I was walking with Sue to school. She welcomed me back with a little too much happiness. I worried every time I wasn't with her, maybe she did the same.

"Papa's quiet." She stepped in front of me, so close she tilted her head up all the way. She had cut her hair so it barely reached her shoulder. I picked her up and carried her on my shoulders.

"Just thinking, little one." She wrapped her arms around my forehead and tilted until she was looking at me straight in the eyes. She giggled as I wiggled my eyebrows. I chuckled too, but something made me stop. I turned, but saw nothing. I shrugged it off and kept walking.

"Let's play a game."I suggested.

She jumped down and poked my hand, screaming "Your it!" Then running towards the school. I laughed and ran to catch her, slowing down to give her a chance. I ran past a couple of kids in my class. She was small, so she just ducked under them. I jumped over them, but failed at my landing. I rolled straight into a girl, and we collapsed.

"Ow." We said at the same time. I looked up to see Scorch, or rather, Sarah, glaring at me.

"Again?" She sighed as she got up. I stood up to see the five other monarchs here.

"What's up? Why are you guys here?" They all had the school uniforms on. They fitted slimly against their bodies.

"We're going to school." The news was so blunt, at first it passed through me. I looked at the regal Jade, the elegant Gold, the intimidating Shade, and the quiet and shy Iris, and bursted into laughter. I laughed and laughed until my side hurt as they just stared at me.

"H-hold on, what are you going to d-do?" I was crying at this point.

"As your servants, we have to be close to you, all the time. So we enrolled into your class. Stein was easily persuaded." I laughed harder at the thought of Stein having to deal with these six. I was catching my breath, sitting down, when I saw someone.

Vade.

My laughter ceased. I stared at the person, double checking. Sure enough, he turned and sneered at me. I growled, my anger bowling.

"Stay here." I unzipped my jacket so it flung out behind me like a cape. My scrawny figure showed, and I unfurled my wings. I touched the ground with one hand, kneeling. With one flap and a kick off the ground, I rocketed towards him. He was turning the street corner.

I slid to a stop, turning to see him already at the other side of the street, pointing at me.

"Rrrgh." I growled, and could already feel the claws growing out of my nails, and my canines sharpening. I pumped my wings, my body vertical to the ground. My hair was shot backwards. I turned sharply to see him standing at the center of the street. I flew up, then down low, my stomach nearly scraping against the ground. I braked slightly, kicking him in the gut and tilting backwards. I flew upwards, holding him up, then twisting and throwing him back down. I folded my wings and fell down, aiming for a punch. He rolled away at the last second, and I hit bare asphalt.

"You're supposed to be dead." It struck me that he wasn't fighting back.

"Surprise." I folded my wings and turned around, walking away.

"How's Sue doing?" I stopped. "Maybe you should let her visit her uncle."

I threw my hand towards him and shot a beam of aura. He blocked it by putting his arms in an X shape. I could see my eyes glowing, due to the blue light I saw.

"I swear, if you lay a hand on her..."

"Don't worry, i won't. Well, i'm not going to lay a hand on her." My eyes widened in shock. I ran back to where the others were, using my wings to speed me up. I made it back to see the six monarchs, halfway transformed. There were scales on their cheeks, there eyes reptilian. They had claws, wings, and a tail. Some were even breathing fire. There were humanoid forms of ashes, swirling around. I soared above them, charging up the most aura I could, barreling down towards the fight.

"Hit the deck!" I yelled as the monarchs moved out of the way as I sent a shockwave of aura in every direction. I could hear the sound it made, almost like bass. Ashes soared everywhere, but this time, they stayed that way.

"What's your plan in coming here?" I asked Vade, who had landed nearby.

"Just trying to prove a point."

"And that is?" He walked up to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"That you can't kill me." I closed my eyes. The phrase was meant for something more than just a threat. It was meant for reassurance. I smiled.

"Your right, thankfully. Although next time, i'll try not to pummel you to near death." I held up my hand and he took it. Then he threw me into the nearest wall.

"Next time, kid, i'm going all out." And he was gone.

"Are you alright Kane?" Asked Jade as the girls recovered from the recent fight. They were back to their human forms.

"Yeah, let's just say the family squabble goes on. Where's Sue?" Just as I finished saying it, a blood curling scream rose. After that, I don't remember how it happened. I only remember a slicing sound, and what happened afterwards. My vision was pure red, and I was gripping Sue by the collar of her shirt. She was knocked out, unconscious as ash swirled around me. Words burned in my head, but they weren't from Draig.

You cannot keep me caged. The beast had risen. I let go of Sue, gently setting her down onto a bench, and watched as my claws shrunk into my normal hands, and the vision returned to normal color.

"Damn." I covered one eye with my hand, and tried to calm down. The monarchs were watching me.

"What did I do...?" I asked as I fell to my knees. Gold walked up to me, kneeling so she could look me in the eyes.

"Don't worry, Sue's fine. You are not." I looked down to see my shirt and coat torn to shreds, and a gaping hole right in the center of my chest. If I bent my head far enough, I could see the wall behind me through my chest.

"Um, why doesn't it-guh!" The pain came swift and deadly. Gold held me up, her hands strong on my shoulders.

"Put the armor on." She demanded. I did, and the cloth avoided the hole in my chest. Then, flesh started regrowing, veins reattaching, the skin covering it up. In no time at all, I was perfectly fine, and a wave of exhaustion crept over me.

"How did you know... that'll work?" I panted.

"I didn't." She stood up and offered her hand. I gratefully took it.

"Can we please go to school now?" Asked Sarah. Everyone agreed, so I carried Sue to the school. She woke up just as I entered the classroom. I went to my own, the girls sitting all around me. I felt trapped.

"Okay everyone, let's get started. Now, who here has actually done the project. Kane?" Said Stein, nodding at me.

"HA, no." I said plainly.

"And these new students?"

"Relatives?" I shrugged, and he got the sign. He went on with the usual classes. I listened along, but I felt uneasy. For me, this was way too calm. I looked out the window, but everything was normal. Maybe it was actually a regular day.

Class went on as usual. He gave us notes and homework, and none of the students cared. The Monarchs were fascinated by it all, and when break came, the questions started flooding.

"So, what is homework?"

"Assignments given by the teacher based on what we learned."

"And projects?"

"Same." I answered the never ending questions, then when Sue came she jumped right into my lap.

"Papa." She said, taking her lunch bag and grabbing a sandwich.

"Little one." I replied. The girls all sat down under the tree with us. We all sat there, looking over the entire academy.

"So how did you all even enter?"

"Fake papers and luck, mostly." Said Jade. She sat closest to me on the left while Gold was closest to my right. It seemed almost natural, like being with family. Then Stein walked up to us.

"Ladies, Kane." He nodded to us, and we returned the gesture. "May I speak to you?" I nodded and stood. He led me away from the girls.

"Your dragon friends aren't as savage as they look."

"So you know. What gave it away?"

"No girls their age have those bodies."

"Pervert."

"Anyway, it's not about them. It's about Sue."

"Did something happen? Is she in trouble?"

"No, but you are." I was confused at his statement. "It's her mother."

Oh dear.

"Look, just get her to the office. You'll see why."

I headed down there with Sue. I clutched her hand tightly, my heart burning.

"Papa?"

"We have a visitor." We entered the academy and headed for the office. When we walked in, I immediately wanted to bust out.

"Finally. You kept me waiting." She looked like a secretary, with short brown hair, and harsh, yet dull eyes. She had her arms crossed, standing right next to the principal.

"Well hello, what a pleasure it is to see you again." I said mockingly, rolling my eyes for emphasis. Sue looked at her with wide, scared eyes.

"Quiet, boy. I came for her, not you, fool."

"Sue, go get Stein." I told her. She scurried out of the office, and I sat down in front of his desk.

"You have no right to be even close to us. What do you want now?"

"I came for my daughter, rat."

"And what makes you thing you can take her from me?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Do not talk to me as if you have any authority. She is my property." Just as she said it, a flower vase in the corner shattered, the pieces flying everywhere. The two adults jumped up in surprise, but I just clenched my fist.

"You think of her as property? Is she nothing but an object for you?"

"Do not rearrange my words."

"Sir," I said, referring to the principal, a bald man with a plump belly. "Give me on reason why I should give her my daughter?" Thankfully, he was a kind person.

"She has papers, and legal authority over her."

"After you kidnapped my daughter, it took me forever to find her."

"Kidnapped?! I saved her from a drunk stiff woman who left her on the street! If anything, you should apologize to her, and be on your knees begging her for forgiveness! You left her for horseplay with a stranger!" I stood up and yelled, my fists balled and my eyes burning.

"Kane! Back off!" I turned to see Stein, holding Sue's hand.

She does not deserve our time. Should I devour her?

You can do that?!

Of course, with your order.

No, you can eat?!

"Now, let me talk. Why would you want to take Sue back now? Why haven't you done so before?" Stein said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. The light reflecting off his lens covering his eyes.

"What do you mean?" She looked at him with the same stern glare.

"You could have come for her a year ago, and any time in between. So my question is, why would you come for her now, a year after Kane here took her in?"

Oooh, this chick just got ooooooooowned! I yelled inside my head.

"You do not need to know that. Child, come." She had walked up to me and hidden behind my legs.

"Papa..?" She hugged the legs of my pants and looked up at me. I picked her up and held her. She covered her face, then peeked with one eye at her mother.

"I said come here. Now." I reassured Sue and set her down. She slowly walked up to the woman.

"Get in the car. We're leaving this filthy place."

"B-but-"

"But what?"

"I wanna stay." I watched this quietly.

"You will do as I say. I have complete custody over you. I am your real parent, not this filthy pest."

"D-don't insult my father!" She yelled, taking everyone aback.

"...You raise your voice at me?" The slap was loud, resounding around the room. Sue flinched, and my anger peeked to the point of me trying to blast her all the way to the moon. The next moment I grabbed her wrist and held it hard.

"L-let go of me you-"

"Shut it." I growled, and she did. I gripped her wrist tighter then looked straight in her eyes.

"Now listen to me. You're not getting Sue. Instead, you have two options. You can leave, and never even come close to us, or you can stay, be the mother you really should, and apologize to your daughter." I let go and stood there, watching.

"How dare you lay a hand on me. Do you have any idea what I can do to you?"

"Do you have any idea at what I can do to you? That right there was self restraint, and i'm itching to get on the violent side. You can go ahead and involve authorities, but that's not going to be enough. After all, you left Sue out on the street, and no child should deserve that. And now you're demanding, not begging, for her to come back. So how about this: Until I see you down on your knees sobbing and crying for forgiveness to her, then fine. But it's up to her to decide between the selfish mother who has anything, and the caring boy who has nothing." And then I left. There was complete silence behind me, and I heard footsteps following me.

I stopped at a hallway and leaned against a wall. The footsteps got closer and closer. It was Stein.

"Well that was... interesting." He said, standing next to me.

"I didn't know of anything else to do. That woman shouldn't even be in our eyesight for what she's done."

"What exactly did she do? Other than sleep with another man."

"She's not the mother she should be. She doesn't even care for Sue. Heck, I'd be surprised if she cared for someone.She didn't just leave Sue on the street for another man, Franklin. When I found Sue, she was crying right on the sidewalk."

"So it wasn't anything drastic. You're just soft on her."

"Call it what you what. The first time I saw her, it was a feeling of familiarity. I know what it's like to be abandoned. But more than that, I felt something else. Not just sympathy, I actually felt something coming from her. She's just as innocent as you think of her, but something's inside her, and it's worse than what's inside me."

"You mean that 'beast'?" I nodded.

"So then, what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you just going to sulk around or are you going to do something about it? There are more gifts popping out everywhere, and I need my partner. Now you have two problems, so what are you going to do about them?"

I sighed. He had the strangest ways to try to comfort someone. But still, he was right. That woman always got what she wanted, wether she used the law or not.

"I'll deal with that woman later. Right now, here's the deal." I said, turning to Stein. "I'm going to make a team. Get the others here as well. We're going to need more help if the school is attacked again."

He nodded, and pulled out his cellphone. "I'll make the calls. For now, enjoy your time with Sue."

I did. I picked her up from the office.

"Papa, where are we going?"

"You decide. Today, I want you to have fun." I drove her around the city, going everywhere she wanted to go. We stopped to get ice cream, where she sat on my lap to eat it. Is spilled all over my pants, so she sat over the stain to cover it upThen we went bowling, where she couldn't even lift the ball, so I helped, lifting up the ball and guiding her through we went to the park, and she chased the geese around. Eventually Sue hid behind me from the geese and they swarmed all over even bumped into a tree, and we both laughed until we were on the ground. All the while I took photos, to remember this day, the day where I could be a normal parent to her. A day without dragons or weapons or me beating someone up.

Eventually she grew exhausted, and we were sitting on a bench, Sue sleeping on my lap.

She's an energetic one. I heard Draig say.

Of course. Sometimes I still wonder why her mother would do this.

I as well. I put my hand on her cheek, and she grabbed it. I laughed.

"Well, it's about time. I was wondering when you guys would be alone." I looked up to see a figure standing just outside the light. I could only make him out because of his voice.

"And you are?"

"You don't recognize me yet? Well, how about now?" He stepped out of the light. He had shaggy blonde hair with brown eyes and a goofy grin.

"No way..." I set Sue down and stood up

"Been a long time, Kane." Noah said, leaning against the street light. I remembered him from the old days in the lab.

"How did you escape?"

"Care to find out?" He said, his grin turning sneaky.

"Uh, su-" I was cut off as he pulled a long bow staff from behind him and shoved one end into my gut. Right in front of my stomach I saw a green hexagon and heard a musical note once it connected with my gut.

"Heads up." He swung his staff as another hexagon appeared, this time on the length of the staff, and smacked me straight into the side of my head, launching me into the nearest wall with yet another musical note.

"Ow." I got up, groaning as I rubbed my head. Noah twirled his staff professionally and gracefully, making a full rhythmic music as he closed the gap between us. Then he swung downwards and diagonally, aiming for my neck, but I stopped it with my arm. I was about to counter when an unknown force launched me back down.

"What kinda gift is that?"

"I like to call it Bass. I can summon hexagons that on one side I can use, and on the other side it repels anything near it. Like holding two sides of the magnet close to each other. The more the force you try to use on the outer side, it will respond with an equal, or even greater, force to repel it." To set up an example, he balled his hands into fists, five hexagons appearing to completely encase his hand. He then brought it down onto my chest and launched me further into the ground.

"Nice show." I laughed, getting back up to his surprise.

"Aren't you hurt?"

"Please, I got stabbed in the chest earlier today. Not much worse than that." I clapped him on the shoulder, and he returned the gesture, his goofy grin returning.

"You wanna join my team? Fine. Your in." He grinned even wider at this. "Now if you excuse me, it's bedtime for her."

"Who?"

He helped in surprise as Sue jumped on his back and yanked at his hair. He started screaming and running in a circle as he tried to get her off. I watched all this while laughing, thinking it was a great start for a team.

Sadly, the good start didn't hold on for long

End of chapter 7