!!! CW for this Chapter apply. Please read the chapter description to see warnings. !!

Four weeks had passed.

The Morpho Defender Apprentices learned everything they needed to know and every skill they needed to have in order to go on patrol. This included not only knowledge about Morpho Mons themselves, but also memorizing the city’s streets and sites, handling weapons like firearms, knives and swords, as well as first aid for humans and Morpho Mons alike.

It was Thursday, and Toby was on a late shift with his two classmates Randall and Adam. There was nothing going on at the moment, so they took the free time to have a chat.

“So, Randall…” Toby crossed his arms behind his back. “Your dad had to leave again?”
“Yeah.” Randall held his purple bag closely to him. His Morpho Partner was very shy and wouldn’t leave the toaster unless he absolutely had to, so this was the only way to bring him along. He got special permission for it earlier. “He’s still stationed in England. They need him there.”
“I had no idea your dad was an Elite Defender! Why did you never tell?”
“Mgh…” Randall looked to the side. “It’s no one’s business…”
“Is he the reason you wanted to join?”
“I said it’s no one’s business!” Randall raised his voice and Toby jumped lightly.

“Oi oi!” Adam raised his hands. “No need to be so hostile!”
“Man, you have no idea.” Randall sighed.
“I think I know enough to see what’s going on.” Adam combed through his hair with his fingers. “You obviously have father issues!”
“WHAT?!” Randall turned around. “Don’t say that!!”
“It’s true!!”
“I will fucking kill you!!”

“Huh?” Toby looked up. “Hey, did you see that?”

“Wraff!” Memis barked, “I’ve seen it too! There was a Morpho Mon!”

Randall pulled out his smartphone.

They’ve been updated by the engineers’ department to be able to track and identify nearby Morpho Mons, a vital tool for defenders on patrol.
“Hmmh…” The smartphone made a beeping sound. “Identified, an MM-023. They’re harmless.”
“Okay, I’ll go catch it!” Toby quickly pulled out his gem to make Memis morph, and jumped on his back. “GO GO!” They ran off.

“HEY! Don’t go alone!!” Randall grunted, holding his gem tightly. “Come on Adam, before he ends up killing himself!”
“Aight!”

Toby maneuvered Memis around the corner into a tight alleyway and jumped off his back. “Hey there, little mouse mon….” Toby searched around the trash cans. The little Morpho Mon had to be around here somewhere…

“Feepfeep! Pyu!” A little, yellow Morpho Mon with a black stripe on its back jumped out of one of the trash cans, holding a piece of paper in its mouth. It immediately began to run as it saw Toby and Memis, quickly disappearing into the darker part of the alleyway that wasn’t lit by the street lamps.

“Hey! Don’t run away!!” Toby followed the little mouse-looking Morpho Mon.

“Toby, wait!” His Morpho Partner sounded very concerned. “I- I think someone’s there!”

Suddenly, a humanoid figure emerged from the shadow. It was a tall, slim man with a sunken face and a very far receded hairline, his grey face was covered in stubbles and grazes. His clothes looked very worn up and dirty, and on his shoulder sat the little mouse Morpho Mon.
“OI!”, he shouted in a loud, rough voice. “Whaddaya think you’re doing?!”

“Huh?” Toby looked up to the man and cleared his throat. “Sir! I am Toby Williams from the Morpho Defenders! We are here to catch the stray Morpho Mons and bring them back to their dimension!”
“You what?!” The man stepped closer to him, so close that Toby could feel his breath on his face. “YOU WANNA TAKE YUKACI AWAY??”
“Uh-” Toby backed off until he met the wall. “S-Sir- it’s just that--”

“Haven’t you FUCKERS already TAKEN ENOUGH FROM ME?! HE’S ALL I HAVE!!” The man quickly grabbed Toby’s neck and pressed him against the wall.
“HRGH--” Toby let out a choking sound, grasping the man’s arm to try and pull him off.
“YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!!” The man pulled out a knife with his other hand.

“TOBY!!” Memis jumped up - but didn’t interfere.

Toby looked at his partner - with terror and tears in his eyes, trembling in fear. “M-Memis-- H-Help me!!”

Memis’ mind was racing. It echoed the voice of Miss Evans at the Welcoming Ceremony.

The safety of the human race has the highest priority and must be ensured at any cost. If at any point, an uncontrollable Morpho Mon or a Defender’s Partner will become a danger to anybody, you will have no choice but to kill them with your weapon provided.

Toby wasn’t threatened by a Morpho Mon. This was a human being. If Memis were to attack him… Would Toby have to kill him?

“I will cut you open like a pig…” The man held the knife close to Toby’s neck.

“NO!!” Memis was about to jump when suddenly, a flash of grey lightning brushed past him.

“HUEH!” Kracheen pounced on the man.

“GAH! GET OFF!” The man swung his arm with the knife in defense, cutting Toby’s face.

“AH--” Toby fell to the ground as the man’s grip loosened in his struggle with the Morpho Mon.

“TOBY!!” Memis now jumped to Toby, turned back to his Prior form. “Toby--”

“Halt, Sir!!” Randall arrived now, followed by Adam and his partner. “You are under arrest!!”

“LET ME GO!!” The man tried to fight off Kracheen, who was wrapped around him tightly like a snake. “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!! YOU’RE NOT THE COPS!!”

“We will see about this.” Randall approached the man, and noticed the little Morpho Mon from earlier sitting on his shoulder, trying to bite Kracheen with little effect. “This Morpho Mon-”

“YOU FUCKERS WON’T TAKE YUKACI AWAY!!”
“I’m sorry, it’s the rules. Hold his arms tight, Cheen.” Randall reached out to try and grab the little mouse-like Morpho Mon.

Then suddenly, a loud crashing sound burst through the alleyway, and a wave of pressure blew over the trash cans. They all looked to the source of this - and a tall, humanoid figure emitted from the dust, slowly approaching the scene.

The closer they came, the more details you could make out. The person was slim, but muscular and had wild, purple hair. Their face was covered with a long scarf that hung loosely over their shoulders.

“Wh-Who the freak is that?!”, Adam shouted in a panicked voice.

“BASU!” The grey man, still confined by Kracheen, recognized the mysterious person. “HELP ME!!”

“... Mhm.” The person outstretched their arm, and a loud bang emitted from what looked like an explosion of water, right on Kracheens head.

“HUEEHH!” Kracheens grip loosened and he fell down.

“K-Kracheen!!” Randall tried to pick up his partner, who immediately wrapped himself around his arm, then he looked at ‘Basu’. “What’s your problem!? You’re impeding the Morpho Defender’s work!!”

“... You aren’t Defenders. You don’t defend those who need it.” Basu faced the man and tossed him a clear plastic bag with a white-yellowish crystallized substance in it. “Here. Now use your money to buy food.”
“Ahh---!” The man was shaking. “Th-Thanks Basu!!” He immediately ran off.

“W-What?! HEY!!” Randall shouted. “Why would you let him go?! And what did you give him?!”

Within a second Basu stood face to face with Randall and grabbed him by the chin. “Listen, babyface, I’m just taking care of those people you puny defenders don’t seem to have time or money for. That’s all. Don’t you ever dare get close to Robert, Yukaci, or any other member of my organization ever again. Or I will end you. Do you understand?”

“Grhrhh--!” Randall tried to push Basu away, but Basu stood unmoved like a mountain. “You will regret this!!”

“HUEH!!” Kracheen came forward and bit Basu in the arm, but they were completely unfazed. They pushed them away as if it was nothing.

“Hmh. I’m bored with you. You know your place now.” Basu pushed Randall aside. “I’ll take my leave.” And with a single, powerful jump, Basu disappeared into the sky.

“Ghrr..” Randall shook his head. “What an ass…”

“Randall…” Memis whimpered. “Toby is hurt…”

Randall turned back to the two of them and got to his knees. “Toby?” He checked Toby, who seemed a bit dizzy from the attack, and noticed a cut on his face. “Damn.” He turned to Adam. “Call HQ, tell them someone got hurt.”

“Ah- Roger!!” Adam pulled out his phone.

Memis let out a soft cry. “I’m so sorry… This is all my fault…”

“No, it isn’t. It’s Toby’s.” Randall picked Toby up and stood. “But it’s up to Charlotte to decide how she will handle this situation.”

Memis gulped. “Okay…”

“The medical department is prepared!” Adam put his phone away.

“Good. Let’s go.”