Chapter 4
Ranaron came to and found himself lying on his back. He raised his head, which apparently had been propped up on a pillow, and looked around, finding that he had been lying on a couch with a wooden table nearby. Evidently he was in an Earth home, but how had this happened? He distinctly remembered being a giant mutant, but everything up to now was blank.
"Welcome to the Lunis residence," Octus told the Mutradi. Ranaron jumped up with a start, and Octus and the others emerged from upstairs.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you!" Ilana said sweetly. "How do you like the couch? Smooshy, isn't it?"
"Yes," Ranaron said softly, unnerved by the look Lance was giving him.
"Don't think about running away. G3 has this place on lock-down," Lance said as he pulled up a chair to sit across from Ranaron. "Now tell us everything you know that would be useful to us. Octus will know if you withhold information. Afterwards, we have an assignment for you. Failure to cooperate will result in—"
"Lance, I believe interrogation tactics are unnecessary," Octus argued. "The Mutradi was the one that offered to reveal information in the first place, before we even captured him. Judging by his thought patterns, he is perfectly willing to voluntarily tell us anything we would like to know. There is no need to threaten him with death."
"If you insist," Lance said, giving Octus a worried look before sitting down in the chair. Ilana went over to go and sit beside Ranaron, but Lance grabbed her arm.
"Let go, Lance!" Ilana commanded with as much authority in her tone as she could muster. "He doesn't have a weapon stashed away in some hidden organ. G3 searched him, remember?" Lance released her arm and she sat down next to Ranaron.
"Sorry about Lance," she said.
"It is understandable. I am quite familiar with soldiers on my planet. In comparison to them, Lance is quite gentle with a prisoner like me." Lance's eyes widened, and Ilana struggled to keep her lips from quivering with amusement. Even Octus' light seemed to flicker for a second.
"Guys, we need to start the interrogation—I mean start asking questions," Lance demanded, his face now in a grumpy expression. "Who are you and why did Modula send you? And what did you mean by having a stronger will than others?"
"My name is Ranaron Anra Salientia," Ranaron began. "And the reason Modula gave for sending me here is was that he was 'all out of monsters'. But I don't think this is the real reason. He has plenty more Mutradi that he can send if he wants to. He probably thought I was harboring thoughts against him. And with the way the Hat has altered his mind, only the slightest bit of suspicion would be needed to give him a good enough reason to send me hurtling through space."
"The Hat? What hat?" Ilana asked. "What's the Hat?"
"Is that what made Modula want to betray us and start the coup?" Lance asked. "Did the Mutradi brainwash him with it?"
"No, it was not that simple," Ranaron replied. "The Hat did not give Modula the desire to destroy your kingdom; he must have been harboring those already. Judging from the 2 times that someone has worn it in history, The Hat seeks in its wearers individuals that wish to bring about great change and…" Ranaron paused, his words becoming shaky and more hushed:
"…Are willing to do so at the cost of harming or manipulating countless others. The Hat does not cause its wearers to feel any different; rather, it amplifies their anger and thirst for death." Ranaron gulped, glancing around the room nervously.
"You seem to have grown extremely nervous when speaking about this Hat. Does its influence reach you here?" Octus asked.
"No. It's just that the words I have spoken are blasphemous," Ranaron admitted. "But they are true as well. The Hat—or, if I were to use the name that only its oracles may use—Achillacasus—is the instrument through which Modula is able to control the Mutradi, from the wisest Cephalovican to the dumbest Nephilimite. To explain the origins of the Achillacasus would be a long story, so instead I'll skip ahead to when Modula and the King first landed on Mutrad and how the Hat came into Modula's possession."
"Go ahead. No one can hurt you here," Ilana reassured him.
"I know. Still, I feel quite worried imparting this information," Ranaron replied. But then with a scowl he added, "But I am tired living my life in subordination and fear. I'm tired of being docile! If what I say inspires you to bring peace to our worlds, even at a great cost, then so be it." And so Ranaron began his tale.
AN: These next few chapters are going to be a lot of backstory we didn't get to see. The chapters following that involve the documents (remember those?) which deal with what Modula's plan is for Galaluna once the rebellion is crushed, as well as any other information needed that the show never got to tell us about.
Also, I feel like I should warn you that I've been forced to add a lot of original information for the sake of the show. I'm saying that because I don't want a bunch of reviews consisting of "So THIS is what made Modula the way he is? What a dumb idea!" It's time for the numerous mysteries and ambiguity regarding Modula and why he wears that hat to be revealed, and I felt like now was a good time.
But if you see some piece of information or concept that you think just doesn't belong in Sym-Bionic Titan (or more importantly, a plot hole!) let me know in a review or PM.