A week of unsettling silence from the Celestials. Training intensified, a storm brewing on the horizon.
The ground began to stir. Minor earthquakes, seemingly random, plagued the region. Dishes rattled on shelves, windows vibrated in their frames, and a constant, almost imperceptible tremor ran through the soles of their feet, like a heartbeat too fast to count.
But there was a pattern, a subtle connection between the tremors that defied explanation.
Bakari spent hours poring over seismograph readings, his brow furrowed in concentration. He couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming.
Low-level earthquakes and unsettling vibrations plagued the region, making training even more challenging.
The girls told the boys about Valley Park, a nighttime escape. Bakari, however, found no solace.
He stared at the ceiling, the tremors still faintly rattling the room. He held up his transparent phone, the screen displaying a looping holographic image of his parents. Their laughter echoed faintly from the device, a cruel reminder of what he might have already lost.
He traced the outline of his mother's face with his thumb, his heart pounding. Who would dare kidnap them? And what were they going through right now?
At the rocky slopes of East Valley Park, the girls perched atop the massive lunar spear, watching Yuri and Bakari face off.
A sharp, ivory bone spur *materialized* from Yuri's knuckles, defying the laws of nature.
He slashed it across the ground, the bone scraping against the earth with a harsh, grating sound that seemed to echo from another dimension, making Amy wince.
He focused, and purple veins writhed beneath the skin of his forearm, distorting its shape.
A gruesome slit appeared, and the angular bone shield slid out, as if birthed from his own flesh.
The bone was cold and smooth, almost metallic in appearance, and it hummed with a low, unsettling energy.
Blue lightning flickered around its edges, a sign of the power it contained.
"Push me past this line, and victory is yours," he taunted, his voice a low, dangerous purr. A devious smile twisted his lips.
Bakari, hands on his knees, gasped, "That's it?"
Yuri nodded, the smile unwavering.
Amy yelled, "Whoop whoop! Go Bakari!" clapping wildly.
Bakari jammed a thumb at her, a rare grin flashing across his face. "You hear that? Going have to look cool now."
Yuri chuckled. "I don't remember you ever looking cool, especially after losing, but come at me."
Bakari slammed his prosthetic fist into his palm.
"I won't lose this time." His visor sealed with a hiss, and he slammed into the bone shield, a streak of motion halted abruptly.
He gripped the edges, forcing Yuri back, heels scraping against the ground as he strained.
Bakari's laughter echoed, but Yuri, gritting his teeth, manipulated the bone shield with precise control.
He destabilized its structure, creating a critical weakness.
With a sharp, focused pulse of energy, he shattered the shield, the sudden shift in momentum catching Bakari off guard and sending him sprawling forward, face-first into the dirt.
On the lunar spear, Amy threw her arms up in celebration, but her face quickly fell. "Huh?" she said, confused. Allison put a hand out to her.
"Come, come, my ten dollars, please." Amy groaned and slapped the bill into Allison's hand. Allison, chuckling, held it up triumphantly.
Yuri approached Bakari, who lounged in the dirt like a delinquent, a hint of rebellion in his posture.
He nonchalantly tossed a few bone fragments in the air, catching them with a bored expression.
"That's not fair," Bakari protested. Yuri hauled him up with a wry smile. "When is fighting ever fair?"
Bakari's gauntlet pulsed with energy, drawing his attention for a moment. Just then, Allison called out, "Hey guys, are we ready?" Yuri, making his way to the jet, shot her a thumbs up.
"Ha, found them!" The Prince exclaimed. Yuri stopped, intrigued, while Bakari's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Found them?" Yuri asked.
"Well, one," Bakari replied, grinning. "You picked up a signal?" Yuri inquired.
"Yeah, I did. But it's weak and not too far from here," Bakari explained, prompting Yuri to look up, puzzled.
"So how come I'm not sensing it?" he wondered aloud. Bakari shrugged, the mystery lingering between them.
Twilight draped the city in its cloak, he finally locked onto the signal's source.
"Ready to roll?" Bakari asked, a hint of anticipation threading through his words.
Yuri's expression was resolute, the memory of their past encounter still burning. "I've got a score to settle since last time," he admitted, a steely resolve in his tone.
Bakari grinned, understanding the sentiment completely. "Good. But remember, it's info we're after, not bodies."
They slipped through the city streets like shadows, their hoods pulled low to conceal their identities. Arriving at the tailor shop, Bakari suggested, "Why don't we announce ourselves with a little flare?" He smirked, indicating a release of celestial energy.
Yuri's eyes narrowed, a flicker of something dark passing across his face. "Let's keep it subtle," he said, his voice low. "No need to announce our presence to the whole city."
Bakari eased the door open, the bell tinkling softly above them. Inside, a man was crouched mid-motion, sweeping up shards of glass.
"Sorry, we're closed. Forgot to flip the sign," he muttered without glancing up.
Yuri's gaze roamed the shop's interior, assessing every detail: the cluttered shelves, the faint scent of fabric and something else…ozone? Something was off.
Bakari stepped forward, adopting a swagger that felt strangely familiar. "That's cool, we just want to have a chat," he said smoothly, channeling every two-bit gangster he'd ever seen in a human film.
The man finally turned to face them, cigarette dangling loosely from his lips, his eyes attempting to size them up. "What kind of chat?" he replied, an edge of curiosity in his tone.
Bakari sensed the subtle ripple of celestial energy, assessing the stranger's potential before speaking. "We're looking for those who wandered into our territory and took what's ours," he stated, his words carrying a quiet menace. "They belong elsewhere, not here—understand?"
As the words left Bakari's mouth, Yuri glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.
The guy took the cigarette from his mouth. "I'm telling you the truth. I don't know anything about that, and I don't partake in those kinds of activities."
Yuri kept his hands in his pockets, his jaw tightening. "No, we think you do." The tailor's dismissive tone, the way he was hiding something…it grated on Yuri's nerves.
Bakari stepped forward. "Look, if we don't stop those guys and get back what was stolen, a lot of people are going to die. We can't allow that. So I suggest you start talking."
"Why are we still talking?" Yuri muttered, his face twisting in suppressed rage. The air around him crackled with energy.
Purple veins crawled up his neck, throbbing with power. A gruesome slit cracked open in his palm, and a bone staff, slick with purple fluid, shot forth.
The guy sighed, a flicker of resignation in his eyes.
Yuri leapt, swinging the staff with a speed that blurred the eye. The guy weaved, dodging the blow, then spun, narrowly avoiding a backswing.
"Come on, Yuri," Bakari said, exasperated. "He doesn't have all day."
The guy landed on the counter in a crouch, dodging another swipe from Yuri. Yuri's lone eye widened in confusion. He wasn't expecting this level of resistance.
A plasma sword hissed through the air, narrowly missing the guy, who leaned out of the way. It lodged in the wall, sizzling, the smell of ozone filling the air.
"I'll say this one more time," the man declared, his voice steeled with resolve. "I am not the person you're looking for. If you two continue to wreck my store, you'll pay dearly for your actions."
"Is that so?" Bakari said, his tone deceptively mild.
The guy's gaze sharpened, a flicker of something dangerous in his eyes.
The guy moved faster than the eye could follow.
The thwack of his forearm connecting with the prince's face echoed in the small shop, a sickening crunch accompanying the sound.
The sound of shattering bone filled the air.
Bakari was launched backward, crashing through a glass case filled with elite suits.
He landed on the floor in a heap, surrounded by shattered glass and torn fabric, his face a bloody mess. He lay there, panting, blood pooling beneath him.
"No!" Yuri yelled, surging forward, his eyes blazing with fury.
The guy blocked the staff with his forearm. "You still trying?" He formed a fist. "You boys don't learn."
He slammed a fist into Yuri's chest, a blow that resonated with bone-jarring force.
Yuri was sent hurtling backward, blood spraying from his lips. He crashed through the counter, slamming into the wall with a calamitous impact.
Amidst a shower of plaster and wood, his body draped limply over the debris, breath barely stirring.
The guy glanced between them, then his head snapped toward the door as a knock sounded.
An elderly female voice called out, "Kang? Kang, are you alright in there, sweetheart?"
"Y-yes, Miss Lou Lou," Kang stammered, struggling to catch his breath. "All good. Just renovating."
"Alright, have a good night, Kang," she said.
"Likewise," he said.
Kang took a cigarette from a pack and placed it in his mouth, Bakari gradually sat up, grimacing as his violet, bloodied face transformed.
The process was excruciatingly slow, each bruise fading like ink washed from parchment.
His shattered bones inched back into place, knitting together with painstaking precision, until his skin was once again smooth and unblemished.
"Listen closely and heed my words," he said, his voice a menacing growl that lingered in the air.
"Return to Pluton and deliver this message to your king, whoever wears the crown these days: Kang Moriarty has severed all ties with Pluton.
I have no interest in its affairs anymore; Earth is my home now. So heed my warning—stay out of my path.
Should you or any other celestial cross me again, I will ensure it's the last thing you ever do. Do I make myself clear?"
The Prince glanced over at Yuri, who was still unconscious in the crater, mouth bleeding.
"You are going to pay for doing tha-" He stopped, realization dawning on his face.
This Kang person wasn't with the other Celestials. "So you're not with the Armada that came to Earth?"
Kang sighed, a hint of weariness in his eyes. "Unless you mean the one from decades ago, then no."
Bakari's eyes widened. "Decades ago?"
"What's your name, kid?" Kang asked.
Bakari bristled. Kid was what adults called human children, which on Pluton, they called cherubs. The term felt dismissive, like he was being reduced to nothing.
"Bakari."
"Why are you here, Bakari?" Kang said.
Bakari tried to get up, but a wave of pain washed over him.
"Stay down and breathe," Kang ordered.
Bakari sat back down, focusing on his breathing, feeling his skull slowly reforming. "There's a rebellion going on in Pluton.
So my friend and I came here to stop the celestials who stole my father's Armada."
Kang raised an eyebrow. "Why stop them? Are they just fleeing?"
"No, sir. From what I know, they're here to wipe out all life on Earth. Why, I do not know. Plus, the King and Queen are missing."
Kang took a drag from his cigarette. "What in the heck is going on in Pluton?"
Bakari said, "That's what I would like to know."
"Hmm," Kang said, considering. "What's your friend's name?"
"Yuri," Bakari said.
Kang sighed again. "Well, seems we're going to have to start working together.
Pick up your friend and follow me." He turned and headed toward a door at the back of the shop.
Bakari stood, swaying slightly, and held his head.
"We lost. Blast this!" He reached into the crater and grabbed Yuri, pulling him out. What secrets was Kang Moriarty hiding, and could they trust him?