When he opened his eyes and regained consciousness, he wished he didn't wake up. Pain rushed through his frame, making him feel like he was run over by a train. Everything hurt. At first, the world around him was nothing but a blur. But he could make out a fan spinning over him and soft jazz music coming from a nearby jukebox by the window, which offered a grand view of the Sea of Rosenkruz in the distance as well as the cityscape. He then picked up the sound of a spoon pinging against the side of a mug.

When his vision cleared moments later, he recognized his childhood guardian, Kyle Jables, preparing him some herbal tea. "You're awake," he said. "Good. I was beginning to worry about you." He paused for a moment, waiting for Aster to respond to him. "It was foolish, you know. Summoning all those monsters at once when you lack the power to do so. It's no surprise to me that the Heart of HEROES was killing you at an even faster pace."

Aster looked at himself in the looking glass sitting on the side table beside the couch he slept on. His face was veiny and swollen. Upon seeing that thing looking back at him, Aster turned his gaze away from the mirror. He looked up at the ceiling. Kyle came by with a tray of soup and the tea. It was bitter tasting. He gagged, wanting to spit it out, but Kyle forced him to drink it all. He then fed him the soup to wash out the taste of the drink he gave Aster. Even though the tea was foul-tasting, he could feel his body getting more relaxed and even lighter. Kyle came by with a bowl of water and a sponge. He gently took off Aster's clothes and started scrubbing him down to clean him.

"How long was I out?" Aster asked as Kyle rubbed his arm with the sponge.

"Two weeks," he replied.

Aster turned to look at him with lightning speed. "Two...weeks? But...I was supposed to die in two days."

"Plasma is preventing that from happening. Congratulations. He is yours now."

"You...you serious?"

"I am. He was with me the whole time. That's why we hired that magician to go look for you and bring you home."

"Why her?"

"She's the daughter of a very close friend of mine. I trusted her with my life."

"I wanted to get to you sooner but…"

"I know. You and your friends got arrogant. You wanted to take on a top-tier PMC like DracoTEK yourselves. And more than a thousand criminals? All to act like heroes and save the day. You all learned your lesson." He sighed. "But even if you did seek me out sooner, I would not have been able to meet you. My flight to Domino was delayed. By the time I got here, it was too late. DracoTEK already closed the city down. There was nothing I could do. It wasn't until you unleashed your power and summoned Dominance that Plasma was drawn to you and sought you out."

Aster sat up. "OH NO!" he cried. "Hassleberry! Francesca! They...they were captured. They need help. What of Prince Michael and Jon and Crow?"

"Prince Michael and Jon have sailed to Akuuda to aid their friend, Marcel, whose country is being invaded by Naralia. King Forrest wants their resources, as does that fool from JayceTech." He laughed. "Goddesses know he doesn't want Zane to build anymore Cyber Dragons."

"What about Francesca and Hassleberry?"

"It's been a long time since anyone last saw them," Kyle replied, gently pushing Aster down so he could rest on the pillow. "I tried looking for Franny. But I fear she's gone. Once you disappear into the underground of this place, odds are you will never be seen again. Hassleberry. I don't know what's happened to him. But if I know Dr. Guarnizo well, he's probably in pieces right about now."

"No! There's still a chance that they're alive! I know it! Now that I have Plasma, I can save them."

"Is that what you think!" Kyle shouted. "You have to be strong now! They're gone, Aster. They're gone and you will never get them back. You know what happens to girls who become slaves in the Underground. You know how sadistic Phillipe is. What he does with his specimens. Even if by some miracle they're alive, you can't save them, so don't even try. You couldn't even save them when they were by your side, what makes you think you can save them now? You can't even save yourself. Even with Plasma controlling the magic of the heart, it can still kill you if you become reckless. Recklessness is what caused you to lose your friends in the first place. Even if I wasn't there, you should have gone to my place. But you didn't. You all wanted to be big heroes and save Domino like comic book warriors. You don't take your Destiny HEROES seriously enough. Continue to act this way, and neither will they. Especially not Plasma."

"No…" Aster groaned. "They can't be…"

"That is the harsh reality of life, son. You can't save everyone. But you can still punish those who have hurt them. We both know Phillipe, Gremlin, Luros, and the bastard who murdered your father are still out there. Use your HEROES to punish! Not to save, but punish. That's what they do, Aster. That is what they were created to do. Destiny HEROES don't save people, they punish evil. They make sinners suffer! They make wrongdoers taste the blade of justice! Use that anger inside of you to boost the power of your HEROES. Kill Domino City's scumbags and Plasma can make you more powerful than you can ever imagine. Only then will you be able to save the ones you love. Do you understand?"

He handed Aster the card. Aster nodded slowly and took it from him. He stared at the beast and rubbed his finger down the rising image of the ultimate rare foil.

"Yeah...I think I do understand. Show me what I have to do."

End of Part 1