Markus (POV)

The convoy halted near a cliff overlooking the bay of Alaska. The scenery was magnificent, and the cool sea breeze calmed Markus’s soul. Everyone got out of their vehicles and gathered around Dale, who had led them all to this spot.

Zao. “Your bunker is around here?”

Dale. “I sent a video message to my friends inside. It might take a few minutes to open up a passageway to the Bunker.”

Markus. “It’s underground? How deep?”

Dale. “Deep enough to survive nukes… Ah! It’s opening up.”

The Earth shook and split apart to reveal a tunnel at the base of the cliff. Markus spotted Bugs coming out of it and cleaning up the debris. Their appearance was slightly different from the Ice-Bugs as they were smaller and made of wood and stone.

The moment Zao saw the Bugs, he readied his Drill Lances to launch an attack at them. Dale noticed this and stepped in front of Zao.

Dale. “One of my friends can summon Ants to do her bidding. These are not the ones who go around killing people.”

Zao was surprised by that, and then he relaxed his posture.

Zao. “You should have told us about them before.”

Dale. “My bad… they look so different that I thought it would be obvious that they belonged to a Tamer.”

Zao. “Now that you mention it, I can see the differences. They almost look like ancient statues that are alive.”

Dale. “Actually, they are Earth Golems. Rebecca can create an army of these things if you give her enough time.”

Zao. “Wait… how many?”

Dale. “The skill didn’t specify a limit. The only factor was time and a golem who could absorb Mana from the earth for her.”

Markus. “Even I can summon any number of Sword clones as long as I have mana to create them.”

Dale. “Same with my fireballs. Except my brain starts shutting down when I go beyond fifty. So there is a limit based on your mind, I think.”

Zao. “I feel cheated.”

Zao’s face was genuinely disappointed by this. Markus held back sharing the method in which he regains Mana since it would make Zao more depressed.

Dale. “You chose body over mind, right? The physical attack prowess the Monster App gave you is leagues above ours, and you don’t have to depend on Mana.”

Zao. “My combat prowess is my own. I can keep fighting as long as I have the stamina to execute them. There is no way for me to replenish it other than to take a long rest.”

Dale. “There could be a Tamer out there who can restore someone’s Mana. Won’t that make you unstoppable?”

Zao paused to consider, smiled, and nodded his head.

Zao. “Maybe we are meant to work together to overcome our limitations.”

Dale. “Sounds about right. But our abilities have to compliment each other.”

Markus. “I saw a video from Dallas where dozens of Tamers are working together against the Ice-Bugs. They managed to wipe out everything that came their way without suffering casualties. Maybe we should try that as well.”

Zao. “I, Sergei, Soma, and the rest of the soldiers will return to Federation territory once we find a decent intercontinental transport drone. We have to find out what happened to our families and the state of our armies.”

Markus. “Ah… I see. Hey, who is that coming out of the tunnel?”

Dale. “The big guy is Mash Royce, and the woman is Rebecca Lawman. All these Ant Golems were created by her.”

Zao. “There are children behind them.”

Dale. “I mentioned I am a babysitter. The twins are under our care until their father returns to collect them.”

Soma. “Hold on… don’t the twins look like the kids of the President?”

Markus noticed Dale’s forehead began to sweat at that question.

Dale. “I think you must be mistaken.”

Soma. “I am part of the Federation’s Ministry of Intelligence. It is my job to know our enemies, including their families.”

The one Dale called Mash sensed the eyes of the Federation men laser in on the twins and stood in front of the two. The twins were frightened by their sudden focus and were glad Mash was there to protect them.

Mash. “Dale! I told you it was a bad idea to bring them here.”

A Green Turtle popped out of Mash’s phone before it fused with him. A six-foot-tall Turtle man with tree bark armor and a jagged boulder shell on his back faced the Federation soldiers.

Mash’s fists were as massive as the Hulk from Marvel. The leathery muscle on his body bulged as he took up a defensive martial art position. Amber poured out of his eyes and spread over his body like the roots of an old tree.

Energy pulsated through the veins, causing one to feel that Mash was building up energy to cause an explosion. The Earth shook when Mash slammed his foot down, causing many to lose their balance.

Markus was surprised by how quickly the mood had changed. The hostility between the Union and the Federation dates back centuries. Assassination attempts weren’t uncommon, and some were successful.

The Federation soldiers brought out their weapons and aimed them at Mash. Dale summoned several fireballs that appeared right above the federation soldiers, and Warrior caste Golem Ants emerged from the ground around the twins to protect them.

Zao. “Everyone, calm down! We have no intention of harming those girls. The Union is no longer our enemy! Only the monsters that are invading our lands are!”

At Zao’s words, the Federation men lower their weapons.

Mash. “You won’t report their location to your government?”

Zao. “You have my word!”

Mash. “What about your Indian and Russian friends?”

Soma. “I think I got over excited when I recognized the twins. I didn’t mean to treat them as our enemies.”

Sergei. “Our mission was to de-escalate the tension between our nations. Taking out the twins or kidnapping them goes against it.”

Mash stared hard into their eyes before he let out a tired breath and canceled his combat style. Dale’s fireballs winked out of existence, and Rebecca’s warrior Ant Golems retreated back into the Earth.

Dale. “Glad we are all on the same page.”

Zao. “Do you have any more secrets that will surprise us?”

Dale. “I think that’s about it.”

Everyone looked relieved, including the former residents of Rockville, who were watching it all nearby with anxiety.

Soma. “I knew something was wrong when a guy like Dale works as a babysitter. Now it all makes sense.”

Dale. “Hey! What’s wrong with that?”

Sergei. “Only the elite soldiers of the Federation are tasked with protecting the children of the great houses. You possess too much power to be a simple babysitter.”

Dale. “I didn’t have these monster abilities when I was hired. Nor was I a soldier. Mash is with the Secret Service, so he fits your requirements.”

Soma. “One agent? And there are only three of you who are guarding them?”

Dale. “Why do you sound surprised?”

Soma. “Our intel suggested the Twins were in Greenland and being guarded by an elite Battalion.”

Mash. “We intentionally leaked that to confuse the spies.”

Soma. “Well, it worked… have you heard from your President since D-Day began?”

Mash. “Afraid that’s classified.”

Soma. “Don’t be like that! We shared our true identities with Dale. Not to mention, we lost all comms with our families. So there is no reason to hold back if you know anything.”

Rebecca patted Mash on his shoulder, and he relented.

Mash. “Haven’t heard a peep from the boss or his security detail.”

Soma. “What about your military?”

Mash. “We are supposed to avoid all contact, so we haven’t reached out to them. But from what we have seen from their video messages, they too have no idea what happened to the leadership.”

Soma. “Planning on contacting them soon?”

Mash. “In a month… maybe.”

Soma had disbelief written on his face.

Sergei. “Comrade, things have changed. Blindly following protocols is not wise. We must adapt to the situation and find ways to reconnect with our people.”

Rebecca. “While you boys figure that out, I will have my Golems build shelters for your refugees. Dale, do you mind helping out with that?”

Dale. “What can I do?”

Rebecca. “You can heal any injury, right? These people look sick and ready to collapse.”

Dale. “Ah!”

Soma. “Honestly, why did a guy like him get such a godly healing ability?”

Markus. “I wondered how I got mine as well. Was it all random chance or destiny?”

Zao. “Whatever the case, I am glad we have powerful abilities. Can’t rely on conventional weapons anymore without a logistical supply chain.”

Sergei. “Soma and I need several more hours before our monsters evolve to their second form. Hopefully, we are blessed with amazing abilities that can make us Demi-Gods.”

Dale. “What about the rest of your men?”

Zao. “They hadn’t activated their Monster App yet, so it will be a week before they can become proper Tamers.”

Sergei. “Now that all the introductions and secrets are out of the way. Can we please have something to eat?”

Rebecca. “Go through the passageway until you reach the Bunker. The food printers cooked up a few dishes for twelve. Once you are filled up, then serve food to the refugees.”

By nightfall, the area outside the passageway had turned into a mini residential block. The Terra Ant Golems used their control over Earth to build rectangular-shaped Mud Houses that were dried up with the help of Dale’s fireballs. Tiles were laid on top of the buildings giving them an ancient roman look.

The seven-foot-tall New Atlas Construction Drones outfitted these shelters with electrical, environmental control, and a plumbing system. The industrial printers inside the bunker worked overtime to build furniture, clothes, and blankets.

Zao, Dale, Markus, Sergei, Soma, Mash, and Rebecca stayed inside the bunker with the twins. They were all sitting in the living room watching the holo screens filled with dozens of video reports being shared by Tamers.

Rebecca. “I can’t keep watching these videos anymore. They are making me depressed.”

Rebecca got up from the sofa and went to help the twins with their studies. The twins had completed most of their tasks, but only some memorization stuff was left before they could hatch their monsters.

Soma. “I doubt you will find a video with a happy report.”

Dale. “Any luck on getting a Transport Drone?”

Soma. “Almost all of them are used by the military to evacuate civilians and transport troops or weapons. No one is willing to sell or trade them.”

Dale. “What about a ship? You can sail back to Federation territory with one, right?”

Sergei. “Then we must go to Seward as soon as possible.”

Zao. “Too dangerous to travel there at night. We will wait till dawn before heading out.”

Dale. “Good, my abilities don’t work at night.”

Sergei. “What a strange problem to have. From the reports, it seems most of the Mana-based monsters just need to meditate for a bit to restore their mana pool regardless of the environmental conditions.”

Zao. “Wonder if there is a Tamer out there who can only fight in the night.”

Soma. “Actually, there is one. In the bottom right screen, you can see the guy in action.”

Sergei. “The Moth-Man Necromancer?”

Soma. “He seems to absorb Moonlight and convert it into Mana as Dale does with the Sun.”

Rebecca. “So, powerful abilities come with unusual ways to get Mana?”

Zao. “Guess being overpowered isn’t a good thing.”

Soma. “Says the man who can take on an Ice-Bug swarm on his own.”

Zao. “I spent decades training my body. The App only gave me some tools that work well with it.”

Dale. “Doesn’t mean that there aren’t body-type Tamers who got overpowered by the Monster App alone.”

Sergei. “Anything is possible with the Monster App. People hatch mythical or ancient creatures that perform feats from ancient human mythologies. They fuse with us, turn into armaments, or let us borrow their amazing abilities. This could have been chalked under fantasy last week, but now it should be sold under the survival guide.”

Everyone paused to process that the rules of their world had changed overnight, and they hadn’t considered its implications.

Dale. “It might be random, but… I have a theory for why Fluffals is putting us through all this.”

Soma. “Didn’t that sick bastard say it was for his amusement?’

Dale. “I am sure that must be one of the reasons. But as Sergei said, Tamers are hatching out monsters straight out of the ancient past or mythologies. What if this isn’t the first time Fluffals has done this to Earth.”

Zao. “Are you implying Fluffals might have done this in the past?”

Soma. “There are no historical records of such an event.”

Dale. “Maybe not in the recent past or even five thousand years. Fluffals might have come during a time when Humanity had reached its peak and reduced us back to savage primitives with his monster invasion.”

Soma. “I thought it was our inner desires that are creating the monsters with mythological or ancient aspects to them.”

Dale. “Even I thought the same, but whenever I connect my soul with Agni… I get these images in my head of an advanced ancient civilization that had been reduced to ruins. Agni protected some survivors and helped them rebuild a new civilization that looked very similar to the one made by the ancient Egyptians. They eventually worshiped and called her Ra.”

Everyone in the room was surprised by this revelation.

Dale. “Don’t you all get these visions too?”

No one nodded, which confused Dale.

Markus. “How strong is your bond with your Monster?”

Dale. “Sometimes, I feel that Agni and I are of one mind. Especially when we are above the clouds and conjuring dozens of fireballs.”

Markus. “That is fascinating! But I was asking, what is your synchro percentage?”

Dale. “Oh… forty-two percent.”

Zao, Markus, Mash, and Rebecca were dumbfounded by that.

Dale. “What’s wrong?”

Zao. “Are you serious?”

Dale nodded with a confused expression.

Zao. “Mine is five percent.”

Markus. “Twelve percent.”

Mash. “Seven percent."

Rebecca. “One Percent…. No! It’s 0.8 percent, but I am rounding it out.”

Dale was now surprised by their synchro rates.

Dale. “Maybe that is why I am getting the visions.”

Mash. “I remember the Monster App saying that there would be some benefits if we get along with our Monsters. Didn’t think sharing visions of the past is one of them.”

Dale. “It’s more like I see some of her memories while she sees mine. But it is so vivid that I actually feel like I was there when it happened and experienced it all with Agni.”

Rebecca. “What do you do with Agni in your free time to get so close?”

Dale. “Hey! Don’t say it like that. I treat her like I would any pet.”

Soma. “My gods!”

Everyone soon burst into laughter, except for the twins. They shook their heads before going back to studying and munching on snacks.

Zao. “If those visions of yours truly happened… then it would mean that the cycle is repeating itself.”

Soma. “It would also explain why our cultures have some similar mythologies even with all the distance between them. Like Agni, there might have been other Monsters that chose to help humanity rebuild after the last Fluffals apocalypse.”

Sergei. “Dale… in your visions. How advanced were those societies?”

Dale. “I remember seeing tall buildings… flying vehicles dropping bombs… mushroom cloud-like explosions and people wearing advanced suits of armor like the one's Vector use.”

Soma. “They were all Humans and not Aliens?”

Dale. “Definitely humans, but all of them were tall… like seven feet as the average.”

A few more questions came Dale’s way. He answered them all to the best of his memory, but after a certain point, he grew tired.

Dale. “While it's fun discussing the vision… Fluffals is the root cause of the downfall of that civilization. We can only prevent a total collapse if we focus all our energy on defeating him before it's too late.”

Soma. “Defeat Fluffals? We can barely keep his minions at bay with our tech. Who knows how powerful he is or where he is.”

Zao. “Regardless of Dale’s vision. If Fluffals is truly the one who made the Pink Pillars and led the monster to invade our world, then we will eventually have to deal with him to end it all.”

Sergei. “That is the end goal, but gathering survivors and turning the tide should be our only focus, for now.”

Dale. “That’s true, but I feel we have to do more than just that. Why not invite the Generals of our armies to create an alliance?”

Zao. “A military alliance?"

Dale. “You said it! Our only enemy is the monsters that are invading our world. We should work together and set aside our quarrels.”

Zao. “Our fathers are the ones who hold the authority over the armies.”

Rebecca. “If all of them are missing, then doesn’t that mean that you three are the next in line to command them?”

Zao. “Hmmm… you have a point there. We will reach out to our Generals and see if they are willing to consider it but will the Union listen to you three?”

Mash, Rebecca, and Dale looked at each other with doubt.

Mash. “I personally know the Admiral of the Union’s Pacific fleet. Will see if I can get in touch with him.”

Zao. “That Admiral has a long history of crossing the line with the Federation armed forces on multiple occasions. It won’t be easy to change that relationship overnight.”

Mash. “Right… but we can get them to meet up and have a direct conversation at the least.”

Dale. “Why not get them to come to Seward? That way, Zao and his people can hitch a ride back to the Federation, and we can link up with the Union forces.”

Soma. “Seward was a military base built before the last great war. It will appeal to both sides even if the talks don’t work out.”

Zao. “Alright… let’s do our best to make it happen!”