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Description
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, sheathing their blades. Zach looked in disgust at the aftermath. The already worn hardwood flooring was nearly completely gone, exposing the concrete underlying. The walls were decorated with fresh dents and holes, and splatters of blood ran down the walls.

"This place was pretty nasty before, but this is just..." Zach whispered.

"This isn't the first attack." Sarah replied.

"It is the first one of this magnitude. Like I said, our squad is the best of the Avengers. Next to Avenger HQ, we wear a huge target on our backs at all times, unfortunately. I'll talk to Galvaniser Krandle about a better location." Neariah said.

Benji came behind Neariah and whispered "But, Neariah...You and Krandle-"

"Yeah, so let's head up!" Neariah said interrupting Benji and running up the stairs. Benji shook his head, and continued up the stairs.

"Come on, Sarah. Come up, and help me out with my exercise!" Debra exclaimed. Sarah nodded and headed up with Debra.

Zach stood in place, pondering something. 'Who is Krandle?'. Zach shook off the thought and ran up the stairs to escape the sight of the scene. Zach walked inside and walked to his room. While passing Neariah's room, he heard Benji's voice, muffled by the door. Zach put his ear to the door, and listened in.

"Krandle doesn't like our squad very much, and you know that." Benji said

"Well we can't keep taking these attacks! What if we weren't home, Benji? The Deceivers are advancing in their technology, what makes you think that they don't have some new gadget to get past the security system?" Neariah yelled.

"Neariah, you know Krandle still won't care. Your past with him isn't too great if you don't remember."

Zach heard a loud thump.

"I don't care! He's the Galvaniser now! It is now his job to keep the Avengers operational, and well-defended! If he is too stuck up to get past what happened, then it is his problem! End of discussion!"

Zach heard thunderous footsteps, and swiftly walked into his room. Zach jumped onto his bed, and thought about what he overheard. 'Who was Krandle, and what's up with all that "past" business?' Zach shook the thoughts, knowing that he wasn't meant to hear that. Zach walked to his window and looked out to the scenery. The sun was setting over the skyscrapers, and pedestrians filled the streets. Cars sped, leaving massive amounts of car exhaust and skid marks. Zach closed his blinds, and went to bed.

While he slept, he heard the the front door creak closed. His eyes immediately opened, and slowly got out of bed. He picked up his weapon, and slowly walked out to the door. He heard the sound of footsteps going down the stairs. He peeked down and saw Neariah in her battle suit, heading down to the door. Zach watched closely as Neariah opened the door. "Krandle..." Neariah angrily said.

"Neariah, my stubborn underling!" Krandle happily said.

"Don't take that buddy-buddy tone with me! What's with you?!" Neariah yelled.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb! Why are you trying to have Zach decommissioned?!"

Zach's heart trembled, but he continued listening.

"You registered him without a word to the HQ. He is too young and ignorant. It's not safe for him here."

"Krandle, I swear! You know damn well he can handle himself just fine! I know you saw the training and the fight we had! I intentionally left your little cameras there so you would! Do you really think you're that clever?"

"Ah, Ms. Roarke. I knew there was something wrong when I actually succeeded in bugging the apartment. I cannot allow him to stay, just because he is your brother. He is skilled for a beginner, but there are tougher things out there besides brutes. When his labyrhythm is officially developed, we are going to commence the termination of it."

"Why do you grudge after me like this?! I let you have the Galvaniser title, I let you beat me in the battle for it when you knew I had the upper hand, and I even let you take Proxy into your own squad!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I will be going now."

"Krandle, I am sick and tired of your bullshit! If you insist on doing this, then the Soul Guardian Squadron is leaving the Avengers! We have labyrhythms beyond your your termination, and we can do the same to Zach! You, and this damn society has been breathing down our necks for years and we dealt with it! I refuse to make my members endure this oppression any longer! From this moment on, I hereby cut the Soul Guardians out of the Avengers!

Krandle chuckled and turned to walk away. He stopped and stated "Have it your way. I want you out of this building by next week. I order all weaponry and all other Avenger merchandise given back when the courier comes to take them. Remember this Neariah, my sweet, if my blade ever has to turn on you...the upper hand will be mine. That goes for you and your little members. Have a nice life, Guardians..."

A helicopter hovered overhead, dropping a ladder. Krandle climbed up, and rode off. Neariah stood, teeth clenched and fists tightening. She looked up at the bright full moon and said "Zach, you can come out now,"

Zach walked down, still devastated from the ultimatum he just received.

"W-w-why'd you do that Neariah?"

Neariah turned facing Zach and sternly asked "Would you rather die? Do you want to be terminated, before you even reach the completion of your labyrhytm?"

Zach trembled and looked down as tears started to well up in his eyes, blurring him vision. Neariah sighed.

"It's been a long night. There's much to be done, Zach. Don't worry, there's no way you're going to die. I promise. But, for now, lets get some sleep, kay?" Neariah said sympathetically.

Zach nodded and headed up the staircase. Neariah went back to the door, closed her eyes and hit the wall, forming yet another dent.

"This isn't going to go too well..." she whispered and walked up the stairs.

Zach slowly opened his door, and dropped himself on the bed. He clutched his blade, and groaned. 'If my blade were to ever turn on you...the upper hand will be mine. That goes for you and your little members. Have a nice life, Guardians...' Those words echoed in Zach's head.

Zach closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

Description
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, sheathing their blades. Zach looked in disgust at the aftermath. The already worn hardwood flooring was nearly completely gone, exposing the concrete underlying. The walls were decorated with fresh dents and holes, and splatters of blood ran down the walls.

"This place was pretty nasty before, but this is just..." Zach whispered.

"This isn't the first attack." Sarah replied.

"It is the first one of this magnitude. Like I said, our squad is the best of the Avengers. Next to Avenger HQ, we wear a huge target on our backs at all times, unfortunately. I'll talk to Galvaniser Krandle about a better location." Neariah said.

Benji came behind Neariah and whispered "But, Neariah...You and Krandle-"

"Yeah, so let's head up!" Neariah said interrupting Benji and running up the stairs. Benji shook his head, and continued up the stairs.

"Come on, Sarah. Come up, and help me out with my exercise!" Debra exclaimed. Sarah nodded and headed up with Debra.

Zach stood in place, pondering something. 'Who is Krandle?'. Zach shook off the thought and ran up the stairs to escape the sight of the scene. Zach walked inside and walked to his room. While passing Neariah's room, he heard Benji's voice, muffled by the door. Zach put his ear to the door, and listened in.

"Krandle doesn't like our squad very much, and you know that." Benji said

"Well we can't keep taking these attacks! What if we weren't home, Benji? The Deceivers are advancing in their technology, what makes you think that they don't have some new gadget to get past the security system?" Neariah yelled.

"Neariah, you know Krandle still won't care. Your past with him isn't too great if you don't remember."

Zach heard a loud thump.

"I don't care! He's the Galvaniser now! It is now his job to keep the Avengers operational, and well-defended! If he is too stuck up to get past what happened, then it is his problem! End of discussion!"

Zach heard thunderous footsteps, and swiftly walked into his room. Zach jumped onto his bed, and thought about what he overheard. 'Who was Krandle, and what's up with all that "past" business?' Zach shook the thoughts, knowing that he wasn't meant to hear that. Zach walked to his window and looked out to the scenery. The sun was setting over the skyscrapers, and pedestrians filled the streets. Cars sped, leaving massive amounts of car exhaust and skid marks. Zach closed his blinds, and went to bed.

While he slept, he heard the the front door creak closed. His eyes immediately opened, and slowly got out of bed. He picked up his weapon, and slowly walked out to the door. He heard the sound of footsteps going down the stairs. He peeked down and saw Neariah in her battle suit, heading down to the door. Zach watched closely as Neariah opened the door. "Krandle..." Neariah angrily said.

"Neariah, my stubborn underling!" Krandle happily said.

"Don't take that buddy-buddy tone with me! What's with you?!" Neariah yelled.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb! Why are you trying to have Zach decommissioned?!"

Zach's heart trembled, but he continued listening.

"You registered him without a word to the HQ. He is too young and ignorant. It's not safe for him here."

"Krandle, I swear! You know damn well he can handle himself just fine! I know you saw the training and the fight we had! I intentionally left your little cameras there so you would! Do you really think you're that clever?"

"Ah, Ms. Roarke. I knew there was something wrong when I actually succeeded in bugging the apartment. I cannot allow him to stay, just because he is your brother. He is skilled for a beginner, but there are tougher things out there besides brutes. When his labyrhythm is officially developed, we are going to commence the termination of it."

"Why do you grudge after me like this?! I let you have the Galvaniser title, I let you beat me in the battle for it when you knew I had the upper hand, and I even let you take Proxy into your own squad!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I will be going now."

"Krandle, I am sick and tired of your bullshit! If you insist on doing this, then the Soul Guardian Squadron is leaving the Avengers! We have labyrhythms beyond your your termination, and we can do the same to Zach! You, and this damn society has been breathing down our necks for years and we dealt with it! I refuse to make my members endure this oppression any longer! From this moment on, I hereby cut the Soul Guardians out of the Avengers!

Krandle chuckled and turned to walk away. He stopped and stated "Have it your way. I want you out of this building by next week. I order all weaponry and all other Avenger merchandise given back when the courier comes to take them. Remember this Neariah, my sweet, if my blade ever has to turn on you...the upper hand will be mine. That goes for you and your little members. Have a nice life, Guardians..."

A helicopter hovered overhead, dropping a ladder. Krandle climbed up, and rode off. Neariah stood, teeth clenched and fists tightening. She looked up at the bright full moon and said "Zach, you can come out now,"

Zach walked down, still devastated from the ultimatum he just received.

"W-w-why'd you do that Neariah?"

Neariah turned facing Zach and sternly asked "Would you rather die? Do you want to be terminated, before you even reach the completion of your labyrhytm?"

Zach trembled and looked down as tears started to well up in his eyes, blurring him vision. Neariah sighed.

"It's been a long night. There's much to be done, Zach. Don't worry, there's no way you're going to die. I promise. But, for now, lets get some sleep, kay?" Neariah said sympathetically.

Zach nodded and headed up the staircase. Neariah went back to the door, closed her eyes and hit the wall, forming yet another dent.

"This isn't going to go too well..." she whispered and walked up the stairs.

Zach slowly opened his door, and dropped himself on the bed. He clutched his blade, and groaned. 'If my blade were to ever turn on you...the upper hand will be mine. That goes for you and your little members. Have a nice life, Guardians...' Those words echoed in Zach's head.

Zach closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.