Saturday, February 4, 2017

Zero Episode 4 The Hunt for the Winged Beasts


A/N: Welcome to Episode four of Zero. I think this story is slightly based of Superhero Cartoons from the states and not Japan for once. Power is based off Power Guild which was based of Fairy Tail and Soul. I don't know what is based off but the main thing, it is based off High School Manga and whatever I feel like. Zero sorts has that mentally but its more focused to say the least. Lets begin in the Spectral Realm with a chase scene.

Narrator P.O.V.
In the spectral realm, a ,male, griffin was flying through it. "Come on Estelle! We can make it away from him I promise!" said the hybrid. It turned to face its partner in crime aka a ,female, phoenix. "I can't fly any more Grady. He injured my right wing." said Estelle. "We can't give up! I promise to make a life with you and I never go back on my word." said Grady. The two were flying when they heard a eerie ,even for the Spectral Realm, whistle.

They turned around to see the Spectral Realm's strongest warrior and also a major sadist. He has pure white hair which was both spiky and wavy, sharp red eyes, and deep red skin. He's muscular. He was wearing a mask ,around his head, that was very similar to a Tengu but it was missing the giant nose which the crow yokai was known for. Around his arm, he had bandages around them with his right arm having a metal gauntlet with beads like bracelets.

He was wearing a navy blue haori with a red ,matching his skin color, obi, and white undershirt. He wears a pair of dark green capri with him wearing bandages around his legs and he was wearing a pair of light brown wooden sandals. "Are you two beasts trying to escape me? You must know that you can't escape me. After all, I'm your nightmare...." said the warrior. The two beasts were flying off as the warrior had an ego the size of a planet.

He noticed this and he said,"Get back here beasts! I am Wraith, Hunter of Terrarune and you'll not escape me!". He disappeared in a black void and the beasts were shocked to see that the warrior was in front of him. "Get in your prison of Darkness!" said Wraith. The beasts flew over the cages and Estelle said,"We can't keep running from him!". "Then what are you suggesting? I mean he can't be stopped right?" said Grady.

The fire bird gathered fire on her left wing and she said,"We strike back!". The fire turned into a wall of fire as it blocked Wraith. "This won't stop me beasts!" said Wraith. He made two balls of darkness which absorbed the flames but he didn't see that Grady was rushing toward him. Wraith was pushed back into a floating rock formation. Wraith pushed the dust off him and he saw the two beasts flying away.

Wraith said,"You're not escaping me!". The man was about to attack but he was blasted by a beam of fire from Estelle. The two found a portal and Estelle said,"Do you think we should go through it Grady?". "If you want to stay here with Wraith, go nuts!" said Grady. The hybrid flew in with the fire bird flying in afterward. Wraith was flying toward them but the portal was gone. "GOD DAM IT!" yelled Wraith.

Two red beams of energy flew out of him destroying two rock formations scaring some phantoms nearby. "Okay. I need to calm down. They escape the human realm but they'll be injured from the interdimensional travel so they'll still be captured by me." thought Wraith. He opened a portal up and he said,"I do hope that she doesn't mind me missing her thing but I need to go on my hunt and I won't stop till their pelts are on my wall.". He was gone in a flash.

Back on Earth, Zane ,as Zero, was currently heading to school thanks to his energy grappling hooks so he was going to make in style. "So are you coming bro? Rachel's looking for you and it isn't at all good news." said Danny. Zane , thanks to some Telekinesis, was currently talking to Danny though his phone. "What did I do? I mean I've been doing good." said Zane. He stopped over a street vendor and he used a hook to grab some food.

Danny said,"Dude. Do you think I understand women?". Zane stuck himself to the side of a building and he said,"Yes. I mean you're the ladies man of the group.". "Not by much and you're better at this than I am." said Danny. "Not by much. I just don't care about stuff like that. I got super powers but I haven't done anything with them." said Zane as he was sipping down a soda. "Says the person whose enjoying a cherry soda while chilling out somewhere." said Danny.

Zane said,"You can hear me?". "Dude. You love Soda more than any other person I know so could you pick me up something?" said Danny. "Okay but you'll have to eat it fast. You know that our Bio teacher hates when we bring food in." said Zane. "Okay. I'll have...." said Danny. Zane looked down and he saw police cars. "Okay buddy. I'll have some superhero stuff." said Zane. "Gotcha and make sure that you don't make an ass of yourself." said Danny who hanged up.

Zane stuck his phone in his pocket and he thought,"No promises.". He looked at his watch and it said that he's used two percent of his power. "Okay. I better get down there to steal/borrow a ride to save on power." thought Zane. He jumped down and while falling, he turned invisible. He then landed on a police car and he followed it. "Okay. I wonder what supernatural threat I'm dealing with today is. I do hope it's nothing like that last one." thought Zane.

The car stopped and Zane saw two people standing there. It was a man and woman with the woman holding her right arm in pain. The man had shoulder length white hair, sharp yellow eyes, a white jacket with a red symbol of a griffin, a brown t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. The woman had long orange and red hair that was currently in a bun, red eyes, a red tank top and matching skirt, and her outfit ending with a pair of bluish red high heels.

Zane thought,"What the? Why do I sense Nether inside of them? Are they from Terrarune and how in the nine realms did they get here?". The man looked up and he said,"Don't worry Estelle. I'll get us out of here I promise.". He punched the ground causing a shockwave. Some of the police cars flew in the air and Zane reappeared. He made an steel gray energy net which held the cars. Estelle looked up and she said,"Grady. We have to get out of here.".

Grady smiled and he said,"I'll find you so go.". The woman turned into a phoenix shocking the police officers. They started firing their pistols and shotguns at the bird but their bullets went through them with Grady grabbing a nearby lamp post. He was about to swing at the officers but it was stopped due to it melting to the ground. Zane stood there and he said,"How about you just stop and tell me how you got here?".

Grady said,"I ain't telling you how we got here brat but let me give you a present!". Thanks to a very convenient food cart, Grady threw it at Zane. "Eat this!" yelled Grady. Zane caught it with an energy glove but when he placed the cart down, Grady was gone. "God dam it." thought Zane. One of the cops said,"Thanks for the help kid.". "No problem. What happened to the guy?" said Zane. "Like his lady, he turned into a weird creature thing. So do you mind helping us?" said the cop.

A little bit later, Zane was running through the hallway. "Man, I'm going to be late for Biology and I really can't be late for that!" thought Zane. He jumped down the stairs and he rolled down them like an army roll. "Too cool man!" said a group of teens. Zane waved to them and he thought,"Wow. You think that I would be in trouble with using my powers in public but thanks to my mom being both a scientist and a physical fitness nut, this is normal.".

The two minute bell rang and Zane looked inside of his biology class. He saw that the teacher wasn't looking so he sneaked to his seat which was in between Danny and Karen. He sat down and Danny said,"Hey man. How was work today?". "Terrible." said Zane. "I think you did pretty good cleaning up those two lovebirds." said Karen. "Lovebirds?" said Danny and Zane. "Boys. I mean the guy was protective of his girl. Didn't you noticed that Zane?" said Karen.

Zane said,"I didn't have a chance because I was trying to stop them. I need to talk with Gwen and my grandpa after class.". "Why?" said Danny. "You remember that I am half Phantom right? Well, I was no am sure that both of them were from Terrarune." said Zane. "Hey. I really can't believe it. Zero in action." said a voice. Zane turned around to see Brad ,on his phone, and to his left and right, his girlfriend and head cheerleader Kristen Gina Ortiz along with one of the cheerleaders Hannah Grant.

Kristen Gina Ortiz had long brown hair and brown eyes. She was currently wearing the school's cheerleading uniform. It's a dark red sleeveless shirt/vest with a large white C on it. This top covered the cheerleader's body but shows their figures without being provocative. They can either wear a long sleeved shirt underneath but this was during the fall and winter primarily. They wear a dark red skirt that goes to the knees with a white trim.

They also wear stockings but like with the long sleeved shirt, this is only during the fall and winter due to the colder weather. Kristen is  a Puerto Rican American which was obvious because of her slight accent and skin tone. Hannah Grant had short blond hair and blue eyes. Much like the girl to her right, she was wearing the uniform. She was known for one thing and it was her loud voice. It was rumored that she was able to make dogs keel over.

The bell rang and the teacher who had long brown hair and light brown eyes said,"Mr. Stevens. The bell has rung which means phones are to be put away.". She wore a white lab coat with a green blouse and black pencil skirt with one inch heel. "It won't happen again I promise." said Brad. The teacher walked around the room and she was holding a bunch of papers. "You all are so happy about this new superhero but having good grades is more important than this weeks pop star." said the teacher.

Zane rolled his eyes as she said with a smile,"In other news, I have last class's tests graded.". The class groaned after hearing that. She handed a paper to Brad who said,"A C! Brad makes another pass and the crowd goes wild!". "Yeah right. A C is so great." whispered Danny. "It's better than an F or D man. He is looking on the brighter side of things." whispered Zane. Kristen looked at hers and it was a D-. Kristen looked sad at that.

Ms. Foster said to the whole class,"Well, we have our genius duo and their third wheel once again shining. Mr. Malone, you got an B+. Ms. Castro, you got an A, and Mr. Alvarez, another A+. You're just like your mother sometimes.". "Well thanks." said Zane. "You're welcoming for that by the way Danny." said Karen. "Hey. I'm okay with this." said Danny. Brad glared at the back of Zane and he noticed the football to his left. He then grabbed it and he threw it at Zane.

Zane's Crisis Judgement ,which he learned is a effect of being half Phantom, went off and he said,"I think I drop my pencil. Be right back.". He dodged the ball as it hit Ms. Foster in the back of the head launching the papers into the air. "Mr. Stevens. I do hope that you like spending time cleaning up the labs after school." said Ms. Foster. The football player slammed his head into the table and he thought to himself,"I really hate you Alvarez.".

Meanwhile, Grady was looking at his lover Estelle. She was breathing heavily in a hospital bed that he was going to return. "Don't worry Estelle. I won't let this stop you. We were going to Greece to see the sights and what your ancestors did plus scare a couple of humans." said Grady. He was holding her right hand and he said,"I'll be right back.". His wings ,in his beast form, sprouted from his back and he flew off with Estelle mumbling,"Grady.".

Back at school, the bell had rung meaning one thing. It was the weekend and end of school. The class inside of the Biology Lab walked out of the door with Zane grabbing his bag. "Mr. Alvarez and Ms. Ortiz. Do you two mind staying after class for a while?" said Ms. Foster. "Good luck with the nerd Kristen." said Hannah. Brad grumbled something about murdering Alvarez as Ms. Foster said,"I do hope you don't forget about cleaning the labs Mr. Stevens.".

The class was gone as it was Zane plus his teacher and the A-Listers. "So why am I here?" thought Zane. "If you want to raise your grade up Kristen, I really suggest doing some extra credit research on the recent Golden Tabby Tiger that's at the zoo over the weekend. I also suggest having Mr. Alvarez here as a tutor. He along with Ms. Castro are my two smartest students." said Ms. Foster. "Wow. I feel bad for you Kristen." said Hannah.

Brad smiled and he said,"I mean being stuck with Zit Alvarez sucks.". "Study with Zane? I think you should just fail me now." said Kristen. "Wow. I'm so touched." thought Zane. "Couldn't Brad tutor me instead?" said Kristen. "If you want your grade to go up, study with Mr. Alvarez." said Ms. Foster. "I don't mind Kristen." said Zane. Kristen looked at him and she said,"Fine! Meet at the Zoo at six sharp or else you're dead meat.".

She was gone along with Brad and Hannah as Zane said,"Why did you do that Petra? I rather be stuck with bed bugs.". "Zane. You know that I care a lot for you right?" said Petra. "Yeah but why? I mean she's going to be ignoring me the entire time." said Zane. "Don't you always look on the brighter side of things Zane? If you help Ms. Ortiz out now, you may be able to be in the in crowd." said Petra. "I guess you have a point there." said Zane. He left the room with the woman smiling.

Later at the Alvarez household, Zane was tuning his acoustic/electric guitar in the living room while he was talking with Rachel through his phone. His guitar in question looks to be a fusion of a Gibson Firebird ,with the iconic slanted body, and Gibson V-Factor ,with its iconic inward incident, giving his axe, resulting in a slanted "X" body. It has two black pointed tips on the soundboard. The guitar's body is primarily black with a crimson red dragon design throughout the body of the guitar. 

On the back of the guitar, there is a white skull and cross bones. He had a dark gray strap over his neck and the guitar was placed over his waist. He would have plugged it into his amp but he didn't want to bother anyone. After finishing tuning, he grabbed his guitar pic ,which matches his guitar, and began strumming. "You've got to be kidding me? You and Kristen?" said Rachel. "Yeah Rae. I rather be stuck with termites than deal with her or Hannah." said Zane.

Rachel said,"At least, you are not in a Music class with Hannah. Her voice is able to break glass.". "I don't doubt that. So have you talk with Gwen recently? She's been ignoring me all week and I'm not sure if I did something for her to hate me." said Zane. Rachel soon shrugged her shoulders and she said,"According to her, she's at some magic event thing back in Taelamelan. I think they have limit cell service down there but she hasn't said anything bad about you or Danny.".

Rachel said after taking a deep breath,"So lets change topics from Gwen to something else. Have you asked anyone else for advice on your "date" tonight?". "Nope. You're the only person. I was going to ask my grandpa but he and my mom have been tinkering in the lab since I left for school. I haven't a chance to get a word in with him." said Zane. "Ah. So are you going to go?" said Rachel. "To my "date"? Ms. Foster asked me to and I can't let her down." said Zane.

Rachel said,"Her and your mom are college friends right?". "Yep. They both went to the same college in I think New York. They're good pals so I can't let her down." said Zane. "Okay. I wish you luck on your date Zane." said Rachel. She hanged up as Zane heard an explosion. He placed the guitar down and he said,"I better go check on them.". He walked downstairs to the basement and he saw Edgar on the floor in pain.

Zane picked the bird up and he said,"You alright?". The bird looked at his owner's grandson and he made a chirp. "Yeah. My mom has a problem making things exploded." said Zane. He looked up and he saw Arturo wiping grease off his robe. "Ah Zane. Look at this." said Arturo. The boy looked at the device right in front of him. It looked like the door that gave him his power but more mechanical in its design than before and Zane said,"So what is it grandpa?".

Arturo smiled and he said,"This is what the folks called a Dimensional Gateway.". "So does this door open up to the Astral Realm? Is it called that?" said Zane looking over the door. "Yes. Your mother is currently at the market. So I heard you playing the guitar." said Arturo. "I'm not very good grandpa. I haven't the time to practice it in the past month because well...." said Zane. "I understand. You have to master both Animus and Nether." said Arturo.

Zane nodded and he said,"Yeah.". "So are you going to be home for dinner?" said Arturo. "Nah. I got a "date" tonight." said Zane as he sat down. "A date? I thought you would be more excited for that Zane." said Arturo. "If I was on a date with a girl that didn't hate my gut, I would be grandpa." said Zane. "Did I tell you the time how I met your grandmother?" said Arturo. "Yeah. I guess I should at least dress nice." said Zane.

Arturo said,"Are you going to fly there Zane?". "Nope. Eon wants me to test out the gear of Zero. It also doesn't drain my powers like flying does. I may have eaten a good amount but I can't waste my power on flying." said Zane. "True. So anything happen today?" said Arturo. "Well, I better just show you gramps." said Zane. His left hand glowed white and a screen appear over his hand. Arturo looked and he saw the winged creatures.

Arturo whistled as he said,"Wow. Quite an interesting day.". "Yeah. They're from Terrarune right?" said Zane. "Your sensing ability is better than it was before. I highly suspect it has something to do with your father." said Arturo. "Yeah. Did you know him?" said Zane. "A little but from what I heard, he was quite popular with the girls back in the day." said Arturo. "Oh. That's something to say the least. So how do I send them back to the Spectral Realm?" said Zane.

Arturo said,"You're not going to kill them? I mean your previous Zeros had a issues with Phantoms in the past. I was at least tolerated by them because well, I can handle myself in a fight. Phantoms may be the home of evil but not all of them are evil.". "I'm not a killer." said Zane. "So what are you going to do Zane?" said Arturo. "Well, I'm going to Power Up." said Zane. He was dressed as Zero and he said,"I'll see if I can help them.".

He floated in the air and he phased through the roof. Edgar flew over to Arturo and he cawed. "He is a good kid Edgar. I just think he is dealing with having powers and finding himself at the same time which is hard for anyone old pal." said Arturo. The bird peaked at the door and Arturo said,"Don't worry old friend. I don't think he's going to be cause trouble but maybe be a hero once he gets his life under control. I also won't let Natasha used you for experiments.".

The bird took a sigh of relief and Arturo chuckled. "She is my daughter but she has her mother's spirit and she's doing all of this to protect her son for dangers that he can't handle as of right now. I suspect that Zane will be the best Zero seen because he's half phantom and sorcerer. I mean he has the best of both worlds plus the power of the Astral Realm." said Arturo. The bird squawked and Arturo said,"I should talk to him at the least.". He was gone as the bird went to go enjoy food.

Upstairs, Zane ,back to his normal self, stood in front of his mirror. "Is something wrong son?" said Arturo's voice. He was on the other side of the door and Zane said,"Grandpa. Why are you outside instead of phasing through my room?". "I respect that you need privacy. Your grandmother on the other hand didn't respect your mother's." said Arturo. "You can come in." said Zane. Arturo walked in and he said,"Is something wrong Zane?".

Zane then took a deep breath and he said,"So do humans become Phantom or Sorcerers when they die?". "I guess it depend on how they were when they were living. For example, Volcanis was a pyro and he caused several deaths with his flames. Why do you ask my boy?" said Arturo. "I have several questions. So what happens if a Phantom or Sorcerer died?" said Zane. "Well, I'm not sure myself my boy." said Arturo.

Zane sat down on his bed and he said,"What do you mean grandpa?". "As you know, I'm the King of the Spectral Realm but I don't decide the fates of Phantoms." said Arturo. "I understand." said Zane who looked at his hand. "Are you alright my boy?" said Arturo. "I just need to think about myself for a while. So is there a way to send Phantoms back to Terrarune without using that spell. It drains me like a battery." said Zane.

Arturo nodded and he placed his hands on his grandson's head. "Here's a portal creation spell to the Spectral Realm. It only takes 5% of your powers so you'll be able to fight without powering down as Daniel says it." said Arturo. Zane hugged his grandpa and he said,"Thanks Grandpa!". "Don't you have a date?" said Arturo. Zane looked at his watch and it was 5:45. "Right. Power Up!" said Zane who glowed.

Zane held one of the bags ,the one with the symbol of a portal, and he said,"Eon told me that this bag is able to create portals and the such to let me travel fast. See you grandpa.". He opened it and he then pulled over a skateboard missing the wheels. He jumped on it and he flew out of his room. The old man smiled and he said,"Zane. You're growing into a man that can be depended on. I wonder what they'll do to you.".

In about five minutes, Zane was over the zoo and he looked down from his hover board. The place was slightly crowded and he noticed several couples. "Great. My luck just sucks doesn't it?" said Zane who sighed. He jumped down and he turned back to normal while phasing into one of the boy's bathroom. He left the stall and he looked at himself. "Huh. I don't remember putting this one but for some reason, I like it." thought Zane.

Instead of his normal gray cargo pants, he wears a pair of black pants. On the bottom of his jeans, a design of a red/orange flames with a green and white outline were there. He was wearing a dark green belt around his black pants up. Instead of his red and white tennis shoes, he wore black combat boots with steel toe caps for an extra hard kick to say the least. He wore something else for a top instead of his blue t-shirt and a black hoodie jacket.

He was wearing a black leather motocross jacket with the matching flame design ,that was on his jeans, on the back of the jacket, the arm sleeves of his jacket, and the ends of his jacket. The jacket also had a hoodie which rested there. He was wearing a white shirt under it. He wore a pair of black leather gloves with steel knuckles protectors. Around his necklace, he wore a silver necklace with a crimson red guitar pendant. He wore a silver bracelet around his left arm matching his watch.

He looked at his hair which was slightly longer but not by much. He noticed that his muscles were sticking out and he thought,"Wow. I never noticed this but I'm hot. I really shouldn't let it get to my head. I'm here to tutor Kristen even though she hates me for some reason.". He walked out of the bathroom with him noticing people looking at him. "Okay. I may being sound like Brad but dam, I look nice. I better go find Kristen." thought Zane.

Kristen was tapping her foot and she said,"Brad. Where the hell is that dork? I thought he would be here first!". She was on her phone and Brad said,"Fuck if I know. That little prick'll get a beating if he stands you up.". She heard,"Hey Kristen!". Kristen hanged up as she saw Zane. "Sorry but traffic was a nightmare." said Zane. "Zit? Is that you?" said Kristen. "Yeah. My clothes are really baggy but this is what I normally wear. You like?" said Zane.

Kristen thought,"Wow. Zit I mean Zane's really handsome. I mean he's a dork though.". "Whatever. I just want this to be over. Brad promised me to take me shopping tomorrow. I bet you're going to be playing like Dungeon and Dragons or something nerd like." said Kristen. She walked away and Zane heard with his enhanced hearing,"Wow. She's a freaking idiot. I mean she called that stud a nerd and I bet she wouldn't mind me taking him.". Zane smiled and he walked after her.

Meanwhile, Wraith was watching. "That kid. Is he the Griffin and is that girl he with the Phoenix? I haven't been able to find them for hours now and I'm getting angry!" thought Wraith. His white hair turned into fire and he growled. "Easy me. I think they're around here. The wound that I gave to the fiery chicken is something that can't be cured by a human medicine and I highly doubt that a Sorcerer living in this city will give a Phantom anything." said Wraith.

Wraith looked at his gauntlet and he said,"Beasts like those two can't co-existed together. If I find them before the sun sets, I let them be in the same cage for all of time.". He smiled when he saw one of the birds flying by him and heading toward the zoo. "Good. He figured out that time is up so I think I'll go capture his lover so making him mine will be easy." said Wraith. He was gone in a dark void that appeared under him.

Estelle was slowly recovering thanks to the berries and water that Grady borrowed from some not so happy shopkeepers. She heard a noise outside of the room that she was staying in and she said,"Is that you Grady?". The door opened and she saw Wraith. "Sorry beast but I'm here to bring you back to the Spectral Realm for your punishment. Rules are rules hon." said Wraith. His left hand glowed as a cage of darkness flew out toward Estelle.

The woman was trapped inside of the cage and Wraith said,"So how is your mate doing? I bet he is thinking that you're going to be alright but we both know that's bullshit.". "What are you talking about Hunter?!" said Estelle. "I guess your mother hen never told you about what happens to a phoenix if they're injured." said Wraith. He put his hand up to her chin and he said,"Time to make you my prize along with him.". The two were gone in a dark flash.

Back at the Zoo, Grady was watching humans talking. "It seems like me and Estelle would love it here. I mean they're all couples and happy." thought Grady. 'You're such a nerd Zit!" said a voice. "I think I should rephrase that." said Grady with a smile. Zane was listening to Kristen ranting and he said,"Hey Kristen. This tutoring thing is too help you not me so if you're up for it, lets begin and if not. Have fun with Brad.".

He was walking toward the Golden Tabby Tiger and he was stopped by someone grabbing the back of his jacket. He turned around and he saw Kristen. "Listen Alvarez. I don't like you but I care about my future so you're helping me with this stupid assignment." said Kristen. She grabbed his left hand and he was dragged off. "I guess she is what the humans called a Tsundere." said Grady. Thanks to his enhanced sense of smell, he smelled Estelle and flew after them.

Kristen stopped and she said,"Hey Alvarez. How are we going to study this stupid thing if we can't get through this crowd.". Zane looked up and he said,"Huh. I guess they're doing an article meaning we're screwed.". "What are you talking about? You really sound like an idiot." said Kristen. "Thanks for that lovely compliment Kristen but Wisdom Weekly is here." said Zane. "Wisdom Weekly? What are you talking about? Sounds like a nerd magazine." said Kristen.

Zane said,"You're right but they have a swimsuit issue and also fashion tips for young females. My mom was one of their first scientist featured in it and I was actually on a cover when I was a kid. I think I know a way to get a close up look.". He pointed to the observation tower and Kristen said with a frown,"Hey Einstein! You know that things only used for the Fourth of July right?". "Just trust me Kristen." said Zane.

The two walked over to the tower and Zane noticed that the place was locked up. He pressed his right hand on the door and he said,"Okay. I got this.". He noticed that Kristen was looking at her phone and he thought,"Wow. This is too perfect.". His hand turned intangible and his other hand had a white magic circle around it. His right hand stretched through the tower and he found the keys. He grabbed them and he got his hand out of the tower with him throwing the keys in the bushes.

His hands turned back to normal and he said,"I wonder if they...". "What are you talking about? We can't get in." said Kristen. Zane held the keys and he said,"Huh. I wonder how they got out here.". He smiled as he opened the door. "Ladies first." said Zane. Kristen walked in and she thought,"How the hell did that dweeb do that? That's pretty cool.". She stood there in the tower and she looked down to see a group of tigers.

Zane stood next to her and he said,"Yep. There's a dad, mom, and three kittens.". "Really? I thought they were almost extinct." said Kristen. "They are. Their love story is something else." said Zane. She looked at him and he said,"You should be writing this down.". She nodded as she pulled out a mini computer. "All of them are different from a normal tiger is because of captive breeding and doesn't occur naturally in the wild." said Zane.

She typed that down and Zane said,"It's sometimes called the strawberry tiger thanks to its strawberry blonde color. Their striping is much paler than normal and made fade into spots or large prominent patches. They're also much larger and have softer fur. than normal tiger.". "So how do you know all of this?" said Kristen. "Well, I have a pretty sweet mom. She taught me a lot of stuff mainly about the universe." said Zane.

Kristen said,"So why do you let Brad bully you?". "I really don't care about what other people think about me Kristen. I don't care about the names. I mean you are a smart girl but you let Brad and the rest of the A-listers get to you. You let them make you into their image instead of being your own person." said Zane. "What are you talking about?" said Kristen. "In nature, everything is connected like a giant puzzle. Take the daddy and mommy tiger down there." said Zane.

She walked over to the window and Zane said,"The mom came from a rather arrogant zoo up north while the dad was raised here in good old Cypress Park. He did his best to make her feel welcome but she wouldn't listen because of what she learned back home.". "What are you trying to tell me anyway Zane?" said Kristen. "Scientists try to find why animals do what they do and you'll never suspect that the tigers down there would be mates right?" said Zane.

Kristen said,"Weren't they forced to breed Zane?". "No Kristen. The owner decide to let nature takes its course and look at them. They're a happy family. We shouldn't let others decided our paths. We're the ones going down our path. You shouldn't be arrogant and mean Kristen Gina Ortiz but the really beautiful nerd Kristen Gina Ortiz." said Zane with a smile. Kristen looked at him and she said,"You are pretty deep nerd.". "Thanks I think." said Zane.

Wraith phased into the habitat and she placed Estelle down. "You're perfect bait for me boy so lets make some noise." said Wraith. His bracelet then glowed as several missiles went out of his body with them flying toward the tigers with the parents protecting their cubs. "Shit. I have to go." thought Zane. He looked at Kristen and she said,"Zane! We have to get out of here.". "You're right." said Zane who looked back.

As he was being dragged off, he saw that the Phoenix from earlier was down there in pain. "What the heck? Is she a victim?!" thought Zane. He then saw the griffin ,who blocking the missiles creating a smoke screen and Zane thought,"I have to save them but Kristen.". He looked around as he thought,"I hope this works and I don't get caught.". Kristen didn't noticed Zane's body was glowing white. Zane phased out of her and he flew off but not before leaving a Zane Double.

He went into the bathroom and Zane said,"Time to go help my fellow Phantoms. Power Up!". He turned into Zero with him flying toward the tigers. He phased through the cage and Wraith said,"So. I brought you some bait. I knew you'll take the bait beast.". "Screw you hunter! You are mine to kill for hurting innocent beasts and my mate!" said Grady who roared. "I guess this will be some real fun." said Wraith.

Zane flew toward them and he said,"Sorry but here at the Cypress Park Zoo, we don't allow poaching of any animals mythological or not!". Wraith turned and he was kicked by Zane. Zane landed and he said,"Listen. I'm sorry about earlier today. So whose the idiot?". "His name is Wraith, the Spectral Realm's best hunter. Listen kid, we need to get out of here." said Grady. "Why? I mean we have Wraith to handle here." said Zane.

Grady said,"Wraith isn't a fan of a disadvantage. We need to get Estelle out of here and they will be fine.". Zane looked at the family and he said,"Okay. So how do we break that cage? It's obvious to even me that it's made out of raw Nether.". "You must be new to the whole Spectral thing. Touch it." said Grady. Zane touched it and he felt weaker. "Whoa. That felt weird." said Zane. He locked at his watch and he was at 90% but now, he is at 80%.

Grady said,"It seems like you're not compatible with this kind of Nether.". "No. I can handle it so lets go back to my place with her because she doesn't look so good." said Zane. He picked up the cage and he flew toward his house after phasing through the cage. Grady followed him as Kristen saw this happen. "Wow. That guy was so cool right Zane?" said Kristen. She turned to see that the Zane clone wasn't looking too good.

Kristen placed him down and she said,"Are you okay Zane?". "I'm fine. I just need a second to catch my...." said Zane's clone. He was out cold and Kristen pulled out her phone. She called 911 and she said,"Yes. My friend passed out and he isn't looking too good. We're at the Cypress Park Zoo and near the Golden Tabby Tiger exhibit.". She hanged up and she said to the passed out Zane,"Don't worry. I promise you'll be safe.".

Next time,
Why is Wraith after Grady and Estelle? Will Kristen find out about Zane's dirty little secret? This and more next time on Zero.

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