A/N: Hey! I am sincerely sorry for the wait on this story, it's just been I've been so focused on War of the undead, this one just slipped my mind. But here is the next chapter to this nearly finished fic x) I'll try and update this one a little more often.

Enjoy chapter 16!


Chapter 15

Confrontation

The next few days had passed since Chiro witnessed the orange monkey's allusive kindness. Things have been less tense around the robot. He's been allowed to join them for breakfast, but he still didn't stay long. Chiro, despite observing the monkey's humanity, was still at cross roads. Now he sat within the silent confines of the security camera room.

'This is so strange, what did the alchemist mean by I have yet to learn to be a real chosen one?' He growled, getting frustrated. Sure he was young, but he's been doing this super hero work for years. He knew what it meant to be the chosen one. Or at least he thought he did.

Rubbing his forehead, he forcefully pulled his mind away from the topic. He had other things to worry about, such as focusing on obtaining more loyalty points. Now that Mandarin was softening up on him, he saw ambles of opportunity to win Sprx or Gibson over. He was still too nervous to approach Antauri. Knowing all too well the dark monkey knew he was up to something.

Just then Otto came dancing into the room. "Hey Chiro, it's time to go out for a stroll today!" He grabbed the blue eyed monkey's wrist. "Maybe even show you some areas of Shuggazoom!"

Chiro smiled fondly, forgetting his moments of suspense. "Alright, I could really go for some fresh air." He breathed in as he stood up. Following the energy induced monkey out the door and to meet up with the rest of the waiting Hyperforce.

Antauri, as usual, floated in the air with Nova and Sprx at his base. Mandarin stood a few feet behind with arms crossed; waiting for the two missing members. Gibson had a little blue pack wresting on his waist. Sprx cut the scientist an odd look.

"What's with the girly fanny pack Gibby?" He smirked with arms cockily crossed. "Going shopping for a new pair of panties?"

Gibson, with eyes narrowed, shot him a look. "Nope, I'm wearing this to have enough room to tow your menopausal pills around sparky!"

The red pilot's head blew into a volcano as he turned around ready to fight. But before they could lunge at each other, Mandarin nabbed them and hauled the brothers apart. "Listen to me," He warned. "We're going to have a nice outing today, I don't want you two childishly bickering during this trip or so help me you'll be confined to your quarters for a month!" He snarled. "Got it?"

The younger monkeys crossed their arms and looked away. Submitting to their alpha male as he nodded in satisfaction.

As they waited, Mandarin glanced to Antauri. "Geez wonder what's taking them so long."

"Patience my friend, I'm sure Chiro was resting."

"Yea sure, just hope we don't run into trouble during our little outing. Given that we rarely even hang out." He sighed as he turned to admire his home town rising to touch the face of the blue sky. "You know, if I ruled this city, there'd be no more crimes, no more pain, no more suffering. I'd make a place where all citizens could live happily and not suffer fear of possible everyday crime. I'd be the most worthy for this role and could do so correctly and efficiently."

"But by doing so you'd be destroying free will. Which is against our roles as guardian, Mandarin." Antauri spoke gently, a little taken off guard by his brother's narcissistic statement.

Mandarin chuckled and shrugged. "Theoretically speaking of course. But yea, I'm fine with just protecting. I was just relaying possible ways to end crime."

Before long, Otto finally rounded the corner with Chiro in tow. "Hey guys, found him!" He cheered while dragging the taller simian along.

"Excellent, thank you Otto." Antauri answered, giving a polite smile. "I was afraid we lost you two," He chuckled.

Nodding, Mandarin waved his arm. "Alright, let's head out monkey team." He marched calmly ahead, leading the colorful band of troops behind him.

Nova and Otto stayed close to Chiro as Sprx and Gibson followed Mandarin. Antauri lagged back a bit to enjoy the scene of his team. The warmness he sensed radiating off them melted his heart. The black monkey breathe in the warm fresh air. He felt so alive, never before had he felt this way. At least not since first training with the Veron Mystics.

The emotions got stronger the more he noticed Chiro speaking to the green and gold monkeys. Something about the younger simian brought out a protective feeling in the wise second in command. He couldn't tell, but he could narrow it down to something Gibson labeled as 'Maternal Instincts'.

Chiro listened to Otto's endless blabbering. He observed the buildings that passed him by. A small feeling of sadness pinged his heart. Making his lungs grow heavy as his legs went soft. He rubbed his forehead, remembering his situation. Realizing, once again, that this was not the Shuggazoom he came to know. A city still under his worst enemy's protection.

But now he was in even deeper. Considering now that his worst enemy might not really even be his enemy at all?

"So Chiro, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while. But what's with the watch on your neck?"

Otto's sudden question shattered the former human's world. Now all eyes fell on him as he just now noticed they stopped walking. His eyes widen as he looked around, noting they were lounging in the park. "Uh, what?"

"The watch on your neck." Nova added for the green mechanic. "The long silver one you have under your scarf. I saw it one time, but you never let me touch it."

This washed the blissful feeling Antauri felt away like the ocean's shorelines. He slowly brought his eyes to Chiro. He raised his eyebrow, having no idea what they were talking about.

Nova and Otto seemed to the only ones fully aware of the artifact. Chiro's breath caught in his throat as he struggled to come up with anything that was not the truth. "It's… just something that has meaning to me. That's all."

"Can we see it?" Antauri suddenly asked. Curiosity now peaking his interest.

Chiro's spine grew colder as he could hear the face's ticking. Without answering, he slowly reached under his scarf and pulled out the artifact. He closed his eyes and looked away.

Gibson's eyes went huge when he saw the metal contraption. "My my, what an interesting object." When he extended a hand to touch it, grey fingers stopped him.

Chiro stepped back, tucking the watch away from their prying eyes. "Please just respect the fact I don't want to share." He looked away, breathing hard.

Mandarin raised a brow, sensing something was off. "Why do you not wish to share?"

Before Chiro could respond, a loud explosion silenced them. Like meerkats, all their heads jerked up in unison. Seeing a nearby bank catching on fire. The flames licking high up the walls. Illuminating a blood red tint. Burning everything within its smoldering reach.

Without missing a beat, Mandarin narrowed his eyes. "Monkey team, go!" He flew forward.

Like they've always practiced, the team followed their leader in close pursuit. Staying on his tail as they blazed away in an array of lights. Leaving a shocked Chiro behind in the dust.

Frightened citizens ran screaming to escape the heatwaves. Behind the cloud of black smoke came six armed robbers. All dressed in black as they each held high powered plasma guns.

"Hurry up boss!" One thug yelled, shooting at neaby bystanders to keep them at bay. "We gotta hurry before dem' meddling zoo critters get here!"

The biggest man stepped out of the flame. Wearing a fully armored suit, armed with all suits of knives and guns of mass destruction. He fingered the explosives hooked to his belt as he looked around. His one robotic eye flashing as he picked up the sounds of jet packs.

"Leave those disgusting primates to me," He removed a goliath sized machine gun. "I've been meaning to have new skin pelts added to my trophy collection back home." He chuckled as he looked back to his minions. "Also, be sure to e-mail that anonymous guy who tipped us off about this place. I actually feel almost obliged to pay him a bit of our cut, almost."

Nodding, they quickly ran back into the fire to recover the rest of the bank's monkey. But right as they grabbed the tightly knotted bags, a blue beam shot the ground. Sending three flying backwards. The remaining thugs whirled around in shock. Coming face to face with six cybernetic monkeys glaring them down.

Mandarin hovered before them as his team used their jetpacks to keep them in midair. The orange monkey quirked an eyebrow at the scene before him. "Don't you moronic criminals with bad teeth ever learn? When you rob a bank in Shuggazoom…" He summoned his laser blade. "You're going to suffer the consequences."

One masked fiend whipped his gun out and opened fire. Before the bullets could hit Otto, Mandarin leaped in front of him. His shield powering up as he melted the bullets down. He narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. Enraged at the attempt made to his little brother's life.

"Now you've done it." Flying forward, Mandarin grabbed one's leg and chunked him into another. He grabbed one gun from the ashes and shot at two others.

As the team parted, huge bullets shot at them. Gibson was hit in the jetpack as he crashed into the burning ground. He groaned in pain as he gripped his side. Feeling oil drip from his punctured back. Antauri rushed to his aid as Nova leaped in front of them.

All eyes fell onto a huge shadow that towered over them. Their eyes wide when the most intimidating villain stepped out from the masking smoke. His white suit not holding a single spec of dirt from the fire. He smiled darkly, drawing two huge guns.

"You all think you can crash our party? Well here, let me return the favor!" He opened fire.

As the monkeys scattered to avoid the shots, red eyes watched from afar.

Future Mandarin smirked as he watched the thugs bombard his teammates. He chuckled. "Those foolish thugs were so easy to bait. My plans of luring the boy out should work perfectly while they distract my foolish brethren."

Hearing metal scuffing behind him, he turned grabbed a fist. He smirked at angry blue eyes glaring him down. "My my, you almost snuck up on me my no longer hairless monkey." He chuckled as he whirled around and dug his heel into Chiro's cheek. Throwing him a few feet back.

The chosen one twisted and landed on his feet. Rubbing the bruise on his cheek before baring his fangs. "We're finishing this now Mandarin…!"

"Oh is that so?" The older monkey's snout formed a sick grin. His purple armored arm transforming into a machine gun. "I've been wanting to finish this before you were ever born!" He yelled as his gun sparked into a bright light. He unleashed a typhoon of red laser bullets.

Chiro gasped and dodged. He ducked behind some nearby crates tied onto the roof. He winced, feeling the heat of the sparks bounce off. Almost catching his fur on fire.

Narrowing his eyes, Mandarin retracted his gun. "I don't want a repeat of this little dance we had a week ago." He stepped forward and bashed through the crates. Knocking Chiro over as both wrestled on the ground.

Chiro rammed his head into Mandarin's face. Flipping him off, he cartwheeled back and tail whipped the traitor in the cheek. Spiking him down hard. He turned and brought his fist up, he showed his teeth.

"Thunder Punch!" He yelled, smashing his lighting charged knuckles into his enemy's ribs. Sending him flying backwards and right into the corner.

Mandarin cracked the concrete from the force of his landing. He shook his head, he smirked as he cupped his wounded side. "Very good, seems like you're getting the hang of being a cybernetic monkey huh?" He chuckled as he showed his teeth. Pupils becoming slits. "But that still won't save you!"

Flying forward, he sank his teeth into Chiro's jugular. His pointed canines digging into the flesh of his neck.

Chiro gasped as the savage attack. He yelled as he quickly dug his fingers into Mandarin's eyes. The monkey, not expecting that, releasing the black male. Right when he stepped back, Chiro grabbed the watch of yore hanging from his chest and pulled it off.

Mandarin gasped when the monkey chunked it into the fire. His form began to flicker as he fell to his knees. "What is happening!?" He snarled as he felt his energy draining. He stared at the wounded boy before it struck him.

"Of course..." Stepping back, he snarled. "Your time will soon end boy, the end of this month is rapidly approaching. You don't have much longer." Turning, he dove into the fire to retrieve the watch.

Chiro gasped as he held bite marks to his neck. Coughing as he fell to his knees. Blood oozed from between his fingertips as the nearby battle became known to him. Looking down, he watched as the team were finally starting to subdue the crime boss.

As Sprx summoned his magnets, he forced the thug's weapon from his bear sized hands. "Hah! Let's see what you can do without this!"

As he gloated, the cocky pilot failed to detect the other assailant rising from the ground. Pulling out a pistol, he aimed it at the red head's helmet and fired.

Before Sprx could realize what happened, Chiro knocked him out of the way. Both monkeys went flopping sideways as the bullet flew past them. The raven colored primate gasped as he shook from weakness.

Sprx stared speechless at the former human lying under him. But before he could inquire, a familiar human took aim again.

"Die!" He yelled before pulling the trigger.

As the second bullet came flying towards them, Chiro closed his eyes. Till a pair of strong arms intertwined around him. Hauling up roughly into the air as the smoky air vanished from his ash filled lungs.

With blurry vision, he could barely make out black optics looking down at him. He felt himself get laid down on a cooler surface.

"Don't move," Young Mandarin whispered reassuringly as he turned back. Snarling, he charged the thug. He leapt up and wrapped his tail around his neck. Slamming him into the ground.

"Resist this battle and submit to being arrested, now!" He commanded, struggling to get the big human in an arm lock.

But still the man kept bucking, trying with all his might to throw him off. With anger reaching his boiling point, Mandarin drew his sword. "I'm warning you!"

But it all went downhill when the masked low life drove his elbow into his snout. Mandarin's was painted red when he drove his blue blade downwards. Staining the ground in crimson as the criminal's struggles abruptly deceased.

While the other monkey's obtained the rest of the gangs, all failed to see what just happened. When Mandarin's anger finally subsided, his eyes went wide. Looking down, he noticed red staining his gloves. His heart ran cold at a big cut into the man's neck.

Backing up, he quickly moved away from the horrific sight. He rubbed the blood off his hands with a torn piece of clothing. He breathed in as he glanced away.

"Mandarin, are you okay?" Antauri quickly asked with worry masking his face. "And where is Chiro!?"

"Don't worry, he's safe over there." The leader pointed across the street to a small black shape resting beneath the shade. "I saved him before the bullet got him, but he's been stabbed. Get him and Gibson to medical bay now."

Antauri nodded, but before leaving, he noted stains of blood dripping from Mandarin's arms. His eyes narrowed in deeper worry. But unwilling to disobey a direct order, he turned and ran across the street. He slid to his knees and gathered the bleeding simian into his arms.

"Don't worry, I got you." Antauri whispered as he rubbed his back. Carrying him bridal style as he shot into the air. Regrouping with the others as Nova carried Gibson. They rushed back to the robot.

Younger Mandarin stood back in the ash as the sudden rainfall snuffed the angry flames down. Cold steam rose shortly after as the orange leader observed the wreckage around him. He looked back, tempted to follow his brothers and sister. But before he could even move, the feeling of a pair of eyes watching halted him.

Looking back, he could see the corpse of the crime boss's eyes staring right at him.

Mandarin covered his mouth as he quickly looked away. Rushing away, forgetting about his jetpack.


A/N: Alright! Here was the long awaited chapter 16, again so sorry for the wait. I promise I will finish this story, it'll just be updated less frequently while I juggle updates with War of the Undead (which I encourage everyone to red and review it, it's a great story)

Anyways this chapter was mighty dark. It also is the beginning of Mandarin's slow decline from good hero to bad villain.

Please forgive the grammar mistakes, I was in a rush to finish this. Stay tuned for chapter 17!

Read and review please, peace out!