A spiral opening in the hangar of Zane's room parted to reveal the cityscape of Domino below. The sky was a deep purple color and lightning flashed illuminating the night. Zane stared at the thousands of buildings nervously. This was it. He was going to take his beast out for a test drive. Could he call it that? This situation was going to be more than just some test. He was about to go up against thugs armed with guns and magic. After what happened hours earlier, he was beginning to doubt himself.

She's out there because of me, he thought to himself. This is all my fault.

He heard his prototype slithering toward him. It loomed over his shoulder and stared at him as if saying: Well, do something about it.

Zane smiled as if that was what the beast was telling him. "You know, you're absolutely right. After all, I shouldn't be doubting my own work."

Proto-Cyber Dragon snarled in agreement. Its orange neon lit the darkness around him.

"I have great confidence in you, sir," said Nel-E. "And it seems like I'm not the only one. Our pet project seems to agree with you, too. It's working in tip-top shape. The board is green. Systems are working at maximum efficiency. You are good to go."

"Can the same be said about my suit?" Zane asked. He held up his wrist and turned on his holographic computer. He typed feverishly, double-checking the exoskeleton for any glitches. As he feared, the display showed green on every limb and a solid 100%. A part of him wished the machine wasn't really working so he could go back inside, lay in his warm and cozy bed, wishing Michael and Crowe the best.

"Sometimes, I'm just too good," Zane sighed. "All right. Let's see what this baby can do."

A compartment on the prototype's neck opened. The walls were white lights encasing a helmet, which he needed to conceal his identity. Once it was over his head, the helmet's visor faded to black. Zane saw a mini-map of the city in the top right corner of his HUD. He tapped his thumb and index finger together and the mini-map faded and showed the footage from Proto-Cyber Dragon's camera. He tapped them again and it displayed a breaking news story.

Naturally, Princess Alexis's kidnapping was the top story of the evening.

First, he saw the concerned anchorman repeating the same bits of information that they knew so far on the situation. It was the Aeons. Motive unclear. Lord Zane was hurt in the kidnapping. Prince Michael and his army were up in arms. But then, in a cruel twist of fate, the anchorman put a finger on his earpiece. He gulped nervously.

"We're going to turn you over to Darlene Kennedy who has received some information just a few moments ago. Darlene."

"Thank you, Bryan. About thirty minutes ago, an anonymous user emailed DCN a video. Based on what we have seen, the sender was no doubt of the notorious mage gang, the Aeons, who attacked Zane Truesdale and Princess Alexis Rhodes in Burbon Street about an hour ago. No word yet on Zane's condition. We have received some pictures from the anonymous sender as well. They display the Lorninnian Princess bound and gagged in what appears to be a slaughterhouse. Domino City PD is currently examining the video to determine Alexis's location. Not only does the film reveal Alexis but it contains a list of demands from the Aeon leader, King Aldric. Be warned, what you are about to see is disturbing."

Zane braced himself.

The screen showed Alexis on the ground, her arms tied behind her back by handcuffs and her legs bound together with duct tape. Her tiara was gone, as was much of jewelry. She was being sprayed with cold water from a hose, carried by an Aeon gang member wearing a Clown Zombie mask. Alexis's white party dress was torn, dirty, and soaked. It was so translucent that it gave the appearance that she was naked. Alexis sobbed and begged for them to stop spraying her.

"You want us to stop? You want us to stop?" the cameraman mocked her.

"Yes!" Alexis shouted over the fierce torrents crashing onto her chest. "Please! For the love of Horakhty! Please, stop!"

The cameraman laughed at her suffering. "All right, all right, all right. Turn it off." He snapped his fingers repeatedly.

"Aww," said the man in the clown mask. He turned the nozzle, halting the water, but he was ready to do it again. His fellow gang members then walked towards Alexis, surrounding her and laughing at her.

"What is your name?" the cameraman asked.

Alexis gasped for air and shivered. "Please."

"That's not your name. Come on, tell us your name."

"Please, let me go!" Alexis begged again.

The cameraman snapped his fingers. She was sprayed mercilessly with the hose again.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!"

"What is your name!?" the cameraman asked loudly.

"I am...Alexis Rhodes. Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Lorin. Daughter of Queen Daria XVIII, and the sole heir to the Sapphire Throne."

"Good girl," said the cameraman. "Now, do you know why you are here? Come on. Tell the good folks of Domino why you are here."

Alexis looked at the camera with a fiery defiance in her eyes. "I'll never say it. You might as well just kill me now because you'll never get the royal family to do your bidding. Never!"

"Kill you now? Naw, that will ruin the fun. And we're going to have so much fun with you, Princess. Lots and lots of fun. Of course, there is a way to put an end to all this. Right here and right now."

The cameraman handed the camera to one of his henchmen and ordered to have himself filmed. Zane saw a boy of nineteen sniggering back at him. He had long acid green hair and wore a Duel Gazer over his right eye. He wore a sleeveless white coat over a black bodysuit with green neon designs on the legs and chest. The coat was adorned with green glowing orbs over the shoulders and down his spine.

"Arise peasants!" he shouted into the camera. "Your new king is here. For many years, we have been persecuted unfairly by the Covenant of Yeyu. Or the Church of Green Fire as they call themselves here. They have forced us underground like rats while they take over our magical academies, erase our history, burn our people, and ravage our lands. Destroy our culture - OUR VERY WAY OF LIFE!"

He paced back and forth. His men were sniggering as they brandished bats, clubs, and chains.

"We trusted our Lords, our Kings! We trusted them to do something against this vile cult who have comfortably declared all of us - the citizens of Termnnia - as their enemies. Enemies whom their White-Gold Tome commands to kill should we not convert to their faith and become one with their vile cult. Instead of fighting them and silencing them, you embraced them! You forced us to tolerate them! You forced us to understand them! Yet you say nothing when they cut off the hands of children who play Duel Monsters. You say nothing as they violated the Rose Priestesses of the Love Goddess. They dishonored them and sold them to King Forrest, where they will forever serve him as slaves. Forced to commit unholy atrocities for his amusement. They were stolen! Here in our lands. And what does the Dalton Family do?"

He balled his fist at the camera furiously.

"What did they do? They threw a party as always. Like all the kings on our continent, they do NOTHING! So we took it upon ourselves to deal with the problem. We - the true patriots of Domino City — OF TERMNNIA! — fought off the scourge who you let into our lands. Instead of joining us, you fight against us! You send your son and his friends to kill us. We have done nothing wrong! Defending your homeland from heartless invaders is not a crime! So why do you persecute us and not them? Why do you ignore our suffering but answer to theirs? You have turned your backs on us, King Eldon. You have turned your back on your people. And now you will pay for this outrage!"

The camera loomed down on Alexis.

"You have seven days to surrender your crown to me," King Aldric threatened. "For each day that goes by, Alexis will suffer beyond her wildest dreams. On the seventh day, I swear to you by the Twelve Mothers that we will send you her head! The clock is ticking, King Eldon. Make your choice. Surrender your crown or risk open war with the Kingdom of Lorin for doing nothing, which is what you seem to be good at. Your failure as King of Eredas is what brought forth all of this madness."

He pointed at the camera.

"People of Eredas! Let your voices be heard in these next seven days! You have the power to bring a real king onto the Throne of XIII. Show King Eldon that we are tired of the Church of Yeyu pushing us around. Join us! The people should not fear the King. It is the King who must fear his people. Make your choice, Eldon. I'll be waiting."

He formed a horrid, wide, smile. "Bring the princess to me, boys."

The camera shook and Alexis's painful screams could be heard alongside King Aldric's horrible laughing. The video ended.

If that didn't get Zane motivated, nothing could. He felt his blood boiling. His fists were clenched so tightly he felt his knuckles would burst through the carbon fiber guards of his gloves.

"Freg'greth Meh'gumvian!" he cursed in his ancient language.

It was now or never. He had to save Alexis and fast.

"Those foul miscreants and their call to arms. All this suffering. In the name of liberty they say. Fools. Trying to end bloodshed by shedding more blood? I'll blast them all into oblivion."

The jets on his exoskeleton activated. He felt himself rising off the ground.

"All systems go," said Nel-E. "All right, sir, time to see what this baby can do."

"Right," Zane smirked, feeling himself rising higher and higher above the city of Domino. He looked down and saw that even his prototype was staring up at him. The glowing orange tubes released themselves from the mechanical creature's body to set it loose upon the world. It roared, steam shot out from its gullet. A little addition Zane added to give life to his creation.

"All right," he said. "You don't look at all like my father's monster. But you will have to do, for now. Let's go save my friend."

The jets thrust Zane over the city. He did it! He was flying. Hatches opened on the prototype's back. Rockets rose out and launched the creature into the air. It followed Zane into the night.

For a moment, Zane forgot about all his troubles. He looked down at the city below. He marveled at the bright lights, burning neon, and glittering windows. The cars were like a river of red and white slithering through the streets. Commercials for beauty products and an upcoming concert were displayed on tall buildings. Zane could even see the ocean over the skyscrapers. The lights of numerous boats twinkled in the dark waters.

He started laughing with joy. It was working! His exoskeleton was a complete success. He looked back at his prototype. The serpent-like cybernetic dragon was flying closely behind him. Lightning flashed, causing its armor to shimmer in its brief light.

"Well done, Nel-E!" Zane said doing a loop-de-loop.

"Never doubted you for a second, sir," the AI said cheerfully. "Congratulations. Now if you're done flying around, I believe you have a princess to save."

Zane chuckled. "Right? This is going to be just like the stories my nanny once told me when I was a small boy."

"True, but you're not sweeping her from a dragon-guarded tower. You have a small army of mages to contend with. Are you sure you can handle them?"

"I can and I will," said Zane. "Can you enter the DCN anchor's computer, find the email with the video posted recently, and trace it back to the sender?"

"Sir, you offend me," said Nel-E. "I can slither through the firewalls of your father's company. How hard can a bias news anchor's personal computer be to bypass?"

"You're the best Nel-E," Zane chuckled. He circled around buildings for fun, his rockets roaring. The prototype was not far behind.

"This is child's play," Nel-E boasted. "I mean, these are street thugs. I doubt any of them know how to cover their tracks. Ah, I found them already."

"Where?!" Zane shouted.

"I'll mark it on your map. Go get them, sir!"

"Perfect," said Zane. He saw a red dot pinpointing the exact location where the email was sent. An arrow on his HUD began to point the best way to get there. "Hang on, Alexis. I'm coming."