"Remind me that bubble rides are not as fun as they sound." I chuckled as Lili nearly leaped at her first opportunity of solid ground as we reached the main island.

"Oh come on! It can't be that frightening." I slipped my hands into my jacket's pockets as I stepped out of the bubble I had made and onto the ground beside her. Behind me was a small pop indicating that the bubble had dissipated.

"You drove that bubble faster than I drove the submarine!" Lili gave me a half-hearted glare as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought going at speeds like that makes you feel sickish."

"Foreign objects going through water that fast gives me migraines, yes. My own form of water transportation riding on the same water base does not."

"That makes absolutely no sense but does in the same breath." I shrugged as her arms dropped from her chest.

"My great aunt had the same effects I guess. It's why she moved about in that hurricane-like thing all the time."

"Huh." Lili tilted her head a little in curiosity. "Weird."

"Definitely." I shot her a wide smirk as I shifted my weight onto my right leg. "But hey, we're Aquatos. Everything about us is weird."

"Including the ironic naming." I gave her a wide smirk.

"You fit right in then." I felt a blush heat my cheeks as Lili gave a small smile before rolling her eyes.

"Let's break down this tower," It looked as if she hesitated to call me something for a moment. "Aquato." I felt my heart skip a beat as my brain was tempted by the idea of her calling me something much different for a moment.

"Y-Yeah." We both turned toward the tower that ironically towered over our monster-sized selves in this world. "Could wrap it up in vines and pull it straight down?"

"I can see what I can do." Lili smiled wide as she extended her hands toward the tower. She closed her eyes to focus for a moment as I watched little vines start to sprout at the foot of the tower. Slowly but surely they started to grow as a new broadcast came from the tower before us.

"Goggalor and his girlfriend are attacking the main tower of Lungfishopolis! Will our great protector defeat them? Where is Kochamara? Will these monsters get away with this!?" I smirked as I placed a supportive hand on Lili's shoulder.

"Us monsters will kick his damn ass if he tries!" I noticed my small gesture caused the vines to grow much faster as they started to wrap tightly around the base of the broadcast tower. I smiled softly at the thought until a loud thud crashed down behind us.

"ITS HIM!" I snapped my attention around toward the sudden noise as the broadcast voice grew excited. There within the dust of its landing was Coach shaped figure in a bright orange and teal superhero outfit who was now standing proudly with his hands on his hips. "THE ONE AND ONLY KOCHAMARA! Our savior!"

"Leave this island you monsters!" I shot the man a glare despite my goggles covering my eyes.

"Leave this fish dude alone you bastard! What did they do to deserve your bullshit?"

"How dare you talk to the one and only Kochamara as such!" I rolled my eyes as I conjured up a water whip within my hands as I did in reality.

"I'll take care of this one, Lil." I turned my head toward her slightly to see she gave me a knowing look as her hands were still outstretched toward the broadcast tower.

"Only fair." I smirked at her words before turning my attention toward the 'superhero'.

"Let's go, Coach! I'll kick your damn ass!" I grew quite proud as I snapped the water whip in one quick motion.

"You asked for it!" Kochamara started to levitate just a bit as he drew his hands into fists. "Deadly Triangle Beam!" I quickly formed a water shield with my spare hand as Coach's double shot a bright red beam directly at me. I smiled wide as the water absorbed the shot with ease before charging toward the man.

"Don't you know?" I had a wide smirk as I snapped out my whip at his feet so it tangled around his ankle. He struggled for a moment as I pulled him down onto the ground with a loud thud. "Superheroes don't say their moves out loud in the real world!" I stopped the shield I made to morph my whip into a bat as Kochamara tried to bring himself back up. I drew the water bat back as I quickly had it harden into ice. "Batter up!" A smile grew wide on my face as the ice bat made a loud satisfying whack against his temple before sending him across the island and into a rock. "Not a home run," I had the bat dissipate into droplets of water as I shrugged a little. "But I bet a hit like that would get me in the major leagues."

"Great! You already have the Psychonaut hero taunting. Just~ great." I smiled at Lili's sarcasm as I kept my eyes on Kochamara.

"Hey! Just means I'll fit right in!" The hero shook his head as he brought his fist out before him.

"Mighty Ram Ground Version!"

"Ground version?" I smirked as I dodged the rushing hero's figure like a matador with a bull. "Would hate to see the original if you failed like that." I smirked wide as I summoned water to flow around my hands to make ice boxing gloves shortly after.

"I am the great-!" I threw a right hook into his jaw that made his head snap toward the side before throwing some quick jabs into his stomach. After the jabs, crouch down and swung my leg under his to cause him to fall hard onto the ground once more.

"I thank having an older brother for the fighting lessons."

"You monsters!" Kochamara's words were filled with venom as he pulled himself up from the ground. "I'll end you here and now!"

"You know," I moved my hands up to my head as the ice disappeared once more. "I have had more than a hundred people call me that." I started the man down as I felt a subtle rage swell within my chest. "But I learned over these past few years that I deserve much more than to be dubbed a monster. I'm more than that. I'm a good kid. I have a decent head on my shoulders. I haven't spilled any blood like my ancestors." I closed my eyes for a moment as I knew the golden glow of them was as bright as ever. "If anyone is a monster," I opened my eyes slowly so I could take in Kochamara's figure once more.

"It's you."

A growl released itself from the wanna-be-superhero once more before charging directly toward me which I dodged easily once more.

"You've kidnapped children." He turned to try and land a punch on me, but I ducked under his hand before bringing my knee up into his stomach. "You've stolen brains." I felt a snarl take over my face as I grabbed the bastard by his collar. "You've harmed kids. Some are pricks, sure, but still preteens. But the worst part?" I brought him up toward my face so he could see the anger in my eyes as I growled out my words. "The worst fucking part?"

"I made you remember who you are." I felt my anger disappear from me as I could tell a cocky tone took over the being's voice. "Look at you Razputin. Angry. Rageful. You want to hurt me, don't you? You want that sweet sweet revenge like all of us who society has burned."

"It's not revenge." I put emphasis on the word as I tightened my hold on his latex suit. "It's justice."

"There's a thin line where justice and revenge meet, little boy." I narrowed my eyes at him as his knowing voice taunted me. "What side are you trying to claim you're on, Razputin? Which vice is yours?" A snicker came from the figure as he just tilted his covered head to the side. "Or are you just like me? Seeking both in the same breath."

"I'm nothing like you!"

"You've claimed the same for you and your aunt, boy." A dark voice came from him as I heard a large cracking noise coming from the tower in the distance. "Remember, Aquato, there are reasons we fail to run from our own demons. Even when they hurt the ones we love the most. Like your little girlfriend." His figure slowly faded as I heard Lili's muffled cheers in the distance. "Because we see them every day. Always in the mirror." I swallowed hard as Kochamara faded completely from my hands as Lili's voice rushed to my side.

"Nice job, Raz! We did it!" I snapped my attention toward Lili as I felt tears well up in my eyes. "Raz?" I shook my eyes slowly as I felt myself drop to my knees. "What happened? What did he say to you?" I screwed my eyes shut as Lili's arms wrapped themselves around me tightly. "Whatever it is, I know he's wrong about you, okay? Whatever he said is wrong. You know that." I nodded my head silently as I laid my head on her shoulder. My mind faded from this world slowly as I still somehow felt her grasp on me.

He's wrong.

I opened my eyes slowly as my mind settled back into my physical form. My arms quickly wrapped themselves around Lili as I held her tight against me.

I'll never be like him.

I left Lili to lean her head against mine as I kept my tears at bay.

And I would rather die,

I felt a weak smile appear on my face as one of her hands cradled the back of my head so gently.

than to ever harm her.