Chương 69: Episode 14: Careful Planning

We made our way across the desert, moving through a stretch scattered with long sticks and spindly branches jutting from the earth like brittle bones struggling to rise from the dead. Night draped over the Earth from above, with stars flashing and the moon radiating down on us. As both of us walked past tons of skinny sticks on the ground, I stopped and leaned against one large branch, then dropped myself to the ground, letting my axe fall beside me.

I smeared my hands with blood, then let out a rough groan—before gradually looking up into the starry sky, my eyes low and heavy as I stared. Eddy waddled in front, scowling.

"Why didn't you just calm that red glowing guy?" I looked down at him, exhaling.

"Eddy, I just wanted to do this on my own. I didn't need help."

"He's a Zenith. He has a higher chance of beating Dominator than you ever could!"

"That is peak Lunaranite strength right there," I said, cutting him off.

"We don't know if he could match up against a Zenith, but he would at least stay alive the longest against one… He's just too powerful."

"So why'd you take him on?" Eddy asked. I let the wind rush by as dust particles drifted past us, and I turned to him at a leisurely pace, blood glistening as sweat dripped down my face. I adjusted my position as I looked up at the sky.

"Because… isn't that how we grow?" Eddy froze, slowly raising an eyebrow as he took a few steps back and sat down.

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to become strong. I wanted to prove that I was strong… Eddy, I'm not a weakling."

"I know that, Olsen," he said.

"You fought in the Great War of Celestia—we already know that you aren't a weakling!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY THINK!" I shouted, snapping as I jolted up from the ground, looking down at Eddy.

"THE EARTHNITES DON'T THINK THAT I'M A PART OF THEM!" I roared, my voice echoing throughout the thousands of stuck branches on the ground.

"THEY THINK THAT I'M JUST SOMEONE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. THEY THINK THAT I'M NOT ONE OF THEM!" Eddy was shocked, eyes wide. He got up and took a few more steps back as his face darkened into fear. Watching me lash out at him felt like betrayal after everything since we first met. T-Ex, from behind, softly growled as he slowly turned around, sitting on the ground and trying to sleep. I quickly snapped out of it, blinking as hard as I could while facing Eddy.

"Sorry…" I whispered.

"I just wanted to prove that I could become an Earthnite warrior just like them… to prove that I am not like anybody else but them!"

"Do you have to, though?" Eddy said, holding onto his horns as he slowly looked up at me. The moon floated between us while the clouds faded away into the darkness of the night sky, and I looked down at Eddy with a mix of guilt and confusion. I turned to pick up my axe, then turned back around and sat against the large branch. I held my axe tight as I looked down, thinking about his question. Then I slowly looked up at him, and his gaze locked onto mine. I looked back down at the axe, still thinking.

"I…" I flinched, then thought about it again. Do I want to become a real Earthnite and take everything seriously as they do? Is stoicism really the answer here? What would an Earthnite do that I wouldn't? I slowly stood up, gripping my axe as tightly as I could—then looked down at Eddy with lowered eyes.

"I don't know… but maybe that's a decision I get to make in the future." I sat back down, then set the axe beside me as I curled up, covering myself with my Rockslide Ankylosaurus tail, yawning loudly.

"Go to bed, Eddy. We've got a day ahead of us…" Who said I could sleep? Because I know damn well that I couldn't sleep at all. The ground below me felt hard, crumbling as if it were unstable beneath my weight. It was made of deep gray stone, dust crawling over it and drifting through the air. Around me was nothing but pure darkness—every step I took, I couldn't see anything beyond it. The nightmare was completely shrouded, the only thing visible being the stone floor beneath my feet.

Each step I took echoed, reverberating through the endless void. I turned around, whispering, "This is a nightmare… I know that someone is here…" And how do I know this? That vision I had back when I was riding the taxi with Teo to Insane Middle School—the vision of that Zenith… Dironyx. Was Dironyx giving me a dream like this? Was this intentional, or did it come out of nowhere? I started walking through the void, my footsteps echoing with each step.

I looked around as I moved quickly, my eyes darting in every direction, staying alert to everything around me.

"You're the one to make the choice…" a voice whispered. I snapped around—nothing. Just another pathway of pitch black. Then it hit me. Pathways. Why were there dark pathways in my dream? There were at least two of them, on both sides. They looked like empty tunnels—hollow, carved from stone, completely flooded with darkness. I slowly straightened up, fists clenched as I swallowed.

"Dironyx… you really enjoy messing with me, right?"

"Who said that I was Dironyx?" the voice replied, whispering into my ear like wind.

"I'm just a voice in your head… a voice from your dreams…"

"I've seen you in one of my visions—don't start with me," I muttered, serious.

"You might be powerful… but who said I couldn't face you on my own?"

"Will you ever get the chance?" the voice shot back.

"Will you ever get the chance to face me one-on-one? Because I bet that once you do, there will only be one person on the ground in less than two seconds." It sighed calmly as it circled around me.

"But I respect your bravery… I respect your confidence. But you're running out of time. A few more weeks left, and the Empire will arrive." I chuckled, a mocking smile forming.

"Screw your Empire…" I turned toward one of the tunnels and walked into it without any sense of direction—like I didn't care where it led. And that was true. I just wanted to get out of this dream. Wake up. Be done with it. But as soon as I started getting closer, I heard Eddy's voice screaming from somewhere beyond me:"OLSEN, WAKE UP! OLSEN—UP—NOW!!!" I turned around as the void began to crumble—shattering, tearing apart as white fractures split across the sky and the stone ground. Then everything broke at once.

I snapped my eyes open, back in the desert, shooting up off the ground—almost tripping before catching myself. I stood straight, looking down at Eddy while it was still dark outside.

"Dude, what are you—" He pointed forward with gritted teeth, looking freaked out. I looked ahead.

Meanwhile The Cyber Jets had already launched, slicing through the skies while the Shadow Knights tore across the clouds, all according to plan. There was only one catastrophic glitch: the CyberBots hadn't moved.

"Sir!" a panicked worker shouted, his fingers flying over his keyboard. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Dironyx slowly turned, his eyes cutting through the room like shards of ice and draining the warmth from the air. His voice rumbled low, a growl that made the surrounding walls tremble.

"What…?"

"The CyberBots, they're not responding! Some kind of lockdown. I don't know what triggered it, but—" Dironyx's fists smashed onto the desk as he stepped closer. His eyes blazed white-hot as he locked his gaze onto the worker.

"I don't care if they're locked down. Get them online. NOW." He slammed the desk again, causing the entire control room to shudder. From the back, a timid voice mumbled, "Can you stop slamming the d—" Dironyx struck the console once more.

"DO YOU WANT TO BE OBLITERATED INTO DARK MATTER AND TURNED INTO FUEL FOR MY NEXT PROJECT?!" Silence fell over the room. Even a cricket in the corner chirped nervously until Dironyx snapped his fingers, causing the tiny bug to drop dead on the spot. The worker gulped.

"N-no, sir."

"GOOD," Dironyx roared, hammering the desk one last time. He stormed to the massive holographic console with his arms crossed, radiating fury.

"Whoever's behind this nonsense, cut it out. We need those CyberBots! Olsen, the Earthnite, must be EXTERMINATED!" He turned, his voice booming like steel cracking.

"And I'll personally ENSURE my menace slaughters that kid! That ROCK WILL BE MY GLOWING SAVIOR!" The steel doors hissed open and a man entered, strutting as if he owned the universe. He wore a sleek black futuristic suit, gloves littered with blinking buttons, shiny tall boots, dark tech-shades, a crew cut, a sharp boxed beard, and a smug grin.

"HELLO, WORLD!" he shouted, then paused.

"Wait, forgot something!" With a button tap on his glove, a holographic black top hat materialized midair. Another tap settled it onto his head.

"Ahhh… Much better." He swaggered through the trembling operatives, finger-gunning them with obnoxious flair.

"Look at you all, working hard! Love the energy. Keep it up!" Blank stares met him in response. Reaching Dironyx, he bowed low and exaggeratedly, hat held in hand.

"What an honor, Dironyx! The prisoners are still locked, right? Vironos!" Dironyx narrowed his eyes.

"Madman… why the hell are the CyberBots still locked?" His arms remained crossed, his voice sounding like gravel and thunder. Madman grinned, strutting to the nearest keyboard and typing a single command: [FACTORY ROOM] Immediately, the floor beneath them lit up in a glowing circle. Transparent handrails formed as the platform began descending like an elevator. Madman leaned casually against the rail, smirking.

Down they went, past the control room and deep underground through steel and shadowed machinery until they reached the bottom. A vast corridor stretched ahead, its silver floors shimmering beneath their feet. Massive glass tubes lined both sides with glowing green fluid swirling inside, each clearly labeled. One side read #5000, while the other read #4999. Inside stood humanoid machines known as CyberBots, featuring white torsos, steel-gray arms, and blank robotic faces.

Drones hovered above them, their red mono-eyes scanning silently. Dironyx's glare swept the room.

"So… why the lockdown? Are you hoarding them for a secret project?" Madman spun dramatically, laughter bursting out like fireworks.

"Correct! Ding ding ding! Look at you, not entirely slow today!" He skipped down the hall, his off-key singing filling the cavern.

"Skip, skip, skip to my Lou~ Skip, skip, skip to my Lou~ Skip to my Lou, my darling!" Dironyx muttered, "That song is childish." Madman cackled.

"Says the guy who blasts 'Dark Villain Ambiance' every time he monologues." He gestured with wide arms at the CyberBots.

"Every single one of these babies came from my womb, part of my masterpiece! A top-secret project decades in the making!" He casually added, "Also, I got blackout drunk in 2007 and passed out in my own bed. Well, once." Dironyx froze.

"…You hijacked a Cyber Jet while drunk, flew through a thunderstorm, crashed into a tree, exploded, fell out, and landed in my dungeon, costing me $500, 000 in repairs, $50, 000 in rent, and $700, 000 in taxes." Madman paused, looking guilty.

"…Okay, that's fair. Buuuut…" He stopped in front of a massive tube.

"…this is what I wanted to show you."

Zooming past herds of panicked, sprinting dinosaurs, Angel frantically kept flooring it, pushing the vehicle to its absolute limit while trying to find somewhere to stop. The bus tore between the massive lizards, bobbing violently through the tall grass and making it nearly impossible for him to see a thing. Angel grunted, reaching up to press a button near his glasses.

"Fine… let's make this easier." As they ran through the night, stars streaking overhead while the bus tore across the land at absurd speed, his vision sharpened instantly. The lenses lit up, transforming into a holographic scanner that analyzed everything. Data flickered across his view, outlining terrain, scanning lifeforms, and peering through obstacles like an X-ray. It could track stats, and more importantly, find routes.

Angel shouted while yanking the steering wheel side to side, "FIND A SAFE PLACE FOR ME AND THE OTHER GUYS TO REST!" He veered hard to the right, barely missing the horn of a charging triceratops as the bus heaved upward from a bump so high it nearly tossed him from his seat. He slammed back down, grasping the wheel tighter while breathing sharply.

"NOW!!!" The AI responded calmly, "Searching for viable settlement zones…" Angel's expression tightened. He exhaled hard for a second, then glanced at the side mirror. He froze, confusion hitting him first, followed immediately by dread. A towering, bulky figure made of hardened dough was charging at them. It bellowed into the sky, striking past triceratopsians and tossing them aside like toys. It bounded onto a brontosaur, then hurled itself forward to close the distance fast. Angel's eyes snapped wide.

"SHIT!" He spun the bus around, but the figure collided with the ground, detonating dirt and pitching the bus mid-air. It clamped both hands around the vehicle and chucked it away with terrifying force. The bus spun through the sky. Angel gritted his teeth, screaming as he clung to the wheel with wind wailing through his ears like a hurricane. His breath caught before forcing out again. The bus bashed into a tree, metal and glass exploding together in a brutal crash.

Angel burst out from the wreck, wings flaring wide as he shot toward the creature, fists forward as he roared, "NOT TODAY!!!" He rocketed forward as The Sweet Monster charged right back, moving with brutal power. Each step it took made the ground quake, slapping dinosaurs aside as it advanced. Angel warped directly in front of it with his fists pulled back, but The Sweet Monster grabbed Angel's head. His vision spun as he was hurled away like a ragdoll.

Angel flew across the sky, slamming into the ground and dragging across it as dirt tore across his body. He forced himself up, breathing rough and uneven. His glasses remained intact, but blood was already leaking from his cheek. He turned to see Class 101 already moving. They burst awake, jumping from the destroyed bus and charging the monster with their powers locked in. Jocabed spun forward with her swords, shouting, "Angel, what is that?!"

She leapt into the air, but was immediately swatted away by The Sweet Monster. She hit the ground near Angel. He breathed fast, glancing down at her. That impact actually took her down. Then he looked back up. The Sweet Monster grabbed Kwa'asja and slammed her into the ground, then twisted its body to launch William straight into the sky. Fedjina spun through the air, curving downward with her falcon wings spread as she shouted, "It's too powerful! Keyler, distract them!"

At the same time, Keyler fired rapid webs, swinging onto the creature's arm and landing on its head.

"WEB TO THE FACE!" He flipped back, shot another string around its neck, swung around, and kicked straight into its face.

"LEG TO THE FACE!" The hit actually staggered it, but then it turned and clutched Fedjina by the head.

"HEY! DON'T BE A GIRL SNATCHER! THAT'S MY THING!" Keyler shouted, pulling hard on the webbing. The Sweet Monster roared, yanked its arm free, and threw Keyler into the sky with an open scream before smashing him midair so hard he vanished from sight. Before it could slam Fedjina down, ice crept over its legs. The freezing wasn't enough to hold it, but it slowed the beast down.

"How is it down there?!" Emely ran circles around it, firing ice blasts to lock it in place while Sophia dropped her boombox behind them.

"Everyone's gonna have to cover their ears for this!" She lunged her palms out and unleashed deafening sound waves, blasting noise so intense it shook the air itself. The Sweet Monster groaned, roaring and thrashing, then whipped around to backhand Emely, shattering the ice and dropping Fedjina.

"I GOT YOU!" William swooped in, catching Fedjina and tossing her safely into the grass. He turned to react, but was met with a massive uppercut that sent him disappearing into the sky. The Sweet Monster crouched and leapt upward, creating a heavy shockwave. Keyler shot a web to its back, getting pulled upward.

"COMEBACK TIME!" He kicked off its back, but The Sweet Monster grabbed the web, swung him around midair, and slammed him straight back into the ground. Keyler skidded across the earth in a spray of dirt. He spat out the grit, breathing hard.

"Well, that went shitty…" Angel shot into the sky again. His mind raced, his breath hitching before steadying out. If he could beat this thing, maybe he could become more. He screamed, charging toward it. The Sweet Monster turned, and Angel flipped, opening a portal below it. The creature fell through, crashing back down through another portal and tumbling before rising again to dust itself off as dinosaurs stampeded around it. It roared so loud that everyone covered their ears.

"SUBDUE IT!" Lonnie Mae shouted. Her vines launched forward, thickening with power as they shot toward it. The Sweet Monster grabbed them, pulled her forward, and smashed her across the face before slamming her into the ground hard enough to shake the earth. Now the pressure was overwhelming. Anhia slid across the field with her body coated in diamonds, shards raining behind her as she unleashed a storm of razor crystals. William forced wind pressure to extreme levels, pushing down on the creature.

Ice shards flew at its eyes while Emely kept talking nonstop. Mud surged around its legs, thickening and hardening to lock it down as Drake controlled it, while Keyler wrapped thick webs around its wrists. Jocabed ran, leapt off Keyler's head, flipped, and drove a sword deep into its body. She landed in front of the others, breathing sharp. Daysni fired phantom blasts to disorient it.

Angel moved his hands faster than humanly possible, opening ten portals around it as chains of glowing cyan energy snapped around its arms and neck. They were actually holding it. The Sweet Monster roared, thrashed, and clawed at the restraints. Everyone strained, using everything they had to keep it still while their breaths ran heavy and their bodies shook. Then they realized this was only five percent of his power. The Sweet Monster broke free with a deafening roar. Its claw swiped for Jocabed.

She leapt over it, but her leg got caught. She was slammed into the ground, her ankle cracking.

"RAGH!" It hurled her into the sky, sending her disappearing into the distance. Explosions burst as Angel desperately fired massive energy blasts through his portals, but The Sweet Monster ran straight through them. It backhanded Angel, grabbed his leg, and slammed him repeatedly into the ground. Each hit knocked the air from his lungs before it used his body to smack William into the sky. It threw Angel upward, leapt after him, and slammed him into the crushed bus, tearing metal apart and splitting it in half.

It lifted Angel, who was bloodied and barely breathing, and hurled him into Sophia, knocking her out instantly. Then it grabbed half the bus and threw it at the group. Fedjina dodged into the air. Kwa'asja blocked it with a barrier, but the impact shook everything. Before she could react, The Sweet Monster appeared behind her with a tree, slamming her into the ground. It turned toward Emely, the last one standing in the field. The tree swung down, but froze midair as ice spread across it.

Emely caught it, looking up at him while breathing heavily with blood on her face, holding the frozen trunk in place.

"Please… calm down." The Sweet Monster blinked. His eyes flickered, pink fading into gold as his expression shifted. His body began to shrink, muscles retracting and form stabilizing until Mason stood there: shirtless, sweating, and wearing only ripped pastel yellow pants. Confusion hit him. He looked around at the broken bus and his friends scattered across the ground, barely moving. Emely stood in front of him as the ice melted away.

In the middle of the night, he asked the one question with the most obvious answer:"How… did this happen?"