The Crimson Dragon Volume 8

## Lay Low - Issue 1

Kai is walking through town. Kai’s hair is a little longer than he normally keeps it. His curly hair can be pulled down past his eyes. Kai’s 6 o’clock shadow has grown out a little bit more. Kai looks a bit more scruff than he usually does. He is walking around town with regular clothes on. As he walks around he sees a lot more people with glasses than usual. Kai walks inside Bibble and Sip. He walks up to the cashier who is also wearing glasses. Kai orders a coffee. As the woman turns he sees the A logo on the glasses, and it clicks in his head. Kai grabs his coffee and leaves Bibble and Sips. Kai walks down to Lawrence’s house. Lawrence’s wife opens the door and leads Kai to Lawrence’s office. Kai sits down in the chair with his coffee.

Lawrence: You look older.

Kai: Life catches up to you.

Lawrence: Aren’t you still in your twenties?

Kai: Nevermind that. Why didn’t I know that the glasses came out?

Lawrence: Do you not watch the news? We were all over the news channels. We had record-breaking first-week sales. We are constructing more shops around the US to sell the glasses.

Kai: I’ve been busy. Didn’t I say I wanted to, y’know, run my company.

Lawrence: Yes you did, but I had a feeling you would want me to help you out. Since you were busy. If you want to start running your company then you will. Once the building is finished.

Kai: Elaborate.

Lawrence: The skyscraper. We started building it a while ago. It was supposed to be a surprise, but it’s taking longer than expected.

Kai: When will it be done?

Lawrence: Two months from now. You will be on one of the top floors if not the top floor. You will be getting a lot of paperwork. This is a new business after all.

Kai looks pensive.

Lawrence: You’re lucky I even helped you out this much. I am a shareholder. I am just here to make money. If I lose money on this company you will feel the repercussions.

Kai: I assure you, you won’t.

Lawrence snarls and goes back to work. Kai gets up and takes a sip of his coffee.

Kai: We picked the perfect time to sell these glasses, didn’t we.

Lawrence lays back in his chair tapping his fingers together.

Lawrence: With all this Mutant controversy, yes. Now people can tell who are mutants and who aren’t. They can tell whether they should be worried or not. People don’t like not knowing. They practically are forced to buy these glasses.

Kai smiles.

Kai: I guess.

Kai leaves the room. As Kai is walking out Lawrence’s wife stops him.

Lawrence’s Wife: Lawrence has been working diligently on this company. I am worried about him. He never takes any breaks when he is working on a project.

Kai: He’ll get a break soon. I promise.

Kai leaves and walks back to his house. Kai opens the door and he hears arguing in the living room. Kai throws away his empty coffee cup, and walks inside the living room.

Max: No, you lost. Stay mad!

Remi: That’s because all you did yesterday was look up how to do every move in the game.

Max: Yeah, it’s called getting good. You should try it sometime.

Kai looks at the tv.

Kai: Are you guys arguing about smash bros?

Both of them turn their heads to Kai angrily.

Max/Remi: Yeah!

They turn back to each other.

Remi: This round I choose your character.

Max: That’s not fair!

Remi: You can choose mine.

Max: Still not fair!

Kai leaves the room. Kai walks inside the gym room. Kai kicks off his shoes and cracks his neck.

Kai: Alright, workout time.

Kai grabs onto the metal pull up bar. Kai starts working out. He does pull-ups for thirty minutes straight. Kai hops off the bar not looking too fazed. Kai lays on the bench press. The weight still on it from the last time he worked out. Kai starts lifting the weight. As he is lifting the weight Remi walks in. Kai puts the weight back and sits up.

Kai: What do you want?

Remi: Are you just going to be a loner and do your own thing, or are you actually going to hang out with Max and me.

Kai: Do you want me too?

Remi grabs Kai’s arm and drags him out of the room.

Kai: I guess that’s a yes.

They start walking to the living room.

Kai: What are you guys even doing?

Remi: We’re just playing games.

Kai: Yeah, there hasn’t been too much trouble in town lately.

Remi: There’s been nothing.

Remi looks up at Kai.

Remi: So, why don’t we enjoy this time?

Kai sighs.

Kai: Fine.

Remi and Kai sit down on the couch.

Kai: Are yu guys still playing smash bros?

Remi: No, that game sucks.

Max: She’s just mad that she’s bad.

Kai looks at the tv.

Kai: So your playing mortal combat now?

Remi hands him the controller.

Remi: You are.

Kai sighs. They pick characters, and Kai loses miserably.

Max: Where's the competition?! There is none!

Remi steals the controller back from Kai and plays the next round. Kai gets a call and he steps out of the room. Kai answers the phone.

Kai: Yo.

President Bordon: We need to speak.

Kai: About?

President Bordon: Plans.

President Bordon hangs up the phone. Kai shakes his head in annoyance. Then he pokes his head back in the living room.

Kai: I gotta go. I’ll be back in a bit.

No one notices Kai said he was leaving. Kai sees this and just leaves anyway. Kai gets in his car and drives to the town hall. Kai walks into the building and up the stairs. He opens a door and sees President Bordon. Kai sits in a chair.

Kai: You said we need to speak about plans.

President Bordon: Mutants are getting rowdier. W.A.T.K.H is the only thing keeping them from attacking the government.

Kai: W.A.T.K.H agreed to help you?

President Bordon: Your idea worked. They agreed to help us out as long as we help Mutant kind become humanities equals.

Kai: They’re good people. They just didn’t know how to help.

President Bordon: I agree. We need to talk about you though.

Kai: What about me?

President Bordon: You can be a peace symbol between humanity and Mutants, but that won’t work if you are going around stopping mutants all the time.

Kai: Why should I be a symbol?

President Bordon: You won’t be the only one, but having many heroes showing that there can be peace gives hope.

Kai: What do you think is going to happen?

President Bordon smiles.

President Bordon: I know what is going to happen. There’s no stopping it. All we can do is prepare.

Kai: So, I do nothing to prepare?

President Bordon: Do you need to prepare? You’ve been a soldier since you were eighteen. You’ve been preparing for seven years. Missing a few missions won’t do anything.

Kai: Even I will get soft if I just don’t do anything.

President Bordon sighs.

President Bordon: One more mission. You can go on a mission with W.A.T.K.H. Don’t wear your crimson dragon suit! No one can know that the crimson dragon works with mutant terrorists.

Kai gets up from his chair.

Kai: When does the mission start?

President Bordon: Tonight, at the docks.

Kai: See ya then.

Kai drives over to Bibble and Sips.

???: Hey.

Kai grabs his coffee and turns around. He sees a man with pale skin and short curly light brown hair. He looks young.

Kai: Leo?

Leo: It’s been a while.

Kai and Leo sit down at a table.

Kai: It’s been years. What have you been doing?

Leo: I’ve been going to school. They made that school for Meta kids after the explosions.

Kai: How old are you now?

Leo: I’m eighteen. I just graduated.

Kai: Man, last time I saw you, you were sixteen. Now I feel old.

Leo: You should.

Kai: So, what are your plans? Are you going to college?

Leo: I… don’t know. I have scholarships, but I don’t know what I would want to do.

Kai: You should go to college.

Leo: That’s what everyone says.

Kai: No, I’m being serious. If you don’t know what you want to do go to college. You have time to decide while your there.

Leo: Did you go to college?

Kai: Nah, that shits for the birds. I didn’t, but there are times where I wish I had.

Kai gets up.

Kai: Think about it. You still have my phone number if you ever want to talk right?

Leo: Yeah, I’ll be seeing you.

It’s getting dark outside. By the time Kai gets home it’s night. Kai walks in his house and there is a calm quiet to the house. Kai walks in the living room. Remi is sleeping on the couch. Kai lays a blanket over her. Kai walks up his stairs.

Kai: But if I had gone to college. Would I be here today?

## Dead End - Issue 2

Kai is wearing military gear with a ski mask on. Kai doesn’t have his staff, but he does have a gun attached to the side of his belt. Kai walks onto the docks. He sees the members of W.A.T.K.H standing there waiting for him.

Fever: You're finally here.

Vision: Why are you even here? Do you not trust us?

Kai: Do I not trust you? Don’t forget that I am the reason you're not in jail or dead.

Fever: We won’t. As long as you help out Mutants we don’t care who you trust.

Guru: What’s the mission boss?

Kai: Yeah, what is the mission?

Fever: A new enemy has appeared. We don’t know who he is. He has been very annonymous, but we know that he is with the Mutants.

Kai: The good way, or the you way.

Fever scowls.

Fever: The bad way. He has avoided our every attempt to catch him. He seems to be high in power with the Mutants.

Kai: what has he done so far?

Vision: Why does that matter? He is the target.

Kai chuckles.

Kai: It doesn’t matter to you. Your not trusted so you take direct orders. I choose my targets.

Kai hears dead Air sneak up behind him. Dead Air puts a knife to Kai‘s throat.

Kai: Did I push your buttons too much?

Fever: Your no higher than us on the chain. You take orders from President Bordon too.

Kai: Maybe I do.

Raelynn: Are we going to fight before the mission even starts?

Guru: Kick his ass Fever!

Jackal: Yeah, beat him up Fever!

Kai: I’m not fighting you. I already beat you, and that caused enough collateral damage. Plus Dead Air hasn’t removed his knife from my throat.

Dead Air backs off of Kai.

Kai: Thanks. Now, what has the target done?

Fever: Not much yet. All we know is he has been gathering the Mutants, and he has his own personal group of mutants that have attacked places for no reason. Mainly political attacks.

Kai: He plans his moves. He’s dangerous.

Vision: If you were just going to say he was dangerous then why did you argue with everyone?

Kai: To see where the arguing went.

Kai claps his hands.

Kai: Arlight Fever. Lead the way.

They all run across the rooftops of buildings. They stop at an office building. Fever walks over to the edge of the roof, and crouches down. He stares off at the office building.

Fever: Dead Air, go in. You need to be stealthy.

Dead Air jumps off the building.

Kai: You're just going to send one person in?

Fever: He can take care of any problems that come his way.

Kai: Yeah, so could any member of your team. I’m going in.

Kai jumps off the building and follows Dead Air. They sneak through a window. They see a worker at his desk. Dead Air sneaks up to him, and knocks him out.

Kai: Nice.

They quietly walk to the door. Dead Air goes to open the door. Kai listens. He can hear two men walk by. Kai grabs Dead Air’s arm and stops him. Dead Air looks at him, furious.

Kai: Two guards. We can move now.

Dead Air opens up the door. They see the two guards with their backs turned to them. Kai sneaks up and grabs one. Dead Air grabs the other. They both knock out their guard.

Kai: We’re a great team.

Kai hears footsteps.

Kai: Behind us.

Two bullets shot off. Kai and Dead Air move out of the way, and dodge the bullets. Kai teleports behind the guard and knocks him out. Kai dusts his hands off.

Kai: Now where?

Kai follows Dead Air to a door. Dead Air puts up three fingers, then two, and finally one. Dead Air kicks the door open, and they both walk in. Two guard thrust electric batons at them. They both got hit with the batons, getting electrocuted. But the pair just stood there and shrugged. Both Dead Air and Kai grab the guard’s arms and kick the guards back. The guard hit the ground. Dead Air and Kai look at a desk with nothing but a note on it. Kai picks up the note and reads it.

Kai: “Boom.” Not this again.

Explosions go off. Kai puts his hand on Dead Air’s shoulder. They teleport outside of the building. They climb up to the roof. Fever and the rest of the group are on.

Fever: What happened back there?

Kai: It was a trap. Things happen.

Fever: Fine, we have another building to check out anyway.

They start running across rooftops. They end up at another office building.

Fever: This time don’t be so quiet.

Raelynn: Then I’ll go in.

Raelynn stops at the edge of the rooftop.

Raelynn: Coming?

Kai: Why not?

Fever: Not you Kai.

Kai: I can’t turn down an invitation. That’d be rude.

Kai and Raelynn teleport to the top of the office building. Raelynn puts her hand out. She dissolves a hole out of the roof. They both jump inside the building. A man is in military gear that covers his whole body. He takes out two electric batons, and runs at Kai and Raelynn. Two guards run up to Raelynn. Raelynn blasts them back with water. Then she dissolves a whole in the wall. They are blasted by water out of the whole in the wall. Then bricks reappear filling the whole in the wall. The man with batons rushes Kai. Kai dodges his attacks. Then one baton is hit against Kai. It does nothing. Kai kicks the armored man in the stomach, and then decks him in the head.

Raelynn: Time to check the room.

Kai walks inside the office. He sees another note on the desk. Kai picks it up and reads it.

Kai: “Do you trust me?”

Kai states a downtown address.

Raelynn: I expected as much. He is just wasting our time, but Fever will probably want to go anyway.

Kai: Definitely wasting time. What did Fever want you to do anyway.

Raelynn puts both her hands up in the air. The building starts to shake. Then the building sinks underground.

Raelynn: He wanted me to get rid of this useless building.

Kai: I guess it’s time to go back then.

Raelynn: Before we leave. Thank you.

Kai: For?

Raelynn: You were right. My heart wasn’t in taking over the city. I didn’t want what the rest of the group wanted. So thank you for stopping us.

Kai: Your welcome.

Kai puts out his hand. Raelynn grabs his hand, and they teleport to the surface. Fever and the rest of the group are on the ground with them.

Fever: Where did the note say to go?

Kai tells him the address.

Fever: We’re all going in this time.

They all ran to the warehouse the note told them to go to. When they stop Raelynn dissolves a gap in the wall. There are a group of guards inside. The group starts charging Fevers' team. Vision makes one of the fall asleep instantly. Dead Air punches one in the head, and then kicks out his legs. The guard falls to the ground. Jackal runs at a guard. She slices up a guard with her claws. Guru’s dog runs out and becomes a wolf. The wolf bites the neck of one of the guards. Raelynn blasts two guards back with fire. Then one bulky guard walks up. Fever punches him in the stomach. He stumbles backwards. Kai teleports above him. Kai kicks his head forward and Fever uppercuts him. From above, Kai slammed him to the ground. Fever grabs the bulky guard and drags him. He then slams him onto a wall holding him up by his collar. The bulky guard laughs.

Guard: He sent a message for you.

Fever: What's the message?

Guard: “Thanks for getting the mutants together. Now I run them.”

Fever throws the guard to the other side of the room.

Fever: Fuck.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The team is back at the docks.

Fever: We lost our lead.

Kai: Eh, you knew it was a dead end anyway.

Fever: I knew, but it didn't stop me from wanting something out of it. Thanks for the help, even though we didn’t need it.

Kai: Your welcome. I wanted to make sure I could trust you to take care of my city. I have to hang up the mantle for a little while. So I’m glad you guys are here to make sure nothing goes wrong.

Fever: We’ll watch out.

Kai walks away.

## Lawrence's Party - Issue 3

Kai is walking down to the basement. All he can hear is typing. He sees Max on the computer.

Kai: Max I’ve been dreading this day, but it’s time we hang up the mantle.

Max: What?

Kai: Not forever, but we can’t do anything right now-

Max: Did the stupid ass president tell you that? Mutants are rising up! We have a job to do!

Kai: W.A.T.K.H. is taking care of that. If I start taking down mutants then it’ll be like I already picked a side.

Max: Maybe you’re going to quit, but Remi and I will still fight.

Max goes back to typing. Kai walks upstairs. Thirty minutes later, Kai is sitting in the living room. Remi burst through the door. She walks into the living room and in front of Kai.

Remi: That’s it?! You just take orders now! You’re going to completely give up on everything.

Kai just waits out Remi’s speech.

Remi: You take down W.A.T.K.H. and then you’re done! The world needs a superhero the most it’s ever had!

Kai: Are you done?

Remi: Yeah…

Kai: I’m not giving up. I’m waiting until the war starts.

Remi: War?

Kai: The mutants are rising up. Whatever I do know chooses my side for the war. I can’t act until the war starts.

Remi: Why don’t you act now and stop the war!

Kai: There is no stopping this war unless we put all the mutants back in camps.

Remi: You’re not even going to try?!

Kai snaps back

Kai: No, Remi!

Remi: Fine.

Remi goes down to the basement with Max. Kai leaves the house. He walks outside and sees people with his glasses on. People start looking at him funny. Kai goes to Bibble and Sip. He orders a coffee. As he is waiting he sees everyone with glasses looking at him strangely. As soon as he goes to make eye contact they look away. Kai grabs his coffee and walks outside. He hears footsteps following him. Kai turns and walks into a back alley. Three guys are behind him. He turns to them. One of them is wearing a pair of glasses.

Man: Mutant scum!

Man2: Your everything that’s wrong with this world.

Man: Now we’re going to beat this shit out of you, and hopefully you’ll learn a lesson.

The first guy punches Kai. Kai dodges out of the way and the man falls to the ground. Kai backs up to a wall. The next guy tries to tackle Kai into the wall. Kai moves to the side and the guy bashes his face into the wall. The last guy runs away. Kai looks to the guys pulling themselves off the ground.

Kai: Y’know, I made those glasses.

They two guys look at him as Kai walks away.

As Kai is walking down the street he gets a call. Kai picks up the phone.

Lawrence: It’s been too long!

Kai: It’s been a few days.

Lawrence: Far too long! We should spend some time together. Maybe at a fancy party!

Kai: Don’t you have a wife to ask to be your date?

Lawrence: No, you're not my date! This party is for business men like ourselves! The party is tonight. Put on a suit and be there by seven. I’ll text you the address.

Lawrence hangs up. Kai sighs.

Kai: I guess it’s party time.

Kai pulls up the house in a tuxedo. He walks up to the door. A maid opens and welcomes him in. Kai walks inside and fixes his tie. He signs his name on the list of guests, and then Kai is led into a ball room. Lawrence walks up to Kai.

Lawrence: Kai, I knew you’d make it!

Kai: Of course I made it, and y’know you don’t need to yell?

Lawrence: Nonsense, dear boy!

Lawrence drinks another sip of wine.

Kai: Oh, you’re drunk.

Lawrence: A little. You need to meet people. These are other business men and women. You could make some powerful friends.

Kai: I’ll keep that in mind.

Lawrence walks off. Kai sits down at the little bar they have set up. He gets a drink poured by the bartender. Kai turns and looks at everyone talking as they mingle, dance, and laugh. Kai’s eyes scan the people in the room. Hearing all the many voices. Kai snaps out of it as he hears a woman order a drink. Kai turns to her. She has long blond hair that's done up. She’s wearing a red dress.

Woman: I heard you’re the one who owns Adara Incorporated.

Kai: You got me.

Woman: Don’t worry, I’m not here for your money. My name is Isabella Taylor. I own Imagine.

Kai: Isn’t that a company that makes movies?

Isabella: So you know us then? Good, one day we might be using your technology.

Kai: Then I guess it’s good we know each other.

Isabella: Will I get a discount?

Kai: Hell no. You might get it shipped faster though.

Isabella: I’ll take what I can get.

Kai sees Isabella look at the crowd. Kai puts out his hand.

Kai: Want to dance?

She grabs his hand and they dance. In the middle of dancing Isabella gets a phone call. She steps off the dance floor and answers it. A man walks up to Kai. He has dark hair and a beard. He is carrying a drink in his hand.

???: Hello Mr.Adara.

He puts out his hand.

Kai: Hi…

Kai shakes his hand.

???: My name is Samuel Stone. I am in the running to be the next Mayor.

Kai: Why do you want to be the next Mayor? It’s a dangerous job. The last Mayor was killed by a terrorist group of mutants.

Stone: Well I don’t hate mutants like some people-

Kai: Don’t get me wrong, I like mutants, but they killed the mayor. I was asking why would you want to be mayor? Not telling you why you should hate mutants.

Stone: I thought you hated mutants. You did create the glasses to spite them.

Kai: What are you talking about?

Stone: Those glasses of yours. They help spot mutants. Mutants can’t even walk around without getting glances or assaulted now.

Stone takes out a pair of Kai’s glasses from his pocket.

Stone: I would imagine you’ve gotten a few glances too.

Stone puts the glasses back in his pocket.

Stone: It was nice talking to you Mr.Adara, but I am a very busy man.

Kai: You never answered my question. You wouldn’t want to lose a vote, would you?

Stone: I believe that I can make things better around here. Change things that others haven’t even thought of. That’s why I want to be mayor. The dangers don’t scare me. I’m no child.

Stone walks off. Isabella walks back over to Kai.

Isabella: I have to go, sorry.

Kai: Nah, I’m about to leave, just give me a minute. I’ll walk you out.

Kai walks over to Lawrence. He is laughing loudly. His face is bright red.

Kai: I’m ‘bout to leave Lawrence, you got a ride?

Lawrence: The misses will pick me up. I saw you talking to the blond over there. She’s pretty hot.

Kai: And you’re pretty drunk. I’ll talk to you later Lawrence. Thanks for the invite.

Lawrence: No problem.

Kai meets Isabella at the door. They start walking outside.

Isabella: This party was more fun than I thought it would be. A few old men might have hit on me, but it wasn’t all bad.

Kai: Glad I could help. I would have been bored as hell if you weren’t here anyway.

They walk to a limo. Kai waves the driver off. The limo driver gets in the car. Kai opens the door up for Isabella.

Kai: Have a good night.

She gets in the car and Kai shuts the door. The limo drives off. Kai gets in his car and starts driving. Kai see's W.A.T.K.H running across the rooftops going the way of the party. They see Kai’s car, and Kai can hear them yelling. Kai’s car explodes. The car goes up in flames and starts rolling. The car lands in the middle of the street. A few cars crash into it. A street light goes down. Smoke goes everywhere.

## Detective Owen - Issue 4

Two detectives walk up to the scene. They see the pile of cars. Kai is taken away on a stretcher.

Ryan: Now this is a case we can solve!

Owen: We should be able to solve all cases. We’re detectives.

Ryan: Some cases are boring. Others are hard. This case doesn’t have to do with gun battles, and most cases we have to either dodge bullets or waste a lot of bullets. I hate bullets.

Owen: Stop complaining. You went to school to be a cop.

Ryan: I know, and I’ll never get that time back.

An officer walks over to them.

Officer: We just got this footage from the camera’s on the traffic light.

The officer takes out his phone and plays a video. He watches Kai’s car explode.

Owen: That’s a lot of smoke.

Ryan: Damn it. Now we have to find out who tried to kill the guy in the car!

Owen walks over to the cars. The fireman finishes putting out the fire and he walks over to Kai’s car. Owen can smell a light sweet odor. Owen walks over to the ambulance before it leaves. He sees Kai incompacitated. Owen looks at him.

Owen: What are the injuries?

Medic: Not much.

Owen: And he’s alive?

Medic: Yes, we don’t know why he’s not waking up. We’re bringing him back to the hospital now.

Owen: Tell the doctors it’s an incapacitating agent.

Owen gets out of the ambulance.

Ryan: Did you figure it out already?

Owen: Knockout gas.

Ryan: That’s why there was so much smoke in the car…

Owen: There are a few reasons the man might have used knockout gas.

Ryan: If he was trying to capture Adara, but not kill him. If it was a warning-

Owen: Or to by time.

Ryan: To by time? By time for what?

Owen: Because he knew that Adara would survive the crash.

Ryan: Was there anything going on.

Owen: I don’t know, but we should make sure.

Ryan: I still think it was to capture him, but it went wrong when the other cars crashed too. Owen you always think outside the box. Even if the crime was inside the box.

Owen: You have to think differently when there’s mutants involved.

Owen walks up to the officer that showed them the video.

Owen: Officer?

Officer: Yes Detective.

Owen: Was there any event going on around here. Any complaints about noise?

Officer: Not that I know of.

A car pulls up to the accident. Owen walks over to the car. The woman rolls down her window. Lawrence is drunk in the passenger seat.

Owen: Miss, did you two just come from a party?

Lawrence’s wife: My husband just came from a business party a little down the way. It ended just recently.

Owen: What was the address of this party?

She tells him the address and Lawrence falls asleep.

Owen: Was there a fair skinned young man with brown hair in a black and white suit?

Lawrence’s wife: I don’t know, and my husband doesn’t seem to be in much of the state of mind to answer.

Owen: Thank you for your time Ma’am. You're going to want to turn around. There was a big car crash here that blocks the road.

Owen walks back over to Ryan and the officer.

Owen: There was a business party down the street.

Ryan: Look at this.

Ryan shows Owen the footage of the camera. Ryan zooms in and shows a group of people on top of the roof.

Ryan: Hell of a coincidence that there were people right at the spot that a car blew up.

Owen: Turn the footage back a minute.

Ryan rewinds the footage and plays it again.

They watch them run in from the opposite way of the party.

Ryan: Where was the party again?

Owen: The opposite way…

Ryan: Boom! You were wrong! Accept it!

Owen starts walking away

Owen: Let's get in the car.

Ryan: I don’t hear you accepting it.

Owen turns on the car.

Owen: See ya.

Owen starts driving away.

Ryan: Wait, that’s my ride!

Both Ryan and Owen end up at the house the party was at. They walk up to the door.

Owen: Glad you could make it.

Ryan: Screw you! I had to get another cop to drop me off.

They knock on the door. A maid opens the door.

Owen: We would like to talk to the owner of the residence about the party.

Maid: One minute officer.

The maid shuts the door and walks off. The door is opened by a man.

Carlos: Hello officers my name is Carlos. My maid tells me you would like to talk to me about the party.

Owen: We believe a man leaving your party was in an accident.

Carlos: My wife and I don’t advise drinking and driving officers.

Owen: The accident wasn’t from a drunk driver. His car exploded. We want to check the guest list.

Carlos: Do I need a lawyer?

Owen: Only if you want one.

Carlos shuts the door and comes back with the guest list.

Carlos: You can take a picture or whatever you like.

Owen takes a picture of the guest list. He sees everyone's name is in different handwriting. He sees the name Kai Adara. Owen holds out the list, and Ryan takes a picture of it. They hand Carlos the list back.

Carlos: Is that all you need?

Owen: For now yes. Thank you for your time sir.

Carlos: Whatever you need officer.

Carlos shuts the door.

Ryan: Can we trust it? He didn’t seem like he’d be easy to cooperate with.

Owen: The names were in different handwriting. We can trust it. They wouldn’t forge a fake list of guests and have a person write each name differently.

Ryan: Fair enough, but why did we come here if we know the killers came from a different direction.

Owen: Now we have reasonable doubt that those are the killers. Adara’s car was set up in this driveway. Why would the killers come here, run away, and then return to start following his car. Also, why was there so many of them. How many were there again.

Ryan: I counted six suspects.

Owen: They needed six people to set up explosives and follow his car. The evidence doesn’t add up Ryan.

Ryan: Yes it does. We don’t know how long the man was at the party for. Why would these people stay and wait for him to be done partying. On top of the fact that as soon as they showed up the car exploded.

Owen: That’s why I said reasonable doubt.

Ryan: You also said the evidence doesn’t add up. Neither does your idea because you don’t even have a suspect.

Owen: I have a list of suspects right on your phone.

Ryan: You mean this list of suspects.

Ryan clicks on the delete button, and the delete forever button shows up.

Owen: Don’t press that button. Do you really want to assume the killer and imprison the wrong person?

Ryan: Man it’s late and I’m tired. It’s about time I hit the bar anyway.

Ryan cancels deleting the picture.

Owen: Just send me the picture and you can hang up your coat for the night.

Ryan: Fine.

Ryan sends him the picture.

Owen: Alright back to the station.

They drive back. Owen goes into the station and Ryan gets in his car and drives away. Owen sits down at his desk. He turns in his chair.

Owen(in head): Why would someone want to kill Adara. Wait, I’m being stupid. He’s a businessman. I can just look him up.

Owen looks up Kai Adara on google. Owen starts reading under his breath.

Owen: “Owner of Adara Incorporated-”

Owen stops whispering

Owen: Oh, he made those glasses that spot mutants. That would be a reason to kill him. The mutants are at the brink of war. Of course they would attack a man that made technology that goes against them. I got to tell Ryan about this.

Owen texts Ryan that he has an idea on why they would attack Kai Adara. Owen opens up the list of people that were at the party. Then a man in a suit walks out from an office. He slowly walks up to Owen’s desk.

Commissioner: Detective Owen.

Owen is startled by the Commissioner.

Owen: Commissioner Carter!

Commissioner: You're a damn good cop Owen. You solve most cases quicker than any other cop I’ve seen. You think outside the box. You stick to justice. You would never be a corrupt cop. You're so much and that includes unemployed. You're fired from this department. Leave your badge on my desk.

Owen: Why am I being fired? You just said that I’m a great cop!

Commissioner: You're just, not what we’re looking for. Especially when the new mayor gets elected.

Owen: But he’s not elected yet! Nobody has even changed the requirements for being a cop.

Commissioner: Not yet they haven't, but he will become the new mayor.

The commissioner walks away. Owen just stares at his computer.

## Cure - Issue 5

Max is on the computer. He looks at the blueprints Kai sent him for a phone design called the Xphone.

Max: Stupid name. Mutants have the x gene, Xphone. Ha ha, so funny. So stupid.

Max walks over to an area he has set up. He starts working on creating the circuit board.

Max: it needs to be small but powerful. It needs to be insanely powerful. I’m going to create all new Hardware for this type of device. This is going to be awesome.

Max starts building the board. After an hour or two he starts melting metal. Onto the circuit board. Once he finishes that he starts building the shell of the Xphone. He starts melting metals together. He puts on a protective mask, and sparks fly everywhere. Someone walks down the stairs.

Remi: Max!

Max flips up his mask.

Max: What?

Remi: First, what are you working on?

Max: I can’t tell you this is secret company business happening at the bottom of a basement. You’re just lucky you know where I do my work.

Remi looks at Max’s computer screen.

Remi: The Xphone. You're working on a phone?

Max: Well since you figured it out through your keen detective skills. Yes, yes I am.

Remi: Is this for Kai?

Max: Stop asking questions!

Remi: Fine, but I need some information on the president.

Max starts laughing.

Remi: What’s so funny?

Max: President Bordon is the most secretive President we have ever had. That man is a genius. I can’t find you any information on him.

Remi: Do you not want to find information because you can’t or because you have a boner for the President.

Max: Both. That man is my hero.

Remi: Fine, go back to working on your...

Max: Xphone.

Remi: Yeah, Xphone.

Remi leaves. Max keeps working on the phone. He starts working on the different parts of the phone.

Max: Cpu, how to make it better. We have to up the cores-

His precision in making the small parts is as flawless as a robot. As he moves on from part to part adding everything he is doing to the blueprints. Hours and hours of work. He has to pull most of the new ways to make technology on what he has already been working on for years. He finishes making everything after sixteen hours of work. Max sits down at his computer.

Max: Now it’s time to code this stupid ass machine.

Max has to code in binary to program the device to look just like what Kai has specified in the directions. As Max is looking at the powerful new parts he has created and the user interface Kai has created it really hits him what they have created.

Max: The Xphone really will be something of the future.

Max programs for another few hours until he finishes a prototype version of the device. He turns the device on. The color scheme Kai created shows up. The phone shows a red background and a black X in the middle of the screen.

Max: The colors might just be the colors of Kai’s suit but the look fucking cool.

The device finally turns on. Max goes into the home screen.

Max: Yes! It works! Finally! I’m going to bed!

Max puts down the phone.

Max: I need to grab something from home though.

Max leaves the house. Max gets in his car and drives home. As soon as he gets home he lays on his bed and falls asleep. Max wakes up and grabs his old laptop from his room. He gets back in the car.

Max: Now I can grab the old information off that thing.

Max drives back to Kai’s house. He walks down into the basement. The phone is gone.

Max: Did Remi take the phone?

Max runs up to the computer. He starts looking around.

Max: No, did I put it somewhere by accident because I was tired? Did I take it home?

He accidentally hits the space bar on his computer. A video shows up. Max sits in his chair and plays the video. A man walks onto the screen. He is wearing a cloak and the hood is on. Then on his face is a white mask with the eyes cut out. Facial features are painted onto the mask so it looks like a fake face.

???: Hello brother.

Max: Virus.

Virus: We can’t hold these petty grudges against each other forever brother. It’s not healthy. It’s time we finally solve our little dilemma. Just us two. No one else will be there. You know me. I don’t lie about these kinds of things. It will be you against me. If you win you get your stupid phone back, and you will live knowing that I can’t hurt anyone else. If I win well I think you can guess. I keep the phone and take your life. I will meet you at midnight where you tried to stop me before with your stupid mutant friend. Be prepared.

Max: I knew I would have to fight him one day, but I didn’t know that I would have to fight my brother now!

Max gets up and starts pacing back and forth.

Max: He might not fight me with other people, but he still has powers. I have all day to figure this out.

Max keeps pacing back and forth.

Max: That’s it! If I can get the meta-cuffs then I can use whatever technology they used to make the cuffs in creating a device that turns off mutant powers in my vicinity. Yes! If I can create a device that sends out waves of energy that can disable Virus’ powers then I can take him down. I just need to get into the police station to steal meta-cuffs.

Max starts typing on the computer.

Max: If I can send out enough crimes that get all the officers to leave then I could probably just watch out and sneak by everyone.

Max starts creating a program to break into the police servers and send out many different locations of crimes. A few hours later he sets up a timer. In ten minutes the program will launch. Max walks outside and gets into his car. He drives over to a building near the police station. He puts a mask on and his hood up over the mask. It took him fifteen minutes to get to the station.

Max: Alright, if I wait a few more minutes most of the cops should leave the station.

Max waits for five more minutes, and then he gets out of his car with his head down. He walks over to the back of the police station. He puts gloves on. He sees the back door has a lock on it. He opens his phone and looks at the layout of the police station one more time. Max grabs a rock off the ground and smashes the handle. He pushes the door open. He creeps through the hallway. He hears footsteps quickly approaching. He hides in a doorway. A cop walks into another room. Max quickly slides his feet past that room avoiding the police officer's gaze. Max sees the door to the police items is locked. Max smashes the lock with his rock. He quickly opens the door and slides into the room. He shuts the door quietly. The cop from the other room walks out into the hall. Max sits down below the door so the cop can’t see him through the window. The cop looks in the room and walks away. Max gets back to his feet and looks around. He goes through items until he finds a pair of meta-cuffs. Max slides out of the room. He walks down the hallway.

Cop: Hey.

As soon as he puts his hand on the door to leave a cop is at the end of the hall.

Cop: Bobby you getting another donut.

Max: Yup.

The cop is looking at the newspaper in his hand. He isn’t even looking at Max.

Cop: get me glazed.

Max: I’m on it.

Max leaves the building. Max keeps his head down until he gets in his car. He takes off his mask.

Max: My heart stopped when the cop spoke. Thank god he was an idiot. Now time to go back to the house.

Max drives back to Kai’s house. He goes into the basement and starts testing what makes the meta-cuffs work. Once he figures it out he instantly starts working on making a device that can emit waves over a wider area.

Max: Damn. The cuffs aren’t supposed to spread the disabling property over a large area. They won’t be able to handle any longer than fifteen minutes. It will have to do.

After a few hours Max creates an item that looks like a watch. It has one button on it.

Max: As soon as I press this button it will disable any powers, and I can’t turn it off. It will go until I completely waste the battery.

Max looks at the time.

Max: It’s time to go.

Max drives to the area that Kai helped him take down Virus. Max parks his car and walks out into the open. Virus walks out from behind a wall. They both stare at each other.

Virus: It’s funny. After all this time I just have nothing to say to you. We know both sides of the story, and we both still don’t agree.

Max: You always looked for a way to step over people to get what you wanted. In school you had our friends take the blame when we were sneaking into the computer lab to learn how to hack.

Virus: And you never wanted to do anything. If I hadn’t forced you to go to the computer lab you would never be coding today!

Max: I’m thankful for that, but then when you decided to start attacking people. You wanted to steal from the bank, steal from other people. There were no limits to what you wanted to do, no morals!

Virus: Look at high and mighty over here! You had a debt to pay and you left! I got you the computers we bought for coding at home. I got you to come into the computer lab. You owed me! Where was your sense of morals there? You just left after everything I did.

Max: Because you wanted to hurt people!

Virus: For our benefit!

Max: Why do we need to trade ours for others?!

Virus: That’s life!

Max: No it's not!

Virus: Grow up!

There is just silence.

Virus: I might have been able to get over that, but then I was imprisoned. You never even thought about helping your big brother.

Max: I didn’t know you were captured!

Virus: Where else would I be?!

Max: I didn’t know where you were before you were captured!

Virus: You never thought to look for me?

Max: No, you wanted a criminal's life and I didn’t! I didn’t want to be dragged into your business.

Virus: And that’s why I will never get over it. You think you can just bail on someone if you feel like you don’t want to do something anymore. It doesn’t matter how much they help you. You're a leech, and that’s why I will kill you.

Max’s head starts to hurt like hell.

Virus: If you betray someone that you pay back with your life.

Max presses the button on his watch. All the pain goes away.

Virus: What happened?

Max: Your powers don’t work anymore.

Max shows his watch.

Virus: I don’t need powers to kill you.

Virus runs at Max. Virus swings on Max. Max gets punched in the face. Max stumbles back, and punches Virus in the gut. Virus holds his gut and backs up. Max steps forward and punches Virus in the head. Virus hits the ground. Max walks up to Virus. Virus kicks him in the knee. Max kneels on the ground holding his knee. Virus runs up to Max and kicks him in the head. Max hits the ground. Virus picks up a rock and walks over to Max. He smashes Max’s watch. He drops the rock on the ground. Then Virus gets on both knees. Each knee on one side of Max. Then Virus picks Max up by his collar.

Virus: Now that you don’t have your device I’m going to make you feel real pain. The pain that I felt when I was in the slave camp.

Max picks up the rock Virus dropped, and slams the rock against Virus’ head. Virus hits the ground with his head bleeding.

Max stares at Virus. A debate going on in his mind.

Max: I can’t let you live. You will never leave me alone. You will never leave this world alone.

Max gets up. Virus wakes up and starts making Max feel the pain in the head he felt before. Max holds his head.

Virus: You can never beat me!

Max stumbles forwards and hits Virus in the head with the rock crushing his forehead. Max stares at Virus’ body as he sees Virus laying there dead.

Max: I’m no hero.

## It Broke - Issue 6

Remi is at her computer typing away about a story. Her cat hops up on the table. She doesn’t realize because she's so focused on the computer. The cat pats at a vase until the vase falls off the table and smashes on the ground. Remi turns around quickly and sees her cat on the table. Remi gets up and the cat runs away. Remi sighs.

Remi: Damn cat.

Remi grabs a dustpan and brush. She starts cleaning up the mess that the cat made. She finishes cleaning and walks back over to her computer. She looks at her board. At the top of her board is a picture of President Bordon. She has different pictures of areas around. Remi stares at the pictures.

Remi: It’s time to make the President angry.

Remi walks off. Later Remi is in her costume. She is sitting on top of a roof looking at an industrial building.

Remi(in head): If I take down Bordon’s business buildings then he’ll realize I’m a problem. If I can get him to send a person out to get me I could get evidence that he hires hitmen. I could get him arrested.

Remi jumps down from the building. She walks up to the door. She sticks sparks on the door and walks to the side. The door explodes in. A few workers ran out. Remi grabs one of the workers and throws him at the other worker. She walks inside the building. The workers quickly grab wrenches and run at Remi.

Worker: You think one woman can kill us?!

Remi: Maybe.

Remi puts sparks in her hand and blows on them. They fly in front of her and explode a group of workers back. Another worker runs up from behind her. She back kicks him in the stomach and punches him in the head. The worker drops his wrench on the ground and Remi picks it up. One last worker tries to sneak out the door. He starts running and Remi throws a wrench at him. He hits the ground. Remi walks over to the door. She puts one hand over the other. She starts rolling the top hand around. Soon her hand is filled with more sparks then she has ever used before. She throws them out. The spread around the entire room and then exploded destroying all the machines in the building. Remi runs out of the building. She stops in an alleyway.

Remi: I can’t believe those workers actually tried to kill me. I thought they would all try to run out of the building. I guess it’s time to move on. There are only so many hours in one night.

Remi rushes to an office building. She walks in to see the receptionist.

Receptionist: Uh, uh, ma’am you need an appointment-

Remi walks over and slams the woman's head against the desk. Remi starts throwing sparks at the walls blowing holes in the walls. She starts walking along the walls, blowing them up slowly. She hears the workers escaping and lets them leave. Once everyone has left she breaks holes in the rest of the walls until the building collapses. She runs out before the rubble crushes her. For the rest of the night she ruined a few more of President Bordon’s business buildings. The next day Remi wakes up tired. She walks past her table.

Remi: Now I need something else to make the table feel put together.

Remi makes tea and sits down. Her cat rubs against her leg.

Remi: You can try to make up for what you’ve done, but it’s already happened.

A piece of ice flies through the wall and breaks Remi’s cup of tea. A man in a blue and white costume jumps through the window.

Remi: Ice machine?

Ice Machine: My reputation precedes me. I am the great Ice Machine!

Remi: I thought you were put in jail.

Ice Machine: I was let out, and now I have been hired to kill you.

Remi: Who sent you? Was it President Bordon?

Ice Machine: I don’t kiss and tell... Wait I don’t think that fits.

Remi throws the handle of the tea cup at Ice machine. He deflects it, and Remi gets up from her seat. Remi punches him in the stomach. He grabs her arm and throws her into the wall. Then he puts out his hands and freezes her to the wall. He makes a sword of ice and slowly starts walking up to her.

Ice Machine: Now it’s time I bring your head. You're going to feel a slight pinch.

Remi’s hand starts to glow. The ice explodes, and the pieces blast at the Ice Machine. He is blinded by the smoke screen of ice shards. Remi gets up and starts punching him in the stomach. Then after a few punches she uppercuts him, and blasts him back with sparks. He slides across the floor until he hits the wall. Remi drags him out the front door. Then she walks back inside the house.

Remi: Now I really have to clean the house.

She sees President Bordon’s face on the board.

Remi: Tonight you're going to know why.

That night Remi was waiting on top of the building overlooking city hall. She was just waiting there. It was almost like she was looking for a sign to tell her that she was doing the right thing. That she should really go in there and talk to the President. Eventually Remi mustered up the motivation to go in there. She snuck through one of the windows. She slid down the hallway. She opened up President Bordon’s Door. She was staring into his eyes and he was staring back at her. His cold dead look made him seem like he didn’t care at all that she was there. President Bordon got up from his seat. He walked over to her and ripped out a wire from under her clothes. He sat back down in his seat. He then showed a devilish smile as he put his hand out in front of the seat.

President Bordon: Why don’t you have a seat Ms.Mendoza?

Remi sits down.

Remi: You figured out it was me in one night.

President Bordon: Please, don’t try to ruin my reputation. It didn’t take a whole night to figure out who you are.

Remi: Do you know why I am here?

President Bordon: I know why you're here, but tell me if you must.

Remi: You killed my mother because she was going to talk about what you were doing behind everyone's backs.

President Bordon: Correct.

Remi: You don’t deny it?

President Bordon: Stupid politicians deny claims Ms.Mendoza. It only makes people know they are true. Why would I deny your right to factual evidence about the cause of your mother’s death?

Remi: Is that the only reason? What was she going to tell the world?

President Bordon: Let me bring you back a few years ago when she was investigating.

Six years ago I had only been president for a few years. It was still relatively new to me, but the people loved me. They still do now. Your mother and I were around the same age. She was a pretty thirty something year old woman. She had come in one day to learn some information for her story. We were sitting in these same seats.

President Bordon: Ms.Mendoza, you wanted to speak with me about a case you have been working on.

We shook hands and she sat down.

Ms.Mendoza: Please, call me Rachel. I would like to talk about Mutants.

President Bordon: What about Mutants?

Rachel: It’s like people don’t know they exist. I even saw one get captured the other day. Mutants can’t just be something no one talks about.

President Bordon: Rachel, are you sure you want this to become public? If this goes public the people could be in an uproar.

Rachel: It doesn’t matter.

President Bordon: Well than Rachel. Why don’t we talk about this over dinner. Do you know that new french restaurant that just opened up.

Rachel: I can’t afford to pay to go to a place like that.

President Bordon: Don’t worry about the cost.

We both stand up.

Rachel: It was nice speaking with you…

President Bordon: Jayden.

Rachel: Jayden.

Rachel left. That night I waited at the restaurant. I had bought out the whole restaurant, but I assumed she expected it because she never asked about it. She showed up in a beautiful black dress. We started talking.

Rachel: Are we going to talk about business first, or-

President Bordon: I always save business for the end of the meeting.

The waiter walked up from behind Rachel’s chair. He smothered her with a cloth and she quickly fell asleep. Two waiters dragged her out back. They put her in her car, and they made the car look like it had crashed.

President Bordon: Are you satisfied with the current level of information now?

Remi: No, I’m not! Why did you kill her?!

President Bordon: I thought you were quick enough to pick it up. I must have assumed wrong. She was going to post that story about mutants. That story would have caused havoc years before mutants were released from the slave sights. If the people had figured out about the slave sights then the people would have revolted. I asked your mother whether she really wanted to post that story. I wasn’t going to be able to stop her. So all I could do was kill her. She gave me no choice.

Remi goes to throw sparks at President Bordon. He stands up and grabs her arm. He slams her against the wall. Then against the floor. He finally throws her at the ceiling. She hits the ceiling and falls onto the floor. He grabs her by the back of her collar, and puts her on the hook at the bottom of a plague on the wall.

Remi: You're a mutant.

President Bordon: You're lucky that you and Kai are friends. Just because I killed your mother years ago doesn’t mean I have gotten any softer. I would have killed you as soon as you came in here.

Remi: Why did you let the slave camps be there if you're a mutant?

President Bordon: I wanted to release them, but what was I going to do? If I released them all what is happening now would have occurred. They would want to fight us all. If I slowly released them people would eventually realise that mutants are appearing in large quantities, and the government would try and fight back against me. There was no way to solve the problem. The only thing I could do is give that part of the government less and less money until the camps shut down. Eventually I could slowly release a few mutants from each camp every once and a while.

Remi: How the hell are you our President?

President Bordon: Life is full of grey areas, and I know how to use them. Now-

President Bordon picks up Remi off the hook and walks her over to the window. He opens the window.

President Bordon: Next time you come here I’ll kill you.

President Bordon throws her out of the window. She hits the ground. Remi walks home. She opens her door. She sees her board with the pictures of President Bordon. She rips all the pictures off in a blaze of furry. She sits down.

Remi: I can’t do anything to help anyone. Kai wants to stop being a hero, and I can’t even avenge my mother alone. I’m useless.

## Chemical F - Issue 7

Kai wakes up in the hospital. He takes out his iv and gets up out of the bed. He sees his clothes on a chair. He puts on the suit and looks around. He grabs a sticky note out of a cabinet. Kai writes something on the sticky note and then leaves the room. He walks down the hall nurses walk past him. As he walks he realizes that the room is spinning. Kai shakes his head and keeps walking. A nurse walks up to him.

Nurse: Are you okay?

Kai: Yeah, completely fine. I’m just leaving.

Nurse: Why don’t you stay a little while longer?

Kai: Nah, I think you could find a better use for the room.

Kai walks past the woman. He hears the woman say something, but her voice changes to sound almost distorted as the room spins faster. Kai stumbles as he walks. He almost falls to the ground. Then as Kai walks down the endless corridor he sees a room with a label above the door. Kai looks at the label but it starts transforming. The words turn into hieroglyphics and the door turns into gold bricks. Kai opens up the gold brick door. He steps onto the sand. He lets go of the door as he walks across the sand. He feels the hot sand on his feet.

Kai: I thought I was wearing a suit.

Kai looks at himself to see that he is wearing desert bandit clothes. Kai sees a pyramid in the distance. Kai starts walking towards it and then slams into some invisible object. Kai hits the ground. On the ground he can feel the sand on hif fingers. Kai gets up and pushes his hands up against the invisible object.

Kai: Am I trapped in an invisible box like a mime?

Kai hears sand movement in the sand behind him. Kai turns around to see two bandits. Kai runs at the bandits and tries to punch one. Kai stumbles forward, and the bandits grab his arms. They drag him out of the sand and back through the door. Kai sees he is wearing the suit again. He looks at the two desert bandits to see two bigger male nurses dragging him along the floor.

Kai: So this is real.

Male Nurse: Real, man this one is crazy!

Male Nurse2: It will be fun watching him in the padded cell.

They open the door and put Kai in a straightjacket. They throw him into the room and close the door. Kai sits against the bed in the padded cell. The room is still spinning.

Kai: If this room spins for another minute I’m going to throw up!

Kai stands up and the whole room changes to a tint of red. A red wave slams into Kai and pushes him into the wall. Kai lands back on the bed. When Kai opens his eyes he is in his backyard.

Kai: Oh fuck…

Two kids run by Kai. They run over to the pool.

Kai: Wait!

The kids turn around. One boy and one girl. Both of them have brown hair.

Kai: Where’s your mother? Why are you in the backyard?

Boy: Mom’s inside.

Girl: She just said that daddy.

Kai: Yeah, I was just playing with you. Making sure you were on top of your game. Now go swim.

The two kids run off.

Kai: Is this the future? Is another mutant showing me the future, or is this just an illusion?

Kai walks inside. He hears someone is talking on the phone but it’s muffled. Kai opens the door to see who it is, and he is blasted back by the same red wave that hit him earlier. Kai wakes up. He is coughing up blood. He is laying on the bed in the straightjacket, and the room is still spinning.

Kai: I can’t be here for another second, or else I’m going to go ape shit.

Kai starts walking over to the door. It starts becoming harder and harder to take a step. Wind is blowing him away from the door. The wind gets more powerful every second until Kai is blasted into the wall. Kai doesn’t feel himself hit the wall. He feels like he went right through it. He looks up to see the sky. He moves his body to look down and he sees that he is falling. Kai pulls the parachute and slowly lands on the ground. Gunshots go off as soon as Kai hits the ground. Kai drops his backpack and gets low to the ground. Kai travels into the forest.

Kai: I know this place. This is lian yu.

Kai walks through the forest. He sees soldiers. The soldiers start shooting at him. Kai jumps across the trees like a monkey. He pushed off each tree to get his prey. Kai tackles one of the soldiers to the ground. He starts wailing on the soldier. The other soldiers turn around to shoot him. Kai grabs their guns, and throws them. They both punch at Kai. Kai hits them both in the stomach before their punches land. The guards drop to the ground, and Kai starts roaming across the land like it’s his home. Kai runs across the land until he is hit in the neck by a dart. Kai wakes up in the padded cell. A needle is in his neck. A doctor is standing above him. Kai tries to move around, but he is strapped down without the straightjacket. Kai sees a medical trey with different medicines next to the doctor.

Doctor: This is your second dose. That’s the first time we have ever needed to give two doses of this new “medicine.”

Kai tries to speak but a piece of leather is in his mouth.

Doctor: Talkative one I see. Not many last long enough to talk on chemical F.

The doctor takes the piece of leather out of Kai’s mouth.

Kai: What the hell is chemical F?

Doctor: A special “medicine” I created. It helps my “patients.” So, what did you see?

Kai: Why, what do the illusions have to do with anything, and why do I get the feeling that you're not really explaining anything?

The doctor takes out a remote from his pocket. He presses a button on the remote, and puts it back in his pocket.

Doctor: My name is Rancor. The dreams can be anything from your worst nightmare, to your greatest fantasy, even just a regular illusion. I wanted to know what it was like, but I’m guessing you don’t care about what I want. I was hired by the mutants to kill you. They really hate you. You're a millionaire that made his millions at the expense of mutants, and funny enough, you are a mutant. You betrayed your own people.

Kai: It doesn’t matter whether I betrayed them or not. They are terrorists. Maybe I would feel bad if mutants didn’t fall so easily to mob mentality. I have to deal with the stares of bigots, and fight them off when they decide I don’t deserve to live because I’m a mutant. I just accept it and move on. It’s better than being afraid the building your in might randomly explode.

Rancor: Don’t argue your hatred towards mutants with me. I really don’t care. I don’t have a preference for humans or mutants. I just get paid. That healing factor of yours is truly something. You should be dead already, but you're still just hanging on. Normally people only last a minute after getting chemical F

Kai: Yeah, I just don’t die.

Rancor: Maybe not with two, but you're not looking two good. Why don’t we try three?

Kai: And what if you got chemical F?

Rancor: Oh, I have the cure, but you will never have it.

Rancor takes out a needle and a bottle of chemical F. He fills the needle and goes to put it in Kai’s throat. Kai breaks out of the straps, and grabs Rancor’s arm. He makes Rancor stab the needle into his own throat. Rancor stumbles back and falls down. He takes the empty needle out of his neck. Kai rips the other straps off him and gets off the table. Kai looks over at the medical trey and then at Rancor.

Kai: You got one minute. Where’s the cure?

Rancor: It’s in t-the white bottle! Quick!

Kai grabs the white bottle and stumbles.

Kai: There seems to be a lot in this bottle. Why don’t we use it on you first.

Kai fills up a needle and walks over to Rancor.

Rancor: Wait! It’s the blue bottle! I lied! Quick I’m running out of time!

Rancor starts coughing uncontrollably. Blood starts coming out of his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. Kai fills up the needle and sticks it in his neck. Then Kai gives the cure to himself. Kai lays down on the bed and closes his eyes. He wakes up a few minutes later. The room is still spinning, but Kai can tell it has slowed down. Kai grabs Rancor’s card and opens the door. Kai walks to the security room. He knocks out the guard that’s watching the cameras. The screen for the padded cell is black. Kai turns it back on, and rewinds the tape. Kai watches himself run around the room spewing gibberish.

Kai: Now if people saw that they would think I am really crazy.

Kai sees that when Rancor uses the remote the security cameras shut off.

Kai: Hopefully he survives and never uses chemical F again, but I’m not stupid. If he survives then he will definitely use it again.

Kai erased the tapes with him on it. Kai leaves the hospital trying his hardest not to stumble.

## Riot - Issue 8

Kai walks inside his house. He hears nothing. It is completely silent. The silence is almost refreshing. Kai kicks off his shoes and grabs a bag of chips. He sits on the couch and turns the TV on. A father and son are talking.

Son: Dad, how did you get women?

Dad: I didn’t. I think someone payed your mother.

Kai starts laughing.

Kai: Yeah, she was definitely forced.

An hour later Kai gets bored of watching TV. He walks down into the basement to see if Max had finished creating the phone. No one is there. It looks like the tools were used, but the computer is off. The only thing there is a house of cards. Which Kai knocks over.

Kai: The day I come back everyone is just gone. The hell is this?

Kai texts Remi asking where she is and he does the same with Max.

Kai: We’re all going to hang out or something. This is ridiculous.

Kai walks upstairs and sits back on the couch. Kai starts tapping his foot.

Kai: I don’t even have any hobbies to keep me busy!

Kai keeps tapping his foot.

Kai: That’s it, I’m buying a computer!

Kai storms out of the house trying desperately to find something to do. As he realises that his car was totaled he calls up the insurance company and gets money for the accident. Kai then travels to the dealership. A salesman walks up to him.

Salesman: Do you need help or are you just looking around?

Kai: I need help. Any cars here that could fit a computer?

Salesman: Do you mean has a computer built in?

Kai: No. I mean, I am able to hold a computer.

Salesman: All of them can sir.

Kai: Nah, I’m just messing with you. Alright I have a big budget for a car. What do you think would be the best model?

Salesman: If your going for something big budget you might want an electric car-

Kai: Electric car? Hell yeah, that sounds awesome. Explain it to me.

Salesman: Electric cars don’t need gas. They charge up inside your garage, but you will need a charging station to be built into your garage.

Kai: How big is this charging station?

Salesman: It’s really small. It just goes on the wall. It’s not a big thing.

Kai: Show me some of these cars.

Salesman: Of course sir.

They walk over to the electric cars. The salesman walks over to the best looking and newest model of the cars.

Salesman: This model just recently came out. The old model couldn’t go as far as a gas powered vehicle, but now they can go farther and they charge up faster.

Kai: I’ll take it.

Salesman: You can return the car after two weeks of owning the car if you experience any issues.

Kai: Do I just drive it out of here after I sign the papers, or…

Salesman: No, after you sign the papers one of our employees will drive the car over to your house and he’ll set up the charger. All you have to do is be there.

Kai: Alright then, lead me to where you sign the papers.

Kai sits down at one of the desks and signs papers. They tell him when the employee will be there, and Kai leaves. Once Kai gets home he lays on the couch and turns on the tv.

Kai: I did a lot today. I deserve a reward.

Kai rests his head on the couch ready to sleep. Kai can’t fall asleep so he changes the channel to the news. Humans are rioting. One man throws a molotov, lighting a car on fire.

Reporter: They say they are fighting against the mutants. That the mutants are trying to take over.

Kai turns off the Tv.

Kai: It’s been a while since I have turned on the TV during something happening. I think it’s time to go out again.

Kai puts on the crimson dragon suit and teleports outside. He runs across the buildings teleporting every once and a while to speed things up. Soon Kai is on a roof looking down upon the rioting people. They see Kai and the people start to cheer.

Man: You're my kid's hero!

Man2: Keep fighting those mutants!

Man3: You're doing God’s work!

Kai runs to the leaders of the riot. He sees that the leaders of the riot are Lefty and Righty. Kai hops off the building and walks next to them.

Kai: Lefty and Righty! Why are you guys leading this riot?

Righty: Mutants are trying to take over. They tried with W.A.T.K.H, but then we thought they might have given up. Then a mutant attacks some of the President's buildings, and then they tried to attack him! We can’t stand for this!

Lefty: Yeah!

Kai: And you let these people believe I’m a hero even though I have always been your enemy?

Righty: We don’t work for grandfather anymore. We just had conflicting interests. We weren’t enemies

Lefty: Yeah!

Righty: Now we need to fight on the same side. To help save our race!

Lefty: Yeah!

Kai stops walking as everyone else keeps walking. Kai sees that the cops set up a barrier to stop them. Kai teleports to the roof of a building. He sees the humans stop at the barrier.

Kai(in head): The cops have the humans covered. I don’t need to stop them. I doubt Lefty and Righty are actually leading the humans. They’re just leading the riot. Humans aren’t being led, but the mutants are. Now I need to figure out who’s leading them.

Kai starts running away.

Kai(in head): Did Righty pick up a dictionary or something? I don’t feel like he was that articulate last time we met, but lefty’s large vocabulary hasn’t changed.

Kai stops at a mutant bar.

Kai(in head): Maybe I will be able to pull some information out of the people here.

Kai walks in. He gets devilish stares from everyone in the bar. Kai sits down, and the bartender walks over to him.

Bartender: Get the fuck up.

Kai stands up.

Kai: I’m not here to cause any trouble.

Bartender: You being here, causes trouble. Now you're going to leave, or we are going to kill you.

Kai looks around. Everyone is standing up now looking like they are ready to fight.

Bartender: You're a traitor to the mutants. You can never be one of us again.

Kai: Fine. I’ll leave peacefully. Just know that if I did fight I wouldn’t be the one losing.

Kai slowly walks out of the bar. Later Kai is sitting in bed thinking about how the mutants hate him.

Kai(in head): Bordon said that I needed to do nothing to be a peace symbol between the two sides, but it looks like the two sides have already chosen my side for me. I don’t know if I can be neutral. Wait, Righty said that there was a mutant who attacked Bordon.

Kai looks up the news footage. Then he plays the video.

Reporter: Last night four of President Bordon’s personal buildings were attacked three industrial buildings and an office building have been blown to bits. This one woman was able to destroy so much.

A video plays. Remi disguised in her superhero costume is destroying everything in her path. The video returns to the reporter.

Reporter: President Bordon had this to say.

The video switches to a speech from President Bordon the morning after the attack.

President Bordon: I was attacked last night. A woman destroyed four business buildings of mine. She was expecting me to retaliate. When she didn’t get what she wanted she attacked me at my office. Luckily my guards were there to stop her. She escaped however. I can tell the people sincerely that I believe she will not attack again. I always have guards around. You do not need to worry about my personal safety. Thank you.

Kai turns off the video.

Kai: REMI!

## Together - Issue 9

A man finishes installing the charger for Kai’s new car. Kai pays the man and he leaves. Kai gets in his car. He turns it on with the press of a button. The car is almost completely silent. Kai drives the car out of the garage and onto the road. The garage door closes behind him. The car feels smooth as it drives down the pathed roads. Kai pulls up to Remi’s house. Kai gets out of the car and walks up to her door. He knocks on the door and no one answers.

Kai: Remi!

Kai knocks on the door again.

Kai: Remi Mendoza if you don’t open this damn door I’m breaking it down!

Kai gets no response again. Kai shrugs and kicks the door down. Kai walks inside. Kai hears the TV on. He walks inside Remi’s room. She is just laying in bed watching TV. She sits up.

Remi: Why are you busting in here like the cops?!

Kai shows her the video.

Remi: No one knows it was me. I had a mask on.

Kai: That’s not the fucking point! When the US is at it’s most unstable time you decide to attack the fucking President!

Remi: You wouldn’t understand.

Kai: Damn right I wouldn’t understand because there is no reason to pull this shit!

Remi: He killed my mother!

There is a moment of silence.

Remi: I tried to kill him, but I couldn’t do it. He was so much stronger than I am.

Kai: I’m sorry to say this Remi, but it’s a good thing that you didn’t. You just attacking him has started riots. I don’t give it long before the mutants start killing humans.

Remi: Riots broke out?

Kai: You have to start watching the news.

Remi: No one our age watches the news.

Kai: They’re retarded. Now, get out of bed. C’mon.

Remi: No, I’m tired.

Remi lays back down and turns over.

Kai: It’s noon!

Kai grabs the blanket and flings it off Remi.

Remi: No!

Kai drags Remi out of bed. Half an hour later Kai and Remi are in Kai’s car.

Remi: When did you get a new car?

Kai: Today, the other way was totaled a few days back in an explosion.

Remi: I thought you weren’t a superhero anymore.

Kai: I don’t bring my car on missions. Someone was trying to assassinate me. It would have helped if you were at my hospital.

Remi: Why? Do you need me to take care of you?

Remi laughs.

Kai: No, some insane doctor tried to kill me. Lot’s of nonsense.

Kai shifts gears and pulls out of Remi’s driveway. The car starts driving down the road.

Kai: I’ve only had this car for a day and I already love it. What do you think?

Remi looks at him and smiles.

Remi: Are you trying to impress me?

Kai: The only one I try to impress is myself.

Remi: That’s fine. Where are we going then?

Kai: Max for once isn’t at the house. Now it’s time to bother him at his house.

Kai pulls up to Max’s house. Kai and Remi get out of the car and knock on the door. Max opens up the door. There are bags under his eyes.

Max: What?

Kai: Can we come in?

Max: Sure.

Kai sits on the couch and Remi walks in. Max shuts the door and walks over to them. Max walks around almost like a zombie.

Kai: Max, what happened? You look awful.

Max: I had a run in with a virus.

Kai: What did he do? We can take him down. I already have!

Max: It’s not what he did. It’s what I did.

Max sits down. Kai stands up and puts his hand on Max’s shoulder.

Kai: There was nothing else you could do. He was going to come after you for the rest of your life. He would have never changed, but don’t think that you took everything away from him. I have been to the afterlife. It isn’t some eternal punishment.

Max: You know what's on the other side?

Kai: I do. I went to Hell. It’s more like earth than you think. He can make a new life there.

Max takes a deep breath.

Max: Yeah.

Max gets up and grabs the phone he made for Kai. He hands it to Kai.

Kai: You actually finished this?

Max: Yeah, It wasn’t that hard. We had all the parts for the phone.

Remi: Oh yeah, the phone thingy. Why is it important?

Kai: This test version isn’t the same version we will give out to the public even though they have the same specs. It’s kind of like a mini Max. The programs Max uses to hack into other devices are all installed on here. The phone can scan for openings in buildings-

Remi: It’s a mobile computer… like a regular phone.

Kai: I don’t like your attitude.

Max: I guess it’s good timing too. I’m taking a break.

Kai: It’s about time you take a break. You deserve it. You work until you're about to collapse and then you get a few hours of sleep before you go back to work. You're a slave to your own cause. Take as long as you need off.

Kai and Remi walk out of the house. They get in the car.

Remi: So Max is just taking a break?

Kai: Yup, probably for a day or two. I can’t see him really staying off of the basement computer for long.

Remi: I thought you said “take as much time as you need.”

Kai: Yeah, and if he gets back onto the computer he must not need it.

Kai pulls out of the driveway.

Remi: Where are we going now?

Kai: The two candidates for Mayor are debating.

Remi: I don’t do stories on politics. I-

Kai: I know you don’t, but I have a bad feeling about one of the candidates.

Remi: Did you meet one of them?

Kai: Yeah, at a party a few days back. I don’t know if he can be trusted.

Remi: Sounds like all politicians.

Kai: You know what I mean. He has some underlying plan. He’s different from other politicians.

Remi: If you say so.

Kai parks the car. They both get out of the car and walk over to the crowd of people. The man Kai met before is on the left. The other candidate, sitting to the right, is a man with short blond hair. They both stand up to the podium. A man is sitting between them with a mike. He clears his throat.

Questioner: First question. What will you do to solve the mutant crisis? Jack Maturn, you may go first.

Jack: Mutants are a problem. They are terrorists. They hate humans. They tried to attack our president! All mutants must be thrown in alcatraz. There is no other way to keep them from trying to hurt innocent people.

Stone: The President estimated forty million mutants were released. You want to imprison them all! The Us has little more than 2 million prisoners. Do you truly believe that we should imprison them all? No, because that doesn’t make any sense. We need to give them jobs. The reason they attack humans is because they have nothing to lose. If we give them something to lose they won’t want to give it up.

Kai chuckles and starts walking away. Remi grabs his arm.

Remi: What did you figure out?

Kai: C’mon.

Remi follows Kai out of the crowd and back into the car.

Remi: Don’t keep secrets. What did you learn?

Kai: He’s a mutant. Everyone is going to vote for him because the other candidate is an idiot and Stone made a fool of him.

Remi: What’s the problem then? His ideas are well thought out and they don’t hurt the humans.

Kai: I can’t shake the bad feeling I have.

They sit in silence for a moment.

Remi: Switch sides.

Kai: What?

Remi: Get out of the car. I’m going to drive this time.

They get out of the car and sit in each other’s seats.

Kai: I knew you liked the car. You can’t lie to me.

Remi: I’m picking the place this time. I didn’t switch seats just because I like the car.

Kai: Don’t try to trick me.

Kai lays his seat back and rests.

Kai: You're jealous.

Remi drives to Central Park. She parks the car and they start walking along the path. They see the beautiful trees. Ducks waddle along the path and into the water.

Remi: Isn’t it beautiful?

Kai: I guess, I didn’t know you loved nature.

Remi: I can’t believe you don’t!

Kai: Nature's cool and all, but it’s just kind of there.

They both sit on a bench.

Remi: I thought it would be a good end of the day because we are in the city all the time. It’s like we rush with the city, but everything here is so slow and peaceful. Just look at all the trees flowing in the wind together!

Kai watches Remi as her face lights up when she talks about nature. Kai completely zones out of what she is saying. She turns to Kai.

Remi: Everything is just so calm. You weren’t even looking.

Kai: I’m just surprised how into nature you are.

Kai leans back on the bench. He stretches out his arms.

Remi: There’s nothing that you have an interest in. You don’t see anything that you

Kai looks her in the eye dead silent, and she blushes. He laughs.

Kai: You walked into that one.

Remi: That was cruel.

Remi realizes that kai has his arm around her. They look at each other and kiss. After the kiss they both sit awkwardly on the bench.

Kai: Yeah, I think it’s time to go.

Remi: Yeah.

They both get in the car. The drive feels long because of the silence.

Kai: Hard to be embarrassed when there isn’t any regret.

Kai drives home and pulls into his garage. They both walk inside. Remi sits on the couch, and Kai starts making something. They are in two different rooms, almost avoiding each other. Once Kai finishes cooking he sees the door unlocked. Kai locks it and walks into the living room where Remi is sitting.

Kai: I need to lock my door more often. You and Max don’t knock for shit.

Remi: Because it’s always open.

There is a knock on the door. Kai sighs.

Kai: I just locked the door.

Remi: Is it Max?

Kai: No, he doesn’t knock! He would just start yelling about it.

Kai walks over to the door and opens it.

Detective Owen is standing in front of Kai at a loss for breath.

Owen: We have to stop the Mayor!

## Stone Cold - Issue 10

Owen and Remi are on the couch. Kai is standing up.

Remi: Owen? Why are you here?

Owen: I was about to get into that. I need the Crimson Dragon’s- Kai’s help.

Remi: Why would Kai help out a crooked cop?

Kai: You're a crooked cop?

Owen sighs.

Owen: I was a crooked cop at one point.

Owen turns to Remi.

Owen: But someone told me to get my act together.

Kai: I wish they hadn’t. You getting your act together included me being thrown in Alcatraz.

Remi: You're the one who captured Kai?

Owen: I did capture Kai.

Kai: Don’t take credit. I let myself be captured.

Owen: Sure you did. Now that we are all caught up we need to move on to the Mayor.

Kai: I’m guessing you're talking about Stone.

Owen: You know that he isn’t just some candidate?

Kai: I know he’s a mutant, but I don’t know anything other than that.

Owen: Well then, let me tell you.

I was working late on a case. Then Commissioner Carter walks up to my desk.

Commissioner: Detective Owen.

I was startled by the Commissioner.

Owen: Commissioner Carter!

Commissioner: You're a damn good cop Owen. You solve most cases quicker than any other cop I’ve seen. You think outside the box. You stick to justice. You would never be a corrupt cop. You're so much, and that includes unemployed. You're fired from this department. Leave your badge on my desk.

Owen: Why am I being fired? You just said that I’m a great cop!

Commissioner: You're just, not what we’re looking for. Especially when the new mayor gets elected.

Owen: But he’s not elected yet! Nobody has changed the requirements for being a cop.

Commissioner: Not yet they haven't, but he will become the new mayor.

The commissioner walked away. I just stared at my computer. Eventually I packed my things in a backpack. When I left my badge on the commissioner’s desk he didn’t look away from the newspaper he was reading. I left the building. When I got into my car I just started driving around. I needed to clear my head. Then I saw two men walking up to this other man. I got out of my car and walked up to them.

Owen: It’s pretty late to be assaulting people.

Thug: Screw off.

Owen: No, I don’t think I will. I have nothing better to do with my time. I think I’ll stay right here.

Thug: Smug bitch!

The first guy ran up to me. He swung his fist, and I ducked under it. I punched him in the gut and he fell back. The other thug ran up to me. I punched him in the head. He fell right to the ground. Both the thugs ran off. From the rush of adrenaline I got back in my car and started driving over to city hall. I needed to see the mayor. I felt like I could get my job back, like I had power. I parked the car and walked inside. The receptionist told me where he was. I walked over there so sure of myself. I opened the door, and he was standing in a room looking out the window. He had a drink in his hand. He turned to me.

Stone: Yes?

Owen: I don’t deserve to be fired! I am the only cop in that department that deserves to stay! Why do I get fired?!

Stone: Why do you think you were the only one fired? You care about justice. You won’t just do whatever you're told. You really want to solve cases. You don’t want cases just to be over and done with. Ryan is the perfect representation we need right now. He doesn’t care whether he imprisons a good or bad guy. He just likes to close cases and go to the bar at the end of the day to have sex with hookers. That’s the kind of cop the department needs.

Owen: Since police departments were started they needed cops who cared about justice. Cops who wouldn’t close a case until they know they got the right guy. Why has that changed?

Stone waves his hand in front of the window.

Stone: Can’t you see times are changing?! We can’t have everything else just keeping traditions. Change things up a little. Get some balls!

Owen: Don’t you think a lot should stay the same in times of change. Make people not feel like the whole world is changing around them?

Stone takes a sip of his drink.

Stone: They’ll get over it. I’m not here to hold their fucking hands! I’m here to make New York a better place.

Owen: You haven’t become Mayor yet!

Stone laughs.

Stone: And? You think I won’t become Mayor? The other candidate is retarded! I don’t even know why they let him run!

Owen: He might not be the best pick for Mayor, but he would be far better than your deceiving ass.

Stone’s face changes to a more serious tone.

Stone: When did I deceive?

Owen: You act like your here to help-

Stone laughs again.

Stone: I am here to help. Here to help mutants! I argue that we need to give mutants jobs. They will be getting jobs. Even if humans have to lose theirs.

Owen: That’s deceiving!

Stone: They never asked how. Why? Because humans are stupid. They have ruled for far too long. They are the weakest animals on this planet. It’s time for a superior race to step up.

Owen: I’ll make sure you don’t become Mayor. Even if I have to get help. You will never become Mayor.

Stone laughs.

Stone: Good luck with that.

I walked outside the door. I laid my head against the wall outside his door. I realized I had just made enemies with a man who is about to become Mayor. Then I heard him take out his phone.

Stone: Detective Owen. Good, you know who he is? Kill him.

I started walking away. I needed to get back to my car. I walked outside of the building. As soon as I put my hand on the car door an electrified chain slams into my car, right beside me. I open the car door.

Elecain: A car is nothing to a mutant.

I got in the car and tried to drive away. The chain wrapped around the back of my car. He held my car back. I stepped on the gas. The wheel spun faster, but the car didn’t move. I started checking around in my car for something to stop him. I found one of the guns us cops user to take down mutants. I opened the window and shot him with a laser bullet shot out and hit elecain. That second of hesitation allowed my car to start driving. The chain came off the car, and I was able to get away.

Owen: Now I’m here.

Kai: I knew there was something off about him. If he was a mutant though, why didn’t he just kill you himself?

Owen: Trying not to get blood on his hands. Lots of reasons why he wouldn’t, but we need to stop him.

Kai: I don’t know if we can.

Remi: How would we?

Owen: Finding any information he doesn’t want to release publicly! Anything that even in the least would start an investigation!

Kai: You said the whole police force is corrupt. An investigation isn’t going to work. Neither is trying to get him put in jail. The cops will try and back him up.

Owen: If we give the information to the news-

Kai: There is no telling whether they would actually release that information.

Remi: I could put out the story. As long as we have proof.

Owen: All we need is proof.

Kai: Easier said than done Owen. What do we have? A few days, and Max isn’t even here-

They hear the fireplace moving.

Kai: I guess we have a shot.

They all walk down into the basement.

Owen: You have a secret lair under your basement?!

Kai: Of course I do. Vigilantes need a secret base.

Owen: You're not really a vigilante. You're a superhero.

Kai: Close enough.

They see Max on the computer.

Kai: Is your vacation over Max?

Max: It was a relaxing few hours, but I think It’s time to get back on the computer. What do you need?

Kai: We need to take down the Mayor.

## The Truck - Issue 11

Kai: We need wires. Anything that could help us get proof that he isn’t who he seems he is.

Max: People have been voting. What if most of the people in the city have already picked him?

Kai: I know the president. He’ll reset the votes. Especially if Stone is trying to divide the mutants and humans even further.

Max: I’ll get the wires, but you guys need to find out where he is.

Owen: He’s at city hall.

Max: Are you sure? If I were him, I would be moving around a lot.

Kai: We’ll find him. You just get the wires. Remi and I will start looking for Stone. Hopefully he is just at city hall. Owen, you stay here. Elecain won’t find you here, and Max is great company.

Owen: No, I’m coming with you.

Kai: You're a human. We’re fighting mutants. Do you see where it doesn't match up?

Owen: I still have my gun designed for taking down mutants. If you go off then I’ll do my own detective work!

Kai: Fine, come with us. You’ll be safer with us than on your own anyway. Get your gun. Remi and I need to change.

Kai and Remi walk up stairs. They change into their suits. Remi walks out into the hallway.

Kai: You haven’t been very talkative.

Remi: Nothing to talk about.

Kai: Are you sure that’s the reason? I would rather have Owen as a partner out there if you're off your game.

Remi: I’m fine.

Kai: Okay, then let’s go.

They walk downstairs and outside. Owen is leaning against his car.

Kai: We don’t drive cars when we are in our suits.

Owen walks forward.

Owen: How do you get anywhere?

Kai: Rooftop.

Kai grabs Remi and Owen’s arm. He teleports them to a rooftop. Kai and Remi jump from roof to roof. Owen stops at the edge.

Owen: Hell no.

Kai: Owen, do you know how many times we have escaped from things by going onto rooftops? This is the best way to travel. You don’t even have authority anymore. If you drive on the road the cops might try to take you down.

Owen sighs and takes a few steps.

Owen: Fine.

Kai: I did this when I was a kid. Don’t be a chicken!

Owen runs to the edge and jumps to the other roof.

Kai: Isn’t it amazing?

Remi: Your first time kind of sucks. It’ll get better.

Kai: He’ll get over it.

They keep running across rooftops eventually stopping because Owen got tired. Owen sits down on the rooftop.

Kai: It’s a few more jumps. Remi and I will check out city hall. You catch up when you can.

Owen: Will do.

Kai and Remi end up on a building looking at city hall.

Kai: Can’t see him through any of the windows. I’m going in. When Owen gets back, tell him to go ask the receptionist if he’s in. I would tell you to do it, but I think they might not take kindly to your outfit.

Remi: What if you get caught walking around? Do we move in?

Kai: No, I’ll just teleport out.

Remi: Okay.

Kai teleports inside city hall in one of the rooms. He sneaks up to the open door. He peeks his head out. Two people walk by. Kai quickly brings his head back into the room. Kai hears the two talking as they walk off. Kai sneaks through the hallways. Kai hears people coming. He quickly walks into an office, and shuts the door. He turns around to see President Bordon. Kai sits down in one of the chairs.

Kai: I thought you had security.

President Bordon: I have no use for something as useless as human security, but they would be terrified if I had mutant security. Anyway, why are you here?

Kai: Definitely to talk to you.

President Bordon: You snuck through city hall when you know I have a window? Do you take me for a fool Mr.Adara?

Kai: You know why I’m here. I was looking for Stone.

President Bordon: Samuel Stone? That douche bag just left.

Kai: Wait, you hate him too?

President Bordon: I know what that slimy fucker is up to. I just can’t stop him. All of my resources are being stretched to their absolute limit.

Kai: I assumed Stone was the person W.A.T.K.H was after?

President Bordon: You would be correct in your assumption Mr.Adara, but then they had more important business to handle.

Kai: Like what?!

President Bordon: The only reason that the mutants haven’t started trying to take over is they still believe in W.A.T.K.H. The mutants are listening to them. The mutants are just barely holding back the will to fight.

Kai: Stone will push them! We need to stop him. You said your resources are stretched to their limits. Why didn’t you call me?

President Bordon: In this situation you are nothing but useless. If you attack Stone then the mutants will be outraged and fight back. Either way Stone wins.

Kai: So I just do nothing?

President Bordon: Since you aren’t going to do nothing you might as well try to break apart Stones campaign. You should probably go now. He left in an armored truck. He knew you were after him.

Kai gets up and goes to leave.

Kai: What are you doing? It seems like you can’t keep anything under control.

President Bordon: Control is easily breakable. It is far harder to keep it together than for it to break apart. Almost like a house of cards. When you have millions of mutants, each more powerful than a hundred humans. You have a power balance. Now make it so they hate mutants. You have chaos. A civil war must happen. Whether we want it to or not. It needs to happen to then keep the peace for later years.

Kai: Then why stall it?

President Bordon: I am waiting for special forces to come into play.

Kai: Of course you have something up your sleeve. Where is Stone?

President Bordon sends Kai a text with ever changing coordinates.

Kai: Alright.

Kai leaves through the window and teleports to Remi. Owen is standing next to her.

Owen: He isn’t there.

Kai: Nope, but I know where he is.

Kai turns on his com.

Kai: Max!

Max: Not so fucking loud! What do you get for me?

Kai: I’m sending you coordinates. Tell us where to go.

Max: I thought you were a soldier. You don’t know how to figure out coordinates?

Kai: Not without a map, idiot.

Max: Oh.

There is silence for a second.

Max: He’s on Spring Street.

Kai turns off his com.

Kai: You guys heard him. Lets go.

They run across the rooftops faster than last time. Owen starts to trail behind farther and farther. Kai teleports to him, grabs him, and then teleports him back to where they are running. By the time they make it to spring street Max tells them another street to go to. They make it to that street and see the armored truck turning off it. The run up to the armored truck. Remi throws sparks at the truck. The sparks explode and blast the truck on it’s side. Remi, Kai, and Owen all jump off the building and walk up to the car. The back door to the armored truck is kicked open. A man in a dark suit comes out from the truck. He lifts the truck up back on to it’s wheels. The truck drives off. The back door quickly shuts. Remi starts running after the truck. The man in the dark suit shoots the ground in front of her with a yellow bullet. Remi stops.

Kai: Hunter.

Hunter: Let’s go for round three, break the tie.

Kai: Your win was unfinished. It didn’t even count.

Owen shoots at the hunter. The bullet dissolves when it hits his suit.

Kai: You two follow the truck. I’ll take care of Hunter.

Owen and Remi run off.

Hunter: Let’s see if you're still a fun fight.

Kai: You won’t be.

Hunter shoots at Kai. Kai teleports to Hunter. Hunter grabs Kai’s arm and throws Kai straight up. Then Hunter shoots him a few times. Kai hits the ground, and Hunter goes to shoot him again. Kai grabs Hunter's arm and moves it to the side. Kai elbows Hunter in the stomach. Kai grabs Hunter's gun, and kicks him back. Kai breaks the gun in half and throws it. Hunter runs at Kai. He kicks and Kai blocks the kick. Kai punches Hunter in the head. Hunter stumbles back. Kai roundhouse kicks at Hunter’s head. Hunter ducks under the roundhouse kick. Then as Kai gets back on both feet Hunter kicks Kai in the back. Kai turns around and gets punched in the nose. Kai falls to the ground. Hunter goes to step on Kai. Kai rolls to the side and hops back to his feet. Kai starts running at Hunter. Then he teleports in front of Hunter. Kai punches Hunter in the stomach. Kai then teleports behind Hunter, and elbows him in the back. Hunter hits the ground. He turns to Kai as Kai is looking down on him.

Kai: I think it’s time to end this.

Kai grabs Hunter by his collar. Kai teleports into the air. Then he spins Hunter around and throws him. Kai teleports back to the ground and starts running after the truck. At the truck is Owen and Remi. Remi is just about to throw sparks, but the truck stops. A man in red and black walks out of the driver's seat. He is completely silent. He walks up to them and almost brings a weight on their shoulders. They start to hear a loud inhuman screech. It blocks out all other noise. They both drop to their knees. The man knocks them both out and gets back in the truck. Soon the truck is gone and Kai shows up.

## Civil War - Issue 12

Samuel Stone is sitting at a desk. Hunter and the man in red and black are sitting in the chairs waiting as Stone is thinking.

Stone: Azazel, good work. Hunter, your dissa-fucking-pointing. Both of you, leave.

They leave the room.

Stone: What if President Bordon intervenes?

He sits in a moment of silence.

Stone: I know exactly what to do.

Stone picks up the phone. Meanwhile Kai, Owen, Remi, and Max are all sitting in the living room.

Kai: We’re too late. We can’t change what is going to happen. Even if we did take down Stone we wouldn’t have stopped anything.

Owen: What do you mean?

Kai: A civil war is about to break out between mutants and humans. This isn’t going to be like the first civil war. This isn’t about equality. This is about who gets to be on top, and it looks like mutants are going to win that war.

Owen: Why couldn’t they have just went for equality?

Kai: Because they have such overwhelming power. They know that fighting for equality would be stupid if they could fight to be on top.

Remi stands up.

Remi: I’m going home.

Kai: I’ll walk you out.

Kai and Remi leave the house. Max and Owen stay on the couch.

Max: You seem to have really wanted to take down Stone.

Owen: It felt like I was saving the department if I took down Stone. He was corrupting the department. It was his fault that all the cops in this city would be evil. I took a lot of the blame because I used to be a crooked cop, but I wasn’t the one that made the rest of the department like that. I started off wanting to abide by the law, but after putting your life on the line for a while that want fades.

Max: I blamed myself for a while once I learned my brother was captured. I didn’t know that he was captured at the time, but if I did I could have been able to save him. If only I had saved him. The point is we can’t blame ourselves for other’s actions. We aren’t their parents. We didn’t make them choose their decisions.

Owen: I guess you're right.

Kai is outside with Remi standing next to her car. Remi looks a bit awkward.

Kai: Now are we going to talk about it?

Remi puts her hand on Kai’s cheek. Then she slowly kisses him. She backs up after a moment.

Remi: I was nervous that we’d lose our friendship. That’s why I was so silent. I didn’t want to say anything that messed things up, but I want to give this a try.

Kai: I would too. I’ll see you tomorrow.

The car door clicks open. Remi gets in and drives off. Max opens the door and yells at Kai.

Max: Look at the news!

Many mutants walk up to every building where you can vote in New York. They kill all the security there. They take over the building making it somewhat of a fortress. Mutants start making their own votes. They get other mutants to collect the votes and deliver them. Humans see this and are outraged. Two men in particular could not be angrier about this development. In a bar full of people two men stand on stage.

Righty: The mutants come in here and think that because they have superpowers they can take away our rights.

Lefty/Crowd: Yeah!

Righty: They know nothing! We fought for this country! They don’t know what we are capable of!

Lefty/Crowd: Yeah!

Righty: They think just because we seem weaker that we won’t be able to stand up against them! That’s where we will prove them wrong! We will fight back!

Lefty/Crowd: Yeah!

The whole crowd rushes out of the building. Groups of humans appear at the voting booth. Chaos ensues. Humans slowly take down mutants as mutants quickly kill humans. Soon helicopters appear. Swat trucks drive up. A giant battle begins. President Bordon is flying on a helicopter out of the city. He is looking down on the mayhem while watching the news on his phone.

President Bordon: I knew this was going to happen. I was just hoping it wouldn’t happen so soon. It’s time to go back to the white house. My work here has concluded.

President Bordon turns off the news, and calls someone.

President Bordon: Nick Fury. I think you know the world needs you. Even if we have had our differences.

Lefty and Righty are in the middle of the conflict. Righty is slamming into mutants like they are nothing. Then Lefty and Righty lock arms and start spinning around. Mutants fly back slamming into other mutants. Bullets are flying everywhere from the swat. Humans are being taken out of the situation by the police. Mutants are being cuffed by the police. The helicopters are shooting at the mutants. At the middle of a voting building three identical mutants stand setting up a bomb.

Mutant: Th-this will really get me!

Mutant2: There g-gonna be scared!

Mutant: C’mon let’s b-blow them up!

The bomb turns on. The three identical mutants come together back into one mutant.

Mutant: The b-b-bomb has been planted!

The last truck of votes leaves the building. All the mutants rush out of the building. The building explodes. The helicopters get back. The fighting doesn’t stop from this explosion. Fire spreads, but as this fire spreads the fighting just gets more violent. Mutants start showing what they can really do. The swat starts bringing out grenades and new tech they haven’t used. Military jets come in to shoot the mutants. The national guard arrives. Kai, Max, and Owen all watch this happening on TV.

Kai: Yeah, I’m calling Remi to come back.

Max: Can’t she handle herself?

Kai: Not right now. Not if Stone really wants to kill her. I don’t even know how many of Stone’s strongest mutants I can take.

Kai walks in the other room and calls Remi. It takes her a while, but she picks up.

Kai: Remi, hello.

Remi: Do you see what's going on?!

Kai: It’s awful. We knew a civil war was brewing, but I didn’t think the streets would become an actual war. I wouldn’t say this if it were any other circumstance, but I would like you to stay at my house for a little while. I don’t know if Stone has something planned for us because we tried to stop him.

There is silence for a minute.

Remi: I’m going to grab a few things before I come back.

Kai: Alright, I’ll see you in a little bit.

Kai walks back into the living room. Max and Owen are staring at him.

Kai: What?

Max: Are you gonna go fight?

Owen: We need to help out.

Kai: We can’t help out. There is nothing we can do. We go out there and all we will be doing is killing. The only way to stop this fight is to kill mutants or kill humans. This is one of the battles we have to let the people fight. This is one battle. I said we are going to have a war. The war has just started.