Sorry about taking so long to do this chapter. The plot is actually going to somewhat begin and I think I will have to change the genre of the story eventually. I'm not quite sure as to what yet though. Thank you for all the reviews that I have received. Hopefully you guys will enjoy this chapters as well.

Chapter 8

As I opened my eyes I noticed that I was staring straight at the ceiling. I sat up in the bed and instantly went back down. I felt numb all over. It hurt to move around. I moved my arm in front of my face to see that my arm had been bandaged. All along my arm deep red shaded splotches could be seen. I could see some cuts on my fingers and from the sides that weren't bandaged. My hand started to wobble and shake so i put it back down on the blanket, feeling the blood rush through it again. Despite my body aching all over, there was a strange feeling around my neck. A strange pulse seemed to be coming from it. I reached up to my neck, ignoring the impulse to put my hand down again. I felt that something, some kind of design was almost imprinted there. As I carefully let my fingers trace the design, I noticed that it had an almost metallic feel to it. Like when you touch a metal that had just been shined and refined. There were quite a few sharp edges in the design and they seemed to intertwine in each other. I would have to ask Antauri about that later.

'What a second, where are Antauri and the others?!'

I jumped up from the bed and the second I tried to land on my feet I fell face first on the ground. As my body started to throb because of the unnecessary effort of moving I noticed that my arm wasn't the only thing that had been bandaged. My left leg had seemed to have sustained more damage then my arm. A red splotch could now be seen soaking into the bandage.

"Crud…"

"Crud is right Chiro. Now I have to change your bandage again."

I jumped up and was in position to fight when I saw who had actually talked to me. There was Meaniel. Sitting in a blue chair reading more of this week's Shuggazoom's HotList.

"Why are you here Menaiel?!"

"I was always here. You just never noticed. It was kinda fun watching you move your arm and act so sluggish. Almost like watching an act." He put down the magazine and walked over to me.

"Now come on Chiro. You have to be in bed, you can't move around like that with a sprained ankle." He grabbed around my chest and started to haul me off to bed. I decided that was a good time to ask him some questions.

"Menaiel. Why are you here?"

He gave a deep but short sigh as he helped me get underneath the covers. As soon as he was done he sat on the side of the bed and looked at me sadly.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah. Where is my team also? They were fighting the Tsuki organization while I was against Balthazar. You were right about him. He is very powerful." Every sentence I said got slower and slower the more I stared at Meaniel. He wasn't all bubbly and happy. He had on a sad and melancholy expression.

"Chiro, you're not in a hospital or at my house for that matter. You are in the Tsuki organization base."

"What!!?" I tried to get off the bed, but Menaiel held me still as he tried to explain.

"I'm sorry Chiro, but Balthazar wouldn't save you unless your team gave him a price. And you were his price! They promised and they can't break it."

"But they need me! I'm their leader! What about the city?! I have to be with them!"

"You can't. Balthazar knows who you are Chiro. He knows what you do for the city. But he also knows that your team can handle the small damages that are happening in the city. The Skeleton King is dead and many of his followers have given up. Your team is capable of taking care of the city and if by any chance they need help, he will send it. But you can't go."

"Why the heck can't I?!"

"Because you can't use your powers! You can't depend on your new powers that have just barely evolved! It's too strong for you and if you use it now it will kill you with all the extra flow of energy. It has already done so much to you."

I stared at him in disbelief. 'How could he know about my powers? How does he know so much about Balthazar? What does he mean that I can't use my powers?' Then it dawned on me.

"You're part of the Tsuki organization aren't you?"

"Yes. I'm the Treasurer and 2nd lieutenant."

"Figures you had the job with the money."

" …anyways Balthazar will be here soon and he will fill you in on many blanks about what is happening."

"Why do I have to stay? Why was I his price?"

"He will have to tell you himself Chiro."

He stopped holding me down and sighed.

"I didn't wish for this to happen to you. Your life would have been so much easier without another care in the world about evil. You'd just have to protect the city."

'Evil?'

But the Skeleton King was dead. There shouldn't be any more supreme evil beings. What did Balthazar know that my team and I didn't? A small pain went through me as I remembered my team. I could picture their torment when they had to leave me with the organization. But they were a virtuous team, they couldn't lie to Balthazar if they promised to pay the price to save me from my powers. I'd have to ask Balthazar to see them soon. I could tell it was going to be some time before I could get out of their base. Surely he would allow me to visit them.

"I'll go outside now. If you need me for anything just press that red button on the side of the bed. I'll be there shortly." Meaniel grabbed his magazine and went out the door.

I stared at him until he left. The room felt big and barren. I took this opportunity to check myself thoroughly. I got up slowly and went to a mirror that was on the other side of the room. There seemed to be a lot of mirrors when ever Meaniel was around. As I checked myself in it I noticed that I still had my monkey ears and tail. My ears twitched at my annoyance as I looked myself from head to toe. What ever happened to me and my powers sure did a heck of a job ruining me. I had big and small bruises all over not to mention the bandages. Then I noticed the design that was around my neck. It had the design of a whole bunch of criss-crossing crescent moon shaped figures. What was the deal with the Tsuki organization and moons? Another question to ask on my already large list. I then payed attention to my battle outfit which was by now torn and dirty. I would have to ask Meaniel for some new clothes.

I walked back to the bed and sat in the middle. I looked around the room. It was bigger then my room in the robot, but it looked way too simple for me. There was only the carpet, the bed, the mirror, and a few chairs on the opposite side. The room in total looked bleak and dreary. As I was about to lay down again, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." I said, waiting patiently for who ever was going to visit me. The man who entered was none other then Balthazar himself.

"I see that you are awake. How are your wounds feeling?" He glided with elegance to the bed.

"I'm numb all over, but that shouldn't concern you. Why did you pick me to be your price?" I asked defiantly and waited for is answer. He sat on the side of my bed before answering.

"Because we can't have you killed. If you stayed with your team either your unskilled powers would have killed you, your team and many others the next time you used it or the King's Men would finish you." He showed no intense emotion as he said this, just concern. I figured that he wasn't completely concerned for me, but that I had something to do with it.

"Who are the King's Men?" I had never heard of them.

"They are another group who saw the Skeleton King as a God, a leader. Yet they are more civilized and conformed then the one that was in Shuggazoom a while back. You see, since you killed the Skeleton King you are a threat to them and any other creature that pursues evil. Killing you would ensure that a reign of evil rises. And if that happens, our organization's trading and bootlegging will not be able to exist. Evil likes to control people, to use them like slaves. But gangs and organizations are like small countries. They have a ruler and accept its laws. Even though we are technically doing 'evil' things against the laws of the city, we prefer to keep our ways and would prefer to not be enslaved."

"So you only want me here because you need me alive to be able to make a profit?"

"Yes and no. You see with evil practically out of the way, gangs from many planets and galaxies can meet with one another and conduct business. We also make sure that no one gang or organization is in complete control."

"What's the difference between a gang and an organization?"

"A gang is a small group that is part of an organization. I have more then one base and I have more then one gang so to speak. I have other gangs on other planets. All of these gangs I have under my control are the Tsuki organization."

"Ok…so why do you need me again?"

"Being able to continue to make a profit is the most important part but also because we need to keep evil from finding out where you are. If they don't know where you are they will panic and not move forward to conquest."

"Can I ever see my team again?"

This question threw Balthazar off course. He was expecting something more outward, not personal.

"Of course. But it will take a long time. You can send them a visual message and communicate through it for the time being."

"Will you send help to them and the city if they need it?" I looked up at him seriously. If he was going to take me he had to make up for it somehow no matter how small.

"Yes."

"Ok, now that that's settled, why can't I use my powers?"

"You are full of questions aren't you?"

"Can you please answer?"

"Very well. You do know that you can't control your powers, correct? When we were fighting you lost control and one of my sorceresses here had to seal your powers. The seal is as strong as what it seals, so it is very powerful. It has also locked your ability to lose your ears and tail though when you go from battle mode to normalcy. You shall have them for a while. But because it sealed your powers, you are now as helpless as a normal human being. But because of your new primate attributes, one of my scientists hypothesizes that you have far greater agility and flexibility. I would also suggest not meeting him anytime soon or he would turn you inside out for every detail imaginable about you. Now if you don't mind, I wish to stop ranting all these large answers."

"I just have one more thing to ask. Can I speak with my team right now?"

"Follow me."

He fluidly got out of his chair and walked to the door. I slowly followed behind him. We went through a couple of hallways that were as desolate as my room. There were many pipes flowing in and out of the walls, and it was very clean. My guess was that having the leader here at this base must have stirred its occupants. They must have made sure that it was clean and presentable when he was here. We finally reached a broad door and as he went through I stayed next to the door once it closed. Inside there were a few people working on some machinery and others were just having a quiet talk. As soon as Balthazar entered all was quiet. He spoke out to one of the men next to a large screen on the right side of the room.

"Can you please contact the Super Robot and its team?"

"Of course." The man said and quickly ran his fingers over the many keypads that were next to him.

I waited patiently. I had no authority here and my best bet on being safe was to make sure no one noticed me and to not disrespect their leader. The screen fizzled for a bit before the team decided to respond.

"Yes?"

It was Antauri.

"Black monkey, your leader wishes to speak to you." Balthazar said and motioned for me to come over.

"Where is he?" Nova's voice could be heard along with the voices of the others. As soon as Balthazar mentioned me they all came up on the screen.

"I'm right here guys." I moved forward so that they could all see me.

"Chiro, thank heavens you are better!" I could see his eyes move all over me to make sure that I was alright. The others looked happy to see me but that emotion quickly vanished and was replaced by sadness and regret.

"Chiro…we didn't mean to…" Sprx spoke up softly. Speaking for what the others had in mind.

"It's okay guys. I know what happened. You did the right thing in not breaking the promise." I was careful to not make my voice crack. It could be a while before I ever saw them again.

"Still! We didn't mean for you to be taken like that! You were supposed to help us watch over the city. We were supposed to stay together." Otto looked like he was going to cry.

"Actually, I believe that it's better if I stay with them. It's safer for all of us."

"What do you mean safer Chiro? You're safe with us." Nova already had tears coming from her eyes.

"I'm sorry Nova, but not anymore. If I stay with you guys, I will become a hazard or I will not be able to help you guys at all. You have to take care of the city. I know you guys can do it." It took all I had to not be able to cry.

"Why Chiro?" Antauri asked. He looked calmer then the others, but I could tell he was a bit shaken and guilty. Probably blaming himself that I was in this situation.

"I don't think I can tell you Antauri. But it's for the greater good. I'll see you guys soon hopefully. Maybe you won't be able to recognize me when that happens, but I'll see you. Take care."

The screen fizzled out and I looked back at Balthazar.

"I take it that we have complete cooperation in you." Balthazar took another step forward and motioned me to follow him out of the room. "We shall prepare the initiation soon."

Don't worry guys, the monkey team isn't out of the story. There will be a chapter where he will meet up with them again.

For chapter 9 I might have Chiro cross dress. I hope you guys are okay with that, but if you're not just tell me in the reviews and I won't do it. See you in the next chapter:)