Long time when the creature was just a scientist working on a deserted planet. He had only one goal, prolonged life. Very prolonged life. He had been confident that he could do it, in fact he believed it was his destiny.  Many species in the universe had powerful abilities and amazing gifts but they were all vision less. They didn't know what to do with their gifts. The scientist didn't know either, but he knew that he wanted what they had. Even if he had to rip it from them. But the work was slow, painful, work.  

Slowly people who had joined his cause abandoned him. One by one they left and never came back. But someone stayed, his sister (he had also forgotten his name) . They had been Duos. Born from the same mother and at the same time. Inseparable from birth.

But some people didn't like what they were doing they said they were breaking "Rules" and "regulations" so they sent someone after them. His sister had tried to slow him down, but for all she did it was pointless. He burnt her down to ashes. He could still remember the bittersweet smell of his sister's burnt flesh. Through luck or some universal glitch he escaped, but life was bleak without her. 

He cried and plotted revenge against the red man but the weak can't do anything against the strong. So he plunged deeper into his project with renewed fervor. It paid off. When the time came to choose what weapon he would adorn himself he decided to choose one  that he thought fit him.

He had always preferred animals to sentient beings. If an animal liked you it showed it to you, if it didn't it attacked you. Pretty straight forward. Senti's on the other hand were deceptious creatures and you could hardly ever guess what they were thinking or what they would do. So he became an anima. Lending his scientific prowess to the beasts and taking them in return. The universe was a dangerous place for fine beasts like them. They deserved to be locked up and cared for. They deserved to be in a zoo. They were his wards and he was there zookeeper.

Somehow the red man had eluded him, somehow always slipping out of his grasp when he almost had him. They played an elaborate game of tag for many years until the zookeeper had decided to go into his own zoo.

While there he had smelt it. It was faint but it was there, the trace smell of ashes and charred flesh. He could have made a 'friend' appear and lift Him out of here as easy as it was for a magician to make a coin appear and disappear, but his feet and hands were heavily chained. His head was the only free appendage he had. He couldn't contact anything because he was heavily sedated, At least that was what the guards thought. In reality he had modified himself in so many ways he had lost count. 

He bit his upper lip off and spat it out, his lower lip followed.  He was lipless and bleeding profoundly. He turned his throat up and slowly choked on his own blood. After some thought he added his tongue.

When the guards found him his body was ice cold and still, He was beyond saving. It was obvious. He had seriously injured himself and drowned himself in his own blood, commiting suicide. He was released from his chains and sedation line to be sent to be put in cold storage. Later when they reached their destination they would incinerate his leftovers. But he had other plans he let them carry him to the hallway from there Crashing the ship had been child's play. 

He stepped out from the ruins of the crashed spaceship and looked around. This system was full of ugly planets. They had landed on the moon of some gas giant with an ugly big red spot on it.

The scientist's field was biology and he didn't know that what he had looked at was Jupiter's great red spot, and even if he knew he Wouldn't have been bothered as he stood there a single thought was racing through his mind multiple times.

The red man is here.

   *                                     *                                  *

Principal Richards sat in his car outside a seedy fast food joint called speedy's. He's finger tapped on the steering wheel repeatedly. A lady bundled heavily in a long coat walked up to his car, opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat. She was Penelope Garcia a teacher at Brentwood High. She and Devon Richards had been having an affair for a while. At first it had started with glances at meetings and hidden remarks. Then one day after a party he had dropped her off. She had invited him in and after a few more drinks they had made love for the first time. The affair had been going on for eight months now. They had hidden it well. 

"Oh Dev, I missed you so much." Devon was about to reply but she shut him with a kiss. A flash momentarily blinded her she was about to look up when she felt Devon's hands  making their way under her shirt.

Later that night they both received a call. Devon was making a sandwich. Ever since his daughter had moved off to college the house felt dead. It was too quiet and dull, and sometimes Devon could swear he saw shadows move out of the corner of his eye. His wife was busy reading a book. It was all  she ever did nowadays eat, sleep and attend her few social functions. Whatever love had existed when they had married it had all evaporated by now. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the picture of his wife and daughter on his wallpaper. He wondered how long he and Penelope would last before it turned cold. He had received a message from an unknown number. The message was a picture of him and Penelope kissing in his car. It was from this evening.

This was not good. This could cause trouble for him and his wife but he wasn't bothered about that. He was bothered about what Brentwood would do. Brentwood was big but not big enough, and it was pretty isolated. News spread fast and everyone knew everyone. His reputation would be ruined in a matter of days if not hours. He wouldn't be able to show face anywhere. Penelope would be worse off. She was just an ignorant little girl in a woman's body. She couldn't handle that kind of stress. What would the board do about it? They could take both of their jobs.

His phone rang, it was an unknown number, he picked. A man's voice spoke.

"Good evening, Mr Richards."

"What do you want?"

" I'll keep those videos to myself if you do a favour for me."

" What is it?"

" There's a little package waiting for you in your mailbox. In it are files of ten children, I want them admitted as early as possible. "

" It's not as easy as you think it is. They are processes. "

" Mr Richards. "

" Yes. "

" It may not be easy for you but releasing this picture is easy enough. Do you understand? "

" Yes I do. " The stranger Hanged up. Devon was full of determination and relief. He would save and Penelope.

One of those files had David Ivan Blackheart written on it.

*

The gang stood in a straight line like soldiers awaiting orders. They were in the dojo about a floor beneath the lounge. It was a big room but clear of any furniture. David stood opposite them without his jacket, none of them were wearing coats. Nobody knew how but apparently the the room was heated. Thinking about it everywhere in the building seemed heated. David's katana stood at a corner. Clearly he didn't go anywhere except school without it.

"Ok" he said, "show me what you can do." Kevin walked up to David and held his shoulder. His face frowned in concentration. David remained the same, it wasn't clear whether the electric trick had worked out or not.

"This isn't going to be handy except you fight close combat, and It doesn't really do much except tickle. Next." Kevin came back looking defeated. Mia went up next cheeky. She focused and her shadow became animated again. Her shadow popped out of the ground like literally popped out. One moment he was 2d and the next a shadow humanoid was standing next to Mia. Jason at first wondered why her shadow was masculine, then he remembered what she had told him about shadow about being bound to her by blood. Her alien ancestor must have been male and shadow was clearly built after his image. The height and the build were almost the same.

"How long can you keep him out?" David asked.

"As long as I like." Mia cheerfully.

"He has his own will right?"

"Yes."

"How far can you be separated."

"I don't know . A few miles. He made it as far as Colorado before I had to call him Back. But once he jumped to Dallas, Texas and I couldn't sense him anymore."

"Jump?"

"Shadow can travel through shadows. I guess their all linked or something. He can take small things too as well."

"Can you travel through shadow's?"

"No. At l least not yet."

"Can you reshape him."

"No."

"Anything else?"

"I can darken room." David nodded his  head signalling her to go back.

"I guess you don't need to stand up to put off the lights. Next." Mia walked back looking pissed of. Alex stepped forward and focused. A gentle breeze started blowing soon it escalated. Soon a small cyclone started up but it sounded slowed down and died out. Alex was sweating with the effort.

"That thing takes too long to build up, and you leave yourself open. Next."

"Next." Jess walked up.

"I can't really do anything unless someone's injured." David walked towards his katana, picked it up, unsheathed it and cut his palm. His palm started gushing immediately, if anyone had any doubts about the sword's sharpness they were all cleared now. He walked back to Jess.

"Well here's your injury." Jess held his hand focused and the bleeding stopped. Slowly the flesh mended itself and his palm was good as new.

"Is that all? Do you have any other any skills."

"No. Not really."

"You would be a sitting duck while they. I believe I used the idiom Correctly."

"Yes you did."

And besides it was just a cut but you already looker paler. What if it was the whole arm?" Jess had no response for that so she just walked back.

"Jason what about you?"

"I can't do anything...yet." 

"I see. Well that concludes it. You guys are totally useless. Your abilities take too long to use and their effect is too weak, way too weak. I guess I'm going to have to devise separate training ways from you all. You can go home. I'm going to have to search the deeper levels for something to help you all." For an inefficient teacher he seemed pretty efficient.

*

 Author's Note: Tapas has a limit on how many characters I ca use per chapter and I'm finding that limit very annoying.

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