Chapter Text
Chapter One - Forced to Adapt
The soft turn of a page in an age-old comic book.
The cold, wet, uneven surface of the cage floor.
A bright sun, the beginning of the summer season.
The darkness of the run-down ship left to drift through space.
The jeers and voices of ostracization.
The quiet isolation as the only survivor.
This is who they fear.
This is who fears.
June 13th 22XX
“What the fuck are you doing here, Deku!?”
A flash of light.
“Kacchan, RUN!”
Flight.
Turns into.
Fight.
What’s h a p p e n i n g . . . ?
Claws reach out. Metal sparks with bursts of electricity. Too many eyes.
Bright yellow blood— StopStopStop — stains his hands, stains his teeth.
No way home. Alone on a ship with no clue on how to pilot it.
Rations run dry. Starvations…is a slow way to D I E—
.
The Outskirts of the Terra Solar System
July 10th 22XX
Weak, uneven breaths.
A constant tremor in Izuku’s bones as the lifeless ship stole the heat from his very core. His clothes are unsuited for the environment. A thin black T-shirt with the words ‘T-shit’ on the front, tan cargo shorts, and a pair of bright-red, black-laced, shoes. Something thrown on as the summer heat grew with the change of seasons.
Not for the unforgiving cold of space travel.
The ship coast on autopilot. But the crawl is slow enough to call it aimless. A deep groan of metal echoes across the neverending reaches of the cosmos.
A pipe hisses like a sapient beast.
Things tick, turn, repeated patterns.
Nothing changes.
How long…how long until…?
Slumped against a wall of blinking lights. Each flash or color has lost its meaning to the lone inhabitant. One is unable to even read instructions, the symbols on both printed and digital make no sense. Shapes and structures are foreign and unrecognizable.
A deep sigh leaves chapped lips.
Izuku’s body is so heavy, that even his lungs struggle to take a breath against the weight of his own rib cage.
He’s turned to the side, staring down at an open drawer. The mess of silver packets inside are torn open. Their labels are ignored in his path to satiate the hunger. Empty of their contents, food rations, empty.
Dull green eyes blink, sluggish.
The boy doesn’t think he can get up even if he tries. The muscles in his arms don’t even feel like they exist. His legs barely twitch, do they even work anymore?
Sleep.
He should sleep.
Maybe then…maybe then the waiting won’t seem so bad…
His eyelids fall shut…and his mind falls away…
The piercing scream of a siren cast the ship in red.
The boy’s head snaps up. His greasy dark-green hair moves like an ugly wig. The mess of curls curtains his eyes as they dart around in panic.
What.
What happens—
The alarm shuts off.
Every light goes out.
The darkness swallows him.
A short cry breaks from his dry mouth, but it sputters out; a frail thing. The cold rushes him like waves from dark waters. They lap at his legs and Izuku tenses, heart racing.
Burst of electric energy shoots over his skin. Sparks die with each weaks response as his muscles refuse to listen. Adrenaline is trapped in a body with no way to express it. Fight or flight, options out of his reach.
His shoulders shake. The air is ice against his lungs.
The sound of heavy footfall rumbles in the distance.
Teeth clench, mind flickering like an unsteady flame. Embers burst and his hands crawled up his chest.
He exhales and his arms fall.
Useless.
The pressure of frustration, fear, and anger, builds behind round eyes. His breath comes out like shaky wisps of white.
Fuck.
A white beam of light shines past the open entrance.
Izuku shuts his eyes; and the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
A strange…clicking sound draws closer. It’s almost wet, barely there.
Heavy footfall enters the storage room. Closer to his prone body. A sitting duck.
Even with his eyes closed, he can see the bright white light as it brushes over his form.
All sound comes to a stop.
The boy freezes with it.
A sharp screech rakes over his eardrums.
Green eyes snap open.
His stomach drops.
A stocky, rat creature stands in front of him. It’s screaming, eyes glowing a bright pink. Strange appendages flare on top of its head. Its mouth is open to reveal a pair of snake-like fangs.
He doesn’t think.
He moves.
A foot shoots out—
Something gives a wet snap—
The creature is thrown back, its screech cuts out.
The flashlight(?) goes flying.
He needs to run. His heart is a fluttering thing.
But his legs aren’t cooperating, kicking out feebly, like a newborn kitten.
He twists, hands shooting out and scraping against the smooth metal flooring.
Away, he needs to get away—
More footfall.
More of those things —
Too soon, several lights flood the small room.
He’s blinded, the creatures behind the beams are left as shadows, but he’s sure they’re more of the same creature.
There’s a click. Inorganic. Machinery.
His very heartbeat drums throughout his body. His eyes blur. Trapped. Helpless.
And then fear turns to hot rage. The flames rise and consume the anxiety in his gut.
No.
He can’t give up.
A snarl tears across his mouth; and white teeth glisten.
His green eyes burn with something toxic, something dangerous.
Words rip from his throat, a battle cry, the last stand, “STAY AWAY!”
A click— White hot pain blossoms from his chest.
The flashlights cast upon him, take over his vision.
And he succumbs to the darkness.
Izuku’s hands fly out only to hit smooth glass. The sound is dull.
Green eyes open to a flood of white light. It burns. They shut and bright sparks of color dance behind his eyelids.
He’s floating…not just his mind…not like a dream…he’s floating. Upright and feet are free from the ground, weightless. His hair bounces, free from gravity. Like he jumped into the school's pool, his body suspended after a freeing dive.
Nerves jolt as his mind clears.
Trapped.
He twists and a sea of foam stirs, creating a fog of white. Squinting his eyes, Izuku watches, head following the rise of air.
He can’t see the surface. Arm's reach out—
Ice shoots through his veins. His hand is covered in wires. Needles pierce through his skin. Izuku can’t hear. His heart pumps furiously, and blood responds, rushing throughout his body in a vicious cycle. A new sound makes itself known, matching the thumping of his frantic heart.
Bu-dump—Beep
Bu-dump—Beep
Bu-dump—Beep
His other hand grips the wires…and yanks them out.
PAIN.
A shout spills from his lips and bubbles explode from his mouth.
Blood clouds the surrounding liquid red.
Izuku scrambles, hands, and feet bang against a glass barrier.
Drowning.
His mouth snaps shut and a hand goes to his throat.
I’m drowning-!
The glass fractures, a long jagged line.
The scream of a machine is the only warning he gets…before he falls back into darkness.
Izuku wakes with a start. His head and heart pound away mercilessly. His body is curled in on itself, and he’s almost kneeling into a deep bow against the ground.
A sharp quiet beep sounds close to his left ear causing him to wince.
Something— a strap? — presses against either side of his face. Above and below both of his ears, meeting the back of his head and neck.
S-somethings…strapped to m-my face???
Jerking up on his knees, arms move to push against the floor— except they can’t.
His breath is fragile, the thin branches of a dying tree. He turns, trying to look behind—
Cuffs. A strange bulky thing encases his hands. It’s a short tube that connects two orbs where his hands are. Keeping them together, restraining him.
The boy bites down the rising fear. He needs to think. Calm down.
Swallowing he looks to check on the rest of his body.
Muscles twitch and he braces himself for the heavy exhaustion and the deep, empty hunger.
But it doesn’t come.
The learned expectation from days of…
He’s…
He feels good.
Green eyes blink and he leans back on his butt and crosses his legs. The action is easy. Painless. The constant exhaustion is gone.
A wet sniffle follows the familiar pressure building behind his eyes.
He takes in a deep, shuddering breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
He looks down—
Surprised blossoms across the boy’s face. His clothes are different. Looking down— he’s wearing…some kind of suit?
Izuku leans back some more, trying to check out the new outfit.
.
It’s a full-body…fit that connects the bottom and top like an astronaut’s flight suit. But…it looks like armor. The pants design pulls up past his stomach in a rustic red color with an ash-gray square shape that runs down to the side of his knees. Clear padding is over his knees and the side of his legs.
The upper part is black. Once again, padding protects his torso, shoulders, back, and arms.
He’s not wearing gloves; or shoes.
Green eyes narrow.
It’s like he’s…armed for war —
Sound. The deep guttural bark of noise is followed by similar other responding noises. Like…they’re speaking to each other?
Izuku hutches down. He’s…in a box. Holes are near the ceiling, letting in brushes of luminescent light. The walls are a dull white, the floor and ceiling are a dark gray, some kind of metal.
It’s both suffocating and a comfort. He’s trapped, but..for now, whatever’s out it isn’t able to get to him. Course they could probably open and grab him, a false comfort. But he’ll take the flimsy illusion for now.
Breath. In. Out.
Keeping low to the ground, Izuku keeps his gaze on the holes, unable to see an entrance or exit. His hands are sweating in their cuffs.
The light moves by, his…crate(?) is being…moved? The ride is smooth. And the only sign of movement comes from the passing lights and fading and rising voices(???)
Thoughts race, asking questions that he can’t answer. Stuck in a loop of what and where. The longer it lasts, the deeper the reaches of anxiety pull him— Not unlike a black hole.
He…he can fight.
But does he want to? Does he want to risk the i s o l a t i o n again?
More noise pulls him from Izuku’s thoughts.
The screech of some creature. The shuffle of heavy footfall. The drag of metal chains against a rough floor.
His teeth clench and the arching buzz of anxiety dances along his skin. Goosebumps run up his arms and wishes he could bring them to his chest. Round eyes flicker along the holes in the walls, searching for anything that can tell them what he needs to brace for—
A bark of laughter, that doesn’t sound like laughter. It’s wrong. It’s too rough and it’s not right. But it’s familiar enough.
His crate bumps against something…then the sound of gears and other mechanical parts comes to life. Metal whines, and electrical beeps signal movement. The boy's crate— cage?— jerks in place and he lowers himself.
Legs move underneath him, ready to spring.
Something is latching onto the wall in front of him. Spinning before a sharp hiss rakes against his ears.
Izuku’s body recoils as the wall…rises. Bright, manufactured light spills into his(?) box, and noise crashes into him. A flood of chaotic energy slams over him and—
The wall behind him pushes against him, forcing him forward.
Bare feet slip against the smooth metal floor. His arms behind him tense in a weak attempt to free themself.
Reaching the opening, a wine slips from his mouth, helpless to stop whatever’s going to happen next.
The boy falls forward.
.
And meets dirt.
Unable to catch himself he falls to his knees and stares at the red dirt floor. It’s hard, but the surface is soft with loose soil.
A sharp beep comes from beside his left ear and—
The mechanical movement comes from the thing— muzzle?— strapped to his face. Pieces of the thing—mask? muzzle?— fall and pull back, leaving his nose and mouth uncovered.
The smell of sweat, cooking food, and dust reach him.
Another beep, this one high in pitch.
His cuffs fall off.
Izuku brings his sweaty hand to the front, grimacing at the ache on his shoulder. How long were they…?
The noise from before rises and he looks up— Oh.
His heart stops. His body freezes.
Wide green eyes take in the giant arena— Colosseum —around him. The seats are full, the spectators like ants, their cheers like the crash of a wave during a storm. Floodlights light up the ground floor. All ready for a show.
Izuku takes a step back and finds his body is trembling. Legs wobble in place, unsteady, the feeling in them nearly gone.
A stage.
And he is one of the entertainers.
The boy looks back, the drum of his pulse in his ears, but the entrance is closed. The peach-colored wall is smooth like there was never an opening in the first place.
Nononononono—!
The thump in his chest is painful and his chest feels too tight.
Hands grip at the front of his suit, mouth open and gasping.
Out- there’s — a painful wheeze— no way out!
A sharp beep from the other side of the ground floor draws his attention.
The blood leaves his face as he pales, and the grip on his suit tightens.
The arena is about the size of a football field, and on the other side, past red soil, rock, and pillars of stone, the bright orange and purple shape of a creature begins to stand on four legs.
His knees bend, smaller, closer to the ground. Like trying to coast through school without being seen.
Sweat drips down his neck.
Course…it only works half the time.
.
The creature looks right at him. It’s got the head of a horse…if a horse had three yellow eyes, ridiculously tall-pointed-ears, and a mouth with four large fangs that stretched up to its eyes.
Its… skin is bright, toxic, and orange with vivid purple spirals.
The thing, snarls, lips pulled back.
runRunRUNRUNRUN—!
It roars, a long, high-pitched, trilling bark.
Izuku screams—
—The crowd cheers—
—and he runs away, off to the left of the ‘field’. Bare feet pound against the soil and it’s easy. The boy is light on his feet, the feeling, like gravity, barely applies to him.
He looks down…and he can't believe his own speed. He’s almost flying over the arena floor.
Heart leaping, he looks back to see a red cloud erupt from his heels. Trailing after him.
Safe. If he’s this fast, he just has to run.
Something slams into his side and sends him tumbling across the red desert.
He rolls—
Arms move to cover his head—
His side hits the ground—
And his back smashes into the arena's side wall.
It…it doesn’t hurt. Like he was thrown into a mattress. The…the armor must’ve protected him?
He blinks and looks up, a cloud of dust surrounds him. It coats his suit and his green curls.
MOVE—!
He throws himself back, and the creature lands where he once was. Three-toed claws(?), hoofs(?), scrape against the peach-colored wall.
The thing’s body has muscles that tense and coil. Its tail whips behind it.
A sharp, high-pitched, bark trills— before its head snaps in his direction.
Izuku kicks and his body flies back— twisting, he doesn’t look back.
He lands on bare feet and runs.
He can do that. He can run. He can—
The crowd cheers loudly again, voices rising like the sea.
He leaps to his right—
The creature darts past him.
Okay, it’s…it’s just as fast too.
Teeth bare, green eyes land on the surrounding pillars.
Legs tense.
But…he’s not even tired. He still has energy.
He hears the thing snarl, a bark that sounds like a scream.
Can… can it keep up?
The boy soars— and the thing is quick to follow.
The audience laughs, jeers, and shouts with amusement as Izuku turns, jumps, and runs between and around the ground floor. Pillars become barriers, shields that protect him from swipes and fangs.
The creature doesn’t slow, and it’s not stopping any time soon—
He trips, avoiding another swing, and he tumbles on the red soil. A few rocks dig into his back. Any distance made, is lost.
The creature stands tall in front of him. Strange square pupils land on the boy.
It’s too close. He won't be able to run without its claws reaching him first. Trapped. The thing lets out a few trilling barks. An image of being cornered by Kacchan, flashes through his mind as the creature stalks Izuku.
A bubble of laughter fills his chest, but the sound he makes is wet, and edging on despair.
Izuku’s not going to get hit and left alone. This isn’t him having to endure some school bullies.
His hand grips a rock.
This thing…it wants to kill him.
Face twisting, he bares his teeth and pushes himself up, “G- GET BACK!”
It stills. Face snarling, yellow eyes piercing.
“I-!” He stands, the creature…it’s about his own size on all fours. “I SAID GET BACK!” His throat hurts. His body feels paper thin. Weak. Fear coats his voice, plain on his face, but he stays standing tall. He stomps his foot, taking a step forward, “GO AWAY!”
The creature jerks back—
It’s working, it’s working—!
—before lowering itself to the ground, ready to pounce.
Izuku's vision sharpens. It tunnels, dark around the edges. A ringing sings from his eardrum.
The alien-animal leaps at him—
He throws the rock in his hand—
It flies like a bullet and pierces right through the animal with a sickening squelch, leaving a large hole through the creature's head. Orange blood splatters out, showering the boy in a warm, wet, spray.
Its body falls to the ground, eyes blank, and face in a forever snarl.
The crowd quiets, or at least he thinks they do. Izuku’s own breathing takes up most of his hearing, along with a ringing that slowly fades out. The boy is breathing heavily, mouth open.
An announcer's voice comes over the arena, and words that mean nothing to him are said with an entertainer's flair.
The audience roars.
Blood drips down his face.
Izuku’s hands fly up and cover his mouth. His eyes blur and shine. His chest tightens and he falls to his knees.
He can’t look away from— dead, dead, dead — creature.
Tears flood his eyes and stream down his face.
This…
The familiar, sharp beep, comes from— a collar?— below his left ear.
This is…
Something injects into his neck, cool liquid shoots into his jugular.
…Hell.
This time Izuku welcomes the darkness.
Red eyes illuminated by a lone streetlight glow, glare back at him, “What are you doing here?”
A shaky laugh falls from his lips as he tries to calm his racing heart. He’s usually alone during school nights, “J-just taking a walk?”
The blond's face falls flat, “You’re a shitty liar.”
Izuku winces, “I- I mean..I could ask you—”
Katsuki’s eyes narrow.
“—Th-the same thing!” He looks away, unable to meet his friend's(?) glare. “Sorry!”
He hears a huff, the other's shoes grind against a dry leaf, “Whatever. I already know you’re out here.”
Izuku stares at the ground.
“Believe in those loser conspiracies.”
He snaps back to attention, looking right at Kacchan, “Th-their real!”
Ah.
He regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth.
A bark of laughter has him stepping back. “Huh? Like I said. Loser Conspiracy theories.” He sneers, “Makes sense why a Deku like you would—”
A flash of light.
Shoving hands.
“—RUN, KACCHAN!”
Gears spin and click, and the ground trembles under heavy machinery falling into place.
A groan tumbles from the boy's mouth. Pale, freckled face twists in discomfort as he turns onto his stomach. His forehead rubs against a rough cold metal floor. The muzzle on his face clangs with the motion.
Green eyes open, and the world blurs before coming into focus.
Izuku blinks, a dim yellow light is gentle on his eyes.
The boy pushes himself up, hair a mess. He turns, taking in his new surroundings. Again, waking up somewhere new and unfamiliar. Exhaustion pulls at his bones.
It’s— He frowns— a cell.
.
The entrance is a large metal door in the middle of a steel(?) wall with large glass(?) windows. Izuku’s not sure what metal or even if it’s something that just looks like it, but as he stands and taps against its surface, it sounds and feels like steel. He slides his palm across the glass— only it’s not glass. It feels more like? rock? Like some sort of transparent rock…or crystal. A light…iridescent sheen glosses over the surface.
He looks to the rest of the ‘room’.
About 50 ft wide and…25 ft tall. Spacious. The other three walls are gray metal, and the ceiling is black.
Two…beds? Are on either side of the room. Are they beds?
Izuku walks over to the closest one, which is to the left of the room from the entrance. It’s a five-inch hole in the shape of a rectangle? About five feet by six feet.
And it’s full of leaves???
He couches down and picks it up. The thing is huge, and dry…but not to the point of it crinkling and falling apart. Just…soft and not wet???
Is this food?
Izuku looks over to the other ‘rectangle depression thing’.
Then why are there two of them…?
He puts the leaf back.
The back wall has a…shower? Embedded in the wall, almost like a room of its own, but it’s small, like a closet. An obvious pipe at the top and the smooth dark-blue stone floor slants down to the middle where a drain can be seen. At least he’ll be able to keep clean…
The last thing in the room is something he’s tried to ignore.
A camera that follows his movements with a gun underneath it.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Would it shoot bullets? Or would he just be shot with some darts? They..they wouldn’t kill him…right? Not after all the trouble, it took to get him.
A sharp beep comes from a speaker above the hall.
Izuku looks to the large glass doors and shuffles over, peering out into the dimly lit hallway. Cells embroider the hallways from both sides. The one across from him has a strange— everything is strange— dark blue creature, it has a large shell, like a pill bug. A trunk for a nose and thin spikes that sprout from its six arms.
Looking at them causes the hairs on his arm to stand up. He grimaces, and looks back down the hallway.
Two Guards push a large black cart down the walkway. Various plants stick out the top and side, along with pieces of white wrapping paper(???).
The guards are short, about half Izuku’s height. Neither look alike to one another. Two separate beings. One is a puff of white and brown fur with small round ears. It would be cute; if its large mouth wasn’t full of shark-like teeth. Its purple eyes flicker about, as it makes a soft chirping sound.
The other one, some sort of lizard— Iguana?— being, turns to the other, hissing followed by a few sharp barks.
They’re…talking to each other.
He tilts his head to the side, ears straining as the two stop at each cell for a moment before morning onto the next. His freckled cheek presses against the clear-crystal window.
He hasn’t really had time to try and listen, not when he had been trying to escape the first ship. The Tree Aliens didn’t want to talk.
The flash of metal, scalpel, needles.
PAIN, SHARP, SHARP PAIN—!
Breath.
In.
Out.
Countdown from five.
Voices, chirps, and guttural barks come closer. The cart rattles as it rolls along uneven ground.
They stop just before reaching his cells.
He locks eyes with the small fluff ball alien.
The thing squeaks and jerks back, ears pulled back, "Dako! It's Staring!"
A heavy tail slams into the ground and Izuku looks over to the Iguana Guard. “Calm down, the Gl’A’diant Crystal should keep it contained." Yellow slit eyes slide over to the boy, Izuku just stares.
His heart is hammering away, but he doesn’t move.
Green eyes glare back.
The taller alien huffs, pushing the cart over to his cell. “Just ignore the thing.” They grab a few things, one of the white wrapped packages? And a few of the plants.
A growl comes from Izuku’s stomach.
The Lizard Alien freezes, head jerking back to stare at him. The long spines on its head stand tall.
The fluffy Alien ducks behind the cart.
Amusement bubbles in Izuku's chest. How such a small thing is freaking the two aliens out. He holds down a light laugh. It wouldn’t be received well by the alien holding his food…
Izuku shakes his head and steps back, stomach giving another gurgle.
He takes a seat on the cold metal floor, crossing his legs.
A quiet stammer of squeaks and chirps comes from the fluff behind the cart and the Lizard Alien snaps out of it. They glance back, barking something, before walking over to the large metal door that separates them from the boy.
The turns of metal on metal ring out. A wide slot opens from the bottom of the door…and a tray of food is quickly shoved in, sliding past Izuku to the middle of the room.
The boy stares at it.
He hears the slot slam shut and that same ring of metal signals the turn of some sort of lock. Looking back, he catches the two guards already moving onto the next cell, their steps noticeably quicker.
A sharp beep comes from the collar around his neck. The muzzle makes a clicking sound as pieces move and fold, freeing the barrier from his mouth. He should be able to eat now.
As Izuku looks back to the tray his eyes meet the other prisoners. The beetle thing flinches and moves back.
It’s for the best. He’ll be left alone this way— Until they want him to fight.
The boy fetches the tray, checking out the stalks of dark green leaves. They’re rough and bumpy, the stems a deep purple that reminds him of rhubarb. Except when he picks one up, the sloshing sound of liquid comes from the thick stem.
.
He brings the plant close to his face and takes a sniff.
Orange, sharp, mixed with a…flora scent. It causes his mouth to water.
He bites into the thick stem before he can stop himself. A rush of sweet, candy-like juice spills into his mouth and his taste buds sing. Izuku swallows it down before chomping on the rest of the— bland-tasting— plant.
Two more leafy stalks are left, and he decides to save them for later.
The paper-wrapped package is left. Well…the strange plant was delicious. The other shouldn’t be that bad. He shrugs and reaches out, picking the, surprisingly heavy, package up. The paper crinkles as he unwraps the—
He pauses.
P-purple raw meat???
.
It’s cold and it’s a large chunk, clear bits of fat hanging onto muscle. Purple blood drips off the wrapper. It’s…well it’s like holding a piece of uncooked steak. Cold and…it didn’t really smell like anything unless he brought it closer to his face. Which just smelled metallic and cold.
At least it didn’t smell…bad.
Maybe he could just..imagine it was some fancy dish. People ate raw steak called steak tartare. Sushi is raw fish. And…with whatever these Aliens did to help him when he had been starving and weak…surely they could help him again if the meat wasn’t safe.
Yeah, that’s not helping. But he should try. Protein— does space meat also have protein?— will help with energy and…
He looks at his thin arms.
…building muscle. He’ll last longer in a fight…he’ll live longer— Teeth tear into the hunk of meat before he chickens out.
Green eyes spark to life. Drool fills his mouth. Salt, tender, juicy. His head pulls back as he chomps and chews the raw meat. But it’s so good.
Time passes.
His stomach fills quickly— when was he last full? Only a large white bone sits in his palms. Cool blood drips down his chin, but he just wipes it away with the back of his arm. Slowly…tentatively, a small smile settles upon his freckled face. Green eyes droop.
Izuku yawns widely and gathers the paper wrapping and places both that and the bone upon the tray. The boy doubts he’ll be able to hide the tray, so he just sets it in front of the metal door.
That familiar beep sounds and the muzzle comes to life, clicking back into place and covering his mouth and nose.
He sighs.
The prisoner from the other cell across from him catches his eye and he can’t help but smile back.
The creature scrambles away with a harsh coughing noise. They fall back and— curl up into a ball of armor.
Izuku blinks. Yeah, he’s dubbing them: pill-bug Alien.
.
Planet: Risnlatra
July 13th 22xx
It’r’lis City sang with life despite the night cycle overtaking the sky. Twin Moons, Vexis and Dualitz, shared their time above the lively city. More than half the populace slept, but the other half, like himself, A’zawa Sho’a, stayed up, with work to be done, and duties to fulfill. A regular occurrence for the Hero and once he does nearly every day when he’s not bogged downgrading his students' school work.
.
The I-line Tera yawns, large, sharp fangs glisten. He steps back from the skyscraper's edge; and continues his scope of the surrounding buildings.
Today has been a day full of accidents and mishaps. Cadets managed to get themselves injured during what were supposed to be risk-free activities.
The teacher’s meeting led to a discussion on ways to be more inclusive to newer species, sure to be coming with the ISC’s ever-growing reach. A topic he’d normally take part in, but the previous night of little sleep just brought him a simmer of annoyance with each word as time seemed to crawl by.
A’zawa’s long dark furn dances as a cool breeze messes it up. His soft-gray tail tightens around his neck. Ears flickering as It’r’lis city's night remains mundane and unbothered. His shift is almost over, and soon he’ll be able to curl up on his warm bed.
[BEEP]
He pauses, four eyes narrowing at the sound of his joint ICS-UA issued Communicator Alert beep. Usually, if something were happening and he was being called. It would be by phone through the local police enforcement…
Muscles tense.
Ear flicking back, he pulls up the small tablet. The thing weighs nothing and he turns it on. With a quick scan of his face, it unlocks.
He freezes, and the hackles rise as teeth bare.
