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Valorverse: Dulzak Arc

After the strategy meeting was over, Scott changed into jeans and a black T-shirt modeled after the band Work of Art's self-titled debut album. After putting on his Converse and grabbing his gym bag, he headed for the parking lot. His Harley was parked and waiting, home and relaxation calling his name. When he looked to the right before crossing to it, he saw two men trying to wrestle a woman into a van. Realizing what was happening, Scott dropped his bag and began sprinting over.

"Hey!"

The human traffickers heard him and shoved the woman away. Having been caught, they just wanted to get away. They jumped into the back of the van and Scott smoothly jumped into the back after them. He kneed the driver in the face as he sat in the driver's seat and punched the passenger in the throat while he sat in the passenger seat. He then slammed the passenger's face into the dashboard. With both traffickers unconscious, Scott jumped out of the back of the van to check on her.

The young woman was terrified but mostly unhurt. Scott yelled out to another fighter to call the police. Ten minutes later, a black and white rolled up along with an ambulance and fire truck. The EMT's extricated the unconscious traffickers while the cops took both the victim's statement and Scott's statement. Afterwards, the ambulance and fire truck left. The cops left and Scott agreed to take the victim home since she didn't need medical attention.

Scott gave the woman, named Allison, a ride home. She didn't say much due to being in shock. Both of them would have to go to the Coconut Creek Police Department tomorrow morning in order to give formal statements, getting everything on the record. After dropping Allison off, Scott headed for home. He was thankful that he had seen her in time. Another five minutes and those traffickers would have gotten Allison out of that parking lot with no one at ATT being the wiser.
 
As Scott was getting close to home, a man in a hoody suddenly appeared in the road. He slammed on the brakes so fast that he almost went over the handlebars.

"What the fuck, dude?! Are you trying to get hit?!"

"Hit? No worries."

The guy in the hoody reached through his motorcycle and pulled his hand back.

"You've gotta be shitting me. You're a ghost?"

"No, I'm a projection. I'm actually the God of Fire, Firestar."

Scott looked at him like he was insane.

"Look, I'll get to the point. You saved that woman from those traffickers."

"Yeah...?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because she needed help...?"

Scott wasn't understanding where Firestar was going with this.

"You weren't scared for your life? Those men could have killed you."

"I guess. I didn't really think about it."

"So you won't hesitate to protect the innocent? You're not afraid and have no doubts?"

Without hesitation, Scott nodded.

"That's right."

"Why is that?"

"Because my parents and Coach Watson taught me to protect those who can't protect themselves. I've never once regretted following that path."

Firestar looked impressed.

"You're a rare breed. You're some kind of MMA fighter?"

"A pro, yeah. How'd you know?"

"You came out of ATT before the incident."

Scott chuckled, realizing the connection.

"So, Firestar, is there a reason for all these questions? I hope you're not stalking me."

"You have the soul of a hero. But given the chance, would you fight to protect the planet?"

"Like a superhero?"

"That's exactly what I mean."
 
Scott rode his motorcycle through a Fire Path and into Firestar City. It was difficult for him to believe that there was an entire world made out of fire. Once in the palace, he was surprised by Firestar's true appearance.

"You chose to resemble a Greek god?"

"Seemed appropriate."

Scott couldn't argue with that.

"So why the hoody look earlier?"

"Doesn't draw as much attention. It's fairly similar to how I looked when I was mortal."

"So you weren't always the God of Fire?"

"Nope, I was once just the mutant Alan Arnan, codename Firestar. I was the most famous hero of the 1990's."

"And then you got an upgrade to God of Fire?"

"Yeah."

"How did that happen?"

"Long story. I'll tell you another time."

Scott nodded in acceptance.

"Let me tell you the truth of your world. I'll tell you about Omega, the Universe of Gods, and the Divine Edicts..."

Firestar gave him the entire story. By the end of it, Scott looked like his mind was blown.

"Wow..."

It was going to take some time to absorb all of that.

"You see, I need a team to protect Earth One. I need a Team Firestar. But to lead it, I need a worthy Champion. I believe you could be that Champion, Scott Young."

"But I don't have any powers."

"You don't have any powers now."
 
Scott and Firestar traveled to the planet Kash-Volt. After twenty years of peace, it had grown into a thriving and bustling metropolis. The technology was even more advanced than Earth One, with many things being run by AI and supervised by engineers and computer programmers. They even had the beginnings of magitech. The magitech was being housed in a single building called The VAWS Center. It was to this building that they were headed.

"Twenty years ago, this planet was conquered by a hostile alien race. To help the inhabitants of this planet fight that race, I used an ancient technique called Soul Bonding. I was able to fuse a Voltari soul with a Kashan body in order to create a single warrior known as Liberator. After he died, I helped develop technology so that the technique could be used repeatedly. Unfortunately, the data shows that Kashans who receive Voltari souls always die of a cancer-like disease sometime after the process is complete. Thus, we need a new race to receive a Soul Bonding."

Scott absorbed the story but was alarmed.

"So you want me to undergo this Soul Bonding process? And risk getting cancer afterwards?"

"As bad as that sounds, yes. But I don't want you to make your decision yet. I want you to see the technology and meet someone first."

They entered The VAWS Center and looked around. It was as technologically advanced as any lab on Earth. There was a chamber for the process and myriad computers and medical technology. The most advanced hospital on Earth One would barely compare to this next level set up.

"Whoa, this is even more advanced than back home."

"202X Earth One is good, but Earth 1021 is closer to this."

Scott nodded, his mind blown.

"So, how does this all work?"

"Well, to show you, you'll need to meet someone."

"Who?"

Firestar stepped over to the chamber.

"If you decide to join VAWS...He'll be your partner."
 
Valor was only a baby when his father Honor was Soul Bonded to Adolphus. Everyone told him growing up how great Liberator was. The black ships exploding in the sky like fireworks. The Grymwar being forced to retreat. The unveiling of his father's statue. The pride of Kash-Volt.

He wanted to live up to his father's legacy, but as the only son of Honor, he was asked to wait. The data proved this decision correct. Had he been the first into the VAWS program, he would have died without glory or honor. He and his best friend Jukei were sitting in his house. They had heard the call of Firestar. An alien host had possibly been found for Valor.

This is great, man, Jukei thought, You're going to be the first of a new generation.

Yeah, just like my father. I want to make his spirit proud.

You will. I'll be in a host, right by your side, to make sure.

The two bumped heads, the meaning of the gesture being the same as two humans fist bumping.

Best not keep Firestar and your host waiting.

Valor left his house and used Soul Energy to fly through the air. He funneled rapidly through the earth until he reached Kasha City. He flew to the VAWS Center. When he entered, he was inside of the chamber. He was ready for the process.

Scott was dumbfounded when he saw a black and gold armored worm the size of a tennis shoe appear in the chamber. It was glowing with gold Soul Energy.

"Holy shit! What the fuck is that?!"

"That is a Voltari," Firestar calmly responded, "and his name is Valor."

Nice to meet you.

Scott screamed out in fear when Valor telepathically communicated with him. Firestar held up a hand.

"Hold on, Valor. Humans don't communicate telepathically. Don't do that again without warning."

He turned to Scott.

"You good?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just wasn't expecting that."

"Valor, this is Scott Young, a human from the planet Earth One. He is a candidate for VAWS."

"You keep saying that, but what is VAWS?" Scott asked.

"Voltari Armor Weapon System. By Soul Bonding a Voltari soul to a host body, the host gains the armor of the Voltari. He also gains a huge influx of Soul Energy, making flight and energized punches, among other powers, possible."

"So Valor's soul will give me superpowers?"

"Basically, yeah."

Scott whistled and looked stunned.

"I must warn you, though, that a Soul Bonding is finicky. It can fail or have unintended side effects."

"Like cancer."

"Or worse. You'll also have to commit to Team Firestar. That means giving up your MMA career."

Scott looked horrified.

"What?! Seriously?!"

"Yes. Protecting the planet can't wait for you to finish a fifteen minute match. You're changing professions if you choose this path."

Scott shook his head.

"I...Wow..."

"Don't decide now. Talk to your loved ones first. If you choose to be my Champion, I want you to have no doubts."

Scott nodded at Firestar, grateful that the choice was not being forced on him.
 
Scott returned to his apartment building in Coconut Creek via a Fire Path. After parking his motorcycle, he went inside. Laying in bed, his mind kept grinding down on that ultimatum. He had never wanted to be anything more than a World Champion MMA fighter. To be the GOAT. But now he was being offered an alternative that he had never even considered.

Protect the planet? Be responsible for all of the lives on Earth One? That was quite a lot to take on. Lots of risk involved. He knew how to fight, but what was he going to be up against? He needed a lot more information before he made this decision.

As if sensing his thoughts, the projection of Firestar appeared. Scott jumped and the God of Fire apologized.

"How about some warning next time, huh?"

"Sorry."

Scott waved him off and relaxed back into his bed.

"If I agree to be your Champion, what then?"

"Well, you'll have to train and earn that title in a World Tournament. You'd be fighting the best fighters in the world."

Scott sat up with a look of shock.

"What, seriously?"

"Yeah, but these guys aren't just martial artists. They'd be mutants, enhanced humans, maybe stronger foes even."

"Tell me more."

"Right now, on the cosmic scale, you're a regular human at a designation of Scale One. Scale Two are enhanced humans, which is what you'd become."

"Enhanced human?"

"Gaining power you weren't born with. Like if you learned magic."

"Magic? I could learn magic?!"

"Slow down, kid. Focus."

"Right, sorry. Go on "

"Scale three are mutants. These are humans born with powers due to their divine ancestry."

"Divine ancestry?"

"Mutants are watered down demigods, basically."

"Are there actual demigods?"

"Yes, but we'll discuss them later."

Firestar focused his thoughts.

"Scale four are Omega-class Mutants. These are exceedingly rare, born every million years. They can live to be that old, too. Each dimension has only one. This is the very limit of mortality, almost being full demigods."

Scott was very interested in this.

"Almost?"

"They traded their immortality for more power. They gave up their original homes, too."

"In the Universe of Gods?"

"Precisely."

Scott's mind was blown.

"Then scale five are demigods? Like in Greek mythology?"

"Scale five are immortal agents, like angels and demons, but Scale six are demigods, except that they never walked the mortal universe."

"Scale seven are full gods?"

"Scale seven are New Gods," Firestar corrected.

"What does that mean?"

"It means someone wasn't born a full god but became one somehow. I'm a New God."

Scott nodded in understanding.

"Right, you were born mortal. So Scale eight are Old Gods?"

"That's right. They are as powerful as it gets. Unlike New Gods, they don't have a physical form. They are more intangible consciousness than anything."

"Whoa."

Scott absorbed all of this in silence for ten minutes.

"So the worst I could face is an Omega-class mutant?"

"Correct."

"You said I was changing professions. Do I get paid?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Firestar summoned a fat wad of American dollars and held it up.

"I can create endless money. It's not counterfeit either. It's 100% legal tender. You come work for me, you can have as much as you want. Anytime, anywhere. In exchange, you face life and death every single day."

Scott chuckled.

"Well, at least I'll be fairly compensated. I need to talk to my family, though. I can't just change careers without discussing it with them."

His eyes widened.

"Who am I fighting?"

"Powerful domestic threats, alien threats, extra dimensional threats, and Immortal Agents. The worst of the worst."

"So not just any old mutant."

"No, the Shadow Force handles them."

"The who?"

"This is going to be a long night," Firestar responded with amusement.
 
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Nice, France

Shadowgreen Institute


Alarms blared throughout the entire institute, summoning the elite Shadow Force into action. Richard Baker strode down the hall to the cheers of the students. He was headed for the elevator in the lobby that would take him to the Shadow Force Headquarters. This was a war room where they would evaluate the mutant threat. As he reached the elevator, he met his best friend Michael Delahunt and child prodigy Julie Jameson. There was no sign of his younger brother Nick.

They went down the elevator and met the Director of the Institute, Yvette Duchet. She had her lips pursed and looked quite annoyed as she stared at the screen.

"We have to leave immediately."

"What? Why?"

"Your idiot brother got there ahead of us."


Paris, France

A group of mutant terrorists were attacking the city without mercy. One unleashed heat vision that destroyed cars and scorched across buildings. Others were using sonic blasts from their mouths. The leader was causing acid rain to fall upon certain buildings. The police and military were not having an easy time. The Shadow Force was needed for this.

(Sums up Nick well.)

Standing on a tall building overlooking the chaos was Nick Baker, also known as Shell Shock. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit with yellow boots. Yellow patches on his shoulders were emblazoned with the Shadow Force insignia. He grinned with excitement.

"Looks like a crazy party. I'm in."

Shell Shock flew down and kicked the heat vision mutant in the back of the head. An energized punch to the back of the head put him out.

"Take a nap."

He turned and blasted the rhino mutant charging at him with a concussive energy beam that knocked him out.

"I could smell you a mile away asshole."

Flying over to the sonic twins, he got blown back by shockwaves.

Shell Shock flipped to land on his feet and charged up an energy blast with both hands.

"You'll scream for sure after feeling this."

He unleashed a destructive blast beam that hit them like a truck. They did scream in pain and were bleeding and unconscious, requiring immediate medical attention. Shell Shock flew over to the leader and shielded himself from the acid rain. He blasted the leader point blank in the face with a destructive blast, nearly taking his head clean off.

Shell Shock was celebrating his victory when he was restrained with psychic power. He was turned to face the other members of the Shadow Force. They all looked very pissed off.

"Oh, hey guys. I took care of the situation."

Yvette was livid.

"You nearly killed almost all of them. That is not how the Shadow Force operates. You were reckless and showed complete disregard and disrespect for everyone and everything. You are off the team, Nick. You are clearly not Shadow Force material."

Nick was stunned into silence, which was extremely rare for him.
 
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Nick was shackled with the same anti-mutant shackles that the criminals wore. The shackles essentially turned off mutant abilities like flicking a light switch. The Shadow Force patches were removed from his uniform. Richard sat in the back of the jet and glared at him.

"What were you thinking, going all cowboy like that? The Shadow Force doesn't do solo missions, especially not against multiple hostiles."

"Hey, I got the job done."

"No, you didn't. You didn't protect the citizenry or take down the enemy with the minimum force necessary. You used maximum force and could have killed them. You also could have killed civilians with those reckless energy blasts. You went completely off the reservation for the third time."

Nick was getting frustrated.

"All these rules and regs are boring. Why can't we just take down the bad guys?"

"Because we're supposed to be better than the bad guys. Better than the mutant gangs. You promised to shape up after I got you out of that gang."

Nick grumbled and looked away. Nick had once been a member of a mutant biker gang called The Mutantz. Not a very creative name but their penchant for wanton violence made sure that no one criticized it. He wanted out after they almost burned down a hospital. Richard singlehandedly defeated The Mutantz and took Nick to Shadowgreen, where he thought his little brother was shaping up. Today showed that he had a long way to go.

"But you blew it again, Nick. You're spending the night in jail. Tomorrow, you make a choice. Either go back into boot camp or leave Shadowgreen. I'm done doing you favors out of brotherly love. Either prove you want to be here or go do something else."

The jet touched down at Shadowgreen. The criminals were put into the prison ward of Shadow Hospital. Nick was put in a cell at Shadowgreen Corrections by himself. Richard was angry and wanted to be alone. Nick was angry and sulked in his cell. Yvette wished that Nick would get his head on straight and stop wasting his talent on stupid maverick stunts.
 
The next morning, Richard was with the corrections guard when Nick was let out of his cell and his shackles were removed. He hadn't slept at all and was practically dead on his feet. Richard led him to his room and let him sleep. Several hours went by and the two had breakfast in his room. After the meal, Richard got down to business.

"Have you made a decision?"

Nick shook his head.

"I need some time. I'm leaving Shadowgreen. I just need time away."

Richard nodded.

"Alright, but don't expect me to bail you out of any trouble you get into."

Nick nodded and went into the bathroom. He changed into black boots, blue jeans, a white shirt with a barely covered naked lady on the front, a black leather jacket, and black leather fingerless gloves. Nick wasn't an outlaw biker anymore but still liked the look. He gave a farewell wave to Richard and headed out. When he was in the parking lot, he slapped on some black shades. He was looking forward to hitting the road.

As he straddled his Harley, he saw Eric Coverdale pulling out.

"Rider!"

Eric, also known as Spirit Rider, turned back to him. Nick started up his bike and pulled up to Spirit Rider's Harley.

"You hitting the road, too?"

"Yeah."

Eric was a maverick himself. He was easily one of the most powerful mutants to ever graduate from Shadowgreen, but he hadn't joined the Shadow Force like many had urged him to do. He didn't like the rules, regs, or the uniforms. Eric was a free spirit and likened himself to the wind. Nick had begun to think the same way.

"Road trip?"

Eric grinned.

"If you can keep up."

He then pulled out and Nick had to catch up.

"Where are we going?"

"California, land of the beach babes."

Nick whooped and gunned the bike more, staying behind Rider and his flawless control at breakneck speed.
 
Eric Coverdale was a legacy graduate of Shadowgreen. Both his grandfather and his father had graduated from Shadowgreen before him. Both of them were now part of the Shadowgreen administration and focused their efforts on defense of the Institute. The French government allowed Shadowgreen to exist as a sovereign nation on French soil since it was good PR and helped defend their beloved Paris from mutant attacks, which were rampant across all of Europe. However, it would only take one change in Prime Minister to undo all of that. Shadowgreen was prepared to fight the humans at any moment.

Ezekial Coverdale, Eric's grandfather, was a combative man. He was prepared to annihilate France with a massive tornado and blistering air support from their military jet arsenal. Fire and wind together would create a holocaust that would reduce all of France to ash. Elijah Coverdale, Eric's father, was more reasonable. He was prepared to break Shadowgreen off from the European mainland so that they could escape via the ocean. Millennia of mutant persecution had made many modern mutants more than a little reactionary.

Eric wasn't worried about humans. Most of them were reasonable and had good intentions. The small percentage that were loud and obnoxious did not scare him. Any human attempt to invade or attack Shadowgreen would be a bad idea. In addition to it just being a terrible look on the world stage, they would also get obliterated by the armies of combat trained mutants that from the outside looked like ordinary civilians. No human army on the planet wanted the smoke from them no matter how much some rattled their sabers.

Eric had elected not to join in the military effort to protect the mutant race. It wasn't in his nature to fear humans on the one hand and try to ingratiate with them on the other. He wanted to be free to live as he chose. If anyone got in the way of that, he would handle it, be they mutant or human. Eric was a wind mutant and a ferocious fighter when he needed to be. There was no man on the planet that he feared.

Like Nick, he was fond of biker fashion. He wore black boots, blue jeans, a plain white shirt, a red studded leather jacket, and black fingerless gloves. His passion was riding his motorcycle and feeling the wind race past his body. He gunned the bike as fast as it would naturally go. His eyes glowed green and the bike was moving faster than it ever possibly could thanks to his wind power. He casually slipped past traffic at impossible speed.

Nick struggled to keep up. He had to keep Rider in sight or he would lose him. He weaved around traffic but slowed down. He wasn't as confident in his riding skill as Eric was in his. His eyes widened as Eric lifted into the air and gunned it over the Atlantic Ocean.

"Son of a bitch!"

Rider gave him a wave and then was gone over the horizon. Nick could fly but couldn't do so on a motorcycle. He pulled over and slumped over the handlebars.

"Dammit..."

He wasn't about to give up just yet, though. Those California women were calling his name.
 
Eric was continuing on to the North American continent when Nick flew up beside him.

"Had to ditch the bike, huh?"

"Well, we don't all have flying motorcycles, you asshole," Nick bantered.

The two chuckled.

"What did you do with yours?"

"Drove it back to Shadowgreen and parked it."

With miles of ocean to go, they settled into conversation to pass the time.

"I see now why you didn't want to join the Shadow Force, Rider."

"It's not for everyone."

"I did it because my big bro wanted me to. But it's just not for me, man. I don't like living by someone else's rules."

Rider nodded.

"Yeah, I feel that. I love the lifestyle I live. I do some DoorDash when I need to eat and can sleep anywhere, so I don't need much money. If I ever feel like sleeping and eating for free, I come back to Shadowgreen and bunk with dad. I spend a lot of time traveling and partying."

Nick thought that sounded pretty good.

"Sounds like fun to me. Maybe the wide open world has more to offer than Shadowgreen."

"Maybe."

Nick looked over at the sunset over the ocean, the surface of the water under them sparkling gold. He felt content and like life was good.
 
Coconut Creek, Florida

ATT

Scott took a deep breath. This was going to be a tough conversation. He had spoken to his parents that morning about changing careers. They had been surprised but understanding about it. They just wanted him to be happy. Scott could only hope that Coach Watson was as understanding.

When he went inside, Coach Watson had his game face on.

"Get changed and warmed up for striking drills."

"Actually, Coach, can we talk? In your office?"

Coach Watson was a little surprised but nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

They stepped into his office and Coach Watson closed the door. Scott decided to get straight to the point.

"I've decided to retire from MMA. I was offered a job that I feel strongly about taking."

Coach Watson sat down and chewed on this for a moment.

"A 'job'?"

When he said nothing else, Scott took that as his cue to continue.

"Have you heard of Firestar?"

Coach Watson nodded.

"Yeah, big superhero in the '90's. Disappeared in the year 2000. Is he the one offering you a job?"

"Yeah. Turns out he's the God of Fire now. He wants me to be his Champion."

"Even though you have no superpowers?"

"Well, he plans to give me superpowers. It's risky, though."

Coach Watson arched an eyebrow.

"How risky?"

"I could die of cancer after the procedure is done."

His Coach chewed on this for a long time.

"Is taking that risk worth it to you?"

It was Scott's turn to really think it over.

Scott had loved MMA his whole life. He had gained incredible confidence and made great friends. He had stood up to bullies and protected others. Every victory was beautiful and a cherished memory. But something about saving that woman yesterday had just hit different. It had felt like what he was meant to do.

Scott looked into Coach Watson's eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, it is. Even if I die a horrible death, it's worth it if I tried to prevent that from happening to others."

Coach Watson saw no doubt or fear in Scott's eyes. He was serious about this.

"Then do what makes you happy, kid."
 
Kash-Volt

Scott was sitting in a chair in The VAWS Center. He was facing Valor and learning to communicate telepathically. If he was going to be sharing a body with Valor, he needed to know him well. They had spent hours talking about their childhoods. They had now caught each other up to speed. It was time to decide.

You sure you want to do this, Valor? You may get a better host if you wait.

I'm sure. After talking with you for this long, I know I couldn't find a better host. We both want to help people and honor those who raised us. There is no better bond to have.

Scott nodded.

Then let's do it...Partner.

He entered the other chamber and nodded for the Kashan technician to begin the procedure. Several buttons were pushed and a lever was pulled. Valor's soul was slowly removed from his body and siphoned into Scott. As it was, Scott collapsed to his knees and gripped his head as Valor's memories flooded his mind.

The headache was excruciatingly painful. He felt like he might throw up or pass out. What kept Scott going was the mental toughness that he had developed his entire life. He had beaten every obstacle and adversity ever thrown his way. He would win again. He would not lose!

IcandoIcandothisIcandothisICANDOTHIS!!!

Scott screamed but it wasn't in pain. It was the wordless dedication to victory. Like charging screaming into battle. That woman's face flashed through his mind. He would protect her and everyone else who couldn't protect themselves!

The lab was blaring alarms. The process was in its final stages but at risk of failing. If Scott's determination flagged, they could both die. Valor saw every enemy to peace that he had ever been told about clearly in his mind's eye. Scott saw the mutant gangs, the demons, and the aliens but screamed out in challenge to them.

"COME AND GET IT!!!"

Scott's mindset

His roar of challenge and blazing eyes got him over the threshold. His Soul Energy exploded outward in golden white glory. His body became covered in black and gold armor. The shockwave damn near destroyed the lab. Scott raised his arms and screamed in victory. Firestar pumped his fists, moved to tears at the sight of his Champion.
 
After making sure that everyone in the lab was okay, Firestar left the lab manager with enough Kashan currency to replace the broken equipment. Firestar and Scott then traveled to Firestar City. The first order of business was naming his new Champion. Firestar turned and put his right hand on Scott's shoulder. He looked like a proud father and both Scott and Valor felt the emotional weight of the moment.

"As two men on a crusade to protect the innocent, it is only right that you be known as Crusader."

Crusader grinned. Firestar removed his hand and they followed him into the palace.

"Before you can take part in the World Tournament, you must master control of your Soul Energy. But before that, make me a promise."

Firestar stopped walking and so did Crusader. He turned around and looked both solemn and authoritative.

"I have told you about the Universe of Gods and the Multiverse of Mortals. Those in the Multiverse of Mortals die permanently. Promise me that you will not take a life in this Multiverse. My first Champion, Liberator, killed the only son of his hated enemy. The rage and pain from that act led to his own death. Promise me that you won't make his mistake."

Crusader did not hesitate for a second in his answer.

"I promise."

The two shook hands and the matter was settled. The two entered the meditation chamber and Crusader was going to learn all of the same skills that Liberator learned. Crusader's mental strength and determination helped him breeze through those lessons. The real difficulty for him would not be in learning but in unlearning.
 
Japan

Hokkaido

United Clans


Just as the French government allowed Shadowgreen to exist as a sovereign nation on French soil, the Japanese government allowed United Clans to exist as a sovereign nation on Japanese soil. However, the circumstances were different. The inhabitants of United Clans were not mutants that could destroy the country of Japan. Japan could actually annihilate United Clans if it wanted to. United Clans was made up of martial artists, the descendants of the founders of every martial art in the world. They protected the cultural heritage of the martial arts and were an entire society devoted only to practicing martial arts.

The laws of a world at peace clashed with the true purpose of the martial arts. The martial arts were made for war. They were not made for entertainment as Hollywood and MMA used them. They were not made to be limited by civilian laws like assault and battery. The concept of self-defense and defense of others was noble but not easily reconciled with the roots of martial arts. Those who wished to practice real martial arts came to United Clans, where only the bravest trained.

Firestar took Crusader to United Clans, which was a sprawling compound constructed in Japanese style.

"If you are to be my Champion, you must unlearn fighting with rules. Your enemies will not fight fair and will try to kill you. You must learn to survive real fights with real stakes. This is the only place on Earth One where you can be murdered and no law will punish the offender. It's the best place to train for fighting the enemy."

Scott nodded and the two entered. Immediately they were attacked by martial artists with weapons. Firestar was fine, as the attacks phased through him. Scott was not wearing his armor, though. He dodged several swings from a naginata and uppercutted the guy to knock him out. He ducked under a kusarigama and leg sweeped the guy before kneeing him in the face.

"You weren't kidding. These guys are fucking nuts!"

"The residents of United Clans violently attack any that show up unannounced. If you want to train with them, you must prove yourself without using armor or weapons."

"Great..."

Scott began walking forward, knowing that several more deadly martial artists were waiting for him.
 
As Scott walked forward, Valor was able to see in a 360 degree sweep around him. He could sense hostile intent and detect Soul Energy. As such, he detected the ninja to Scott's right, hiding in the tree.

Dodge backwards!

Scott jumped back and a poison blow dart hit the ground. He took cover behind the wall as the ninja continued firing.

Several black balls sailed over the wall and landed in front of him.

Run!

Scott sprinted away from the smoke and capsaicin bombs.

Duck!

Scott ducked down as a kusarigama blade sailed over his head. He did a flying knee in the direction of his enemy on instinct.

That turned out to not be as effective as planned. The knee hit steel samurai armor and knocked his opponent back. However, Scott was hurt more. His knee was seriously bruised and he would be limping. He didn't have time to focus on the pain, though. His opponent still had a blade in his hand to worry about!

Scott decided to retreat, knowing that fighting an armed and armored opponent while unarmed and unarmored was a really bad idea. He loped away and tried to break his line of sight. Unfortunately, more opponents had come. It ended up working out, though, as Scott was able to dodge a sword strike and shove the ninja into the armored samurai. They both fell down and Scott was able to knock out the other ninja with a pull uppercut. These enemies were clearly not pro fighters and cocky about having weapons.

Scott made his way through the compound as quickly as he could. That was when he ran into serious trouble. A young Japanese man in a black Karate gi with a red and white belt appeared. He gave him the most bloodthirsty look that Scott had ever seen. It was like a snarling wolf getting ready to attack its prey. He said something very aggressive to him in Japanese and then rushed him.
 
In all of his years of fighting, Scott had never seen anyone move so fast. The aggressive Japanese fighter tackled him into the wall. Being a Muay Thai fighter and Freestyle wrestler, Scott thought that he had the advantage. He could start kneeing the fuck out of his face and spamming elbows to the back of the head. Or he could sprawl him and knee the shit out of his head, Pride FC style. However, this Japanese guy moved even faster and more aggressively.

Before Scott could react, the guy started punching him hard in the liver. Not just once, but repeatedly. Body uppercuts with all of his weight behind them. Scott felt the strength leave his legs. He was only being held up by this aggressive fuck. Scott's mental toughness held out and he started elbowing this guy in the occipital lobe.

The Japanese guy butted him under the chin and then threw a spear hand aimed at his face. Scott moved his head to the side and it pierced the concrete wall!

"What the fuck?!"

Scott knew he would be dead if that strike had landed. He wrapped his arm around the crazy fuck's neck and started squeezing on a guillotine. That turned out to be a bad idea because he stabbed him in the side with another spear hand!

Scott now knew he had to get this psycho off of him. He could stab him to death with those hands from here. He forced his hand out of his body and pushed back his other arm. The psycho was strong but Scott had better leverage. Once enough space was created, he snapped repeated knees into his face. The psycho jumped back and was undeterred by having a broken nose.

He was so undeterred, in fact, that he rushed him again!

"Oh, come on!"

Scott landed a flying knee but the guy ate it and slammed him to the ground. As a pro MMA fighter, he was able to use head movement on the ground to dodge murderous spear hands to the face. Scott grabbed his arms and flipped their positions, ending up in full mount. From there, Scott started headbutting the shit out of him.

But this guy had a head like a rock! They were both bleeding and blinded by blood. Scott was punched in the face so hard that it broke his nose. At that point, Scott was put on his back again and was eating devastating punches. He put his arms up but those punches still hurt like hell. The psycho might break his arms at this rate.

With no choice left, Scott punched him hard in the throat. The psycho couldn't eat that. Scott started punching him in the eyes until he could start headbutting again. With the psycho on his back, Scott kneed him in the face until he wasn't moving anymore. But then the psycho unexpectedly kicked him in the balls and Scott was at a disadvantage again. The two grappled until they accidentally went through a wooden door and into a dojo.
 
Both of them landed hard on the hard wood floor. Scott was watching the psycho's hands, as they were quite dangerous. Once they were on their feet, he started moving laterally around the psycho. He didn't want to be charged at again or be in range of those hands. Unfortunately, the psycho had some vicious kicks, too. Though he blocked the back kick, the force of it pushed him against the wall.

The psycho gave an intimidating kiai and jumped before delivering a roundhouse kick. Scott dove and rolled under it before turning and taking a Muay Thai stance.

"Alright, you crazy fuck. Come and get it!"

The psycho said something very threatening in Japanese and then charged at him. This time, Scott pulled a matador and let him run face first into a huge wall of mirrors.

Not wasting any time, Scott wheel kicked him in the spine to stun him. He then wrapped his arm around the front of the psycho's throat from behind and crouched down to have maximum leverage and pressure. He squeezed hard and the psycho stabbed him in the stomach repeatedly with spear hands.

"Go to sleep, you crazy son of a bitch!!!"

The psycho gradually lost strength and eventually did lose strength before passing out. Scott let him go and made sure that he was alive before standing back up.

Scott had suffered a broken nose, broken ribs, and had multiple stab wounds in his stomach and both sides of his body. He was definitely going to need hospital treatment. However, wound assessment took a backseat as the psycho got to his feet. Scott's blood ran cold and real fear started settling into his mind.

"No fucking way..."

The psycho faced him and took a Karate stance while still unconscious!
 
All of a sudden, a large Japanese man built like a bodybuilder appeared behind the psycho as silently as a ninja. He slapped the psycho on the back and he woke up. The psycho looked confused.

"At ease, son. The fight's over."

His English was accented but understandable, proof that he had spoken it fairly often despite it not being his first language.

Firestar suddenly appeared in a burst of flame.

"Thanks for interfering, Raging Wolf. At this rate, they were going to kill each other."

The psycho began arguing in Japanese but Raging Wolf harshly reprimanded him in his native tongue. The psycho looked suitably chastised and Raging Wolf looked apologetically at Firestar and Scott.

"Please forgive the rudeness of my son."

Firestar chuckled.

"Lone Wolf is a strong and passionate young man. I take no offense."

Raging Wolf was grateful and gestured toward the exit.

"As a reward for passing the test, please join me at my home. I will now treat you as a guest and not an enemy."
 
Scott and Lone Wolf had to pay a visit to the United Clans Hospital to be treated for their injuries. Both of them ended up looking silly due to their broken noses. Scott also had his lower torso wrapped tightly due to the broken ribs and stab wounds. After the visit was complete, they went to Raging Wolf's mansion. Lone Wolf did not say even one word to Scott. He was pissed off over the fight being called off.

When they reached the mansion, both removed their shoes before proceeding inside. They both sat on their knees on opposite sides of the table. Firestar began the explanation while Raging Wolf poured the tea.

"Forgive me for throwing you into the fire, Scott, but as you can see, Lone Wolf is a great practice opponent. He was genuinely trying to kill you. By the looks of him, he still wants to."

Lone Wolf said something very rude in Japanese. Raging Wolf gave him a sharp look and his son looked away. Though he was deferential to his father, Lone Wolf was known for his stiff-backed pride.

"The Wolf Clan are the descendants of the founders of Japanese Karate. They specialize in all Japanese martial arts. Lone Wolf is the most talented martial artist within United Clans."

Such a compliment from a New God would normally make Lone Wolf feel honored and filled with pride and validation. But with his most recent fight not settled, he found no satisfaction in it. He drank his cup of tea in order to stop himself from telling Firestar to shove it up his ass.

"There are also clans from India, China, Korea, Okinawa, Southeast Asia, Russia, Brazil, Israel, and elsewhere. If you want to learn a martial art, you come to United Clans."

"But our way of life is not easy," Raging Wolf said.

A woman wearing a kimono pushed in a wheeled cart with a large stone on it.

"We do not use heavy bags or soft materials to train our bodies. We strike stone. If a bone breaks, we heal and train some more. Pain is weakness leaving the body. Lone Wolf."

Lone Wolf bowed and stood up. With no fear or hesitation, he threw a spear hand that went clean through the stone. He pulled his arm out to show a perfect, clean hollow. Scott was shocked and turned to Firestar. Despite sounding ridiculous from the broken nose, he had to speak up.

"Thanks for not warning me about Stonehands McGee over there, asshole."

Firestar chuckled and sipped his own tea. Lone Wolf sat down and still looked royally pissed off.

"United Clans has been attacked many times," Raging Wolf explained, "and every time it happened during his lifetime, Lone Wolf killed the invader."

"Who were the invaders?" Scott asked in surprise.

"Mostly demons. They enjoy being killed, I guess."

Scott was surprised that Lone Wolf had fought and killed demons. No wonder he seemed to be on another level. Eyes like his didn't come from living a soft, cushy life. They came from punching stone since before they could walk. Scott knew that Lone Wolf could teach him a lot. Unfortunately, he hated him and wanted him dead.
 
Firestar and Scott finished their tea and left Raging Wolf's mansion. It was best to give Lone Wolf space right now. They met the rest of the clans, who gave them warm welcomes and exposure to their cultures. Scott had never been exposed to so many different cultures before and it was very eye opening. However, he also got a taste of the rivalry between the Chinese Tiger Clan and the Japanese Wolf Clan. King Tiger and his son, Stalking Tiger, were very bitter toward the Wolf Clan over both succession issues and world history, such as the Rape of Nanjing.

Firestar and Scott wisely chose to stay out of that fight. It wasn't something that could be settled by outsiders. Stalking Tiger would soon challenge Lone Wolf for the title of King of Fists. It would be settled at that time. On the plus side, Scott had made friends with Thailand's Charging Boar. They had bonded over a shared love of Muay Thai.

Scott promised to return to United Clans after he healed up. He would train with Charging Boar and try to befriend Lone Wolf. That didn't seem very damn likely right now, but Scott was not the type to give up easily. Firestar opened up a Fire Path.

"Where to now?" Scott asked.

"Shadowgreen Institute in France."
 
Kenjiro Akiyama, known to United Clans outsiders as Lone Wolf, was attempting to cool his head by doing Tai Chi in his favorite courtyard. He had lived and breathed the martial arts from the moment he was born. His mother had died in childbirth, leaving his father to raise him as a single parent. Thankfully, he had no end of female relatives to help provide the nurturing that his dead mother could not. The lifestyle of United Clans did not allow 'softness' in boys, however, so that nurturing didn't run very deep. Kenjiro was an emotional cripple that was married to Japanese Karate.

What he lacked in warmth he made up for with determination. His fighting spirit was so all-consuming that even unconsciousness could not shut it off. Every fight for Lone Wolf was a fight to the death. Thus, he would fight until he died. That was why he was so angry that his father had called off the fight. The fight was not settled and wouldn't be until one of them died.

Firestar and Scott had left United Clans. Kenjiro wouldn't have the chance to settle things until he returned. Rather than stew in anger, he wanted to release it and dedicate himself once more to Japanese Karate. Scott was an excellent fighter. If Kenjiro was going to kill him, he would have to become an even more skilled martial artist. He would have to become slightly more cautious and pick his strikes carefully rather than rushing in like a hungry wolf.

But Kenjiro was not sure that he could do that. The Wolf Clan were no cowards. He could not lose his fighting spirit. He tried to turn his hatred and rage into fighting spirit. Fighting with anger would not win this fight. But fighting with emotion would, though doing so was not going to be easy for him.

He closed his eyes and envisioned his anger and hatred as cranes.

Take flight, cranes! Soar to the heavens!

As he watched them fly away, his mind cleared and his focus returned. His Tai Chi became artistic, perfect, and relaxing. By the final movement, he was warmed up enough to further condition his body that was both bereft of fat and stronger than steel.
 
Before he could begin his conditioning exercises, however, a samurai ran up to him. He was speaking to him in urgent Japanese. Kenjiro spoke little English and preferred his first language.

"Kenjiro, there is a Fire Demon in the square! Your clansmen are fighting but it looks bad!"

Kenjiro nodded and began racing toward the square.

Since the beginning of time, demons from Hell had invaded Earth One. The fathers of combat, the ancestors of United Clans, had always resisted them. They had also quarreled with mutants, who in ancient times were sometimes mistaken for demons. The demons of Hell and United Clans had a rivalry and grudging respect for each other. Lone Wolf was known to the demons, particularly the ultra aggressive Fire Demons, and so they often came here to challenge him. Kenjiro would simply do what he always had and kill this demon.

He arrived in the courtyard and witnessed the flame demon run an armored samurai through with a flaming barbed greatsword. Kenjiro rushed at the demon as he lifted the samurai up. With a flying kick to the side of the head, he forced the demon to drop the sword. As the samurai fell and made pained sounds, Kenjiro ordered the other Wolf Clan warriors to rush him to the hospital. They did while he covered their retreat. Kenjiro took a Karate stance and his eyes resembled a hungry wolf's.

The flame demon got to his feet. He was clad in black armor that looked volcanic due to the flaming lava covering it. His own skin co!or was blue and his face was not covered. Kenjiro recognized this demon. It was Rokugo, the flame demon that he had killed three years ago on his fifteenth birthday. Like all Immortal Agents, Rokugo could reincarnate and so had come back for round two.

Rokugo grinned and took a demonic martial arts stance, his hands constantly moving in an unpredictable manner as he stood still.

"I was hoping that I would run into you, Lone Wolf," he said in Japanese.

He then flash stepped forward and struck out with his demonic claws. They stopped an inch away from Kenjiro's face. The Karate prodigy had put a spear hand completely through Rokugo's skull and out the back of his helmet, killing him instantly. Kenjiro pulled his arm out and walked away without looking back as the flame demon fell lifelessly to the ground and turned to ash.
 
Kenjiro proceeded to the hospital. After Rokugo's death, his sword had also turned to ash. That made treatment of Scarred Wolf, real name Takashi Omura, much easier. After treatment, Kenjiro joined Scarred Wolf in his hospital room alongside the other clan members who had fought Rokugo. Scarred Wolf knew that if Lone Wolf was here, then Rokugo was dead. The two shared a respectful and honoring bow, with Scarred Wolf keeping his head lower and for longer out of respect on several levels.

Although no one smiled, the sense of family and respect could be clearly felt in the room. These were hardened warriors with few outward emotions, but much was not spoken. Their love could be seen in their eyes and body language. With the message delivered and the matter closed, Kenjiro left the hospital room. His mind was on Stalking Tiger and Scott. Next time they fought, he would kill them both.
 
Los Angeles, California


Eric and Nick whooped and hollered as they sped down the Coast Highway. They were racing and Nick was having a great time even if he was losing. Both of them had picked up a girl that was riding bitch on their Harleys. Eric was so smooth and effortlessly cool that he attracted chicks like a magnet. Nick was confident but way more boisterous. Either way, their confidence was attractive and scored them their pick of bikini babes.

Eric easily won and headed off for a hotel with his Latina lady. Nick actually had a French babe, which was ironic as hell, and rolled on to a biker party. The party was being held at some outlaw biker club and they weren't allowing civvies. When the prospect manning the door gave him shit, Nick rolled up his sleeve to show him his 1% tattoo. The prospect was mollified but still put a hand on his chest when Nick tried to go in.

"What club you with?"

Nick gave him a hard stare that said 'I will fuck you up'. That look carried weight because his tattoo showed that he was legitimately an outlaw biker. His eyes also carried the look of a man who had committed violence in the past and would do so again.

"None of your business, prospect."

Nick shoulder checked past him with his lady and the prospect knew better than to push it. Thankfully, none of the patched members had seen the altercation or a fight could have broken out.

Nick got some beers and started talking with Simone. She had changed into leather jeans and leather jacket over a black tank top before coming here. She was into the biker lifestyle, so Nick was her kind of guy. Her light French accent was sexy given the common ground they had. Nick wasn't big on France, preferring his home country of the US, though he also liked California way better than his Midwest home of Detroit. Nick spent the rest of the evening drinking, dancing, and head banging to heavy metal, having suitably impressed both Simone and the outlaw bikers.
 
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