest power was a drag, so it would be a nuisance if fighting you turns out to be a disappointment. “In case you’ve forgotten, I possess a powerful shell, so I can resist longer than you can.”

“That won’t intimate me,” Arthur said as he activated his Brave Bolt armor, “because I just need to keep you occupied…”

It was at that moment that Arthur used his powers as Brave Bolt to fling Seymour straight across to distance him from the control area. Arthur would then make a dash through the corridors, prompting for Seymour to chase after him. When the coast appeared to be clear for Cam, he discreetly climbed down into the area containing the controls for the weather generator.

“Damn you!” Seymour exclaimed towards Arthur. “You think I wouldn’t know that this is a diversion?”

“You made a deal,” Arthur argued. “You want Z-Storm so bad, so then you’ll have to get through to me first. I’ll use all the power that my life force can allow to hold you if I have to.”

“You would risk your life for Z-Storm?” Seymour questioned.

“Aren’t you doing the same for your own self-gain?” Arthur provoked before then thrusting Seymour’s armor further back to shunt Seymour and himself closer to where Vandyke had his captives in his care. Meanwhile, as Cam was alone in the control area, he patiently examined the controls for the weather generator.

“Chaos will ensue if I make one wrong attempt…” Cam said to himself. “Everyone is counting on me now to save this island.”

While Arthur and Cam were carrying out their own tasks, Vandyke has already guided his captives to a particular room filled with test tubes, monitor screens, mainframe computers, loose wires, hanging wires, AC generators, DC generators, and a rotary device containing disks, which Shazza had her eyes focused on.

“Seymour would’ve handled this job easier if he accompanied me,” Vandyke commented. “Oh well, I’ve still rendered you three powerless.”

“This place…I recognize it,” Shazza said to herself. “Seeing this place makes me feel sick to my stomach.”

“You’ll soon forget that feeling once I empty your mind about pursuing our organization,” Vandyke remarked.

“Well, I’ve got unfinished business with you, so you better cough up the disc with my memories you took from me, and it has be the real thing,” Shazza replied.

“Ah yes, I should do that now, but…” Vandyke was saying and passed Shazza to make eye contact with Nike, “I owe the truth that I’ve been hiding to your origins more-so. You may defect us even more once I show you what I removed from you in exchange of false memories, but now that you’ve already developed self-awareness about our motive and of our actions, you have the right to know these full details.”

While Vandyke’s back was turned for a moment, Shazza sneaked her way towards the device containing the disks. Before she could scroll through the machine to find the one disk with her own named labeled-on, Vandyke had pressed a machine activating the wires that would contain her, Strezz, and Nike, and as well as the wires to connect to their neural networks.

“There’s no use resisting now,” Vandyke continued. “This room is so containable that no one else will hear any of you cry for help. Without any further delays…”

Vandyke proceeded to insert a disk with Nike’s name labeled on it into the drive of the mainframe connected to a monitor screen to the left from the three captives. Nike let out a screech as a powerful electrical current going through the wires implanted in her nerves blanked out her vision until a different perspective has flashed right inside of her own mind, like she was living inside a dream. Strezz and Shazza saw as Nike was regaining her lost memories, viewing her surroundings from the monitor screen. What was shown from inside Nike’s consciousness was an unidentified inventor standing in front of her.

“It is time to test the subject for consciousness.” The machinist spoke. “Can you say “hello” for me?”

“Hello…” Nike’s voice said in an emotionless tone.

“I am Hilel Stephenson,” he continued. “I am the one who has brought you to life. There’s so much more that I can teach you. I’ll start with your name. I will call you Nike. What do you say to that?”

“Nee…kay,” She intoned.

“It’s going to take quite a lot time for you to become adjusted to your own life,” said Hilel. “It appears I’ve made a success with this experiment.”

Thereafter, the memory faded from Nike’s point of view. She experienced another white flash until another visual memory was displayed. The spoken words were muffled, as her perspective shows what appears to be Hilel, the inventor, and Vandyke having a conversation with each other.

“Listen to me. I don’t ever want you taking all the credit for my ideas again!” The younger Vandyke exclaimed.

“You’re one to talk,” Hilel argued. “Nike, This android I speak of, is my proudest creation. I’ve built and programmed her with my own two fins and without any assistance from you. If you wanted credit, you could’ve agreed to cooperate with me.”

“She is meant to be a weapon for this institution,” Vandyke continued. “You cannot be attached to her like this because you’re unfit to be a parent to her.”

“For what reasons shouldn’t I treat her like she’s one of my own?”

“It’s just like with that Arthur kid, getting attached to his own creation!”

“It was his choice! Besides, I helped him develop emotions and understanding for the subject after all.”

“CORE-al should be all about excelling in the world of technology and you’re not putting that android girl to good use! Perhaps I should step in and provide proper experimentation…”

“She’s the only family I’ve got now. I won’t allow any other fins to program her unless I give the go-ahead.”

Once again, the memory faded and Nike was to view another image manifesting itself right before her eyes. This time, she saw herself alongside Hilel again, and outside of the CORE-al offices.

“Mister Hilel…I’ve been thinking about something for a while,” Nike’s voice uttered. “Am I…real?”

Hilel put his right arm through Nike’s body and then said to her, “You are to me.”

“What if something bad happens to you, or…?” She asked.

“I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be there for you, but I can say without a doubt that I won’t let anyone contaminate your soul…”

As Nike saw more of her distant memories come back to her, the last fragment would catch her by surprise. She saw Hilel again. However, he was in pain, lying in a pool of his own blood while he looked at his eponymous creation with a look of terror and grief. All around her, she could also see that a fire had begun to spread inside the CORE-al building, and as well as what appeared to be the Dark Strike armor, in the act of severely wounding the inventor.

“Mister Hilel, you’re bleeding!” Nike’s voice uttered. “Are you…going to die?”

“I can’t move any more. I’m sorry…this is the last time we’ll ever see each other,” Hilel groaned. “Listen…I need you to take the Lightning Speed jacket and leave me here. The Dark Strike jacket…has taken total control of Seymour.”

Nike saw as Seymour, in his Dark Strike armor, caused more damage to the operational room with a volley of arm cannon blasts. The visual memory also showed Nike looking around to see Vandyke darting over to her side, screaming aloud that he was going to be the one to rescue her. She carried her and rushed out of the danger zone to escape from Seymour’s intense power. She didn’t see Hilel again afterwards. Before this visualization came to a halt, Nike heard Vandyke say one thing that reopened the last of her mental wounds.

“There’s no need to feel upset. You are now my creation.”

In a flash, Nike’s vision returned to where she was, in Vandyke’s confinement alongside Strezz and Shazza. She looked at Vandyke, petrified from what she had re-witnessed.

“I really have been living a lie,” Nike spoke, “You took me in and forced me into believing you were my creator, as well as your philosophies…and Seymour’s…”

“Yes, I had to hide the truth from you to fulfill my goal of making you into one of CORE-al’s greatest inventions on my own terms,” Vandyke explained. “It is true that you are an android and I’ve separated your most vital memories in order to coerce you into serving Seymour. I didn’t think that you would develop a change of heart on your own, which may go to show that even after corrupting the spirits of these jackets, there is a smidge of one’s own real self in them.”

“So what excuse do you have to for being such a cruel, cold-hearted person?” Nike remarked.

“Alas, I did sacrifice what was left of my goodwill so that I could retain Seymour’s trust.” Vandyke continued. “I must admit, when my business rival got killed by Seymour, I felt like I got my wish. Of course, you may not see me in good graces as your creator anymore, but I can try again in seizing control of you, along with these two allies on your side this time around.”

“And I can fight back. Besides, even though I remember a lot about myself now, I also know that you’re hiding the rest of the story from me. What else do you know about Seymour?”

“That is a question even I don’t know the answer to. On top of that, we’ve been trying to get information about one of Z-Storm’s past possessors, who seemed to have left the island without a trace and…this is where you came in Shazza, You remember what happened the day I extracted your memories didn’t you?”

“I was about to become one of your puppets on a string, but I resisted before I wound up forgetting everything about myself. Just go ahead and feed me what you took away for me,” Shazza aggravated.

Seymour gave a sigh and inserted Shazza’s disk into the drive of the mainframe. As the machine read the disk, the screen began to display the certain fragments of Shazza’s life that were installed in the disk, first showing her in front of a ferryman, who of course resembled Vandyke.

“I got my ticket right here!” The voice of a younger Shazza spoke. “I’m going to see my mates back in the Great Barrier Reef. Will the boat take me there?”

“You’ll find out yourself…” Vandyke said in a somber tone.

The memory then quickly dissolved and remodeled into another. The screen now replayed the moment Shazza set foot on the island.

“Is this my stop? This doesn’t look like the home I’ve used to know…” Shazza said to Vandyke with uncertainty.

“This is the place,” Vandyke reassured. “Perhaps it’s different from what you’ve remembered it being.”

“The atmosphere in here doesn’t feel right,” Shazza continued. “I know my old home in the back of my mind. I was born and raised there for most of my life. Please take me back. This has to be a mistake.”

“Frankly, I don’t give a sea bear’s ass about your roots,” Vandyke retorted. “I’ve not mistaken, that much I can tell you.”

“Liar, you’re a liar!” Shazza snapped. “What’s going on?”

“I let one of our own accomplices explain it to you,” Vandyke replied.

On his cue, Hector, donned in his Crimson Kill armor, appeared in front of Shazza and knocked her outcold with his double palm blast. The memory showing Shazza blacking out would result into the next fragment being displayed on-screen, with Shazza appearing inside a hut with a man, who had the familiar blue jacket slung around the back of his neck, and as well as Sal.

“Looks like she’s waking up,” Sal’s voice spoke. “Poor girl, why would the Thunder Troopers lure her into this island?”

“Where am I? What’s going on?” Shazza asked.

“I’ve rescued you from being apprehended by Seymour and his troop,” the unknown man said. “They’ve led you into this island.”

“Where is everybody? Where’s the Great Barrier Reef?” Shazza asked, now in a state of panic until she was reduced to tears. “I want to go home…”

“I regret to inform you, there’s no point of return.” The man responded. “You’re at the center of a calamitous climate zone, where Seymour and his Thunder Troopers keep their base of operations. Even attempting to escape would put us at such a great risk.”

Shazza was still too upset to listen or speak to the two, until she eventually uttered “Strezz…”

“What was that?” Sal questioned.

“Strezz is a friend of mine and I told him that I would return him after I reunite with my folks all the way back at the Great Barrier Reef…” Shazza began tearing up again. “...This isn’t my old home…I can tell.”

“We may have to bide our time, but I’ll make it my vow that you’ll return to the place you last came from.” The mysterious man spoke. “Don’t cry now. If you want to make it out of this island, you’ve got show strength.”

Heeding the Z-Storm bearer’s words, Shazza stopped her tears. She then asked him, “Who is Seymour and what does he want with me?”

“It seems that he wants to make you into one of their weapons,” the unknown man continued. “I won’t stand for that. What he’s really after though is the jacket that I’m in possession of, containing the powers of a spirit known as Z-Storm. As long as that’s his main priority, I will be sure that Seymour doesn’t ever take control of you.”

Shazza rubbed her eyes with her fins to hold back her tears and then asked, “What about Strezz, and what about my family?”

“I guarantee that you will be back for them once we succeed,” the unknown man replied. “If the time comes that I can no longer hold on to the Z-Storm jacket that I carry around, these powers will be passed on to you. ..Oh, and since we haven’t introduced each other yet, let’s tell each other our names.”

“I’m Shazza.”

“Shazza, can you be strong…for yourself? I’m the keeper of the Z-Storm armor embedded in this jacket. You can refer to me as-“

The man’s words were interrupted and Shazza’s vision faded to show another one of her regained reminisces. What is shown on the screen and in Shazza’s field of view now was the same man that she had companioned with on the first day of being stranded on Seaside Springs/Shellside Shores. He was injured and bleeding from his upper body.

“I must apologize to you, Shazza…” the unknown man groaned.

“What happened, mate?” Shazza asked.

“I failed,” the unknown man murmured. “I failed to vanquish Seymour.”

“And you tried to face him alone? I could have done something!” Shazza exclaimed. “You could have told me about how Z-Storm works and-“

“That’s why I’m apologizing to you. I’m selfish for going it alone and I was selfish for believing that Seymour would be underestimated. Shazza…he has a sizeable army and advanced technology on his side.”

“Will you be okay? Your wounds look very serious.”

“To me, they are nothing but flesh wounds. I will survive.”

“So we didn’t succeed, we can always try again.”

“There’s something that I needed to tell you, Shazza, just between the two of us. I think it’s time that I resign my powers to someone like you.”

Shazza was understandably shocked, she then responded to the offer by telling the man, “This…this is happening too fast, wouldn’t you think so? I never even got the chance to test the powers of your jacket yet.”

“Technically, it’s not my jacket. It was bestowed to me by other possessors from past generations, including my own ancestors. You’re right though. This is too much to process at a time like this. I will show you the ropes with the little time that I have left to spend on this island as your ally.”

“But you can’t escape, that’s what you said…”

“I had to make contact with the outside world. …Here in this island rests a fountain, when turned on, activates a whirlpool that connects to multiple universes. I intend to find a solution to this quandary by distancing myself from this universe and finding answers wherever else I may roam.”

“So why can’t you stay here?”

“That is the sacrifice that I have to make, in order to fulfill the task that I’ve assigned for myself, because I’ve failed as Z-Storm’s bearer. Thus, I am required to clear my ties to this world, to the jacket, and to Seymour. ”

“You’ve been sticking up for me ever since I got lured to this place, and now you expect me to continue your job because Seymour crushed your spirit!? You’re leaving me with a bigger burden that your own and you know that I can’t handle it, mate!”

“I know you’re stronger than you think! Don’t just consider me as your motivation to take down Seymour and his group. Remember your family, remember the one friend that you left waiting…”

“What about Sal?”

“He’s one of the few inhabitants of Seaside Springs left. I can’t entrust him to take the risk of succeeding me as Z-Storm.” At that moment, the mysterious man slid the jacket off his arms and passed it into Shazza’s fins. “With all that I’ve said, I suppose you understand now why I’m lending these powers to you. I promise that what I do from here on out will be for the common good.”

Shazza, feeling angered, couldn’t speak as he struggled to process the man’s incentive for a minute before she opens up to say, “You…phony! You’re a quitter and a liar, that’s what you are! How do I even know that he did hurt you as bad, and you’re not just trying to teach me something?”

Shazza presses her fins on the man’s wounds, causing for him to groan in pain. “As you can see, these wounds and the pain that I feel from them are both real, and I didn’t do this on my own accord. Shazza, you must take care of everything while I’m gone. Can you do that for me?”

Shazza, of course, didn’t want to say ‘yes,’ but she then responded, “I don’t want Z-Storm to be my responsibility. You do realize that with you gone and with me holding on to this jacket, Seymour will now be targeting me. You’re putting a lot of your faith in me, so I guess I have to comply. Defeating Seymour means that I can reunite with my mates, including Strezz, and if that also means that you’ll return, then I will use Z-Storm’s powers.”

“I hold myself responsible for these shortcomings, so don’t think that I’ll forget that I owe you something in return for the downfall of Seymour and his troop.”

“So that’s it, then. This is hooroo…“

“It is so. Before I depart, however, there is a secret that I need to be kept by you and only you...”

Before any more details of this past could ever be revealed, the memory footage stopped right at this point and Shazza’s point of view returned to where she still stood, immobilized by the mechanical wires alongside Strezz and Nike.

“As you may already know, Shazza, the memory retrieval progress was incomplete so this is all the information that I’ve gathered on the previous Z-Storm who is presumably M.I.A,” Vandyke explained. “It would be of great help if you could lay me in with any information about this person that you may know.”

“To be honest with you, everything else about him that I knew has been gone from my mind right after you removed these reminiscences,” Shazza spoke.

“I suppose I can’t argue with an excuse like that,” Vandyke replied and turned to face Strezz, who continued to hang his head low and refuse to look at anyone in the eye. “Strezz, or Evangelos, is there something that you’d like to know before I begin this conversion process?”

Strezz gave no response.

“Well, if your precious hero doesn’t have a say, then you all should think your last thoughts before you forget them, because it’s about time that you all submit to our organization,” Vandyke finished as he pulled down a lever in the machine that activated the wires jutting through Strezz and Shazza’s nerves. Nike recoiled in anticipation of losing her consciousness from the wires, but to her surprise, Vandyke released her.

“You’re letting me go?” Nike questioned towards Vandyke.

“Not exactly,” Vandyke reassured. “I need to speak with you before you are reverted back to after I stole you away from CORE-al. Besides, Lightning Speed’s are still nullified,

“But…why?” Nike asked.

“It’s hard to treat one’s own creation in such a way,” Vandyke replied. “Call me ruthless as much as you want. I’ve wanted to see if I could open your mind up once you’ve seen that I didn’t revert you back into one of our Thunder Troopers by force. Instead, I’m going to ask for your own blessing if you’re willing to start over with us. You have exceptional power as Lightning Speed and it would mean a lot for me to see you continue to use the jacket. Would you do it for your considerate creator?”

Vandyke’s offer brought Nike into silence. Instead of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ type of answer, she instead said to him, “I turned my back when I realized that you and Seymour were treating me like an object rather than a normal person. After regaining those memories about my past, I’ve realized that this is what I want to be, powers or no powers.”

“I guess I shouldn’t have misjudged you when you decided to turn against your own creator. I’d hate to dismantle you and remove every trace of you. Since this is the life you chose, this is the proposition that you’ve left me with…”

It was then that Nike reached a hand over to the back of her jacket to detect the circuit board attached to it that cancelled out Lightning Speed. Once she felt it, she clutched onto it and ripped it out, leaving a visible tear hole, while exclaiming to Vandyke, “You’re not my creator!”

A surge of static emitted through Nike before she would then activate the Lightning Speed armor. She would have Vandyke cornered in front of his device, which was still running and collecting data from Strezz and Shazza.

Shit! Vandyke thought. She broke the restraint. Seymour’s going to pin this all on me as soon as he sees what’s going on. How can I hold off Nike now? She’ll never believe a thing I say at this point.

Inside Shazza’s mind, she saw another fragment of her past being replayed right in front of her. However, with the screens from the outside being blank, it was only her who is observing this manifestation. Shazza saw her younger self, in a school setting. She was inside a resource classroom. It was there that she saw what looked to be an empty table with paper scattered around, and a plush polar bear backpack strapped to one of the plastic chair. She didn’t notice that someone was sitting at the table until she inadvertently touched the shoulders of the young student, who was a sea sponge in appearance. Being touched without caution, the small student whimpered, uttering noises unusual to Shazza while also flapping his hands until he resumed on drawing on coloring book pages with his crayons.

“Uh…hello,” the young Shazza spoke as she pulled out one of the plastic chairs and sat next to him. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. My name is Sharona, but everyone calls me Shazza, since I am from a place called the Great Barrier Reef. Have you heard of it?”

“Mm-hmm,” the other kid muttered, whose eyes were fixated on his drawing.

“So…is it okay if I ask for your name?” Young Shazza asked.

“…Strezz,” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry, mate. Can you repeat that?”

“It’s Strezz,” he said once again in a soft-spoken tone.

“One more time, please?”

“MYNAMEISSTREZZ!” He suddenly shouted out in a panicked and rapid tone. The tip of the crayon he was using broke off as a result of his overwhelming emotions. He started whining and flapping his hands around due to the misfortune.

“Oh, don’t be upset! Um, I can find you a new crayon of that color…”

“Indigo! Indigo! Indigo!”

“I’ll go and ask a teacher for it, and I’ll be back to give it to you, okay?”

However, before Shazza could ask for assistance, Strezz had pulled out his chair, slung on his plush backpack, cleared his things from the table and left the room as if he was in a hurry. “Gotta go!” Shazza heard him say.

Right afterwards, the young Shazza walked up to a teacher in the room and asked, “Excuse me, do you know the kid that sits at that table with a polar bear backpack? Who was he?”

“Oh, that’s just Evan Stormond,” said the teacher.

“Evan? He told me that his name was ‘Strezz’…” Shazza replied.

“Some kids can sure have such an active imagination,” the teacher replied. “He doesn’t talk or think like the other kids, so he comes here so he can concentrate on his work and catch up to them without worrying about anything that bothers him. Have you been bothering him?”

“I don’t think so. He looked super lonely, so I’ve tried to be friends with him…”

“It’s normal for kids like him to be by themselves, because they might like to be alone. You can keep trying to talk to him, but it will take some time for him to feel comfortable around you.”

The observed memory shifted into the day after Shazza had first met Strezz. Shown now was the young Shazza returning to the resource center, holding onto a indigo-colored crayon that she promised she would find for him. He sat in the same chair and at the same side of the table as the day before. Shazza came over and sat next to him while moving the crayon to his side to get his attention.

 “G’day, I came back here to give this to you ‘cause you seemed to have stormed out yesterday,” said Shazza before bringing her attention to the drawing Strezz was coloring in.

“Thanks,” Strezz spoke in his usual dull tone, without touching the offering.

“Is that something that you’re working on, mate?” Shazza asked. “It looks like a surfboard.”

“It is a surfboard,” Strezz replied, “the one used by Sydney Teegan Rhonda Evelyn Zamora-Zucker.”

“What?” Shazza said in a befuddled tone, trying to wrap her head around the full name.

“That’s the name…of the surfer…”

“Huh, you’re smarter than I thought.”

“I’m smart?”

“That’s what I said, mate! So, your name is ‘Strezz,’ right? How do you spell that?”

“S…T…R…E…and uh…two Z’s,” he spoke.

“That’s a weird name for a kid.”

“Well, it’s not weird to me. I like it better than my real name.”

At first, Shazza was feeling like questioning Strezz if he came up with that uncommon name. Instead, she replied to him, “If you think it’s great, then I think that’s a great name for you too, Strezz.”

At that moment, Strezz stopped what he was doing to look at Shazza for the first time. To Shazza’s surprise, Strezz embraced her with a full-hearted hug. He raised his voice and then said to Shazza, “Much thanks! We friends now, okay?”

Shazza smiled back after Strezz’s arms have let go of her. “Yes…” she finished with a soft, heartfelt tone.

It didn’t take long for Shazza to realize why she re-experienced this particular moment from her past. It was a core memory being processed by Vandyke’s machine. What made Strezz feel so happy was that she was more than just the first stranger in Strezz’s life to help him communicate. She was the first person to Strezz that truly understood him. Despite being comatose from the attachments joined to her nerves, the strong feeling of emotion flowing through into the jewel that she kept in her pockets and kept a grip on with one fin. Vandyke was inattentive towards what was unfolding right in front of him, due to being intercepted by Nike. Armor began forming around Shazza’s body, with shades of blue, red, and mostly violet. One last core memory fragment played in Shazza’s mind as the helmet and visor surrounding it had formed.

“Hey Strezz, since it’s raining out, let’s play a game together!” The voice of child Shazza echoed. “Have you heard about those Z-Storm comics?”

“Uh…I don’t think so…”

“He’s this superhero whose powers are contained inside of a jacket, and he becomes concealed in a suit of armor in the pouring rain. You’ll be Z-Storm, and I’ll be your sidekick fighting against those pesky evil-doers. She’s a favorite of mine and her superhero identity is Ampure-”

The image abruptly disappeared from Shazza’s view as the wires containing her stopped functioning and they were plucked out from her nerves when a hovercraft in the shape of a surfboard was activated below her armor’s feet. What Shazza around her now was the present that she had temporarily been shut away from and she returned to see a violet colored-tint in front of her eyes, a feeling of wearing a suit of armor, Vandyke pinning himself in front of his machine, while being surrounded by Lightning Speed, and Strezz still attached to Vandyke’s contraption until she fired a plasmatic blast by instinct to disable them. Strezz gasped as his vision returned to where he was and saw himself drop down to the floor from his height. He observed the current state of the area without uttering a word. However, what Shazza saw of Strezz afterwards caught her curiosity: tears, running down his face.

Strezz had dealt with his share of recollected core memories, of his parents, his siblings, his friends, his neurodevelopmental disorder and diagnosis, of his vague yet repressed reminisces of Z-Storm, and one other thing…

It was an entirely different point of view. On one side, there were manifested images of the people Strezz came to know in his life – Shazza, Zowe, Monique, Bruce, Cam, Zack, Marina, Captain Tide, Sal, all standing there with still emotions right in front of him. As he tried to reach for them, the mirages became swallowed by the darkness and then there appeared another set of faces that he recognized in an instant – Trevor and Diana Stormond, his two parents, Cassandra, Farley, and Leon, his three siblings. They disappeared from his view the same previous way. His anxiety grew as he then saw semblances of Seymour’s bunch of aficionados that he confronted during his time on Shellside Shores – Hector, Matt, Adrianna, Warden, Quinn, Terrell, Tempest, Deacon, and Vandyke. Strezz would continue to experience this stream of consciousness until he then saw two more images form in front of him that resembled Kiyoko and her sister Kinuyo, and then four more that resembled Seymour, Arthur, and Nike, and finally Strezz himself, the latter in which depicted the most unsettling depiction of the probable future, as he saw Arthur, Nike, and himself dead by the hands of Seymour, whose materialization exchanged a sinister grin towards the sea sponge. This grim look of the future brought Strezz down to tears while these images faded without his notice, sans the Z-Storm armor.

From that moment, Strezz saw as light shone somewhere in the all-surrounding black void. He caught a glimpse of Z-Storm’s armor. This time, he was outside of it and it spoke to him.

“Do you understand the level of responsibility that you have to take as Z-Storm’s current successor?” The armor spoke.

Strezz gave no response. His initial thought from his current state of mind, however, was giving up the jacket.

“I suppose you can’t talk, so I’ll explain to you further about what you’re doing here. What you’re looking at right now is your subconscious, for you have a connection to the spirit of the jacket, and what you’ve witnessed is the crossroad between your memories and your own future that is being foretold by your consciousness, as you are on the edge of losing yourself to Naja, as well as everyone and everything that you love in the process.”

Strezz waited for the disembodied voice to continue speaking, while gesturing that he is listening to what it is saying.

“If this is the end that you don’t want to accept, then you must know the most important thing about yourself. Whether you’re looking back at your past as Evangelos or you’re looking at me as Z-Storm, remember who you are. In the grand scheme of everything that led you up to this point, you are…Strezz Stormond.”

It wasn’t until twenty seconds after Strezz broke free from Vandyke’s control that he regained all vision of his true whereabouts. Immediately afterwards, he felt the liquid running down his eyes. Looking around, he saw what had already transpired: Nike and Shazza transformed into Lightning Speed and Ampure respectively and had brought Vandyke down to a state of total defeat. As a result of his plans falling through, Vandyke signaled for Nike and Shazza to cease fire.

“Stop, you’ve all already have me outmatched!” Vandyke exclaimed while waving his arms up. “Just wait until Seymour returns to see this mess, so don’t think you’ve all won this battle!”

“You’ve called?” Seymour chimed in, making his entrance in the room while carrying the unshielded Arthur over the shoulders of his Dark Strike armor before throwing him into a corner to show Shazza, Strezz, and Nike his body covered in blood, bruises, and dried up scrapings of his shed skin.

“I’m sorry…” Arthur squeaked. “I can’t…surmount him…”

“What happened to him?” Nike questioned.

“He pressured me into a fight and brought me here when I should be monitoring our ship, so I taught him a brutal lesson,” Seymour explained. “What I want to know is how the conversion process went...Vandyke?”

Vandyke stepped up to the leader with a heavy heart. His mind and body were shaken up but he said with an undeterred tone, “It was a failure, Seymour.”

“Failures, failures, failures,” Seymour responded in an irritated manner, “this is all that the plan has been leading up to, like I have to deal with everything myself.”

“You can start with those pests over there, including the one who still carries that Z-Storm jacket,” Vandyke replied, pointing a fin at Strezz.

“Of all hindrances inside of this ship, I’d rather I start with you,” Seymour said to Vandyke, “Since you’re the most invaluable asset to me now. I can always start over and rebuild with the resources I have left, with the research that I collected from you, and maybe with a new head of research…” As he stopped talking, Seymour, still in his armor, activated his sword and decapitated Vandyke, much to the shock of the onlookers. “Of course, I don’t mean yours. I could return to my post now. However, I’d rather finish this part of the job now.” He directed his focus towards Strezz and said to him, “Your move…Evangelos.”

Strezz ripped out the neutralizer patch from the Z-Storm jacket out of rage. This boost of confidence didn’t last as Strezz rendered himself unable to budge and activate the Z-Storm armor. Out of instinct in protecting Strezz, Shazza sprang into action and attacked Seymour as Ampure. The arsenal contained within her armor included a Galvanizing Gatling Cannon, a Bolt Broadsword, and a crystal shield, alongside the hoverboard beneath her feet. Shazza’s sword was blocked by Seymour’s laser blade. The two swords clashed until Seymour released a flinching shock wave attack unto Shazza and dealt more damage with his super speed and laser swiping combos. To try and slow Seymour down, she blasted her Gatling cannon around. Seymour took the hits but he resisted. Shazza continued with using her attack until Seymour pierced through. At the same as Seymour would try to damage Shazza’s armor with a series of electrically-charged jabs, Shazza used her shield to guard herself before then swaying her broadsword at a right angle and managing to land a hit on Seymour. He easily brushed off the damage he received and continued to use his blade against Shazza, who in turn tried to block with her own blade. Her guard was broken as Seymour voluntarily increased the size of his weapon. Shazza employed the boosters in her armor’s hoverboard to zoom back from Seymour’s incoming attack. The impact of Seymour’s enhanced laser blade pushed Shazza against a wall. Shazza shot at Seymour with her Gatling cannon to budge herself forward and shift weapons in time to lower his guard. Seymour used his armor’s dashing technique to evade Shazza’s sword and swiped at her armor with his blade until it deactivated. Shazza lied down with her fins pressed down, her knees up and her head low out of exhaustion and defeat.

“Useless, useless, useless, useless,” Seymour exclaimed, “I am insurmountable! I hate to waste my energy on a group of underlings that can’t make an effort to cut through my shell, but that doesn’t matter, now that I can fulfill my revenge with ease-”

Without his own warning, it was then that Seymour’s Dark Strike armor deactivated itself, courtesy of the neutralizing patch that Strezz revealed himself to have had bound to his jacket.

“So, Evangelos, you’ve crossed me…” Seymour said in a threatening tone while he ripped out the patch, “and for the last time too!”

Before Seymour could try and provoke, Strezz, inside his Z-Storm armor, had Seymour’s nerves wired by the same machine that had been used against him, Shazza, and Nike.

“Maybe now, we can figure out the hidden truth about you,” Nike added.

Projected on the screen in front the heroes were fragments of Seymour’s memories in descending order, from his conversations with his fellow Thunder Troopers, then to his memories of the Z-Storm bearer before Shazza, then him indoctrinating certain people into his loyal guards, then to his invasion on Seaside Springs, then to the laboratory accident that took place in CORE-al, whereas he was overtaken by the jacket’s power, resulting in the murder of Hilel.

The last few details of Seymour’s life captured by the memory processing machine had caught the attention of each of the onlookers, in which they saw, on-screen, Vandyke applying the Dark Strike jacket to Seymour, while Hilel was in the room to bear witness.

“This jacket is a battle-born artifact meant to be used to demonstrate immense power,” Vandyke said to Hilel. “Though it may have not been used since the ancient past, we have the opportunity to test its power now that we have a proper test subject.”

“We should at least have had Arthur’s go-ahead,” Hilel advised.

“He’s just a child,” Vandyke replied. “I don’t think he’ll be bothered by us using Seymour for a simple test run. Besides, it’s better him than your precious Nike, right?”

Once as Vandyke activated the Dark Strike jacket’s armor, Seymour reacted in a frantic manner and attacked aimlessly around the area without reason.

“Dammit, this was a mistake!” Vandyke exclaimed. “I’m going to call for an evacuation while you try and dismantle Seymour!”

“No!” Hilel argued, “Not without Arthur’s involvement! We have to neutralize the armor and remove the jacket that’s causing this.”

“Is that our only chance? What about you, huh? Nike means the world to you and vice versa. You would leave me to make her my responsibility even if you won’t be able to live through this?”

“She is my greatest creation, so I would do anything to make sure she isn’t harmed, even if it means risking death.”

Without saying another word, Vandyke left Hilel and Seymour alone, and with bitterness in his heart. This image blurred into what would be the last fragment of Seymour’s memory to be processed by the machine – his inception. Seymour was shown to be waking up in front of Arthur a group of scientists, Hilel included.

“The android, it has gained consciousness!” One of the scientists spoke.

“Give the kid some time to communicate with it,” Hilel informed. “We can’t call this experiment a success just yet.”

“Can you talk to me?” Arthur asked Seymour. “I’m Arthur Veils. I’ve created you.”

“Created…?” Seymour inquired.

“Yes, and I’ve programmed you to have as high of a vocabulary as possible, so you should be able to understand me and talk to me.” Arthur continued.

“I can understand you completely,” Seymour responded. “Just tell me now…what am I doing here, what is my purpose for being given a life, and what is my name?”

“I’ve created you with assistance from these CORE-al scientists that you see before you. I sought to create an artificial being because…I don’t have a family, and I at least wanted someone that I could call as my own family. From here on out, you are an older brother to me and your name will be…Seymour. How does that make you feel?”

“I don’t feel anything. How am I supposed to feel?”

“You should welcome and happy that you’re standing in front of someone who will guide you through life because he’s given it to you.”

“So, does this mean I’m not real?”

Arthur responded by giving Seymour an embrace.

“You are real to me. These feelings I have for you? They are real too, Seymour.”

“Then I look forward to being a part of what you call family…Arthur.” He finished.

Seymour’s perspective snapped back to the present in an instant and examined the shocked expressions of those who witnessed his truth, sans Arthur, who looked at him with tearfulness. As it seemed, Dark Strike’s control over Seymour’s psyche, as well as his desire to kill, had been interrupted.

This whole time… Strezz thought. The biggest obstacle that I’ve been forced to deal with… is an android, and made by Arthur, no less!? Then who’s this Naja that I’ve been told about?

“I never thought that I would regain a sense of freedom,” Seymour spoke, “and at a time like this…”

“What’s going on?” Shazza questioned. “Is this the real Seymour that’s speaking?”

“All this time, I’ve been living a life that wasn’t mine…” Seymour continued.

“Seymour!” Arthur cried out. “Can you forgive me for what I’ve tried to do to you?”

“There’s no need, Arthur,” Seymour responded, turning his head to face him. “It’s too late to start over with a clean slate. Strezz…”

Startled by being called by his preferred name by Seymour for once, Strezz looked at him in the eye. Before Seymour could continue, he held both his hands on both sides of his face.

“For freeing my mind from Naja, consider this my defeat at your own hands...” Seymour finished, using the force of his two hands to rip out his head. Afterwards, his consciousness shut down completely, with his disembodied head dropping to the ground, to the continued shock of Strezz and co.

“…Is it over?” Nike asked. “Seymour can’t still be alive.”

“Seymour is gone now, but there is someone else that’s been living inside him.” Arthur uttered. “A ghost in the machine, or should I say…”

To the astonishment of everyone except Arthur, Seymour’s mechanical remains and the Dark Strike jacket were disintegrated by a powerful electric discharge. In the event of the flare-up, a clear blue apparition in the shape of a serpent took shape.

“Hello, bearer of Z-Storm, you’ve managed to release my true form,” the phantom spoke. “You may have thought that you have gotten rid of me by suspending my control of Seymour’s artificial mind, but all that you have done is cut through my shell with a simple shortcut, and freeing me in the process.”

“What do you mean your shell!?” Arthur stammered. “You took possession of the one life that I’ve created!”

“That I did, and you can thank Vandyke’s unmoving corpse for granting me a life past the curse that the original Z-Storm had inflicted on me.” The spirit continued. “I thought I had a formidable body in Seymour, but it looks like the plan that I’ve been biding my time for can now come to fruition, and you can hold yourself responsible for that, Evangelos…”

Upon mention of the name again, Strezz responded to the spirit with a fierce snarl.

“If there’s someone that might want to take your anger out on, however, you can pin your blame on the gullible child who created Seymour in the first place and kept the truth about him to himself this entire time,” the spirit continued.

To Arthur’s despair, Strezz turned away from the spirit to face him. Strezz reactivated his Z-Storm and threatened him with his blade.

“Strezz, we can talk about this…” said Arthur.

“Z-Storm went quiet ever since I snuck in my little piece of acquired knowledge from the sidelines right to his face,” the spirit remarked. “If you haven’t figured it out yet for yourself, ‘Strezz’ isn’t his real name, or at least it wasn’t from the beginning.”

“Strezz, if you know how much you hate being called by whatever name this guy has learned from you, you shouldn’t be listening to him. I’m not the enemy, he is,” Arthur was saying to Strezz, who still seemed to be angry with him, yet also internally struggling with the spirit’s revelations.

“You made yourself a traitor in his eyes by confirming yourself as responsible for Seymour and his actions,” the spirit tormented. “There’s no use trying to make him change his mind now.”

“I know I’ve kept some serious baggage from you, Strezz, but you shouldn’t fuel that spirit’s pride by using violence against me!” Arthur said, still trying to appease Strezz’s rage. “Yes, I am responsible for creating Seymour, but I wasn’t the one who didn’t give him that cursed Dark Strike jacket. I had the same goal as you, but my reasons are merciful. I’ve come to accept that one day I had to kill something that was dear to me. Whenever I tried to give myself the opportunity to do what I had to do though, I get racked with guilt. I couldn’t bring myself to inflict harm on my own creation, and I was too young to end up carrying such a burden. No matter what the spirit made Seymour did, you should know that what you’re trying to do to me is not right at all.”

Strezz froze, the arm carrying his blade trembling from his overwhelmed feelings. He resumed pointing his sword against Arthur, raising his arm and making it look like he’s going to strike. However, at the same time that Shazza and Nike called out for him to stop, he struck his blade into the ground. The Z-Storm armor deactivated and Strezz knelt down with a teary look in his eyes, melting down in front of Arthur and the others, and without saying a word.

Back inside the controls room, Cam still appeared to be struggling with figuring out how to shut off the disastrous weather from the outside.

I can’t do it. Cam thought. I just can’t. The way that Vandyke and Seymour set up the controls…it’s too complicated to override it. The only other option that I have…is to crash the submarine.

As Cam’s right fin was hovering over the button to crash the vessel, his brother Matt showed up from behind without warning.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that…brother!” Matt uttered.

Cam edged himself away from the control monitor and saw his brother right before his eyes, limping, exhausted (from all the energy he’s used up on with his fight against Arthur), and with a hoarse tenor in his voice as a result of his radiation.

“How did you get here, Matt?” Cam asked.

“Did you think I would miss the emergency shortcut that was built on this island?” Matt responded. “Look, I’m not here to fight you. I’m about to die anyway because of my senselessness.”

“You actually overcame the jacket’s control...” Cam replied. “I wish things between didn’t have to end like this.”

“Which is why I’m using my last few moments to try and make amends with you,” Matt continued. “No matter if these memories of you were falsified by Seymour or by Dark Goliath, I must admit that I was overwhelmed with anger. Even while I was attached to Dark Goliath’s powers, I thought about you all the time, and that made me realize that if you are so important to me…I can’t hate you. Besides, I left my jacket in the wilds since I don’t have much use for it anymore, so I came here to find you without it.”

“I’m glad that we are now brothers again. My parents are going to be petrified to hear the sad news about you.”

“I know. What matters is that I’ve fulfilled my purpose and I’m ready to face death.”

“Yeah, and we can die…together.” Cam finished as he pressed the button and laid himself in front of his brother, closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable to happen to him…

…His eyes opened up shortly afterwards and found himself inside an escape hatch. Right in front of him was Zack.

“Zack, what are you doing!?” Cam inquired.

“Dumbass, I can’t afford letting you die, let alone from radiation!” Zack responded. “You couldn’t think for a moment what your parents would feel if we came back with both of their sons dead?”

“What about yours, Zack? Huh?” Cam asked.

“That‘s none of my concern. They won’t miss me.” Zack replied.

“That’s preposterous! You’re making a big mistake sacrificing yourself like this!”

“There isn’t a lot of escape hatches here left anyways for all of us to come back alive, I’ve checked. If sacrificing my life for you means that I’ll die a hero, then at least I’m doing something right. Stop getting so anxious about me, okay?”

Zack finished talking and activated the escape pod, releasing Cam from the submarine.

“No, I can’t afford to have you die too after I had to watch my own brother die! Zack!-” Cam exclaimed before he could no longer see him. As his escape capsule plunged into the sea, he looked around to see that the submarine was now close to crashing to the bottom.

While Cam had escaped from the submarine, Strezz, Arthur, Shazza, and Nike were still inside, struggling against the ethereal adversary.

“If you don’t mind me interrupting such a serious moment, I owe you all a story from yours truly,” the spirit spoke. “I should’ve introduced myself as Naja from when I first emerged out of my former shell, and I am the dark spirit from the ancient past who was forced by Z-Storm’s original user to reside in the Dark Strike jacket until I was given another body to possess.”

While Naja talked, Strezz reactivated the Z-Storm armor and tried to slash away at the serpent with his blade to no avail.

“Z-Storm was born by the bond between a civilian and another ancient dragon spirit such as me,” Naja was explaining. “That peasant’s name was Fargo Zafeiriou. He was a cobbler from the same place as where the multidimensional fountain portal came from, Seaside Springs. I sought that fountain’s limitless power and killed the people guarding it, and Fargo left himself with no other choice than to carry out the job of protecting the fountain and his other folks himself. He used his acquired expertise in tailoring and blacksmithing to create a weapon necessary for slaying me. For his final piece, he sought out the good dragon spirit to create Z-Storm. Of course, I was defeated and was then sentenced to reside my soul in the same type of jacket Fargo used against me. Years passed and Seaside Springs would drift further and further away from where it once stood due to the fountain’s immense power, and that was when the Dark Strike jacket would meet the discovery of the CORE-al scientists, where I would then have my soul unknowingly bestowed to an android. Taking advantage of Vandyke’s resentment towards his own area of work, I was taken by him to organize a silent hostile operation, which would eventually grab the attention of Fargo’s descendant, whose name I have lost my memory of somehow. He spread the word to the rest of the Seaside Springs inhabitants while I was able to use Seymour’s body, combined with the Dark Strike armor, to lay siege onto the island and hold operations there once as there was little opposition left. I sought after the fountain that was still here, but my soul was rejected by it, and that was when I realized that I’ve needed to fulfill my revenge against Z-Storm and its spirit, another goal that I’ve had in mind ever since I was imprisoned. I came to the conclusion that this was what I had to do to gain access. But still, I took advantage of the anomalous power of the fountains by taking the gemstones to harvest their energy to control the weather patterns in this very island so I could trap ‘him’ and any other unsuspecting individual willing to take the baton. Try if you will to make the weather normal again. Even if this vessel goes down, the weather effects will continue because it also runs from my own soul.”

After many unsuccessful attempts to damage Naja’s body, Z-Storm was deactivated in due to Strezz tiring himself out.

“But that’s enough about me. Tell me about you, Evangelos,” said Naja.

Strezz, of course, gave no response, causing for Naja to slam him into a wall with force. Although he struggled due to the damage he took, he stood back up.

“Bah, it’s futile talking to you now that I’ve broken you!” Naja exclaimed. “At the very least, you’re still listening, so listen well to what I have to say before you meet your demise. We’ll have one last fight together to determine the fate of this world. I want to see you fight at Z-Storm at your fullest power. Oh wait, you can’t. I can tell by the jacket’s aura that Z-Storm’s spirit had been removed from it, so you’ll disappoint no matter how much you try.”

“You sure do love to brag,” Shazza jeered.

At the very next moment, everyone in the room felt and heard a crash.

“Dammit, looks like someone’s hijacked the controls!” Naja bellowed. “No matter, I have one last resort. Try and see if you all can escape!”

As Naja’s spirit disappeared from view, Strezz, Arthur, Shazza, and Nike rushed over to where the escape hatches were. There were three left available to use once as they managed to reach the area.

“Either two of us have to squeeze into one of these, or one of us has to…” Arthur was saying. “No, I don’t want to think about it.”

“What are you saying, mate?” Shazza asked. “Are you thinking about sacrificing yourself?”

“Even after the truth has been exposed about me, and about Seymour, do you all still trust me?” Arthur asked.

“You three can go,” Nike declared. “Just trust me on this, I’ll survive.”

With not much time left to hesitate, Strezz, Arthur, and Shazza each got inside the three remaining escape capsules. Nike activated her Lightning Speed armor and was already out of view before the three were submerged below. A second later, an explosion could be seen engulfing the entire submarine. Nike was still nowhere to be seen.

Elsewhere in the wilds of the island, Kinuyo found herself in front of the fountain said to contain power from across multiple dimensions until she was ambushed by her sister, who was still being controlled by her yo-kai within the Chameleon Collision jacket.

“You shall not pass, for I contain these powers invested in me!” Kiyoko exclaimed.

“Sister…” Kinuyo muttered. “Ugh. What a pain.”

Using her yo-kai powers, Kinuyo attached a piece of thread from her deteriorating kimono to detach the yo-kai controlling the jacket and her sister, making the Chameleon Collision armor deactivate itself in the process. With Kiyoko’s own mind being released from control, she became temporarily unconscious. Before Kinuyo could approach the fountain once again, she was stopped by someone else, The Rainmaker and his serpent.

“Abandoning your own sister behind to return to your own world by yourself, would you consider this decision wise?” He inquired.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion. I can’t face Kiyoko like this and have to explain to her everything I did until the time is right,” Kinuyo responded. “My business here in this world is done.”

Rico, Seymour’s other accomplice who caught chase of Kinuyo’s trail, ran up to the fountain alongside her before she or The Rainmaker could continue.

“I know I have to make a leave from this hellhole,” said Rico. “I’m being called in for a job

“One of these days, I’ll make it up to her. I’ll get tougher. I’ll become more a serious threat to the point where I won’t be moved!” Kinuyo then prepared to make the leap into the fountain’s vortex. She finished by saying, “Kiyoko will be proud and everyone will live to regret facing me!”

“There was no use talking things out with her,” the Rainmaker remarked. “I give her sister my pity.”

“Hold on a minute, just who do you think you are, trying to getting involved with us?” Before Rico could receive an answer, The Rainmaker and his serpent were nowhere to be seen. “And he’s gone. Well, back to my usual routine, then.”

Kiyoko’s eyes opened up to see Kinuyo descending into the vortex of the fountain seconds before she was gone. “…Sister?” She muttered.

At the shore of the island, Zowe, Marina, Monique, and Bruce, alongside Hector, Warden, Adrianna, Terrell, and Tempest waited patiently for the others in their pact to return.

“Is it safe for them to be out in the open now?” Zowe asked Monique, referring to Seymour’s former associates.

“They seemed to have been their minds all cleared from being a part of Seymour’s force,” Monique responded.

“Seymour will make you all pay!” Hector uttered. “You may have stripped me of my powers, but you can’t make me change no matter what you do!”

“Well, not all of them,” Bruce pointed out.

“Boy, I’d sure hate to end up brainwashed and crazy again,” Terrell remarked.

“Same,” Tempest said in agreement.

“All that I’ve once known about myself is starting to come back to me,” Adrianna remarked towards Zowe. “I owe you my thanks for that.”

“I hope Seymour’s reign of terror comes to an end soon,” said Warden. “We’re still experiencing crazy weather, so I suppose we still have to wait.”

“We still got more than half of our group missing, though,” said Zowe. “Shazza, Kiyoko, Arthur, Cam, Zack…Strezz, where the hell are they?”

It was that moment that the group saw something bobbing in the water by the shore. Cam revealed himself, alive after opening the top of his pod as he struggled to get out. In an instant, Zowe rushed over to lay him on the shore.

“Thank goodness you’re alright. So what happened back there?” Zowe asked. “Did you find Strezz and the others?”

“I crashed the submarine, and I was about to sacrifice myself for my brother and then Zack…” Cam was explaining before he began feeling choked up about Zack.

“Where’s Zack?” Zowe demanded.

For a lack of better words, Cam said to Zowe bluntly, “He’s dead. Zack chose to sacrifice himself for me.”

Devastated by the news, Zowe knelt down to her knees and cried softly as Marina and Cam tried consoling her. While the group grieved for Zack, three more escape capsules emerged near the shore, revealing Strezz, Arthur, and Shazza. When she saw Strezz still alive and well, she cried even more, out of relief. Strezz joined in to console her for the loss of one of their friends.

“Why are you crying, mate?” Shazza asked Zowe.

“It’s Zack,” Zowe sobbed. “He’s gone.”

“It’s true,” Cam added, “and I’ve lived to tell it.”

“If he was in the submarine, then I’m afraid it’s too late to turn back, since Naja destroyed it,” said Arthur, “and it’s too late to come back for Nike too.”

“Did you guys finally defeat Seymour or what?” Bruce asked.

“It’s hard for us to explain, but…” Arthur was saying, before being interrupted by a raging whirlpool. It was Naja making his entrance without possession of Seymour.

“This is where it all ends,” Naja spoke. “Right here, right now, face to face with Z-Storm and no one else. Show yourself if you’re ready.”

As Strezz was about to trek closer to Naja’s territory, Arthur stopped him with caution.

“You can’t take him on without knowing how to awaken Z-Storm’s spirit,” Arthur prompted. Strezz ignored his words and bumped through him. “I know you’re still upset about me hiding the truth from you. If I can make it up to you, I can give you one last lesson about merging with the spirit.”

“Of course, he can’t do it without the one missing piece,” The Rainmaker uttered, suddenly appearing in front of the group alongside his serpent. “As the descendant of the original Z-Storm, and as well as one of the previous bearers of the jacket, it should be my responsibility to lend Z-Storm’s greatest power at a tumultuous time as this.”

“You must be the banished Z-Storm that I’ve been trying to wrap my head around,” Naja remarked. “How convenient and fancy it is to see you again.”

“Exposing everything about me would result in a fate as harsh as death,” The Rainmaker continued. “It is part of the deal I’ve made from the outside, so it’s not me making this decision for the young Z-Storm bearer. It is, however, the decision of the spirit once contained in the jacket itself. Go ahead, Aegaeon.”

The glowing and harmless serpent spirit then moved itself closer to Strezz. The two looked at each other immensely until the spirit, Aegaeon, phased through the Z-Storm jacket, merging with it. With a feeling of confidence now, Strezz stepped closer to the battlefield to confront Naja.

“Strezz…we leave this fight all to you,” The Rainmaker finished. “It’s a life or death situation you’re facing, so you must never give up.”

Before the final battle between Strezz and Naja would commence, Nike, still in her Lightning Speed armor, was shown in the depths of the sea, floating alongside the wreckage of Naja’s former base of operations. Her vision a blur, Nike examined a ship maneuvering near the battlefield, prompting for her armor to budge.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES/TRIVIA:

Spoiler

-Seymour is revealed to be an android created by Arthur, who ended up later being possessed by Naja, the evil spirit contained inside of the Dark Strike jacket, which CORE-al recovered along with the other superpowered artifacts.
 

-The current statuses for each of the characters:

Team Z-Storm:

Strezz: About to face his true greatest enemy, Naja, in one last battle to determine the fate 
Bruce: Settled with his group.
Monique: Settled with her group.
Shazza: Escaped Seymour's base, rejoined with the group.
Zowe: Defeated Deacon; Looking after the salvaged former members of Seymour's troop.
Zack: Killed alongside the wreckage of Seymour's former base, sacrificing himself for Cam.
Cam: Escaped Seymour's submarine courtesy of Zack after he forced to crash it, rejoined with the group.
Marina: Settled with her group.
Kiyoko: Left alone in the wilds, but is released from the Chameleon Collision jacket's control, courtesy of Kinuyo.
Arthur: Escaped Seymour's base, rejoined with the group.

Thunder Troopers:

Naja: Awaiting his final battle with the current Z-Storm, Strezz.
Seymour: Dismantles himself after being released from Naja's control, but freeing his soul afterwards. His jacket is destroyed by said spirit.
Nike: Escaped, but sustaining serious damage from the explosion of Seymour's base. Implied to still be alive, but her fate remains unknown.
Hector: Stripped of his Crimson Kill jacket, but still expressing his loyalty to Seymour.
Matt: Amongst the wreckage of Seymour's former base, dying from radiation. Dark Goliath jacket left behind in the wilds.
Terrell: Reformed.
Tempest: Reformed.
Warden: Reformed.
Adrianna: Reformed.
Quinn: Dead.
Deacon: Sacrificed by Kinuyo so she could protect herself and escape to another world; regains his past memories in his last moments.

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7. Strezz Alone

               Alone Together

               Alone with Me

 

Nike was in a state of being suffocated in the vast oceanic depths without any force in her body to rise back up for air. That was until she saw a light that impelled her to reach towards it, and she saw what she feared she would view in these current affairs. Strezz’s parents were sailing towards the island on the required transport. They would be moving across the force field that the chaotic weather surrounded. Seeing Naja in the middle of the ocean along with Strezz in his Z-Storm armor, it also meant to her that his respective parents would be within range of Naja’s pursuit. Nike pushed herself towards reactivating Lightning Speed and zoomed across and in front of the transport’s line of sight. Nike then used her armor to lift the two parents out of the ship and flew them away from the island, away from the harbor, and back in front of their own abode within seconds. Dealing with an intense state of whiplash, Strezz’s parents were too stunned to reminisce what had now happened or who and what the armored individual was in front of them before it vanished from their sights. When the couple had the time to reassess their surroundings, they went back inside their home, to the confusion and as well as to the disappointment of Cassandra, Farley, and Leon to see that they had suddenly returned, but without Strezz. However, the two parents would take notice of a written note left for them that read “Will bring Strezz back soon.”

Nike was reluctant to face Naja when she was out of his sights and could’ve kept herself hidden by distancing from Shellside Shores/Seaside Springs, but her only option was to come back to Strezz, as she swore she’d bring him back. Naja, being that he was in his most ancient form, was able to recognize the streaks that Nike’s Lightning Speed armor was emitting. Naja caught her like a fly and flicked her into the undergrowth that bordered around the shores of the island.

“Anyone besides Z-Storm who dares to fight me will be killed in an instant!” Naja exclaimed.

While Arthur was still too injured to move, clutching his Brave Bolt jacket draped across his upper body, Bruce, Monique, Shazza, Zowe, Marina, and Cam ran up to Nike to check on her. She got back up with no trouble, but was restrained by the group per Naja’s warning.

In the arena that encompassed Strezz and Naja, the storm brewed with harsher rainfall around them. This is the enemy’s true power, Strezz right from the eyes of the Z-Storm armor.

“Strezz!” Arthur called out. “Remember what I’ve told you about activating your armor’s ultimate technique!”

“With the spirit of the jacket at your side now, you should manage to merge with it,” the Rainmaker’s words echoed from inside the battlefield. Strezz had heard them loud and clear and maintained his confidence when facing Naja, recalling the trauma that almost got him killed by Seymour.

“So, it appears that Aegaeon is alive and well to protect your body, Z-Storm, or Evangelos as I should rather call you, since that’s the name of the boy who now possesses the armor,” Naja spoke. “Do you have a last say before your own life and the lives of those around you are fated by our final battle?”

Strezz gave no response.

“You still refuse to pipe up, huh?” Naja remarked. “No, I already know why. It’s that certain name of yours that’s intimidated you and I am indeed responsible for breaking you into silence. I thought I may have crushed your spirits hard enough, but here you are, bruised and bloodied, yet standing tall against me with your armor and Z-Storm’s very own entity. Well, if you care about your other name so much, then I’ll speak to you as so if you can finish me off. That will be your reward for killing me, while mine will be to possess your body. Maybe then I will be able to bypass the fountain’s invisible barrier against me, travel the cosmos, and wallow in all the power that I could’ve ever wanted. Now perish, Z-Storm.”

This is it, Strezz thought. Everyone out there is depending on me, and what happens will be my responsibility. If I really am destined to face this guy as my true enemy, then I’ll just have to focus my mind on that. I’ll just have to save my thoughts on Seymour and this whole deceit for after this fight is over. My heart is pumping real fast. You may not think so, but you’re the one who’ll die, Naja!

All the islanders present, including The Rainmaker, Hector, and the surviving reformed Thunder Troopers watched idly from the shore to witness the one and only match between Strezz/Z-Storm and Naja. Aegaeon, the spirit of the Z-Storm jacket, had already merged with the armor. It was the urgent time for Strezz to put the powers of Aegaeon combined with the Z-Storm armor to the test and conjured a Hydro Sphere with a higher range and intensity than before with amplification. It was at that moment that Strezz had also put Naja’s strength to the test, or more specifically, his agility. With that little warm-up alone, Naja dodged the attack in a flash. As Naja presented himself with a bare, slender body without a shell for him to bear, Strezz could fathom that there won’t be much swordplay between them and that in order to vanquish the malevolent beast would be to land a clean hit against the source of his fathomless power. Judging by the celestial body being that of a serpentine, Strezz reckoned that the way to take out Naja would be to slay it like a dragon.

Strezz starting hurling Z-Storm’s attacking moves around like so to function at the speed of Naja’s evasion, keeping his mind focused on the target while amplifying the power of his attacks as potently and as quickly as he could manage with Aegaeon at his side. Without Seymour and Dark Strike acting as his shell, Naja could only use its own techniques and defenses against Strezz and since he has a spectral body, he could expand himself to be up to nine times the size of the Z-Storm armor, making dodging attacks and weakening the serpent’s immortality more of a challenge. Without a shield in his arsenal, Strezz mainly had Aegaeon’s spirit as his mode of defense. Even with the supplemented powers to make him fly almost as if he was as light as air, the boosters couldn’t carry Strezz/Z-Storm away from Naja’s target sight fast enough. Before Strezz could try to make a cut on Naja’s body with Z-Storm’s laser blade, he saw himself get slammed by Naja’s long serpent body, with Aegaeon’s protection preventing the armor from withstanding heavy damage.

While Strezz continued to soldier on in the fight and maintain his focus, he continued to try and follow the pattern of Naja’s attacks to try and find an opening for him to strike at and increase the chances of evading him. While the battlefield had now Strezz in a terrain engulfed by an intense, electrical force field courtesy of Naja’s power source, Strezz figured that the battlefield was big enough for him to move around in although Naja’s target was close to the size of the arena itself. This was Strezz’s one option in consideration if he was going to moderate Naja’s focus in order to make Z-Storm’s attacks land on him. While Strezz used his boosters fly in an unconsistent pattern across the field, Naja retaliated by firing an electric beam of immense properties from his mouth in his direction, which Strezz also took difficulty avoiding due to its size. As Strezz continued to seek options while under the pressure of avoiding Naja’s attacks and studying his movements, he continued to sustain hits from his powers, ranging from his tail and body slams, the galvanic beams he fired from his mouth, the hundreds of lightning bolts he’d summon in the battlefield, and the raging whirlpools he conjures with his swift movements.

Eventually, Strezz would push the limits of his amplified powers to see himself using the boosters as close as to the speed of Naja’s own rapid movements. With Strezz now being able to circumvent fast enough, he attained greater focus in his armor’s abilities, using that opportunity to then try and find an opening against the opponent. From what Strezz could already make out, the probability of him inflicting damage on Naja was very slim compared to the probability of the Z-Storm armor taking damage from his attacks. Pondering the situation, Strezz uses his observations of Naja’s range of attacking to find the weak spot that he seeks. Strezz reflects that if he tried attacking from above the head, he would be stricken by Naja’s electrical beam before launching an attack, then if he tried attacking while his back was turned, Naja would turn around quick to counter, then if he tried going from the sides, he would be whacked away by the force of Naja’s body, and then if he tried targeting the ends of that said body, the serpent would swing his tail with enough force to swat him. Of course, he already knew that it was hopeless if he targeted at the center, as the mouth of the beast would blast him with a laser beam and that the neck, his main target of landing the finishing blow, would be the main object that Naja would protect most and would be off-limits with the amount of power that he had. That was when Strezz noticed that his best shot at inflicting damage on Naja was at the nadir of where the spirit’s body laid, as fast and as close as he could get his armor in front of it, and all while underneath the mouth. While Strezz was aware that Naja could still summon a raging, twisting torrent from underneath the feet of his armor, Strezz still sought to employ this strategy.

Whilst continuing to his employ his strategy of evading Naja with his armor’s boosters, Strezz saw himself in front of his target. Near the lower abdomen of Naja’s body, Strezz, in quick succession, drew out Z-Storm’s laser blade and managed to land a hit before the enemy could conjure a whirlpool. In an instant, Strezz conjured a Hydro Sphere mere seconds after landing his first hit. Naja resisted Strezz’s attack as he was quick to sense where he was being struck. Naja provoked by summoning multiple whirlpools, the ocean floor rocking and rising at the height where Strezz, in his Z-Storm armor, was situated. Knowing that Naja would activate his defenses, Strezz was already prompted to use his boosters to fly back above in act of escape before getting caught by the waves while steering clear of the lightning bolts and laser beams Naja summoned afterward. Strezz returned to flying around the field with the armor’s boosters while trying to think of another way to damage Naja, seeing how he’s become aware of the weak spot he had found. Strezz was now focusing on a way of lowering Naja’s firm guard and saw as his next approach would require concentrating on using his boosters to evade while releasing Z-Storm’s attacks all at once. It would mean using up extra energy, but under this extreme pressure, he was still going to try.

Strezz began by aiming at the tail end of Naja’s body, firing a Hydro Sphere at it before using his boosters to narrowly dodge the swift swinging of the serpent’s tail and as well as his subsequent electrical beam. Strezz then approached the backside and prepared a plasma cannon blast before zooming away just right as Naja turned around and fired up another electrical beam from his mouth. Naja concentrated on the pattern of which Strezz was attacking, summoning whirlpools and lightning bolts from every which spot he moved to and from. It was clear enough for Naja to surmise that Strezz was creating a diversion, as he could only fire away at him while resisting and deflecting Strezz’s attacks and focusing on his inconsistent pattern of assails. As he could tell, there were two specific spots Strezz did not aim for, which was his lower abdomen and his neck. Once as Naja detected a change in Strezz’s strategic battling, he glimpsed at him close to his neck, and then to his lower chest. As Naja conjured a whirlpool swift and strong enough to snag the Z-Storm armor. However, Strezz zoomed upwards and landed an upper-cut attack at the creature’s neck with his laser blade. It did not cut deep enough to vanquish Naja, but it was enough to weaken his defenses before Strezz could summon Donder and Blitzen he would recover. The spirits resembling the two seahorses, courtesy of Aegaeon’s power, were bigger in form than Strezz had achieved before. Wrapping the electrical reins that connected the two spirits around the serpent’s neck now, he delivered a powerful shock, successfully landing another hit before Naja regained composure in an instant and summoned one big swirling vortex at Z-Storm’s height.

Strezz, with enough strength from Z-Storm’s boosters as he could manage, flew around the vortex to break through its force and barrier until he had freed himself from Naja’s attempt to trap him. Strezz continued to veer away from Naja’s assails with his armor’s boosters with Aegaeon’s support. While Naja’s durability and agility remained the same, Strezz saw as his pattern of attacking had changed. He was launching attacks at a rapider pace, but without focus on his defenses, which gave Strezz more opportunities for openings to hit. Strezz had no time to waste now to weaken Naja’s power by at any point possible. Strezz watched as he was now able to get more used to simultaneously attack and evade, let alone now at the similar rate as Naja could. He unleashed a swift slash from the serpent’s backside, before then releasing Hydro Spheres and firing his plasma cannons from above and underneath the serpent’s body, inflicting an intense static discharge against the tail end of Naja’s form with Donder and Blitzen, and as well as continuing to strike underneath Naja’s body with the laser blade whenever his guard was mostly down, all whilst the enemy fired his beams, summoned raging eddies & lightning bolts, and swiveled around aimlessly to proliferate the probability of damaging Z-Storm’s armor. However, the more that Strezz realized that Naja’s pattern of attacking was changing, so did the atmosphere that engulfed them. The clouds above were getting darker, the storm overhead growing more severe, the air getting thicker, the whirlpools invoked by Naja generating the same amount of strength as a category four hurricane, and the waves he produced growing with height and intensity. It wasn’t long before Strezz knew that Naja had become berserk.

The environment Strezz saw himself in grew more dangerous than ever, and noticed that he was beginning to lose some energy to fight despite Aegaeon’s assistance, but he continued on with his strategy he had been using to undermine Naja’s defenses. However, as Naja’s aggression levels had raised, so did the amount damage he was inflicting on Strezz’s armor. Whenever Strezz tried to strike Naja anywhere with his laser blade, the rolling waves would sweep him faster than he could swing, resorting for him to attack from a higher point. However, a lot of Strezz’s attempts to strike were now being interrupted by Naja’s faster and fiercer movements. Strezz was seeing himself in a situation where he was forced to shift his strategy by relying on landing hits from a long-distance. He set aside his blade and focused on releasing Hydro Spheres, beams from his plasma cannon, and summoning Donder and Blitzen whether to attack or defend, all of which were being resisted more by the opponent. It was then that Strezz saw himself taking more hits from Naja after developing his strategy, whether it was from the swings from his tail, from the whacks of his body, from the blasts of his laser beams, and from the waves & eddies he was getting himself caught entrapped in. With the speed of his boosters slowing down alongside the rate of defending, attacking, and circumventing, Strezz already saw himself in a hopeless moment of imminent defeat as his energy was being drained more as the battle progressed, with his long-lasting perseverance being the one thing that kept Strezz trudging on.

Naja continued to hold the higher ground, as he continued to beat Strezz’s armor around like a punching bag with every whack from his tail and dorsal that he was landing, with every galvanic beam he fired that hit, with every lightning bolt he’d summon that struck, and with every breaking wave and whirling vortex he captured him in, all while Strezz hurled his repeated long-range attacks with desperation, only for most of them to be endured. This went on until Strezz’s stamina was shattered when he was forced underwater by the serpent. As Strezz felt himself sinking further from the surface of the battlefield, the chaos had festered away. Naja then submerged into the oceanic depths, as if to land the finishing blow. Everyone from outside who could only survey their match watched as Strezz and Naja’s absences signaled the end of their long, strenuous fight. Concern filled their collective thoughts as they viewed the sudden calmness of the storm to assume that Strezz was defeated and he perished afterwards.

Strezz floated down the ocean depths, motionless, as he saw Naja looking like he was going to nosh him up before remembering that he was contracted to let him possess him as a consequence for his loss. The circuits that kept his armor activated would shut down, and then it would all be over for him. He thought of the burden he was forced to carry in his hands as the successor to Z-Storm, who had failed to quell a centuries-long opposition that Naja had held onto. He thought about how he failed all of his companions as well who were all rooting for him, including the Thunder Troopers who were freed from the control the creature had implanted over them. Lastly, he thought about how he wasn’t even able to unlock Z-Storm’s ultimate technique that Arthur had talked to him about. That could be his one chance to overpower Naja, but he can’t even figure out how to activate it.

…Stuck. He was stuck like this and all he could do now is see his own self die, Strezz thought. He didn’t have one last final say to his friends and fellow islanders who have been on his side up to this point, as he let Naja’s mention of his original name make him feel uptight and silence him. The sea had drowned out most of every sound that Strezz could hear before he could accept his fate. That was until he heard a cry loud enough to reach through his Z-Storm armor.

“...STREZZ!” Nike exclaimed from the outside of the battle zone. While the rest of the group held her off from reactivating her Lightning Speed jacket, they all followed suit in crying out their desperate pleas to see Strezz pull through.

“…Strezz!”

Strezz’s acquaintances continued to call out his name, and as he saw himself right in front of Naja, with his mouth opened wide and ready to deal one final blow against him. Right there and then, and without realizing it, Strezz had unlocked the fullest potential of Z-Storm’s power. From underneath where Strezz drifted shone an immense pillar of light. Naja’s long body emerged from the water, before what was then shown – a laser blade impaling the creature from head to tail until finally, one whose form was almost as leviathan as Naja himself, Z-Storm, as a result of Strezz merging with Aegaeon, had materialized in the battlefield. Naja recovered in an instant as the split ends reattached, but he now realized that he had lost the high ground as Z-Storm’s movements out-sped his, swiping away at him with his laser blade while letting out a loud battle cry, breaking the silence Strezz had sustained. Z-Storm kept striking at the serpent with his blade in what was now an uncontested match between two ancients before Z-Storm felt a disturbance. Z-Storm saw as Naja’s spectral body was trying to go right through his head, causing the former to screech in pain from the possession. Over half of Naja’s body had already phased inside, but before he could succeed, Z-Storm used the remaining restraint that he had to grab the tail end of his opponent’s body and pull him all the way out. After tossing Naja around, Z-Storm resumed slashing the spirit around with his blade until he claimed victorious once as he made a clean hit across his neck.

The islanders who watched the battle from the shore all moved away as they saw Naja’s head crashing onto the sand, his headless body sinking from afar before it disappeared. Z-Storm returned to the island and stood right between his acquaintances and the head of Naja. The storm overhead was beginning to calm as the severity of the rain reduced itself to drizzles and the waves festered. Just when it looked to be all over with the whole environment surrounding the group going quiet, Naja’s detached head spoke…

“I suppose you have something to say to me now that you have managed to defeat a powerful adversary such as myself.” Z-Storm, of course, did not speak. “Still nothing, huh? After all these years, only to be killed by you, I would’ve expected a speech from you telling me that this was how it was meant to be – an evil spirit with nothing besides fury raging inside his mind and nothing to look forward to except despairing into the dark depths of hell. Well it doesn’t matter anyways if I can’t hear your demeaning words one last time. I have lost and all I can do is accept my loss. Farewell…Strezz Stormond.”

With Naja’s last spoken words, his head disintegrated from the strike of a lightning bolt, scattering black particles until there was nothing. Strezz and his group looked up to the sky to see if the atmosphere had changed now that the enemy was gone and that was when they saw black clouds turning dark gray, and then light gray, and then they witnessed them beginning to roll away from the sky.

“…Is it all over?” Arthur asked.

“It’s over…” said Sal. “After all these years, Strezz has finally put a stop to this.”

As the rain had stopped, Strezz and Aegaeon were unmerged from the armor, before the armor itself would deactivate, leaving Strezz in his weakened state, all while surrounded by his companions, most of them coming over to embrace and praise him.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, mate,” said Shazza.

“You did it, buddy!” Bruce remarked.

“You sure showed him, we thought you’d be a goner!” Monique remarked.

“Naja’s reign of terror is over…and it’s all thanks to you,” Arthur muttered.

“That was an awesome battle! You put up an amazing fight back there!” Kiyoko remarked.

“You should know how thankful we are to have you. You’ve stopped that evil spirit, and you saved our lives in the process too,” said Cam. “I still wish we could’ve been able to save Zack, though.”

“Yeah, you are our hero, Strezz!” Marina commented.

“We may have all helped out, but we owe a lot to you Strezz,” said Zowe.

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter that you were Z-Storm, you will always be Strezz to us,” Nike added.

Before Strezz could try and say something, he could feel the after effects of merging with Z-Storm’s spirit happening. His mouth spilled a substantial amount of blood and then he promptly blacked out.

…When Strezz woke up, he was back inside Sal’s hut, where some of his companions were checking to see if he’s still alive until he opened his eyes back up. He awoke to scuffs and bruises on his body, bloodstains on his clothes and as well on the Z-Storm jacket, and with breathing problems as a result of the blood he had lost all day. It was now the day after he and his group took down Seymour, his establishment, and the mastermind behind it all.

“Good, he’s still alive…” Nike murmured.

Right after he woke up, Strezz nabbed his plush polar bear backpack and took a look outside the hut to glimpse a sight that he’d never seen since he was stranded – the sun shining, on a mostly clear sky, all across the island. Out on the shore, he could see some of his folks making preparations and building their own transport to leave Seaside Springs/Shellside Shores and return to their respective homes after all the time they’ve spent together, with assistance from Captain Tide. On one side of the beach, he saw Zowe and Cam giving Zack a proper burial. Focusing his eyes back on the shore, Strezz saw what appeared to the Rainmaker removing the articles of clothing that had been concealing his identity.

“Shazza…Sal…and you too, Strezz, there is something that I should show you.” When The Rainmaker got the attention of the three, Shazza and Sal exchanged surprised looks while Strezz remained expressionless.

“Sophocles…I thought that you’d be gone forever,” said Sal, embracing the person who turned out be his long lost friend. Shazza followed suit.

“You were the Rainmaker all this time, but why, mate?” Shazza asked.

“It’s a long explanation to give,” The Rainmaker/Sophocles responded. “Just like I’ve taken responsibility for my loss against Seymour and Naja, I take full responsibility for my unexplained absence. Now that my oath has been fulfilled, I can show my face again.”

“What oath? Where have you been all this time anyway, besides watching over Strezz and Shazza as somebody else?” Sal inquired.

“Once again, it’s a long tale to tell,” Sophocles answered.

“So…what are we going to do with all the jackets that we’ve recovered?” Shazza asked.

“The ones that are still tainted by evil spirits will have to be exorcised, that is if we can find someone in that sort of profession,” Sophocles explained.

“Can I keep the jacket that I have?” Kiyoko asked, referring to the Chameleon Twist jacket she was holding on to.

“No, and it’s best that you don’t put it on now either,” Sophocles continued. “I don’t know exactly what to do with these jackets, and this is the part of reason why I needed to talk to Strezz. Now that Naja is gone, the jacket has fulfilled its purpose, but I think he should decide what to do with it.”

“You have a point, I don’t know what to do with the jewel after finding out that it contained powers that I don’t need now,” Shazza added. “I’ve been having second thoughts though since Marina did give this to me. All I know is that after we leave this island, I’m going back to the Great Barrier Reef. I still need to find out if I have any family left there, even if my curiosity about it was what got me trapped in this place for a couple years.”

“Yeah, we all may as well be going our separate ways,” said Sal. “Seaside Springs has always been my home, so I’m staying here. What about you Sophocles, will you be leaving?”

“I’ll be staying here too,” Sophocles responded. “I need to make up for lost time anyway. …So Strezz, I know you just recovered enough from your fight with Naja to move around, but have you decided yet on what to do with the Z-Storm jacket, now that you don’t need it anymore?”

Strezz still didn’t give an answer. However, after giving himself time to survey the island, there was one inquiry he chose to speak of – “Where’s Arthur?”

“Nike used her Lightning Speed jacket to take Arthur across the island to put him in a hospital close to your home. He’s sustained severe injuries from yesterday, but he did tell us that he’d wanted to see and speak with you after he recovered,” Sophocles explained.

“Strezz, are you feeling okay? You look glum,” Shazza questioned.

“I think it’s just that he’s still in pain,” Monique suggested. “He’s done a whole lot of fighting after all.”

“Why shouldn’t he be happy? We’re all going home,” Bruce inquired.

Strezz, once again, didn’t say anything. He turned around and saw the foliage that bordered the beach and he silently started walking his way through the wilds. While Sal, Captain Tide, and Seymour’s former associates sans Nike stayed put, Strezz’s acquaintances didn’t hesitant to follow after him, all unsure of why he was behaving in such a mysterious way.

“Mate, we can tell that something is bothering you,” said Shazza.

“Where are you going anyway?” Bruce asked. “You’ve wanted to go back home ever since we’ve all got stuck together.”

“Yeah, what are you doing?” Monique questioned. “This isn’t like you.”

“Strezz…” Zowe spoke up. “You may think we haven’t noticed, but you have been feeling different since yesterday. Look, I know you, and I know you should feel proud for taking down that creature, I know how much it must hurt to know that one of us didn’t survive in the end, and I know something horrible must have happened to you while we were fighting our own battles. So what happened? What we all want to know is why won’t you talk to us?”

“It’s because…I don’t want to talk right now!” Strezz spoke.

Strezz’s words broke the group into silence.

“Well, you’re speaking up right now, so spill,” said Zowe. “What’s all this about, is it about Seymour, is it about any of us, is it about you-?” 

Before any of the other islanders could speak, Strezz, without warning, activated his Z-Storm armor and pointed his laser blade at Zowe, who was standing right in front of him and the sword now. Strezz’s other companions looked overhead to see white and gray clouds forming from the south. Everyone except Sophocles looked at him in disarray.

“If you are going to be that way, then fine. We just don’t understand what’s gotten into you,” Zowe responded, who continued to look at Strezz with an undeterred yet concerned expression on her face, “or if Seymour or whoever has gotten into your head. Tell us what’s wrong and we won’t judge you for being stubborn when you’ve just saved all of our skins. Before you do anything to me, though, let me tell you one thing – I didn’t get myself marooned here, get duped by some spy to prevent me from being close to your side when you were facing that Seymour character, and get myself pummeled from facing my past demons head-on, just so I could see you turn your back on us and point your weapons at me. Please… just tell us what’s going on.”

Strezz listened to Zowe’s fretful tone and stopped. Still inside the Z-Storm armor, Strezz knelt and deactivated the laser blade. The flurry of emotions running through Strezz’s mind had then caused for the armor to turn off. The sky, however, was still growing overcast. Everyone saw Strezz as he continued to kneel and gaze at the soil beneath him with a look of utter disillusionment.

“I don’t know…who I am anymore,” Strezz muttered, “or what my purpose is. Z-Storm…Evan…Strezz, who am I, really? Has my life been meaning to lead up to all this? Being set up to get trapped on this island, being burdened to fight against someone powerful with a suit of armor inside of a jacket, having to take the responsibility that all the other past Z-Storms couldn’t, finding out that my one true enemy has been a robot being controlled by a powerful entity this whole time, and putting my own life on the line and risked getting killed just to make it back home…I don’t understand why I’m like this!

“I can tell that these past events have been heavy to take in,” Sophocles spoke. “I should tell you, however, that it wasn’t fate that you would choose to wield Z-Storm’s powers.”

“That’s so easy to say for someone who decided to abandon the world in need and make Z-Storm someone else’s responsibility because he couldn’t handle the danger that “Seymour” posed!” Strezz shot back.

“I still showed support and provided advice in the sidelines when it came to you and Shazza,” Sophocles argued. “Perhaps I’ve been foolish or selfish with what I did. I do mean well when I say that I take full responsibility for clearing my name. You don’t need to feel upset now that Naja is gone.”

With no other way to respond to Sophocles, Strezz bit his tongue once again.

“Listen, I’ve met your family, and you may not see them the same way that I do, but I know that they’ve been worried about you and miss you very much,” Nike spoke. “Ever since I found out this whole operation Naja was setting up was a façade, I’ve made it my personal goal to ensure that you come back home to them, and I don’t want my good deeds for you to go in vain.”

“It’s true…” Strezz uttered. “I did want to go home…but now I just want to disappear.”

Strezz continued his own path across the wilds while his acquaintances continued to try and stop him. They all stopped when they reached a particular fountain.

“You have to stop, Strezz!” Sophocles advised. “The power of that fountain portal may not stable, whatever it is you do with it.”

“Hey, what’s going on with the weather?” Cam addressed, referring to the now-overcast sky above. “There shouldn’t be another storm when Strezz killed that evil spirit.”

After Cam acknowledged the abnormal weather, the rest of the group look overhead and saw as a storm was brewing. However, the Z-Storm jacket didn’t turn on, as showers weren’t prompted by the appearance of the storm. What followed were strong gale-force winds. Then, without warning, a typhoon materialized at the center of the fountain, and it was pulling Strezz right into it. While Strezz’s group held back and witnessed the anomaly right in front of them, Zowe trekked herself through the winds and grabbed a hold of Strezz’s hand. While the typhoon continued to pull Strezz down the fountain, his body was half-way covered. After struggling to pull Strezz’s body out, Zowe and him were both engulfed by the typhoon and disappeared. Afterwards, so did the typhoon, resulting in the storm overhead to subside. With the locale around them going silent, Strezz’s group looked with befuddlement and sadness, for they were unsure how it happened. Nike was quick to react by bringing herself down to her knees.

“Strezz…Zowe…where did they go?” Marina asked. “Could they still be alive?”

“There’s no telling for sure,” Sophocles spoke. “The fountain holds mysteries, as do the multiple universes contained in it. I wouldn’t want to say they’re gone, but we don’t know for sure if they’ll return…”

“Enough of this island lore nonsense!” Nike uttered. “Someone has to go in there and bring them back!”

“If you’re daring enough, I’d advise you to interact with the fountain at your own risk,” Sophocles continued. “There’s a chance that you won’t end up in the same universe as Strezz and Zowe, wherever they may be now.”

Nike went quiet for a long moment before turning her back to view the surrounding overgrowth, making her way back to the shores.

“I need some time for myself…” Nike muttered.

Little time passed as the remaining islanders returned to the shores. Strezz’s companions, alongside the former Thunder Troopers, were settled on one wide raft with a sail attached to it. Sophocles and Sal approached them before they could all say their bittersweet goodbyes to Seaside Springs.

“You’re leaving now?” Sophocles asked.

“I’d hate to bring the bad news to my parents about my brother Matt, to Zack’s parents about his death, and to Strezz and Zowe’s folks about their unexplained disappearances, but we can’t keep our own families waiting,” said Cam.

“Nike, are you coming with us?” Shazza asked towards her.

“I’m staying…” Nike responded. “I don’t have any place to go right now.”

“Well, I hope you figure out what your new place in the world will be soon,” Shazza replied. “At least my mates Sophocles and Sal will keep you company if you continue to stay on the island.”

“We can all go back home now, and that’s what matters,” Captain Tide remarked.

“Yeah…goodbye,” Nike finished as she, Sophocles, and Sal watched as the now-former islanders drifted away across the sea on their raft.

This ends the story of the castaways. The families of Bruce, Monique, and Marina were met with good news to see their children alive and well, and with a long story to tell. However, Cam’s parents were met with both good and bad news to see that their youngest son had returned, but the elder one has not, with Cam having to explain what happened, and when he also had to explain to Zack’s parents about what had happened to their son, their disapproval of him had quickly turned to grief and devastation. The news of Strezz’s friends had grabbed attention of the Stormonds and the Resniks, only to realize that their respective missing child had not returned. Captain Tide returned to work out at sea. He kept a captain’s log of his observances over the months he had been stranded, and so he quite a story to tell to his crewmates. Without a home to turn to, the surviving former Thunder Troopers were admitted to a homeless shelter, sans Hectors, who was placed in a mental care facility as his loyalty to the now-demolished Seymour persisting. Meanwhile, after Shazza returned from the island, she had already started her maiden voyage back to the Great Barrier Reef, Arthur was still hospitalized from the injuries he sustained from the long and arduous battle, courtesy of Nike and her Lightning Speed powers, who had brought him into a facility close by the Stormond household, and Kiyoko, as she had no specific place to turn to, remained a wanderer.

…As for Strezz and Zowe…

When Strezz regained consciousness, he saw himself in front of the background of a white void. Zowe was nowhere to be seen, but he knew that before the typhoon took him, she was holding right onto him.

“Zowe!” Strezz called out. He tried again, with more force in his voice, “ZOWE!”

There was still no answer. While trying to gather his thoughts on where he was now, Strezz noticed something materialize right before his eyes. He saw himself inside one of the last few places he had ever been before he first saw the Z-Storm jacket, and his two friends Bruce and Monique were there too.

“Bruce! Mo! I thought I’d never see you both again…” said Strezz. However, they didn’t seem to listen to him.

“I can’t believe this, the Steel 200 sank last night, No one knows whoever or whatever caused this crime,” Strezz heard Bruce say. Strezz remembered this moment very well, but not in this same way.

“Yeah, and I’m not seeing how I care….” Strezz heard Monique say.

“Me neither, but let’s face it, do any of you have any spectacular plans for our summer vacation?” “Bruce” continued.

“Hey, you two, tell me what’s going on!” Strezz called out.

Once he spoke up, Strezz witnessed his two friends turning his heads to face him with peculiar, dirty looks.

“Who said that? Who are you?” “Bruce” questioned.

“You are no one,” “Monique” uttered.

Before Strezz could try to speak with them, he saw Bruce, Monique, and the encompassing backdrop all disintegrate into dust, leaving Strezz by himself once again in the white void until something else materialized in an instant. Now Strezz saw himself in the background of the Seaside Springs Island, back when it was still occupied by Seymour…or Naja rather. What the jacket wearing sea sponge then saw was Shazza.

“Technically, I was a former Z-Storm, but let’s just say the magnificent flying technique I tried was all practice,” “Shazza” spoke. Now this moment, Strezz didn’t seem to have any memory of.

“Shazza, I need help,” Strezz said as he approached the replica.

“I was a beginner like you, but I retired from Z-Storm’s tasks,” “Shazza” responded.

“What are you talking about!?” Strezz exclaimed. “Don’t you even recognize me?”

“Shazza” turned around to face Strezz and uttered, “I’m afraid I don’t. Are you Z-Storm?”

The effect was the same from when Strezz tried talking to the figments of Bruce and Monique as Shazza and as well as the island both disintegrated. Every other moment that Strezz was being led up to now was one brief step into memory lane after another, seeing objects familiar to him enlivened while everything else looked like it was all in suspended animation, except that these memories didn’t match the personal experiences he possessed. He had also tried talking to Kiyoko, Marina, Cam, and Zack, the latter in which was no longer alive. He also stumbled across figments of the Thunder Troopers he had fought and two particular characters that he had never known who went by the names of Dallas and Marissa. Up to this point, Strezz now realizes that he was brought into a world that was nothing like his own. However, it all still begged the question of why these illusions revolved around him, and where Zowe had gone.

Before Strezz could try to make sense out of his current state of affairs, he was now standing in front of a figment of Arthur. Despite his awareness of what was transpiring, he wanted for him to be the real Arthur somehow.

“Arthur!” Strezz exclaimed as he approached him. “I’m still trying to figure out where I am and what’s going on, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I’ve felt for the way I considered you as if you were a traitor!”

“I know. Is there anything you want me to do?” “Arthur” asked.

“You seem to be the real thing. All I could ask of you is if you could forgive me,” Strezz responded.

“But I just got here,” said “Arthur.”

“Yes, and we’re going to find ourselves a way out of this place together, although I still need to find Zowe.”

“Okay, but that depends…I can’t tell, and I don’t think keeping a secret can help with it.”

“What…?”

“I don’t know who you are, but I do know that I’m not real…” Arthur uttered before he disintegrated like everyone else.

“No! What even is real then?” Strezz questioned. “Am I the only living person here? What’s going on? Somebody answer me!”

The background surrounding Strezz changed once again and he now saw what he feared would happen happened. He was in the middle of a field. There stood a train on the tracks adjacent to where he stood, all while he was in front of Seymour in his Dark Strike armor.

No... Strezz thought. Please, anyone but him!

”You obviously have no idea, however, the name is Seymour,” his figment greeted, “and don’t wear it out either!” I’m here for my revenge; I know you’re the next possession of Z-Storm’s natural abilities!”

“I don’t want to fight you!” Strezz responded. “Besides, you aren’t even real, you should be dead!”

“Hmmm, someone had the possession of Z-Storm, but that doesn’t matter anymore, ‘cause I have the feeling you’re next, and you’re the right guy for me to take revenge on,” “Seymour” continued.

Strezz prepared for the worst as Seymour fired his weapons against his target. To Strezz’s surprise, however, he didn’t feel anything and Seymour’s body moved around like he got hit by his opponent’s attacks despite Strezz not activating Z-Storm, let alone touching him, all of which only raised more questions about what was happening.

“You may not listen to me, but I thought I should make myself loud and clear,” Strezz was saying. “I don’t understand anything that’s going on and I deserve to know. What kind of simulation is this, what does this all have to do with me, and where is Zowe? I am not Z-Storm, and I don’t go by any other name. I am Strezz, Strezz Stormond!”

Strezz gave a look of desperation after he finished speaking. The world around him and “Seymour” had now grown quiet. Just when Strezz thought he was going to deal with the same thing that happened from every other illusion he witnessed, “Seymour” ceased fire.

“You claim that you are Stezz, but my internal data does not correspond to the Strezz that I recognize,” “Seymour” spoke.

“What does that mean, that there’s another version of me that I don’t know of?” Strezz asked. Of all the people he managed to get his words through, he didn’t think he’d be able to have something resembling a conversation with his past enemy.

“All that I can tell you now is that all the answers that you seek are approaching you…” “Seymour” finished.

Like before, Seymour and the background that encompassed him and Strezz disintegrated and transformed into another location. Strezz now saw a black silhouette taking shape before being revealed into the image of Zowe.

“Zowe!” Strezz called out. Unlike the other figments he tried to talk to, Zowe responded to the sound of his voice in an instant. Seeing how she seemed to recognize him too suggested that she was the real thing.

“Strezz…is that you?” Zowe asked.

“Are you real?” Strezz inquired as he approached her.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Zowe replied. “What I like to know is what this place is and what we’re even doing here.”

“I was thinking the same exact thing. By the way, I noticed that you were looking at something. What was it anyway?”

“Well, for some odd reason, I just stumbled across my own double…”

“And speaking of special operations, can I have a code name?” The illusion of Zowe asked. “Can my purse have a code name?”

“Okay then, Zowe, your codename is….Psychotic Woman because I like calling you that, you’re the back-up, you find Bruce and Monique when Shazza is in danger,” the figment of Cam said.

“Strezz…was I ever really like this?” Zowe suddenly asked him.

“That’s not the Zowe that I know and ended up in this predicament with,” Strezz reassured. “Come on, after learning what you’ve dealt with while I was battling Seymour, you’re the strongest person that I know.”

“Thanks for telling me that,” Zowe replied. “I still wish I could find a way out of here, or at least know what’s going on.”

It was then that the stimulation Strezz and Zowe just witnessed disintegrated. What they didn’t notice though was the entire area now being shrouded in mist while a tall, armored figure stood right behind them.

“The answer you’re looking for is standing right behind you,” the mysterious voice from the shroud spoke. The obscured image was then revealed to be that of Z-Storm. Strezz and Zowe gazed at it in surprise once they heard the voice.

“Okay, is this place making my imagination run wild or am I really looking at another Z-Storm?” Zowe questioned.

“I am very much real,” the voice from the Z-Storm armor continued. “Even though I am your double, Strezz, I should explain to you and your friend what this place is. This is the pocket dimension that I’ve been trapped in for seven years! At least that’s what I think how much time has passed. My body hasn’t aged a bit since time doesn’t move in this dimension, and there is no use trying to keep track of it. My point is that I have been stranded here for a long time, longer than when I was on that island.”

“Yeah, I still don’t read you,” Zowe remarked.

“Sorry miss, I’ve meant to only have a heart to heart with this version of Strezz,” the voice from the armor spoke before he then formed a black pit underneath Zowe’s feet. Strezz came to her side as she began to sink down.

“Hang on, Zowe! I’ve got you!” Strezz affirmed.

“I’m sorry…” Zowe muttered. “You’re going to have to let me go.” Strezz exchanged a distressed look.

“If I do that, then I might never see you again!” Strezz replied.

“She’ll be fine, no pain can ever be dealt in this universe anyway,” the voice from the Z-Storm armor assured.

“If I end up someplace else, I trust that you’d be able to find me,” Zowe continued. “This is not the right time for me to admit this either, but after I saw you lose control of yourself and threaten me before we ended up here together, I don’t think we could work as a couple…for the time being. I know how much you care about me, so we could still at least be friends.”

A small streak of tears came down Strezz’s face after seeing himself being let down by his friend. He still wasn’t sure to believe if the Z-Storm in front of him won’t do any harm to Zowe, but after thinking hard about it, he let go of Zowe’s fin.

“I understand…” Strezz said and watched as Zowe disappeared through the black pit until it vanished. He turned to the unmoving Z-Storm armor and demanded, “What did you do to her!?”

“It’s nothing serious. I sent her back to her own dimension,” the voice confessed.

“Well, I want to go back home too!” Strezz shot back.

“So did I, but a mysterious force has been preventing me from doing so.” The voice replied. “From what I’ve been told ever since I first wound up here, she had stopped time in my own universe. Even now that I’ve managed to lure you in here, I can never understand the reasoning behind that. What I really don’t understand is why there exists another version of me, and why his universe would still be rotating…”

Seaside Springs was shown once again, with Nike continuing to stare at the horizon while the sun was beginning to set down. That was when Sophocles decided to approach her.

“I see you’re still feeling down about what happened to Strezz,” Sophocles spoke as he sat down on the shore next to Nike.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Nike responded. “After realizing that I’ve been manipulated by Naja and his false organization and implanted with fake memories, I’ve been meaning to redeem myself by bringing Strezz back home. I wrote his family a notice proving my vow. “Don’t give on him, thank Nike later.” Now I don’t have any thanks to give.”

“I understand why you’re upset,” Sophocles replied. “If Strezz turned out to be the one who would take down Naja once and for all, then I still believe that he may return.”

“Sophocles…do you know how all this happened, like how Z-Storm first came to existence?” Nike uttered. “I want to know.”

“I am a descendant of the first to wield Z-Storm’s powers, so I am obliged to tell…”

For the next hour or so, Sophocles spun a yarn to Nike about the ancient origins of Z-Storm, and how it came to be. He started by talking about how eons ago, the island known as Seaside Springs used to be full of live and was settled in the Mediterranean before its population was reduced, before all but one of the fountains were extracted, and before the island drifted off towards where it laid now as a result of the central fountain’s power, which went by the name of The Fountain of Unity. The fountain contained energy that was described to have been associated to the concept of the multiverse. As a result, Seaside Springs had access to cutting-edge technology from travels citizens have made from the worlds that the fountain had generated. However, the downside to the fountain’s power was that it allowed dangerous creatures to enter the island without warning. When these incidents became frequent, the monarch laid out strategies for the royal guards to control, with each creature being categorized based on the level of threat they posed. The high authority had considered shutting down the fountain’s volatile power, but the council decided against interfering with it, as its power was too valuable to cease.

The royal guards continued to handle fighting off the creatures whenever they showed up. It wasn’t until Naja appeared from the fountain and brought upon a severe storm that the entire island would be dealing with a serious threat, who in which went from being described a category seven all the way up to a category eleven threat when the immortal being claimed several upon several innocent lives. With nothing in their arsenal to stop the beast, this resulted into the monarch calling upon a cobbler named Fargo Zafeiriou, requesting him to craft a suit of armor with their weapons to overpower the spirit. Fargo was quick to refuse a request so needy, being aware that the materials required to create such armor were expensive and scarce, and reaffirmed that he only possessed experience in tailoring and cobbling. However, Fargo showed great concern for his fellow citizens and was pressured to find a way to defeat Naja as the body count increased. He took the plunge into one of the fountain’s portals and found himself in a world unlike his own. With his talent for mending and crafting clothing combined with his acquired knowledge of electronics and weaponry, Fargo would then develop the idea of creating a jacket that would form a suit of armor with gadgets from willpower, from the touch of rainwater, and as well as from the presence of a storm. However, he didn’t stop at just making one. He made tens more armor-concealed jackets for the royal guards as means of accruing the island’s defense against Naja. During his travels, he also came across serpent spirits that were similar to Naja, and that was when he met Aegaeon and asked for him to lend his powers to the weapon he intended to use to suppress Naja.

When Fargo returned, he came back as an armored chevalier. After bestowing the rest of his creations to what remained of the monarch’s defenses during his quest, the battle against Naja would take place. Naja proved to be a powerful adversary when Fargo would end up alone to face him. Fargo saw himself at the end of his line until he tried to use what remained of his energy and determination to fight to merge with Aegaeon into Z-Storm. With a significant boost of power, Fargo was able to overpower Naja. Instead of killing the spirit, however, Fargo had Naja concealed inside of a jacket. Before conceding, Naja swore to Fargo that one day he will have his vengeance fulfilled against whoever bore the Z-Storm armor. Fargo would then intend to destroy the jacket he confined the spirit inside of, but his powerful resistance prevented anyone from doing so, resulting in the royals to guard it, in hopes that no one would be unfortunate enough to wear it until they found a way of destroying the spirit forever. The high authority would continue to keep the peace of Seaside Springs against creatures thanks to Fargo’s inventions. As Fargo’s time in the world would pass by, he would pass the torch to another willing protector, and this would continue for the next several generations until the Dark Strike jacket would end up falling into someone’s fins.

From there, Nike came to a full understanding of what happened next, with the Fountain of Unity’s power causing for the island drift away from the Mediterranean and to fill the wilds with a variety of exotic creatures, and then for Naja to resurface as Seymour, kill her original creator, and invade the island, prompting for Sophocles to uphold the responsibility of being Z-Storm while she was forced into Vandyke’s custody. And the rest was history.

“Wow, so this has all been going on for that long?” Nike asked.

“Precisely,” Sophocles confirmed. “The most proper thing to do now is to shut down the Fountain of Unity and exorcise the evil spirits that are still contained in the jackets we retrieved, but that will require some time, now with the current Z-Storm bearer missing.”

While Sophocles and Nike resumed glancing at the view from the shore, they sighted Brave Bolt’s armor zooming through until it landed on the shore and unveiled a limping Arthur.

“Arthur, what are you doing here?” Nike asked. “You should be recovering right now!”

“I know…” Arthur groaned. “I came back as fast as I could carry myself because I have important news to share. It’s about Strezz…and Zowe…and something about another Z-Storm?”

“Tell us what happened!” Nike demanded.

“Zowe suddenly showed up in front of the hospital room I was staying in and…she told me that Stezz is…he’s still alive, although he was in…another universe,” Arthur explained. “She told me everything she knew before she went back to her own home.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? We have to tell Strezz’s folks that he’s still alive!” Nike said.

“That’s the spirit,” said Sophocles. “I suppose the three of us should all pay his family a visit. It is going to be hard for just one of us to explain things to them.”

The Stormond family was gathered by the table, with nothing except Strezz on their minds since hearing the news about his friends returning despite him still being missing.

Leon finally spoke “Is big bro coming back?”

“We don’t know,” said Diana. “He couldn’t be gone when we’ve hearing from all those friends of his of how he’s helped them leave the island.”

“What happened on your trip to rescue Strezz?” Cassandra asked. “You both were so motivated to bring him back and then all of a sudden, you’re back home without him.”

“I’m not sure about how that happened either,” Trevor responded. “One moment, we were out in a stormy sea and after a bout of whiplash, we were back here with another note claiming to be from ‘L.S.’ that it will bring our son back later.”

“How long does later have to be?” Farley questioned. “I hope he’s not…dead…”

“He can’t be, or least we hope he isn’t,” Diana reassured.

“All I want to know is what happened to our son that got him and his folks stranded on that island for months, what that strange man who called himself Vandyke came to us for, why Strezz still hasn’t returned, and why Z-Storm is connected to all of this,” said Trevor. “There’s something about this whole story that we don’t know. I wish there was something that could line up all these pieces together.”

As fate would have it, the Stormonds then heard a knock from their door. When the parents opened it, they saw Arthur by himself.

“Hello, you must be Strezz’s mom and dad, I’m Arthur,” he greeted.

“Arthur…?” Diana asked, taking a gaze at the Brave Bolt jacket that was adorned around his abdomen (and around the gauze covering it). She could already tell from his polite disposition that he appears to be a trustworthy person. “You were that child from CORE-al that created that android…”

“You mean Seymour,” Arthur responded. “It’s a long story to tell.”

“How did you know we live here?” Diana asked.

“I didn’t, but this girl knew,” as Arthur acknowledged Nike, he moved to the left from the doorway to show Sophocles with Nike, who were both right behind him.

“I remember you, you’re…” Diana was saying towards the android wearing the Lightning Speed jacket.

“Nike and Arthur have some information to share regarding Strezz and his whereabouts,” Sophocles spoke. “As do I, for I am the former bearer of the same Z-Storm jacket that has protected your son.”

Back in the pocket dimension where Strezz and his supposed double remained, the former was confronted by the mysterious being after he had transported Zowe away. Strezz gazed upon the Z-Storm armor as he awaited answers.

“Why did you bring me here, and who is ‘she’ anyway?” Strezz inquired.

“I figured that I could be able to return to my own world if I brought back my duplicate by force and got rid of him,” the voice responded. “That way, I think I’d be able to co-exist again. Of course, in this realm, you can’t inflict pain, so I’ll just have to take our planned fight somewhere else.”

“Go on and show yourself,” Strezz demanded, “No matter what you say you are, you’re an imposter!”

“Don’t you already get it?” The voice continued before the Z-Storm was turned off, revealing amongst the mists…Strezz Stormond (albeit with differences in his own physical appearance). “I’m the original you. Why else would I seek to get rid of you?”

Strezz looked at the figure that he now fully knew was his double with disillusionment.

“We both can’t agree who the inferior version is, but now you know the truth,” the proclaimed original Strezz continued, “and now I can settle this score.”

Before Strezz could activate his Z-Storm armor and prepare for the worst that was to come, he noticed a black pit forming beneath him and slumped with his arms holding on to the floor of the white void. However, this occurrence caught Strezz’s double by surprise. From the bottom of the hole that caught Strezz, an abnormal glow emitted.

“What’s this?” The original Strezz questioned. “She can’t be doing this when I just got my duplicate within my grasp!”

“So this is not your doing?” Strezz asked back.

“Well, if it’s going to be that way, then I’ll have to bid you farewell,” the original Strezz said before uttering his last words before Strezz completely descended. “The next time we meet face to face, we shall battle until there’s only one of us.”

Strezz watched as he descended down a world that was now surrounded by a black void. He took a look at himself as his body was emitting a glow before he reached the ground. Right in front of him was the appearance of a girl wearing a hood, who otherwise looked like she had been waiting to meet him.

“Hello Strezz Stormond,” she spoke. “I’m Gaia and I have something for you to do. So listen up and listen real hard…”

Later, within the calm wilds of Seaside Spring, Hector’s now-abandoned animal companion, Burden, gazed around the area before the spontaneous presence of the Z-Storm jacket drifting along the wind caught its attention.

 

THE STORY CONTINUES…
----------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES/TRIVIA:

Spoiler

Characters from other spin-offs making an appearance in this episode:
-Gaia (Oracle of the Cosmos)
-Strezz (Z-Storm)

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EPILOGUE: 7.5. Epilogue

The last thing Strezz remembered before finding himself inside an unfamiliar void was his encounter with 'the original Strezz Stormond,' as he so claimed. He doesn't know where he is anymore, since coming back home was all that he could ever think about besides the guilt he felt from the aftermath of defeating Naja.

Before experiencing another bout of whiplash from crossing another dimension, Strezz saw visual memories of his past being replayed that corresponded his early signs of his autism, including to when he began responding to 'Strezz' instead of 'Evan' or 'Evangelos.' The little things that were being displayed to him made him feel sad inside before he regained complete consciousness in another world.

Settled in that same void was the presence of someone in a cloak that otherwise had the appearance of a young girl. He already had been told by her that her name is Gaia and that she had some important information to share, but he didn't seem to care what that all may be.

"What's all this?" Strezz asked. "I don't understand."

"Hello, are you Strezz Stormond?" Gaia spoke in a slow and irritably infantilizing tone. "My name is Gaia. Do you know why you're here?"

"Why are you talking to me like that?" Strezz asked once more. "Just tell me what's going on."

"I thought for sure you'd explain that to me yourself, Strezz," Gaia responded, "or is it Evangelos?"

Strezz couldn't bring himself to be angry about the way Gaia said his original name, for he knew he caused himself turmoil over it. He glared at the mysterious girl and then said "My name is Strezz. It's been like that for a while and it will always be."

"So, Strezz, you're clearly wondering why you're here." Gaia continued, "and whatever excuse you may have for your actions, you should know that you can't excuse it on your autism. Consider yourself lucky that I was able to intervene when you confronted another, older version of you before things became brutal."

"Oh yeah, what was that all about? Why was there another one of me and what did he want with me?"

"I'm afraid it's too complicated to explain all of that in detail. The other Strezz experience the typical cycle of where the forces of time and space decide when it's done functioning all proceedings of his universe, and he of course, didn't take it very well. Now let's get back on-topic. Why do you think you're here, Strezz?"

"Why should I tell you? You seem to know a lot about me already anyways, and I don't know you exactly are."

"Let's just say that I'm an entity that observes of each and every parallel dimension in the multiple universes, or the multiverse as everyone calls it. My job here is to maintain order for each of those worlds. I've observed the actions of your own universe as well, and I've brought you here once a great disturbance all around the multiverse would take place, and it's an occurrence that could bring about the end of it all. Are you following me on this, Strezz?"

"Um...I'm sorry. I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"That's fine, the important thing that I have to talk to you about doesn't have much to do with the whole hijacking. Before I explain to you why I've brought you into the nexus of the multiverse, I'd like for you to tell me what you think brought you to me."

"Well...what you said about how I can't use my autism as an excuse for my actions, you have a point. I was having a lot of trouble processing what this whole journey of mine has been leading up to, with me being stranded on an island for a month, being lent a jacket containing Z-Storm, having to face a bunch of powerful enemies, including this one person who's been out to get me since day one, only for him to turn out to be an android that was being controlled by some immortal spirit that was more powerful, and I've risked death several times all just for that. I don't know what my purpose in life is and why this all has been happening to me. I've wanted to disappear, but now all I want to do right now is just go back home."

Looks like you're wracked with guilt, but that does explain a lot for me. Although, what you should really know is that you're here because you've banished from your own universe."

Strezz expressed shock in his face before then asking, "What...and how?"

"You broke Z-Storm's natural code that you wouldn't use its powers to harm others that don't mean harm to you, or at least you almost did until a person by the name of Zowe made you muster up the courage to speak. As you should know, one of the previous owners of the jacket you wear, Sophocles, did also get banished, and although it was by request, he has also expressed a good amount of guilt much like you have. Now do you understand why you've been sent here?"

"I guess so..."

"Now, let's make a deal. You want to return back to your own universe, and the price you'll have to pay to accomplish that is to learn a few things about responsibility. Before you accept that, you'll have to give away something in exchange."

"Okay, like what?"

"The one thing you must give up is what you are wearing right now."

Strezz was quick to realize that Gaia meant the Z-Storm jacket and so he responded with hesitation.

"You want me to give up Z-Storm!? How am I going to be able to protect myself without this jacket? Could I exchange to you Arcty instead?" Strezz referred to his stuffed polar bear backpack that he also had in his person in the latter question.

"Z-Storm is a part of the reason why you've been banished. You were on the cusp of abusing its power and you were lured by your doppelganger for carrying those same powers. You're going to be transferred to unknown territory, and I could assure you that it could poser greater risks and danger on your end if you choose to keep holding on Z-Storm and its powers. I can't take your bear since there's no burden attached to it, and I presume it's more important to you than the jacket than you may notice. Well, Strezz, either you give up Z-Storm, or you give up your chance of being able to return your home world."

Without saying a word, Strezz acquiesced, pulled his arms out of the jacket, and then lent the article of clothing to Gaia.

"Good choice. I'll guarantee this won't end up in the wrong hands, or fins. All you have to do now is step on the inter-dimensional trolley that will take you to its destination."

Strezz looked around the void to see said method of transport right in front of him.

"Wait, what do you mean by a great disturbance?" Strezz questioned before stepping in.

"For now, that is only my concern and not yours." Gaia clarified. "We may meet again sooner or later. I've got a couple more appointments, I before you send you and the others off."

Strezz would know what she meant by others when he stepped inside the trolley to see three humans (one was a female-brunette with amber eyes, one was a dirty blonde male with hair covering his eyes, and one was a black-haired male in a karate uniform) and a turquoise and pink-colored equine in their respective seats. Strezz didn't give direct eye contact to others nor spoke to them and questioned why they're in the same trolley as him before he seated himself.

"Not even some small talk, huh?" the rude boy next to the girl uttered.

"Perhaps he just doesn't like talking," the brightly-colored equine presumed.

"How much longer are we going to stay here?" The dark-haired male questioned.

"Yeah, how many of us have happened to be banished?" The other boy rejoindered.

"We'll just have to wait," the girl spoke before the conversation died down.

Strezz left himself alone to ponder how much his folks back in his world must miss him, which made the guilty feeling of his grow slightly more. He also wondered what Gaia had planned for him until he witnessed another individual manifesting in the void in front of the proclaimed observer of dimensions, who appeared to be a sleeping sea dragon with peculiar markings on his skin.

Somewhere in another world, Kinuyo could be seen in a desolate area in front of a group of yokai, looking as though to be sowing the seeds of her new plans, whilst also sewing new threads on her kimono.

"Just you wait, sister, I'll be back for you," Kinuyo said to herself, "and I'm going to make it all worthwhile."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES/TRIVIA:

Characters from other spin-offs making an appearance in this epilogue:

Spoiler

-Gaia (Oracle of the Cosmos)
-Ga?z?n?y (Oracle of the Cosmos)
-C?er?lea (Oracle of the Cosmos)
-Lotus Petals (Oracle of the Cosmos)
-Levi (Sub-Tropical Academy)
-Koamalu (Tiki Land)

 

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