The Exalted One and Sabre were locked up and isolated. They were imprisoned within a facility, hidden and deep underground.
A soldier spoke on the radio, "Prison Complex is a massive labyrinth of a dark and damp place. With multiple levels of security and hundreds of cells, it contains the worst monsters. Don't worry about a thing. Escape is impossible," he claimed.
"Alright. I'll leave them to you, warden," General Remus' voice asserted from the radio.
In a pitch-black prison cell, The Exalted One and Sabre regained their consciousness. They were restrained with multiple, thick chains.
In a frantic awoken state, The Exalted One's eyes darted around the empty cell. His pupils dilated and allowed him to see. It was just him and his brother.
Sabre, with an eerie smile, commented, "We got caught." His eyes glimmered with fury and glowed in the dark. He stared at his brother with a piercing gaze.
A soldier approached and stood in front of the cell. "You're back so soon this time," he taunted them and laughed.
The Exalted One and Sabre glared at him.
"Do you think you're safe, Warden James," The Exalted One murmured with a smirk.
"There's no escape from here," Warden James insisted and frowned with seriousness. He huffed and walked away.
"We'll see about that," Sabre grumbled.
That same night, a breach occurred.
The alarms of Prison Complex blared. Red lights shone around, and the prison entered a lockdown state.
In lockdown, soldiers ran through the reinforced hallways. They chased a multitude of hooded, cloaked figures and fired their guns.
Most of the cloaked figures jumped and flipped. They evaded the oncoming bullets.
Some deflected them with their weapons. They made a sudden turn to another hallway.
On the ground, many soldiers and inmates were dead.
Warden James laid among them. He was charred, and his limbs were extended and distorted.
Outside, helicopters flew around and scouted an area for any lingering prisoners. In another area, they fired at a giant monster in a cloak.
In the breach, two prisoners escaped, and they were never found.
An hour passed.
At a distant forest, The Exalted One and Sabre walked on a path, and they were completely recovered. In sync, they held a fierce glare.
Cloaked figures followed behind him.
"Where are the others? Did they not come," Sabre inquired.
"Some of them were dealing with Master Goji Tao after your retreat," one of the cloaked figures responded.
"The military had to get involved," a cloaked figure complained with his hands behind his head.
Sabre pouted in wonder.
"Who defeated you," another one questioned in a raspy voice.
Sabre's face instantly twitched with anger. He couldn't remember. He frowned and claimed, "There's no one in the world stronger than us."
The Exalted One, serious, divulged, "It had to be someone from that house in The Sacred Forest."
Sabre growled. He punched a tree, and it toppled to the ground. "We'll return and make them pay," he vowed.
A cloaked figure handed The Exalted One a long sword and muttered, "Here you go, sir. Your longsword."
Amused, The Exalted One grasped it and smirked. He affirmed his brother's vow and added, "Let's get some help from more of our kind."
In the meantime, a woman in a white buttoned shirt walked through a busy city. She had yellow eyes, and she kept an emotionless stare forward. Her grey hair was tied in a bun, and she held a folder. There was pistol on her waist.
The city at night was in chaos. People ran around and screamed. Soldiers panicked in a frenzy. Vehicles honked, and traffic was held up.
"Two prisoners, The Exalted One and Sabre, have escaped Prison Complex. These highly wanted fugitives are responsible for the destruction of many cities. Keep an eye out for them," a reporter announced on a speaker and concluded, "Later, we'll report more news about a war recently sparked in the Dominion of General Bobby."
A logo for the media, Wheelstead Media Network, popped up.
The woman smiled and strolled to her destination. Her pointy ears and calm demeanor stood out when compared to the rest of the people. She walked inside a government facility. With a soft voice, she requested from a soldier, "I need a quick ride to The Sacred Forest."
The soldier bowed and obeyed without a second thought.
A war is about to start, and it seems like the outside world will not be the same as it used to be. However, there are many other mysterious events occurring. A great change is coming with the discovery of what The Sacred Forest hid.
Hours later...
Back in The Sacred Forest, The Fisher Family slept during the night except for one member of the household.
Vigilant and wary, Henry stood on the porch with his arms crossed. Sensing something off, he tapped with his fingers and stared at the dark depths. Pondering about his family's future, he sighed and questioned, "Why did things turn out like this?" He lowered his arms and swore, "I'll protect my family, no matter what." His eyes narrowed.
A group of cloaked and masked figures, dozens of them, appeared on top of the trees. Their hooded cloaks and masks showcased an interesting design of an eye. It resembled the cloaks of The Exalted One and Sabre.
"Is this the right place," one of the cloaked figures questioned.
"It is," another cloaked figure replied.
"I can sense someone's energy. They seem very powerful," a different cloaked figure noted.
In front, a cloaked figure waved and signaled the rest.
The cloaked figures nodded. As the wind blew, they leaped out of the trees. They descended to the ground and landed quietly.
Henry noticed their presence. He scowled and walked down the stairs. He stood on the grass and demanded to know, "Are you with The Exalted One and Sabre?"
The cloaked figures loomed closer and surrounded the house.
In front, two of them took off their masks. It was The Exalted One and Sabre.
Henry clenched his teeth and readied his stance.
"Your keen senses are commendable," The Exalted One pointed out and asked, "Were you waiting for us?"
Sabre chuckled and grinned.
"Spare your compliments. You, two, have a lot of nerve to come back here," Henry muttered with annoyance. A tear of sweat trickled down the side of his face.
The Exalted One smirked and proclaimed, "I'm here for the boys. Where are they? Are they asleep inside?"
"You're not laying a finger on my kids," Henry urged and growled.
"This will be more fun with another fight. How thrilling," Sabre announced and laughed. He cracked his knuckles.
The Exalted One declared, "Henry, you are a fool. No matter how hard you try, those boys are destined for a different future. You will lose and die here."
"Warm him up for me," Sabre ordered and motioned the entourage of cloaked figures.
Suddenly, the group of cloaked figures lunged at Henry. They threw a combination of punches and kicks.
Henry, unfazed, swiftly dodged and deflected their attacks. "Since you're with those two, I'll assume all of you are evil, too," he remarked. He, agile and fast, launched his counterattack and kicked one in the face. Then, he spun and punched him in the gut.
A gust of wind blew, and energy radiated in the air with the blow.
The cloaked figure fell back and rolled. Afterwards, he grunted in pain and held his stomach. He became motionless.
The cloaked figures backed away, and a hitch of breath came out of their mouths. They looked back at Henry.
Not messing around, Henry emanated energy. He had a serious and fierce expression.
A tall and bulky cloaked figure groaned in frustration and charged. He threw a punch.
Remaining calm and collected, Henry ducked out of the way and tripped him. He jumped over and kicked the back of his head.
The cloaked figure slammed against the ground.
Henry grabbed his cloak and launched him to a giant tree.
The cloaked figure crashed and became imbedded in the trunk.
In the next moment, Henry jumped back and weaved an incoming slash of a strange sword, a katana.
A female cloaked figure rapidly lunged and swung again.
Henry's eyes widened. He flipped mid-air and evaded it. He kicked her away and landed. He elbowed the next one and jabbed another.
A different cloaked figure threw a hook at him.
Henry blocked his fist and hooked him back. Then, he readjusted and kicked his chest.
The cloaked figure spluttered blood as his ribs cracked, and he slid on the ground.
As a feat, all the fallen cloaked figures rose to their feet and faced Henry once more.
Henry frowned and declared, "My attacks should have broken bones and damaged internal organs beyond repair. No human should stand nor survive after." The crease between his eyebrows became more prominent than before. "You're not humans. What are you," he sought to know.
Sabre and The Exalted One watched the fight from afar and sneered.
"Well then, it seems you figured out our secret. You're no normal human, either," a cloaked figure asserted and prepared his fighting stance. He continued, "We won't hold back, now."
The cloaked figures now radiated with energy, as well.
Henry gritted his teeth and sweated profusely. "Can I win? How," he mumbled to himself and braced.
Round one has concluded, and round two is about to commence. Does Henry have what it takes to beat a group of energy-wielding non-humans? Find out in the next chapters of The Sharkings: Origins!