"If you men have not guessed," Maddox sounded calmly "I have an announcement to make concerning one of your fellow team members."

Cole glanced up at Maddox suspiciously, "Are you talking about Matt? Where is he?"

Maddox looked away from Cole's stare of concern. "Matt will not be coming back."

The 4 men's eyes bulged in shock. "What?" they all demanded in unison.

"There isn't much to tell." Maddox assured. "Matt has decided to end his training with me and pursue his own objectives alone."

"Maddox…"Cole glared in disbelief. "How could you…?"

"I assure you, Cole!", Maddox defended. "I did all that I could to stop him…but he refused and I realized that I could not force him to ignore whatever task he was set on accomplishing."

"We can only give you the benefit of the doubt I suppose." Drake frowned. "But that is all we can give you at this point."

Drake walked back to his chamber.

The other 3 stood silently before Maddox.

"If you desire…", Maddox said coldly. "You can spend the next hour reflecting on your loss…but I am afraid training will resume as usual after that."

David, Andrew, and Cole put their backs to Maddox and coldly walked off into Drake's chamber.

"I hate when I lose their trust, just as I have now," Maddox flinched.

The truth will be revealed soon enough…

"When will it be safe to send them off on their own?"

When the transformations are complete…

"If another one decides to leave…I may never capture their trust and potential again."

They will not…they have a Prince to protect.

"I know," Maddox sighed. "I know."

"Things are falling apart!" David growled.

"I don't trust him…I should have never trusted him…" Drake said bitterly.

Cole frowned at the two men. "This will do us no good if we don't become a strong as we need to. Matt would have wanted us to stay and become stronger."

"Screw that! I need to find him….we should all leave and forget who ever met Maddox!", David yelled.

Cole glared at them. "I will not tolerate any of this crap anymore. You will ALL stay here, and that is a direct order."

"From who, Maddox?" David snarled defiantly.

Cole used to newfound strength to grab David by the neck. "From me."

He threw him back down.

"If anything we need to work twice as hard as ever!" Cole commanded. "We each need to train that much harder for Matt. And only then will we leave…only when our training is complete."

Drake smiled slightly at Cole. "I'm with you to the end, Cole."

"From now on, we have our own regimen." Cole sneered. "Whatever Maddox orders us to do…we will do double until he says that we are ready for our enemy. Am I understood, Soldiers?"

Drake and Andrew nodded from the sides. David stared without comment.

"In honor of Matt we will train and become stronger than ever!" Cole smiled triumphantly and exited.

An entire day has passed in the chamber as sweat continued to pour and muscles continued to inflate to their maximum. Cole relentlessly attempted to master deadly combat skills in even the harshest of atmospheres.

He threw his fists in the air in the gravitational training zones, flipping, turning, and maneuvering himself as if he were fighting on earth. He refused to let his surroundings define his limits…he refused to never be taken seriously again…it was going to be a new era of control and power.

He wiped the sweat off of his lips and grimaced. It felt good to be so physically powerful and superior. He loved feeling so much emotionally lighter now that his humanity was almost lost.

As he looked at his self, he could not even recognize himself from the day before.

And he seemed to be the only one drastically transforming…both on the inside and out. The feeling of commanding the soldiers the day before was so invigorating and almost orgasmic to him…there was so much purpose and meaning to his being now. He looked forward to conquering the most intense evil in his life.

Occasionally he would think back to the illusion of him fearing himself to the extent of actually fighting a counterpart, but it meant nothing to him anymore, if anything it made him stronger to have lost his conscience.

Matt wasn't even part of the equation as much as was showing off his strength to everyone who had every doubted him in the past. He would show them a leader, and they would love him and appreciate him…there was no room or tolerance for doubt.

Cole…

A cold voice whispered down his neck. It sent chills through his spine.

He turned and looked up to Maddox who glanced upon him emptily.

"Did you say something, Maddox? I am quite occupied if you don't mind."

"I said nothing," Maddox snarled. "I have come to bring you to our next level of training…if you don't mind." He mocked and stormed frigidly away.

Cole had been at strengthening for days on end and he still needed more to quench his hunger for strength and triumph. He groaned and walked slowly after Maddox.

He was being led into the main chamber, where most of the group events had occurred. The room was very dimly lit, except for wherever Maddox was holding the session. Otherwise the rest of the chamber was filled with mist and hazes.

Cole broke through the fog and towards the center where a very large oval was left perfectly lit and formed. Almost like a wrestling area, but larger.

He was stunned at what Maddox urged him to look upon; Drake and Andrew were in the center of the rink, fighting viciously as if to the death while a translucent timer was hung far above them. Cole looked in curiosity as the number would randomly triple of double at a given moment.

Drake and Andrew elbowed and threw punches at each other at a remarkable rate, and as the number above them lowered, the more intense the battle would become.

Currently the number read 4, but in the blink of an eye, the number became 24 .

Drake was about to throw a finishing punch at Andrew, but as soon as the number flashed he looked as if he couldn't even make the two inches to Andrew's face.

Andrew dropped to the ground, grabbing Drake's feet slowly as he hurled him to his back.

Vengefully, he approached Drake with his fist clenched. He lifted his arm back and prepared a harsh blow to the stomach.

48, the board flashed.

Andrew was jolted into the ground with Drake under his motionless body.

They simply lay there for many moments. Each, for some reason could not muster even the energy to move.

2

Andrew managed to quiver onto his feet and Drake did the same.

They gave a stone expression to the other, and before another number could appear, they collapsed onto the ground.

The entire room lit up and Cole ran to the men's aid.

"What exactly was going on here?" Cole roared. "They are practically lifeless!"

"This is the next task, Cole. It is part of your training—"

"What? To watch my teammates pummel each other to the death?"

"To master even the darkest of atmospheres and conditions. You will do this as well."

He sent a large jolt of energy into the fallen from his palm. Drake and Andrew vanished into thin air.

"Where did you put them?"

"They are being put into healing chambers, where they will make complete recoveries very soon."

"That is sick, Maddox. I don't care how much it 'prepares us! SICK!" Cole howled.

"Then your experience is going to be very horrible with that attitude."

The lights blacked around the oval, and without warning a hemisphere was formed over the arena.

"Here are the rules," Maddox assured.

"I refuse to hurt my friends like this. It is disgusting."

Maddox ignored him. "There are none. You will have an infinite amount of time to win or lose this battle, and a random number will be generated, completely out of my control I assure you, that will determine how intense the gravity will be. If it is a 2, it is twice as intense as the gravity on earth, etcetera and etcetera. Do what you must."

"Are you saying I fight until we both collapse?"

"What you just saw was a fluke." Maddox uttered bitterly "Almost every time there will be a winner. That is when it will end."

"What makes you so sure there will be a winner?"

The light intensified around the opposite end of Cole; David stepped into the center.

"It is because I am your opponent." David glared. "And I refuse to be deemed an equal."

Cole stared directly into the icy leer of David. They were only inches apart.

"May the most capable warrior win," Maddox sounded.

David grinned evilly. "I have waited for this opportunity for ages…we can finally determine who is stronger and capable between us…isn't this exciting, Cole?"

He stared out towards his morbid teammate. "David, I really want to fight…but we are teammates…it is not you who I need to fight."

"Are you saying that you are too powerful to even consider fighting me?" He mocked. "Don't rip your britches. You are going down."

"David…" Cole frowned.

"Begin," said Maddox.

David rammed his knee into Cole's crotch and threw him back like a worthless rag. Cole groaned with pain.

"You weakling…you will NOT do this to me…" David demanded. "You will NOT hold back!" his voice echoed.

Cole's eyes went crimson. He stood face to face with David.

"Not on your life." He smirked.

0

Although the meter was invisible from within the dome, Cole could tell it was little to nothing. He felt almost invincible in this atmosphere, not only was he just about at his maximum strength, but this gravitational pull was absolutely nothing compared to the numbers he trained in.

"Give me your best shot…leader." David growled mockingly.

Cole obeyed. He sent David flying back with a fist to the face.

From that moment on, the talking had ceased. David glided onto his feet and attempted to elbow Cole in the chest. He grabbed David by the shoulder, and pinned him to his torso.

David put his foot behind Cole's and threw him to the ground.

Cole viciously clutched David's legs and spun him around recklessly like a doll. As he became dizzy he released David and sent him head on into the sphere barrier.

To a normal man, the impact would have cracked his skull open, but to David, it was a very hard blow to the head. He rammed into the unbreakable barrier and fell back to the floor. He flipped himself to his feet and threw a punch to Cole.

He caught his fist in his hands while David slyly sent his foot to his chin. He continued with a series of swift blows to the stomach and face with a finishing elbow into the barrier wall. Cole slid down with a thud.

12

Cole managed to get to his feet, but noticed the slight heaviness on his shoulders. The number was at least tripled. Nevertheless it was nothing for him.

With his fist clench, Cole smacked David senselessly towards the back wall.

They ran towards each other and each pushed the others faces to their right shoulder.

Cole felt the bones in his neck pop loudly in his ear and retaliated with a fist to his groin.

There was more to this battle than just training for the inevitable…it was also very territorial and meaningful to both men. For years they had worked together with so much tension and jealousy between them over many things…and this battle would be almost the an answer to the question they longed to know since day one; who deserved the role of leader?

David swung his leg across Cole's face. David was indeed exponentially stronger than he ever had been before.

36

The shift taking him by surprise, Cole fell to his knees and David slowly limped towards him. Now absorbing the atmosphere, Cole rose without problem and attempted to tackle David down.

They both clutched each other's hands over their heads and desperately tried to overpower the other.

20

There was a relief and lifting of tension on Cole's part and threw David to the side. Cole charged his leg and threw it towards the ground-borne David who squeezed his calf and hurled Cole into the wall.

Cole took this moment as an opportunity to lay low and gain some strength back. He closed his eyes and focused.

David sent his fist into Cole's back.

Despite the pain, Cole was concentrating.

David pushed his elbow into his neck.

Cole ignored the sting.

40

David was jolted onto his back. He had a greater strength now.

He threw David to the side with his shoulder and grabbed his neck.

Viciously he continued to bash his head violently at the sphere with everything he had gained.

10

David roared and flung the back of his hand into Cole's nose. He smacked him across his face with his knuckles.

With revenge in his eyes, Cole made a sly uppercut that sent David several feet away from him. For once they were not at each other's throats.

They each took several heavy breathes, but refused to stop. David rubbed his throat and Cole held his cheek. The demon within Cole was taking over.

David made an awkward expression and fell to his back.

Cole relentlessly walked towards him with evil intentions in mind.

He looked down at David's fallen body and prepared to ram the heel of his boot into his neck.

David sprung up and with a battle-like cry he held his hands together and swung them into Cole's head.

Cole was sent into the ground harder than he had ever been before.

"THIS IS FOR KILLING URANUS!"

He kicked Cole in the stomach.

"THIS IS FOR MERCURY!"

He pushed his heel into Cole's back.

"AND THIS IS FOR ALL OF THE LIES!"

Cole could not tell what David did to him and he said this, but when he did it, he sent out roar of pain. He lay motionless and defeated.

David planted himself firmly into the ground victoriously.

36

He laughed triumphantly as the shift took no affect on his stance.

Cole could feel himself being pushed even harder into the base.

The confidence that he had at the beginning of the match was fading away and being replaced with anger and hatred.

we can finally determine who is stronger and capable between us… too powerful to even consider fighting me?…rules…there are none…do what you must…

Cole's eyes shot wide open. He cackled madly at David's feet.

"I suppose you find defeat funny…or maybe this has been too big a realization for you," David smiled.

"Eat dirt." Cole sneered.

"You eat mine," David growled, putting his foot on Cole's head.

The sphere began to rumble and a road of cracks formed over the surface.

The ground surrounding Cole broke into many sections and the mists were blown away.

Cole was glowing an eye piercing white.

"What are you doing?"

Cole stared off into space, ignoring David's exclamation.

Saturn…Cole echoed demonically.

"NO!" David demanded. "YOU CANT DO THAT!"

Crisis…

The words tore through David's ears. Impulsively he tried to kick Cole into unconsciousness.

Power.

A super human screech surrounded Cole and projected to all directions.

A gust surrounded him and they senselessly shattered the hemisphere into millions of shards of worthless glass.

Maddox smirked quietly to himself.

This is the warrior I put my faith in…

David was flung back and Cole floated off the ground and stared into David's horrified expression.

Angelic wings sprouted around Cole and his body was covered with a snow-white layer of skin and threads of delicate fabric and material.

Suddenly something began to go foul. Cole gave an awkward expression to David, as if he were going to vomit. His wings shattered into thousands of feathers and were replaced by crimson hands. A dark symbol erupted from Cole's forehead, and the material was torn into shreds as Cole dilated to 4 times his size.

He looked like an incarnation of a demonic figure and his eyes were replaced with solid purple slits in his blood-red skin. Large fangs sprouted from his mouth and the numbers above him spun insanely out of control.

The numbers were reaching the hundreds and soon enough, the thousands while Cole's figure charged a scarlet sphere within its claw.

Cole cackled and sent the ball into the ground and the entire room was covered with a satanic glow.

In an instant the chamber went black.