THE SHADOWVERSE

The Arrival

Almost two days had passed. Sonovan lay anxiously in his room, readying himself. Already prepared and suited up, The Shadowforce made sure to rest and fill themselves with energy, no matter how much anxiety and worry filled their minds with negative thoughts. During this time, sleep was rarely achieved. After all, this would be the culmination of everything Sonovan Lung and The Shadowforce had fought for. Everything led up to this moment—the ultimatum.

They sat together in a circle, eyes shut and minds empty, wills focused. Sonovan's eyes suddenly popped open and he stood up. The others looked up at him. He strode with alarm to a corner of the room, eyes darting about at the ceiling.

"What is it?" Ryan asked.

Sonovan turned to them and whispered, "He is here."

* * *

The Titan dropped out of warp and glided over the face of the waters of Earth. Titan stood like the emperor he was, in his throne room, gazing down at the glistening seas of the blue-green marble.

"On this rock, I will build the New Tetra," he said. "On this day, the true Justification begins." The other five warships he had chosen to accompany the Titan dropped out of warp in its wake. Solis smiled as Titan continued. "I want you to ready every soldier on all the ships."

"Yes, my lord. They are ready for battle."

"Good. I expect them to be. Do your duty, Solis."

"Yes, my lord. I have fought alongside you for ages. I will not stop now."

"Release the Orbs. All four. Ensure they reach their destination on each side of the planet."

"Yes, my lord." The sun's light shone around the ship, illuminating the entire room. "Tap into the broadcasting frequencies, Solis."

"Why?"

"I want to hear it. The panic."

Solis brought a transmitter to him and he listened for almost fifteen minutes, shutting his eyes against the dazzling light from the giant transparent enclosure. Screams and hysterical reports were on every station. Not much time had elapsed before the humans had spotted him. He sneered as the transmitter scanned through every frequency on Earth.

"Ah, so satisfying," he said, elated. "Their fear will be short-lived."

At that moment, ten flaming missiles approached from the surface. Titan distinguished them from afar and screamed for Solis to shoot them down.

They obliterated nine of the ten missiles, but one still headed for the throne room. Titan stretched out his arms to stop the attack, and he did. The missile halted as he used a great amount of Ooris to hold it in place.

Spreading apart his hands, Titan growled as he disassembled the missile piece by piece. It exploded, far from the ship's hub.

Titan sank onto one knee, exhausted. He then stood and faced Solis. The missile had come closer than it should have. Too close. One explosion would send everything haywire.

"Prepare the message. I want to appear gorgeous. Blonde hair. Ocean blue eyes. Tall. Everything this feeble stretch of civilization deems perfect. And for the other societies, what they deem perfect."

"At once, my lord. The Orbs have been released."

"Good. Let us end this."

The Titan descended through the atmosphere, soon hovering over New York City. If he went to any place, he would go to the very city The Shadowforce originated. The millions below looked up to the gigantic ship, its wide diamond shape blocking the light of the sun. Some shrieked, some screamed, some ran, and others froze in place. The monstrous invader hovered over the Big Apple, casting an ominous shadow.

A small scout ship jettisoned from the Titan. In it, Solis located the one-and-only Irene Sparks. He flew to the house and landed in the middle of the street. He disembarked as people stared in horror. With a swing of his scythe, he fragmented the front door. Irene and Timothy jumped from their places and backed into a corner.

"No, please!" screamed Timothy. He fumbled for his gun and shot several rounds. The armor Solis wore deflected the bullets, which ricocheted into glass and wood, shattering and splintering them. Solis grabbed Irene despite her cries. Timothy lunged at Solis, but he backhanded Timothy in the face, knocking him out as he hit the wall.

Neighbors screeched, rushing like ants as three of Titan's soldiers kept watch outside the smaller vessel. One nodded at the other two, prompting them to violently silence the screams. Irene Sparks, the wife and mother of the Sparks family, was abducted by Solis, the Voir to the Titan, Emperor of the Tetra. Solis personally piloted the craft out of the neighborhood and boarded the Titan. Sedated to prevent any nuisance, Irene was brought before Titan, who ordered for her to be kept alive.

"Only to be used if it becomes necessary," Titan directed.

* * *

Inside his quarters, Johnny had just attached the blue-tinted shades to his suit when he was overwhelmed with the realization of what was happening and what he was about to do. Only an hour earlier, he had had to give a bit of a pep-talk to Jane, who was prone to all the same things he was.

Suddenly falling limp, Johnny collapsed to the floor, his legs weak with dread and anxiety.

That very second, Sonovan walked in. "Johnny?"

Glancing upward, Johnny sighed. He hadn't wanted Sonovan Lung to see him like this. "Sorry. I just . . . I don't know where to turn."

Nodding in empathy, Sonovan approached him, kneeling down. Sighing, he began to speak. "I know what you are feeling, Johnny Sparks. Your friends, Sam and Dustin, were in the same state of mind before we fought Titan the previous time. I taught them a lesson, and so I will teach you."

Shaking slightly, he turned his head to face Sonovan. "I just . . . I don't know if I have the strength. Not even physical strength. I mean the mental strength to do this again."

"You sound exactly like your friends," chuckled Sonovan. He placed his hand on Johnny's shoulder in a soothing gesture. "This is what you must know. The will to survive and prevail will only come once you accept your place in reality. But, most importantly, the necessary will can only arrive when you gaze into the eyes of your enemy. For in that moment, as I told your friends, fear will find you. Fear of losing every person you have ever loved will hit you like a punch. The rest is up to you, but knowing Johnny Sparks, nothing will stop you then."

Johnny gazed into the man's eyes for half a minute, searching for something he could unearth in them. He turned away. "I see what you mean," he replied. Though not entirely better, this pep-talk had helped to ease his emotions. "Thank you, Sonovan."

"Always my pleasure, Mr. Sparks. Now, go, my comrade. Leave me and lead your team into victory. Today, I redeem myself. Though Titan has plotted a Justification, I have planned the Redemption."

Breathing in and then out, Johnny stood. His mind was ready, and he knew it. For the first time, he believed he had finally attained that perfect will Sonovan had described. The will to act with fear of the repercussions and to only see one outcome: a victory. He fastened the dark blue mask on his face, which covered his features up to the blue shades.

The Shadowforce was ready for battle. Johnny stepped in front of the team and rubbed his hands vigorously. "I want you all to know how proud I have been to know you. Since the day we met, you guys have been second family to me. That goes for you too, Rose. And Jane. Anyway, I guess, uh, this is it. We have come this far. No matter what happens, I love you guys. I really do. This is our time. Titan thinks he will destroy everything we have ever loved, but he's mistaken. He knocked on the wrong door. In the name of life, join me, my friends. In the name of The Shadows. In the name of Sonovan Lung. In the name of Oora. In the name of the Shadowverse itself. Join me, and together . . . we will live up to The Shadows' legacy and overcome darkness. One last time."

The roar from among them was exhilarating. "For the Shadowverse!" thundered Ryan.

"For the Shadowverse!" boomed Sam and Dustin.

"For the Shadowverse!" yelled Jane.

"For my fathers!" screamed Rose.

"For The Shadows," Sonovan finished.