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Chapter 1

It seemed that all he could do was run. Footsteps stormed through a tiny staircase, as a pair of legs raced up them. The person fleeing gasped for air with every breath they took and felt as if they wouldn't make it in time. Eventually, they reached their destination: a quiet rooftop hovering above West City. The young boy then carefully inspected his surroundings with his chestnut eyes to ensure that he was safe. A couple birds were chirping harmoniously in the background and other than the smoke steadily rising from a chimney in the distance, there wasn't another soul in sight. The young boy let out a sign of relief. He had evaded his captors for the time being.

Tired and out of energy, he opted to take a seat against a brick wall to regain himself. Beads of sweat poured down the boy's face and he felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest because it was beating so fast. Paranoid, the youth took one last gander around just to confirm he was alone.

"...Heh! L-Looks like those goons couldn't keep up with me!" he said, half excited, half anxiously.

The brown-skinned boy grinned, pleased with himself since there was no longer any danger afoot. He took the opportunity to take a look over at his apparel and saw this his white tank top and tattered, denim jeans had been scuffed up greatly in the chase. Frowning, he mumbled that this wasn't going to end well. The caretakers at the orphanage didn't like it much when he dirtied up his clothing after a wash, his marginally muscular frame already too big a fit for them in the first place.

"Tch! They messed up my hair too! Jerks...!"

The child ran his hand through his jet black mane, he noting that his short hair had always been unruly in the first place with the multitude of bangs hanging down from his scalp. A few of the kids at the orphanage had picked fun at this fact, though perhaps in spite of this, he had decided to keep it stylized as such.

The distinct sound of footsteps drawing near turned the boy's attention toward the staircase and he immediately gasped in fright. The door then slammed opened with force and three figures made their presence known. The adolescent in the front was quite large, although it was clear from his physical features that he was near the same age as the dark-skinned youth. The two behind him were much more bony, however, mirroring twigs in comparison.

"GOHEI! Where are ya, ya little squirt?!" cried the hefty one in a harsh tone.

It was clear by the brown-skinned boy's panicked reaction that he was the 'Gohei' who's name had been mentioned. He briskly scurried to another side of the rooftop and tried his best to remain out of sight. Unfortunately, his timid movements alerted him to his pursuers. They charged forward and before he had the opportunity to flee, the ample leader of the group snatched him up by his shirt.

"Heh, heh, heh! And where do you think you're going, squirt?"

Gohei gulped, unable to break free. "U-Umm...D-Darunga, I..."

"I don't wanna hear it!" Darunga barked back, effectively quieting Gohei. He then cackled some with his cohorts following suit. "Did you think we were really going to let you get away with 'disrespecting' me like that?!"

Squirming, Gohei faintly replied, "B-But I didn't...!"

"Quiet! Now then, I think we'll just beat the crap out of you, after you made us run so far to come after you!"

Darunga and the two individuals beside him broke out into laughter again, as Darunga tossed Gohei to the ground. Gohei found himself trembling and he couldn't so much as even defend himself being outnumbered like this. What had proceeded this meeting here today was simple: Gohei had so happened to encounter an already irritated Darunga(for whatever reason) in the cafeteria this morning and had also happened to take the last banana-nut muffin, which was Darunga's favorite. Apparently, Darunga was holding a grudge over the matter, yet Gohei speculated that he was likely just using this as an excuse to pick a fight. Darunga and his goons had always picked on Gohei any chance they got. This person had singlehandedly made his time at the orphanage almost unbearable. But...why? Gohei didn't get it. He had never done so much as insult or harm Darunga in anyway. In spite of this, for a far as he could think back, Darunga had had some sort of problem with him, something that irritated him enough come poking around for trouble...

"L-Leave me alone!" Discovering a pocket of courage, Gohei stood chest and scowled at Darunga. "I-I already apologized for eating that thing...so just leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you really and...!"

Promptly, a right hook from Darunga sent a rattled Gohei to the dirt. That had been the last straw. Darunga snatched Gohei up and held the boy up to his face, seething, before knocking his victim back with another punch. Again landing on his bottom, Gohei quivered and wiped the blood from his busted lip. It always went like this, he thought. Darunga and his boys always slapped him around until they had their fill and he always let them do so because he knew they would eventually grow bored with his presence and leave. However, something about this time was...different. This time, he wanted to fight back. Darunga noticed this and a grin spawned across his lips.

"What? Are you mad?! Is the 'freak' mad?!"

Another of the lads added, "Yeah, 'freak'! Do somethin' if yer mad then!"

"I bet he's too scared to do somethin'!" said the last one. "'Cause he's a 'freak!'"

Freak. That word pulled a string on Gohei heart, as if a far greater injury had been inflicted upon him. That had to have been it. Yes, now it was all making sense to him. For as long as he had been 'acquainted' with Darunga, the boy had repeatedly called him a 'freak.' He wasn't alone though. Almost every orphan at this orphanage had referred to him as such. Maybe it was his odd appearance. Maybe it was the pink scar that ran down the left side of his face, trailing down his eyelid to his cheek. Or perhaps it was his freakish strength, a trait he had always seemed to have. Indeed, Gohei was a lot stronger than his peers and practically anyone else he had managed to come across. Clinging onto a steel pipe behind him, he unknowingly began to twist its shape against his fingertips. He had possessed this strange trait for as long as he could remember and he could offer no explanation for it, as could anyone else. Often, he had wanted to use his abilities to silent the others, but found that he...couldn't. He felt it would only exasperate the problem, give more reason for people to label him as a 'freak.' He would be isolated and alone if he tried something like that. All he had ever wanted to begin with was everyone's respect. As such, he often cowered or ran when faced with the aggression, just like now.

"You know what? I'm tired of looking at you already, freak," Darunga exclaimed. "Boys, pound his face in until I say stop!"

"You got it, boss!" One of the punks answered, popping his knuckles.

This wasn't good. All the courageousness that had been building up inside of Gohei vanished into thin air, while he backed away from the three. He knew he had the power to drive them away and even so he wavered, not wanting to break the 'natural order' of things. Darunga would go away once he and his goons had their fill and that would leave Gohei with some momentary peace until the boy came around once more.

"STOP RIGHT THERE! Don't you dare lay a hand on him, you bullies!"

A voice resounded out from the distance and stopped Darunga from knocking Gohei's lights out. Everyone found themselves turning to the source of the cry, Gohei specifically. After instantly recognizing the individual he let out a low exhale. A girl, the same age as Gohei, dashed onto the scene and used her body to form a wall in front of him. The look on her face was livid enough to make even Darunga cower some, shocking considering the girl was barely even a fourth of the his overall girth. Her light skin and small frame nevertheless remained steadfast in front of her larger opposition.

"I thought I told you guys to leave Gohei alone!" the girl said, one of Darunga's boys shuttering in response to the sharp statement. "Don't you ever get enough of picking on him, Darunga! Get out of here before I tell one of the supervisors what you're up to!"

Darunga smacked his lips at the 'request', but appeared to mind it enough to back away, the others mimicking him. The brute shot one last glance at Gohei ahead of making his exit.

"Heh. You're lucky your 'mommy' bailed you out again, freak! This isn't over!"

Gohei grumbled at the remark and only stared on while Darunga and the others disappeared from the rooftop. With his attackers gone, he should have been more relieved, yet a sensation of dissatisfaction mixed with anger filled him instead. As such, he drove his fist with all of his might into the brick wall next to him, leaving a considerable hole in the surface. The girl who had come to his defense watched this quietly.

"Gohei..."

"I didn't need your help, Tyla!" Gohei abruptly snapped. "I-I could have...!"

"'Handled that on your own?'" Tyla smiled despite what had just occurred and Gohei found himself rendered speechless by her witty interruption. "That's what you always say, and yet..."

"Yeah, yeah, I get the point. Even so, you don't always have to jump in like that. That's why the others always make fun of me when you do."

Wandering off to another side of the roof, Gohei sat down on a railing and put his head to the ground. A sense of depression had come over him. Tyla, sensing the this, took a seat next to him. When she did this though, Gohei inched away from her. Nonetheless, she merely closed the distance, causing him to move back once more. They repeated this few times humorously until Gohei realized she wasn't going to stop bothering him until they talked.

"Gohei," she started. "You should really try to stand up to Darunga and the others. Otherwise, they're just going to keep bothering you like this..."

"...I'm aware, Tyla. It's just that..." Gohei recalled Darunga's coarse tone of voice when labeling him a 'freak'. "...Forget it. How did you know I was up here though?"

"Hmm? I couldn't find you anywhere downstairs and when I saw Darunga heading this way at top speed, I figured you had something to do with it," said Tyla playfully.

"Heh. Well then, I guess I should be thanking you..."

Tyla gently flicked Gohei across the forehead before sticking out her tongue. "Well then, I guess you should!"

A vein popped up on Gohei's temple. "Don't get so pleased with yourself there! I wouldn't want your fat head to explode from all that hot air..."

"H-Hey! My head isn't that big..."

What Gohei was referring to was Tyla's rather large forehead, only shielded by the bangs of her aqua-colored hair, which was tied into a single ponytail. The two soon started to laugh amongst one another, this calming Gohei down significantly. Tyla always was the only one that could get him so relaxed after an awful experience. Thinking on the matter some more, Gohei reminded himself that she was also his solitary friend in the entire world. The two of them had arrived in this orphanage when they were just babies at nearly the same time, Tyla's parents having died in a car accident, while no one could say for sure who Gohei's caretakers were prior. Over the years, they became steadfast and inseparable friends, with Tyla often acting like a 'motherly' figure to Gohei. While he was appreciative of this(although he would never admit it to Tyla), it also caused him some taunts from the other children. This in turn led Tyla to frequently having to defend Gohei in his stead, shielding him somewhat from the bullying and antagonism he received from the other orphans. She was also rather strict with him and kept him out of any trouble he could get himself into. Gohei never understood why she did all this for him, though he saw no point in complaining.

"But I don't know why that jerk Darunga picks on you so much," said Tyla. "He acts as if he's better than you or something. The last time we checked, we were all orphans here. Maybe he's just looking for attention."

"Y-Yeah...I guess."

"Well, I know I've said this like a million times, but try not to let him get to you, okay?"

Tyla had this way of talking that was stern, while being sweet at the same time that Gohei really enjoyed. It was really hard for him to turn down one of her requests when she spoke like that, so he gingerly dipped his head and didn't bother objecting. She then beamed widely and took Gohei's hand suddenly.

"Hey, I know what'll cheer you up! Let's go to the playground! All the other kids should be eating right now, so there shouldn't be anyone else there!"

Again nodding without a word, Gohei felt that wasn't a bad idea.

"Come on! You can push harder than that, Gohei! Put your back into it!"

Tyla shouted her orders from the seat of a swing that she was rocking back and forth on. She sounded similar to a tyrants with her demands and Gohei pushed her using one arm in an aloof manner. He didn't get what she was barking about. She was already going rather high as it was and if he pushed her any harder, he'd probably break the swing set.

"If you keep talking, I'll push you so hard, you land face first in the dirt," he chimed.

Tyla's face changed to one of anxiousness and she glanced down at her clothing: a white blouse, a denim miniskirt, and a pair of red sneakers. She had just gotten then outfit out of the laundry and she would be damned if Gohei went and ruined it with his antics. Seeing her response, Gohei let out a chuckle.

"Tyla, one day, I'm going to get us out of this place."

Gohei's statement was so random, Tyla had to absorb it for a second. "What?"

"What, are you deaf? I said that one day I'm going to get us out of this hell hole! There's gotta be more to the world to see than this place! We'll go make something of ourselves out there...in the real world! Whadya say?"

Tyla shrugged. "If you say so, but...you've been saying that...forever now."
"Are you calling me a liar?"

"Not necessarily. I'm just saying that if you do plan on doing this, it's going to be quite awhile. I mean, we're still kids. There's no way we can do anything right now..."

"..."

"For now, just keep pushing me, you bum. I'm falling asleep over here!"

"Yeah, yeah! Just shut up already!"

A silence fell between the two with the sound of the swing creaking filling the air. There was something peculiar about this stillness that suddenly made a sensation of dread fill Gohei. It had been so out of the blue that it gave him the opinion that something was about to happen, something big. His arm kept up with its movements, but time seemed to stand unmoving for him. That's when he suddenly stopped pushing Tyla, his eyes spontaneously moving up to the skies above. Tyla, about to complain about his actions, noticed his trance-like state and became concerned.

"G-Gohei...?"

"W-What in the heck is that?" he muttered, now leering over his shoulders.

Tyla placed her hands on him in an attempt to calm him down. "What? What is it? What are you looking for?"

"Huh? Tyla, you don't feel that?"

"Feel...what? What's the matter, Gohei?"

Gohei paused. "I-I can't describe it. It just...feels like something is coming. Something big."

Utterly dumbfounded, Tyla wondered if Gohei was a little unnerved because of earlier. That was...until she the sound of a loud, whirring engine filled her ears. It mirrored the noise an airplane would make, but about ten times as blatant. This lone sound was soon replaced by dozens of them and she and Gohei soon found themselves shielding their eardrums from the disturbance.

And that's when the two saw them above the skies of West City: a massive legion of crimson 'discs'. No, Gohei knew that wasn't a proper description of what he was seeing. These discs were ships, gigantic battleships of unknown origin. Their color, the way they 'screamed' through the air was unsettling and he understood the vibes that had been echoing through his form to have come from these 'things.' The two of them watched on in complete awe while the legion of crafts passed by at an extraordinary velocity. One of the closer ones kicked up the dirt and just about everything else up around the them in a violent maelstrom, it threatening to blow them away.

Tyla braced herself and asked, "W-What's going on?! What are those ships?!"

"I don't know, but I doubt they're anything good!" Gohei shouted back.

The ships in the heavens abruptly branched off from one another in various direction atop West City. The one that remained over Gohei and Tyla's heads, however, simply hovered unmoving for a few moments. Then, without warning, it began to rain down death upon the vicinity below it, destroying everything in sight with a torrent of red beams from its sides. Gohei and Tyla, terrified beyond belief, were witness to the surrounding buildings, structures, and even people being reduced to ash and rubble by the unforeseen attack. Things were happing far too quickly; Gohei could hardly comprehend anything at the moment. The orphanage, the place where Gohei and Tyla had spent the entirety of their existences, was soon vaporized into nothingness alongside everything else. The recoil from the edifice's destruction sent the remaining debris flying everyplace. Gohei's body moved on its own, he hastily grabbing hold of Tyla, while a savage burst of wind swept throughout the land...

By the time Gohei awoke, he was in a absolute daze, unable to determine if what had transpired was a dream or reality. His vision came back to him first, blurry. Although he was in a bit of discomfort, he disregarded it. His figure climbed out of a thick pile of rubble and he was revealed to see that he had successfully protected Tyla from the fallout with his own body. She must have passed out in all the commotion, though she was alive, that was for sure. He inspected himself all around to find that he there was hardly a scratch on him. It didn't add up; he should have been injured or at least have a bone or two broken.

I guess I should just be thankful I didn't die...

He slapped Tyla softly across the cheek to awaken her. "T-TYLA! Tyla! Get up! Come on, wake up!"

After a bit, Tyla arose and came to her senses. "W-Wha...? Gohei..?"

"Good. You're alive. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Tyla sat up. "I-I think I'm okay. Looks like I owe you one."

Gohei's eyes widened at Tyla's remark. This had been the first time he had saved her, rather than it being the other way around. It honestly felt good. Having a look over at their environment, Gohei felt this wasn't exactly the time to be worrying about that.

"O-Oh my God! T-The city! And...and the orphanage!It's...it's...!"

Tyla couldn't even get the words out. They probably wouldn't have even been able to describe what she was witnessing. The orphanage had been completely destroyed, replaced by a crater of smoldering earth. The sole indication that it had even been there was the now tattered sign that had always stood proudly in the front of the building. Tears found themselves streaming down the young girl's face, she unable to stop them. This was all too much. Gohei saw that the majority of West City was in the same state of affairs from what he could perceive. A gigantic cloud of smoke and residue rose into the skies from all about. Cupping his hand to his ears, Gohei could hear the sounds of sirens, panicked citizens, and the city wide alarm blaring. Every last act of devastation and mayhem had been caused by the crimson ships that were still firing on anything in their path.

Needless to say, this was complete disaster.

"I-It's...it's all gone! E-Everyone's GONE!" Tyla stated abruptly, sobbing.

It was then that the severity of everything hit Gohei, he glancing at the orphanage's remains in repugnance. "N-No...the orphanage...all the orphans...they're...!"

There was no doubt in either of the two's minds. Everything and everyone they had come to know had been wiped out in an instant, a millisecond. Worse of all, they had been powerless to stop any of it from happening. Feeling a combination of emotions, Gohei was having trouble keeping them bottled up inside. All the orphans, even Darunga, they had been cruelly erased from this world. He shook his head vigorously in denial. They didn't deserve this. Even if Darunga and the others had made fun of him and picked on him in the past, it didn't merit what had happened to them. It wasn't fair. Trembling, he had no idea what he was supposed to do and there wasn't anyone to help them out of this mess now.

Shifting to Tyla, he grasped that she was understandably shaken up. She was taking this a lot worse than he was too. Still, he didn't want them to remain here any longer.

"T-Tyla...w-we...we have to go! If we...if we stay here, there's no telling if those ships will come back and kill us too! W-We have to go!"

Although he was afraid and unsure of how to handle the situation, Gohei did know one thing: he had to get Tyla to safety. It was too late for the others, but he was certain he had to power to at least save Tyla. He owed her that much. Despite this, she hadn't responded to his words, she instead staring off into the distance with a look of terror. Gohei had never seen this before, not from her.

"TYLA! Wake up! We have to get out of here!"

Ignoring him further, she remained motionless, merely sobbing to herself. Gohei couldn't let this go on. He swallowed his fear for the time being and grabbed her hand. He then found himself running straight ahead without a clue on where to go or what to do. Tyla didn't resist. Her expression was blank, emotionless. She had regressed into herself in an effort to block this whole affair out. Who could blame her?

"Just hold on, Tyla! I-I'll...I'll figure something out! Just hang on!"

Having made some progress, Gohei decided to check on Tyla. He placed her behind the remains of a building, safe from harm, and plopped down beside her. She was fine, though it looked as if she had cried herself to sleep. Gohei was fine with this, as he felt it better if she got some rest. More burned out structures greeted the two up ahead and it looked as if the whole city had been hit hard by the attack. His eyes peered up toward the skies again and he saw a few more of those red ships zooming to and fro. Just the sight of them caused his anger to rise and he promptly grabbed a stone, throwing it as hard as he could at the metal hull. It whisked past its intended target, though Gohei already knew his act had been in vain.

"...It's dark..."

The smoke from the smoldering edifices of West City had created a haze thick enough to block out the sun, shadowing everything in a depressing fashion. Gohei could still pick up different events happening through the metro area. The roaring of the battleship's engines took precedence, but the sound of gunfire was escalating. Was there a battle going on somewhere? West City's emergency siren hadn't quieted yet and Gohei figured it wouldn't anytime soon.

Where are all the citizens? Did they evacuate already? I hope not. I don't want me and Tyla to get left behind...

Lost in thinking, Gohei was startled with the blaring sirens quieted, being replaced by an echoing voice. "Attention citizens of West City! An emergency evacuation has been ordered throughout the city! The city is currently under attack by an unknown, alien threat! I repeat, the city is under attack! All citizens are to evacuate the city immediately! This is not a drill! The city is currently..."

The message repeated itself a few times prior to fading out. Ripping a piece of his tank top off, Gohei bandaged a small wound on Tyla's arm while chewing over what was just said. "A-Alien threat? But, isn't Earth aligned with all the known alien races out there? Why would someone want to attack West City?!"

A green tank rolled its way down the street adjacent from him, bearing the arms of Earth's Royal Army. That explained the explosions and gunfire he was hearing. There was so much fighting in fact that he was starting to smell the scent of gun powder wafting about. The army was fighting back against these invaders. It was clear, nonetheless, that they were having a hard time of it. The tank opened fire on one of the ships above, but soon enough, it was destroy by a bright flash of light, Gohei shielding himself from it. He then found himself slamming his skull against the wall behind him out of nervousness. Picking up Tyla and placing her on his back, that was his cue to keep moving. There was a chance the Royal Army had set up a defense point somewhere and maybe they were even taking in civilians. Anything was better than just remaining out in the open.

Gohei dashed across one block, then two, then three. Before he knew it, he was halfway across the city. More lasers, explosions, and gunfire could be viewed going off behind him. Against his better judgment, he tried his best to disregard them and keep going. At that point, Tyla had awoken from all the noise and commotion, oblivious to their current standing.

"G-Gohei...?" she said groggily.

"Shh. Just relax." There was a building that was still in enough of one piece that Gohei decided they could hide out in until things died down. "Come on! We're going to lay low for a while!"

They neared the safe zone, but when Gohei turned a corner to go inside, his heart nearly skipped a beat because of what was up ahead. The remains of a few of the Royal Army's tanks could be seen scattered about, along with an unknown group wearing strange armor and consisting of a multitude of races. Despite the fact Gohei had exclusively seen just a few of the diverse races on Earth, he was positive two or three of the individuals were Meatians from the Planet Meat. They were insect-like, but humanoid, possessing white and dark blue skin tones. Parts of their flesh were covered in red lines and the characteristic that stood out most in Gohei's opening was the wide, water-colored eyes. The others looked to be human, or at least, a species that were similar to humans. The most he could surmise was that they were soldiers of some sort from their armament.

"Oh...crap..."

That was all Gohei could spit when this detachment had spotted he and Tyla. They wasted little time surrounding them, pointing strange blasters in their direction too. A low whimper came from both Tyla and Gohei, as they hadn't quite expected to run into anything like this. Were these the so called 'invaders' they had heard about? These men sure fit the description. A Meatian, adorned in slightly fancier armor,(a sure sign he was the one in charge of the rest) ordered his men to lower their weapons as soon as the men got close enough to make out Gohei and Tyla clearly.

"Stand down. It's just a couple of Earthling runts," he declared in a deep, grungy intonation. "I thought we had either captured or killed everyone in this area already. Guess these two must have slipped past us."

Gohei couldn't even move. His heart was pulsating like a drum and a cold sweat broke out on his entire body. This couldn't have been happening. They were at the total mercy of these mysterious soldiers and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to change it. He detected Tyla's body shaking, shaking as if she were sick.

Gohei whispered, "I-It's okay, Tyla. We'll make it out of this."

Gohei doubted his own words; he just didn't want to spook Tyla anymore than she already was.

The Meatian leader eyed the two over a bit prior to speaking again. "Doesn't look like there are anymore of them. You two...identify yourselves!" The alien saw that the children were far too anxious to reply to his demand. "Bah! I don't have time for this!"

"...W-Wait! W-Who are you people?! Why are you doing this?!"

Tyla's question was one that had been on the minds of she and Gohei for the longest now, she having the guts to ask it from the very foe that had caused them so much anguish What did these so called 'invaders' want and why were they attacking the Earth? The Meatian in command was intrigued enough by Tyla's curiosity to entertain her with an answer, while he signaled for his men to stand down momentarily.

"You don't know, girl? Hmph. You Earthlings must be living under a rock if you do not know! We serve the one and only Emperor of the Universe, King of the Stars: Lord Icer!"

Icer? Neither Gohei nor Tyla had ever heard the name before, but the way this individual spoke of them made it apparent they were rather important.

Hesitating, Gohei chimed, "L-Lord Icer? W-What does he want with Earth?! Why are you guys destroying everything?!"

"It's simple: your planet has been chosen as the latest...'acquisition' in Lord Icer's mighty, universal empire! You should feel quite honored that he's even bothered to bat an eyelash at this backwater world. Nevertheless, this planet's inhabitants insist on resisting the inevitable, so you have all forced us to use 'extreme' measures to subjugate you. Of course, your people have put up a useless resistance to try and stop us. Just flies to swat really."

"B-But...but that's not fair!" said Gohei. "Y-You've destroyed the entire city! Y-You've...you've killed so many people! I don't see why...!"

"I'm sure it's incomprehensible for humans like you," the Meatian boldly stated. "So I won't bother explaining anything more to the likes of you two..."

This was insane. Gohei or Tyla couldn't...no...wouldn't understand the motives of these people and there was obviously no way to justify their actions. No, these invaders were nothing more than tyrants, bullies that picked on the weak without any remorse or hesitation. Growling, it reminded Gohei of his time at the orphanage. It appeared that everywhere he went there was some sort of injustice. The only difference here was that this particular brand of cruelty was on a much grander scale than what he was accustomed to.

"Sir! What should we do with them?" one of the humanoid soldiers inquired.

The Meatian wasn't sure. "Hmm...just finish them off. It's not like anyone's going to miss a couple of rotten brats! Hurry it up so we can sweep the next area! The Generals want this city in our hands within the next few hours!"

An overwhelming feeling of dread fell over Gohei then. Was this...really the end? His legs could barely support the weight of his body and it refusing to heed his will. The soldiers nodded at their leader's orders and once more aimed their weapons at Gohei and Tyla, this time for the kill. Clenching his fist, Gohei was aware he had to do something. Anything. This wasn't the time for him to cower in fear, as the consequences would be far more severe than just a simple beating. But there was no way he would be able to win against these people. Even taking into account his unusual strength, he seriously doubted victory was attainable. Tyla found herself burying her face into Gohei's shoulder, clearly not wanting to see what was going to befall them. Seconds ticked by, drawing closer and closer to the moment of truth.

C-Come on, Gohei! You have to protect her! You have to!

"Tyla! Get down NOW! Cover your ears!"

The storm of tension and anxiety left his psyche and out of nowhere, Gohei drew air into his lungs, held out his chest, and let loose a nonstop scream that shattered the sound barrier instantaneously. His voice produced a powerful shock wave that reverberated about the outlying area. Cars, rubble, and everything else was blown back from the force and the invaders observing in shock were scarcely able to stand their ground. The device on the Meatian leader's head, a machine with a red lens that rested over his left eye, beeped a few times, while Gohei's assault continued.

"W-What?! This kid...! His power level has shot all the way up to seven hundred and fifty?! Impossible!"

The Meatian found himself stupefied by his remark, while a van missed shaving his cranium off by a few inches. Not stopping, Gohei kept up until he eventually ran out of breath, his lungs needing fresh oxygen. Tyla had fortunately managed to plug her ears up, as instructed, and she could hardly believe Gohei managed to pull something like this off. The Meatian and his men hadn't been so lucky, having been swept off their feet somewhat from the screeching.

"G-Gohei! Are you okay?! How did you...!"

"I-I'm alright. Heh, I was actually saving that one for Darunga, but I guess it helped out right here as well..."

"That was quite...interesting...little boy."

Gohei and Tyla were in shock. The soldiers had managed to recover from Gohei's attack post haste and they weren't even hurt by it in the least. With that, Gohei knew there was no way he could beat these people, as his found himself stepping away from them gradually.

The Meatian stretched his neck some and turned his gun at Gohei. "Hmph. I'll admit, I like your spunk. I didn't think a mere human was capable of something like that. You almost caught us off guard there. Nevertheless, I suppose that's even more incentive to do away with you..." Holding up his arm, the Meatian prepared to give the signal for his men to fire. "Don't leave even a scrap of them remaining!"

It was all over. Tyla let out one last shriek and Gohei slammed his eyelids shut and basically broke down. They had come so far and for what? Just to die like dogs?

Dammit! Dammit! DAMMI-IIIIII-T!

The Meatian lowered his arm. "FIRE!"

A hail of laser beams erupted in the once quiet corridor...

"WHAT?! Where did they go?!"

The alien commander and his men were reacting to the the reality that their targets had disappeared into thin air, as their blasts had hit just that. The unit frantically looked around for any sign of the two, yet it was as if Gohei and Tyla had never been there to begin with. Staring a length in front of him, the Meatian gasped and determined the source of the disturbance.

Both Gohei and Tyla slowly opened their eyes to find that they were still alive and well, for some reason. Puzzled, they came to the realization someone was holding them currently and when they gazed up to see who, they taken aback by a handsome, brown-skinned man possessing brown eyes and a pink scar trailing the right side of his face. Wearing a black karate ki with a red-colored undershirt, red, fingerless gloves, and black boots, it didn't take long for Gohei and Tyla to deduce that he was a fighter. His expression was fierce, enough so that the two weren't so sure they were out of trouble quite yet. However, the man's features relaxed into a warm smile when he safety situated them on their feet. He then placed his hands on their heads, keeping up his cheerful demeanor.

"Are you two alright? Are you hurt?"

The man's voice was fitting, as tranquil as his air and Gohei and Tyla responded that they were unharmed in a nigh drunken manner by nodding. The dark-skinned man confirmed that they were indeed alright before facing the soldiers, glaring acutely.

"You two should find some place to hide. I'll take care of these people..." the fighter said in Gohei and Tyla's direction.

"W-Who are you?" asked Tyla.

Without getting a reply, Tyla watched as this person leaped an incredible height, landing right in front of the lost Meatian and his squad.

"T-This guy..." Gohei was shaking again, though this time, it was for a different reason. "I don't know what it is, but I just get the feeling we're going to be okay, Tyla!"

"A-Are you sure? Do you really think this guy can win?"

Gohei shook his head. For the first time in a long time, he found himself smiling. "Just watch and see, Tyla!"

Nevertheless, both Gohei and Tyla couldn't help but wonder who this mysterious youth was...and where he had come from.

END