Incoming danger

On a planet far away, large motherships touch land. Many troops stand guard under fallen ashes. In the distance bombs ignite a dainty city. A yellow figure zooms across the ground at inhuman speeds.

Bombs lift the floor along with people. Explosions demolish buildings to nothing. Laser rounds fire upon the speeding light, racing over everything. It’s Dash running at top speeds. The ship ignites missiles for Dash, but Spark jumps in the air cutting the missiles in two.

The blasts swarms Spark. Out of the smoke three fat crawls shoot from it tearing the aircraft apart. “HAHA! Hey, Dash, you can’t outrun a missile!” Laughing, Dash drops a bomb into Spark's hands. Dash smiles, running away. “You mother fu—”

The explosion flares out. Miss Rich bolts atop the ground ripping all the troops necks, with her own razor teeth. The men fall, all holding their necks trying to stop the flood. Only to fade away from blood loss. Three heavy armor vehicles race for Miss Rich.

Plug jumps over the vehicles, slashing all three with a level sun-colored blade. Bright orange marks appear on the vehicles, and he puts the sword back inside its holster. The armored vehicles disappear in fire.

Laughing and wiping his damp hair, bombs are dropped among Miss Rich and Plug. “Whoa, that’s cute, but you’ll need more than this.” Scales shoot the bombs, explosions chain above.

Massive life-ending blades spring from under dirt slicing the aircraft in two.

The razor end is connected to a sizable slimy scale being, sliding across the ground. Morco grew into a giant snake.

Regrouping on Morco's back, a blockade stands before everyone.

Walking through shadows and fire before everyone, Rondo extends his arm out. Heating up the gears with essence, Essence peels some gray skin back turning to a mecha gun barrel. "Disappear!”

Dark cloudy blue beams charge through Rondo's mecha gun, ruining the whole blockade, with nothing remaining. Morco slides over dead troops, spreading blood like chalk. Plug glazes at the burning building. "Nothing new at all, still the same shit." Plug glazes through faint smoking flames.

“Let’s go, there's nothing left here,” command Rondo. The aircraft launches for distant stars. Rondo sits down in the cockpit, Plug follows behind. “Did you see the items we received?” Plug tosses Rondo a green filled essence rock, warming his cold gray skin.

“What is it called again?”

“Think of a boost to your strength. This is the power ore. It’s not hard to find the sources for them, but it’s a pain to make. Keeping operations in one place for too long can get a little dicey, that’s why we’re always moving sites.”

Green essence sleeves Rondo's thick veins tensing every muscle.

“YES! This is power, I can feel the essence sucking inside me.”

Plug smiles, Many aliens aboard load space ore into crates placing them inside storage rooms.

“Whoever finished Rook doesn’t stand a chance now. Well, not that they did before.”

“Hey, have you noticed it's been getting warmer lately?”

“Yeah, look.” Rondo points. “We’re passing by the sun as we speak."

“No, not that, but a different source of heat to where we’re going."

“The only thing bigger than that sun is probably an older distant sun.”

“I think you'll need more of that space ore for whatever we’ll soon encounter.” Plug leaves the cockpit. I don't care what stands in my way, I’ll knock them all flat with all this space ore. Plus where we're heading has plenty more power ores to sell off.”

Dammit, how many times am I gonna heal you guys?”

“It’s only been two times,” says Pai.

“Yeah on the same day, bastard!” Waiting inside the hangar sparks bounce from cement. Smoke shoots out the ship's hatch.

“AAHHH! This piece of shit. I’ll fix this bastard up.”

“Someone’s full of energy now,” laughs Mr. Z.

“Damn you, Z, you know I gotta fix anything that’s broken. It’s only instinct.”

“Looks like you’re all healed up now, Taro,” says Blake.

“Yes, all brand new.” Mr. Z looks at Taro’s arm. The Vader corps hallway is packed like swimming schools of fish. They’re all so strong, every single one of them. I really have no choice but to handle my lightning control. If not I'll never have the chance again to stand with them.

“Is that someone riding an arrow?”

Apollo flies over everyone. “What the hell are you doing!” Apollo falls off the arrow, hitting the ground neck first.

“Blake, what do you want! You can’t scare me like that.”

“I have superiority over you.” Blake smiles.

“What rank are you then?”

“Rookie."

“I’ll be a rookie in no time soon, it’s only the next ranking.”

“How about you just worry about hitting Underdog ranking first? Where are you heading off to?”

“Follow me and find out.” Summoning his arrow, blue essence builds beneath them both. “Let’s go for a ride.”

“I don’t like how you said that.”

“Shut the hell up, dumbass, are you coming or not?” Zipping from the top halls. Sunset rays beat against Apollo and Blake leads them down the ocean.

“Keep an eye on them, Apollo’s heading for the truth right now. This is actually good for Blake. I just hope she’ll be alright. Juzu, make sure they come back safe," says Vanula.

"You got it.” Juzu leans against Vanula’s office window, dropping down, taking off behind their students. Sister, will you still see me the same after seeing my mistakes?

“Red, please help us. I need to save my kingdom with your power. We can bring balance. If not, we’ll all freeze to death. Bring your sun,” cries a girl.

Drifting alone inside the expansion realm, Danika's orange eyes widen, as a single snowflake passes. This voice sounds familiar, could it be you after so long? Her breath leaks fog. This isn’t possible? A gust of cold winds overflows Danika, pushing her back.

“What’s this blizzard?”

“Fire, lava, heat...The sun! It has to end. I will freeze it all! You all can freeze with your broken promises!” This is getting too cold, this is…Why ...I hate how us Seekers are always connected, and weren’t you dead? Fucking past keeps haunting me.

Slowly fading out, Pai teleports in the expansion realm. Waves of red and pink essence push the blizzard back. Pai’s sought marking fades in, killing the cold air. Pai helps Danika up. “Sorry, I’m late, Danika."

"King."

“I got you, Danika. Let’s go, I’ll warm you up.”

Taro practices in the training room shooting targets, while dodging taser rounds from Mr. Z. He strikes every target.

“Dad, come on, this training is bullshit,” says Taro.

“None of this is bullshit."

"I wanna know what’s the big idea. If Vanula just lets him pass through without even participating at all. Now we’re hearing plenty of stories about you, Z, but can your son even live up to it?” says Zack Zack.

“Taro hasn’t battled against a spirit, he’s still got some way to go,” says Mr. Z.

“Okay, but look at what we did against Bombast?”

“You’re still weak against spirits, son. They're your worst enemy.”

“Me…Weak?”

The heart-stopping energy flows out the pistol leaping into Taro’s hand. Laughing even the targets shake some. “That's really funny, Dad.” Different targets hover behind Taro, and ghost trigger shreds them all into black smoke.

“Good thing, I don't have to clean this shit up,” mumbles Zack Zack.

“What are you not telling me, Dad?”

“When I said weak, I was saying you will be powerless when fighting against spirits for your first time.”

“Powerless in the spirit world, why's that? Didn’t you see me go through earlier and come back with all that power?”

“Didn’t that cost your arm in return?” says Zack Zack picking inside her K9 teeth.

“Ghost trigger is powerless in the spirit world. You didn’t even make it to the spirit realm, you only felt its surface. Evil spirits pinpointed to you, still not even in the realm, and Victor was the first to choose.”

Ghost trigger cools in Taro’s grip. “Spirits can block part of your connection to ghost trigger, making you vulnerable inside. With every spirit you pass on you’ll receive bluffs through the spirits blessing. Doing that also makes you a threat,” says Mr. Z.

“What’s passing on?”

“Passing on means you’ll purify the evil spirit’s soul.”

“Purify the soul.”

“When ghost trigger changes the host. Spirits are free once again. I only battled against a handful, although there’s an infinite number of them in the spirit realm. You have no choice, but to battle against them or sleep with one eye open."

Taro holds up ghost trigger, dull eyes reflecting off ghost stale flames. “Listen, the ghost trigger is powerless there for now, but not you.”

“There's so much to the spirit realm. Am I even ready yet, do I have the power for it?"

Don’t you remember...Please try. A woman stands in front of young Taro, her face clouded in spirit energy twisting with darkness. One portal appears before them. She reaches her hand back, latching onto Taro.

“Can you be a strong boy for Mommy? You have all the power in you.” Taro and the woman move in closer. White flames show on his fingertips. “Whoa, Mommy, look I’m the human torch.”

“See, I knew you could be a strong boy for Mommy.”

Taro smiles, fading through the portal with his mother; it shuts completely leaving no evidence. Taro, still looking at ghost trigger, drops the pistol upon the floor, yet it floats above. Ghost trigger glints the room, and later Taro’s arm flares out in a white fire.

“Yeah, thanks for reminding me I'm strong, Mom,” exhaling Taro, wiping his eyes midnight sky eyes

“Taro.”

Zack Zack smells Taro. "Your spirit energy smells so gentle right now."

“Taro, see if you’re able to focus energy towards the ground.” Taro’s feet light up into the flames burning his shoes to nothing, and the pistol flies back to Taro's hand.

“Son, the ghost trigger is just an ancient weapon from the spirit realm. Although you have always had a powerful spiritual connection since you were born, don’t let ghost trigger define your strength.”

Taro jets over the training room, sliding from the ground to the ceiling. Little flames are left behind. “It’s like the old days, Kash, I miss you."

“Your kids are freaks in the making,” says Zack Zack.