Chapter 10

Violent Impulses

Thankfully the whole ordeal was over, as all the teams arrived. Shina wanted to get two things off on her chest. As she walked towards Jet, who was still sitting on Maarku, punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow! Shina, what was that for?!" Jet exclaimed, knowing he worried Shina half too death.

"You jumped off a building to body slam a man, and didn't think about the consequences of whether you died or not!" Shina yelled at him, her icy blue eyes had fury written all over them.

Maarku laughed weakly, and was still conscious even after the seismic body slam. "Man, you really pissed the leopard off now, didn't you?" He said to Jet.

Shina glared at Maarku, still can't believe he was talking. "Shut it Krueger!" She growled, seeing he shut up with the furious expression on her face. Then she turned around to see her old man look at her with a curious look.

"What did he mean by 'leopard' Jane?" Gado asked, wondering where Maarku would get such an idea.

Jet gulped and started fiddling with his thumbs. Seeing the look Gado was giving them, the T-Rex zoanthrope finally caved in. "Shina transformed into a leopard zoanthrope, and she took Maarku head on!" He confessed, seeing the death glare Shina was giving him. "He was going to find out eventually! And he looks like he wants to pound someone with the look he was given us."

Shina groaned in frustration, her eyes on her foster father. "Maarku was about to cream Jet, so I used the moves you taught me and I came out on top."

Gado was shocked by this revelation. He didn't know his daughter held her own against his former comrade-in-arms, and that she did it all by herself. Walking over to her, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and held her in his arms. He was extremely proud, not for Shina being a zoanthrope but also proving she had what it took to be resourceful.

Shina was surprised by the sudden embrace, being half-embarrassed and half-glad at her father's pride. "Dad, people are watching." She muttered, returning the hug and patted his broad back.

"I don't care, I'm happy you're maturing into a strong young woman." Gado said to her, running a hand through the fringes of her blonde hair.

Slade looked upon the moment of affection with the Gado family. The moment reminded him of his dad and him before he and his mother passed away. He wanted to be a businessman just like his father when he was like him. Knowing Jason was there in spirit, he wished he were physically here. His silver eyes saw Yugo, running up to Alice and a hint of jealousy entered his mind.

"Ally, are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Yugo asked with his hands on the petite violet haired woman's shoulders. When he saw Maarku and Clint in the alley, the first thought was to fight these guys and protect Alice. He didn't want to lose her the way he lost his father, and it would break both Uriko and Mitsuko's hearts if something bad happened to her.

Alice smiled sweetly at Yugo, breathing out a tiny sigh. She could handle her own, having taken down Clint without breaking a sweat. The way her boyfriend was acting showed he was concerned for her safety, and thought it was sweet. However, she wondered if telling Yugo that Slade kissed her was a good idea? It was best to let things cool off for now.

"I'm fine Yugo. That silver-haired guy yapped about was bunny references." Alice said, an annoyed look on her face when she motioned to the spider zoanthrope on the wall.

Yugo looked at Clint, cringing at the sight of him on the wall like that. "This is why I stay off your bad side." He let a grin show on his face, managing to get the uneasiness in his mind. Seeing Alice kick that spider sociopath's butt was good enough for him. Alice and Kenji were the best things in his life, and didn't want to give them up for anything. His gaze turned to Slade, his chestnut eyes focused on the blonde American. "I want to thank you, for protecting Alice."

Slade looked at Yugo with a surprised look on his face. "It was nothing… Alice would've done the same for me." He said, feeling a ping of guilt enter his mind. First he was jealous of the wolf zoanthrope, and now he thanked him. The falcon zoanthrope felt like he didn't deserve his kindness, but he was also grateful he didn't find out about him kissing Alice.

Alfred was next to Jenny, and then turned his gaze to both of the Night Brigade operatives. They both had blood on them, feeling his body shake violently. 'Please, not now! I can't lose it in front of my friends!' He thought in his mind, his teeth changing shape and jaw line widening.

Jenny looked at Alfred, seeing he was turning into that shark zoanthrope again. "Alfred, stay in control. You're stronger than you think you are." She said, trying to sooth him and could see his body expand.

"I'm trying… It's so painful!" Alfred said, holding his sides. His fingers started to expand into web-like claws and his eyes starting to change as well, becoming a complete black void. He started feeling the mind of the shark within him slowly taking over, feeling like he was losing his humanity.

"Alfred, close your eyes." Jenny said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Forget about the mere thought or sight of blood. Focus on my voice, and try changing back into human."

Alfred wanted to ask why, but he decided anything was worth a try. Taking a deep breathe, he focused on Jenny's voice and thought about her. He thought of her and Gado, how they had treated him like a person and not a weapon. Feeling the predator within his mind slowly vanish, his physical transformation started to slowly revert him back to human.

Jenny was amazed that it actually worked, smiling proudly. She knew it was a plan based on chance, but Alfred succeeded. "Keep your eyes closed for now." She said, not wanting him to have another episode.

"What's going on here?" Gado spoke up, curious as to what Jenny was doing and why Alfred had his eyes closed. As he looked at Alfred, he saw him panting slightly and looked at Jenny. "Jenny, what happened to him?"

"He had a problem with his transformation." Jenny began to explain, but felt Alfred's hand on her shoulder. He would do the explaining, and felt that hand move away from her shoulder.

"Gado, I should've told you this from the start." Alfred began to talk, placing a hand now on the muscular French lion's shoulder. "I'm hemophobic."

"Fear of blood." Gado spoke, knowing what the phobia meant, but wondered how Alfred was afraid of the sight of blood. "Do tell me."

"I won't go into a long story, but I get frightened at the sight or smell of blood." The British agent began to explain, opening up to Gado about his fear. "I lose control whenever my zoanthrope side takes over, and my baser instincts in that form take over. I saw blood on both those operatives, and I started to lose it. However, Jenny stepped in and helped me to focus not on my fear, but the sound of her voice to calm me down and revert back to being human."

Gado placed his own hand on Alfred's, knowing that the young man wasn't alone. "It's okay, we captured two dangerous men." He said and looked at Jenny. If Alfred had gotten out of control, their efforts would've been in vain. Nonetheless, Slade's plan worked and that was good enough for him. Turning his eyes onto Clint and Maarku, he narrowed his gaze at them and felt those old wounds reopen at the mere sight of his old friend. 'How do we get these two to talk?' He wondered in his mind.

"I know it seems sudden, but I do know of a location to interrogate them." Slade spoke, knowing he would he helping the group even further. If he had exposed his connections to the Night Brigade, he would lose their trust. However, if he could somehow get the others to make Maarku and Clint talk, he would be in the clear.

…

Elsa and Fox were right in front of Atlas International, gazing upon the appearance of the building. Having both grown up on the streets, they were somewhat envious of Slade's upbringing. Going through their minds, he was probably some spoiled rich brat with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Fox may have grown up in a rough upbringing, from an orphan child to warped-minded assassin for a multinational company. Yet he somehow managed to pick himself up after the night he killed his mother, and earned a living as a secretary under a false name.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at the front of the building and going through her mind that Slade had it easy when growing up. Still, the fact that he ruined her life and blew up the headquarters she only knew as a home. Maybe it was time to return the favor, but some rational thoughts came up. People worked here at this technological company, helping those that couldn't help themselves.

Both of them did research on the company, reading the origin of the company in general. What started out as a small repair shop back in the nineteen-forty-five' after World War Two, called Atlas Repairs, got praised for it's care and craftsmanship in repairing shoes. The owner was also an inventor, slowly gaining recognition for his work. By nineteen-seventy three, the owner had a son by the name of Jason Atlas.

Similar to the owner, the young man showed an aptitude for making inventions as well. The highly praised repair stored, slowly transformed into a company by the mid-eighties. Then ten years later in nineteen-ninety-five, Slade was born during that year. It was the only company to rival the multinational company Tylon Corporation. The two companies had a fierce rivalry, one fighting to bring a better future while the other was controversy in it's shady dealings. The CEO and his wife made a tragic accident when their car exploded. Slade inherited the bankrupt company, and having no choice reached out to the Tylon Corporation to buy it from going into closure.

"Sounds like our fearless captain made a deal with the devil himself." Fox said out loud, hoping he could gain Elsa's attention. He started to worry for her mental health, her once soft personality becoming battle hardened.

"Deal or no deal, I think we deserve some answers." Elsa said in a firm tone, both of her fists clenched. The eighteen-year old scorpion started walking towards the company's doors, pushing both of them she made her way to the receptionist's desk. "Excuse me, but I'd like to make an appointment with Mr. Atlas."

The male receptionist looked up, his eyes widened in surprise. Upon seeing the appearance of Elsa, he was taken off guard. "L-let me just check my book." He said, getting it out and muttering as he looked through the logs in terms of scheduling. "Ah, here we go! Mr. Atlas has an opening for… Yes, three-thirty. Would you like me to put your name in?"

"Yes, my name is Elsa Gonzalez. Tell him it's… important, like you." Elsa said, winking at the receptionist in a seductive manner but kept her cute streak to it. Walking away from the desk, she looked at Fox who had an amused expression on his face.

Fox couldn't help but chuckle, thinking it was all too cute. "I see someone's picked up a habit from me." He stated.

"I set up an appointment for us, and I needed to throw in an 'added bonus' to seal the deal." Elsa logically spoke, running her hands through her hair to get her long bangs out of her ears. All they had to do was play the waiting game, and Slade would come to them.

…

Upon arriving at the back of Atlas International, Gado's group was able to contain Maarku and Clint without any problems whatsoever. They noticed the two were quiet, not saying a mere peak or word at all. They used a truck from Slade ordered, and surprisingly he set up in the front. He became quiet after the Night Brigade operatives were captured, and when Yugo thanked him.

Slade got out of the side, jumping off the ledge and landed on his feet. He had changed back into his business attire, his gaze upon seeing the group get out. "I'll leave you all to your own devices. I have some… meetings that require my attention." He informed the group.

Yugo was surprised by sudden announcement, figuring Slade would want to stick around and help them get the two to talk. "Are you sure? It doesn't feel right not having you here, and you did help us take down two of the Night Brigade's operatives."

"You guys came this far, I merely helped aid you in your efforts. I know the rest will be up to you." Slade let a small smile escape. He was starting to see Yugo reminded him of Jet, mentally cringing that he had to turn down being around the others without having to show the signs of being the leader of a vigilante group. Hating to be separated from such kind people, made his heart ache and it hurt that he had to keep a secret from Yugo that he kissed Alice.

Alice joined her boyfriend's side, watching Slade leave. "Where's he off to?" She asked and confused as to why her new friend wouldn't stay.

"He's got important stuff like a meeting." Yugo answered, mentally sighing. He didn't show gratitude to someone he didn't know, but the fact that Slade was a complete stranger who went out of his way to aid them was something of amazing feats in his book. While he wasn't there to protect Alice like he originally intended in the purse snatcher scheme, it was good to see a plan fall into place. "The important thing is we can finally put this Night Brigade fiasco behind us once we get those two scumbags talking and find their base."

Alice was surprised that their adventure was almost over, letting out a content sigh. Yes, once this was over they would win the fight and go back home. 'I still feel like there is a lot questions that aren't being answered, and there's more to this than just these 'vigilantes'. Gado knows something and I think Yugo is still having thoughts about those questions.' She concluded in her mind, but all she could do was nod her head. "Yes, I think Kenji and Uriko will be thrilled to see us back home."

"Where is Slade going?" Gado asked, catching the attention of the couple.

"He's got some meeting I guess." Yugo shrugged as his eyes were on the lion zoanthrope. "I didn't ask what it was about, so I figured it must've been important."

Gado nodded his head in understanding, heading towards Slade's direction. He wondered why their new ally didn't stick around. With the way he showed strategy and cunning, it reminded him of himself. 'Slade has an impressive skill set, although I doubt I could sit behind a desk.' he thought in his mind. The lion zoanthrope was a man of action, living for the thrill of battle. Also, he came across some information that was handy.

Slade was making his way to the front door, freezing in his steps as he felt the scent of a familiar feline zoanthrope. "Can I help you with something?" He asked, being direct and to the point. He didn't bother turning around, knowing full well who it was.

"Yugo informed me that you weren't going to stick around." Gado spoke up, walking towards the falcon zoanthrope. He took a deep breathe, his gaze on the younger male. "I've done some research… While I was on rooftop duty with Yugo, I did some searching on my phone and looked at the history of your company."

Slade hated how people always took long to make a point. Busuzima did it to him, using dramatic effect to explain a 'scheme' or 'idea' of what inside a person's head. "Get to the point Gado."

"Fine, you want an answer." Gado said, bringing out his phone and showed an article from three years ago. "After you inherited your father's company, you were bought out by the Tylon Corporation."

"I had no choice!" Slade exclaimed, raising his voice at the lion zoanthrope. He narrowed his eyes at him, as if he was being judged for his decision. "I made a deal with the devil, so that these people that worked for my dad, at least have a future. My dream was to go to college and expand my knowledge, but I put my goals aside to help others. It was the most painful experience, but I was happy the day those bastards were taken down and got my company back. For three years, I lived with regret by making that decision and still feel nothing but guilt for it, as it wasn't how I intended to start out as a businessman. But in the end it was my decision, and I knew in some weird twisted way it was wrong yet for the right reasons. So don't go judging a 'human' like me for making a deal with the enemy."

Gado's hand reached out to Slade, but watched him turn around and walk away. "If you want to talk about what happened, I'll still be here in this exact area." He said, leaving the offer open to the blonde businessman. "And don't think I saw you kiss Alice… You can't keep a secret from Yugo. Do the right thing before it's too late."

Slade stood there for a few seconds, walking away from Gado before Maarku and Clint were pushed out. "For someone who spends his time on the battlefield, I see you like to 'point' people in the right direction like your some general. Don't get involved in my personal business. I'd say let others live their lives because we don't need 'help' from men like you who think they know what's best."

He remained unfazed by the blonde falcon's words. Yet, he was surprised that such a young man took responsibility to put the whole weight of the company on his shoulders. Also, some of Slade's words sung deep into him. There were some things he didn't understand, and he thought about his position as a mercenary. 'The kid is right in some areas…All I've done is taking on jobs as a mercenary, just to escape my problems. I only want people to be pushed in the right direction so they don't have to suffer the consequences in the future.' Maybe it was time to retire because he was getting old, not from the thrill of the fight but on the field in general. He didn't know how to lead a quiet life. Jenny and Shina being around made him think what he could've had, similar to the relationship Yuji had with his son Yugo before dying at the hands of Tylon.

His silver eyes welled up with tears, wiping them away in anger. 'Who does that Gado think he is? He doesn't know the pain of losing someone you care about.' He thought, thinking the French mercenary tried too hard in convincing others to see things his way and 'manipulate' them into the right path. Upon entering the elevator, the doors closed and letting out a shaky breathe.

At the sudden realization, he saw Gado as a reflection of himself and bit his lower lip. A feeling of guilt overwhelmed him, getting on his knees and felt bad for the way he talked to the forty-six year old mercenary. Gado risks his life to save people, despite the dangers he faces. In some weird way, the battle-hardened yet compassionate French zoanthrope, reminded him of the way he wanted to help people but with a different approach. Now he felt sorry for what he said and he must've hurt his feelings. When the elder man offered him an open hand similar to a father, the silver-eyed American felt like he just slapped that hand away and he started to regret that action.

Jet was the last to get out, his cell phone ringing and saw that Tony was calling. He had forgotten to tell his manager that the plan was a success, and that Maarku and Clint were captured. "Tony, sorry I didn't call you sooner. The plan worked."

"That's great Jet, but there's something I need to tell you." Tony sighed over the speaker, knowing the news would hit Jet hard. "Your best friend Slade Atlas is the leader of the Night Brigade… There were two people asking for his last name. I gave them a card with Slade's company's address on it or else they'd hurt people, at least I think. I didn't catch the name of the girl, but she was with some guy named Hans. I was told by Greg that Hans is also known as Fox and used to be in the Tylon Corporation's assassination unit."

This sudden piece of news hit the fan hard, making Jet clench his fist. It was odd how Slade explained the Night Brigade's methods, but never would he have guessed that he was the group's leader. "Thanks Tony, I appreciate you for telling me this." He said, hanging up and bit his lower lip. 'What do I do? Now that I know Slade is the leader of the Night Brigade, should I keep it a secret or tell the others?' He wondered inside his mind, coming to a rational decision. 'Gado deserves to know the truth, but I need to keep this information away from the others. It would break them from on the inside…And I know Shina will beat the crap out of Slade if she finds out.' He inwardly groaned, being put in an awkward dilemma of having to inform everyone of the truth

…

Once Slade reached the top floor, he walked out of the elevator and to the lobby. He wanted to get away from everything, with all the stress that was going through his mind. With everything that has been happening lately, it was like the life he was attempting to build was falling apart. He wanted out of the Night Brigade so badly, tempted to kill Obadiah without thinking about the consequences.

In the lobby, Elsa spotted Slade and the soft features on her face hardened. So there he was out in the open. Knowing where he arrived from, the Afro-Brazilian was determined to get answers from the blonde CEO. "We need to talk."

Stopping in his steps, he let out an annoyed groaned. Whoever it was, he was going to let that person feel his wrath. Turning his head, his silver eyes widened in surprise at the appearance of Elsa. "Come here." He said, taking her by the arm and kept her close to him. "What are you doing here? And how did you find out where I worked?" He demanded.

"We did our homework on you Slade, or should we say… Mr. Atlas." Fox spoke up, seeing those silver eyes give him that icy stare he remembered the minute he walked into the base. Only this time, Fox wasn't scared and he was ready to fight the falcon zoanthrope if he had to. "That's right, we did our homework. I bet it's nice, having a nice comfy position and on the top floor of your silvery tower."

Slade's eyes turned to Fox, letting out a growl. If this was the pretty boy's own doing, manipulating Elsa into thinking he was the bad guy, he had a lot to answer for. "What do you two want?" He asked in a low voice, not wanting people he knew to pay attention to the conversation.

"Our headquarters was set on self-destruct, and you tried to get of us by blowing it up with us inside it." Elsa began to go into detail, jade green eyes still focused on the twenty-one year old blonde. "You even spoke how we were all wild cards that needed to be put down."

"The base was blown up?" Slade asked in a surprised tone in his voice. This was all new to him, shocked that the underwater base Obadiah had installed got blown up. So many things were going through his mind, and a part of him hoped the fallen CEO of Tylon went down with it.

"Don't play innocent with us… We heard your voice on the speakers." Elsa said, not buying that Slade was playing dumb.

"I didn't blow it up, I swear!" Slade said in an agitated tone, taking out his phone and would show the proof of his schedule. "Fine, I didn't tell you I was the head of a company, but that was so I couldn't let guys like Maarku and Clint know who I actually was when I first approached them about the Night Brigade. And I couldn't tell you because I didn't want to take the risk of those two being around to know. Then I was hesitate to trust Fox because of his past as an assassin and got knows what goes inside that head of his."

"That seems reasonable." Fox would've retorted but with the way Slade was speaking he seemed to be telling the truth. There were some things he didn't know what went on within the Night Brigade, but it was time to know the truth. "Let's say out of the two of us, I did believe you, I want you to answer me this question and be honest. How did Clint and Maarku gain the ability to turn into zoanthropes?"

Slade looked at Fox, sighing as he knew he despised the man that gave him his own zoanthrope form. "I recruited a scientist that had ties to the Tylon Corporation… Hajime Busuzima." He answered, casting his head down. "He had knowledge of how to turn people into man-made zoanthropes, since he augmented himself. I… I became a zoanthrope so I could at least have the power to go up against him when the day came. Maarku and Clint were the last two to be experimented on."

Elsa tensed at that Slade would get someone from the Tylon Corporation involved, stepping forward and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "You're sick." She hissed, eyes narrowing him with hatred. She felt a hand on her shoulder, looking at Fox. "Don't tell me you're buying his story?!"

Fox sighed in defeat, nodding his head. "He's telling the truth." He said, his blue eyes turning to Slade. "Slade, you should know Busuzima can't be trusted. I may have gained my zoanthrope form from his experiments, but the way he treated humans and zoanthropes, the ones the late Bakuryu and I kidnapped… It makes me sick, and I feel guilty for not doing anything."

To hear this from Fox's mouth, it made Elsa sick to her stomach. Now that she knew what kind of person the blonde British male used to be, it made her wary at first. However, she saw that he was genuinely sorry and remembered the type of person he became.

Slade remembered when he was doing his inventory he noticed the explosives and chemicals that were taken out of the storage room. "He blew up the base. Busuzima planned this from the start, but the part that leaves me confused is how my voice…" He stopped in mid-sentence, mentally shaking his forehead. "…He must've had some recording device and used it to mimic my voice to make it sound like I was saying these things. People practically carry cell phones these days, and anything you say or do can be caught on such a device."

"You should've told me who else was in your ranks. It would've given me an idea of who to trust or kick out of the group." Elsa scolded Slade, reminding him why she was second-in-command. "It would explain why he didn't resurface and rejoined us. Now that we got one mystery solved, is there anything else we should know?"

"I do have one last question." Fox spoke up, knowing this needed to end here and now. "How did you obtain a list of Tylon's ex-employees? I know the Night Brigade had to have known there were records of the corporation before it fell to the ground."

"Mr. Atlas, there you are." One of his employees spoke up, gaining the attention of his boss. "You're one-fifteen meeting is in the boarding room waiting for you."

Slade looked confused, but remembered the mystery person he had booked for today came back in his mind. Inwardly groaning, he would have to cut the conversation short. "It was someone from the Tylon Corporation that blackmailed me." He answered, taking a deep breathe. It was his responsibility alone to make sure nobody knew about Obadiah Tylon's existence. He was wanted to be the one to take him down, if he was alive or not. "After I am done with this meeting, I'll tell you two everything." He reassured him.

Watching Slade walk away, Elsa felt herself with the lingering question of who blackmailed Slade. Still, it was best for her and Fox to relax for now. "Wait Slade, where are Clint and Maarku? I know I could care less about those two, but did you capture them?"

Slade turned around, smiling and giving her the thumbs up. He almost left this day on a good note, getting into the elevator and leaned against the wall. Knowing this day was almost coming to an end, he would tell Gado's group the truth after his meeting. Upon reaching the thirtieth floor for his meeting, he walked out of the elevator. As he made his way to the room, he opened the double doors and his eyes saw the person sitting in a chair facing away from him.

"I hope you don't mind if I made myself comfortable." The voice from the person spoke, turning around and let a cool smile show upon his face.

The last thing Slade wanted to do was see Obadiah's face here. Feeling his body shiver and tense, he yelled as he charged at the fallen businessman. After all the blackmailing and dirty deeds the evil man made him do, he was ready to cut ties with him. He didn't waste time trading words with Obadiah, sending a punch his way but was caught off guard when it was caught. 'How's his grip so strong?'

Obadiah smirked, seeing the surprised expression on Slade's face amused him. However, the smirk faded when he became serious, yelling as he flipped Slade over his shoulder and onto the long oval table that was shattered in half. Not wasting any time, he put his foot on Slade's chest and pushed the weight on it. "Call your friends… bring them up here so that I may see them."

"What friends?" Slade mockingly asked, groaning as Obadiah pressed his foot harder onto his chest. Knowing his life could end here if no one protected him from the sudden power from this madman, he held his hands up in surrender. Reaching for his cell phone, he started dealing Jet's number. "You do realize you will lose this battle, right?"

Obadiah chuckled in amusement at Slade's choice of words, knowing the blonde man had been the one to witness his sudden display of super strength. "So you say Slade." It was the enhancements from the experiment he went through, but he wasn't going to tell anyone about this. No, it was best to let them see what everyone was in store for, and Gado certainly had a boat of secrets he would bring up to make everyone turn against him. "Not this time. It's going to be different… They'll be facing the man, no… They will all face the wrath of the beast."

…

So this is it, the long awaited showdown I've been building up. I know I wanted to add more chapters, but with the way the story was heading it almost starting to head to a conclusion. This final arc will tie everything up, and the next chapter will be the big pay off.