Alien Watch in a Monster School

Treason

"Mum and Dad are home! Mum and Dad are home!" The small child bundled down the staircase of his home, his favourite toy rocket ship in hand. Behind him, his babysitter, Rose, watched him carefully, ensuring the teen didn't trip in his excitement. He was dressed in brown shorts and his favourite blue t-shirt with a big, shiny badge attached. On it, in big red letters, were the words, 'Seven today!'

He threw open the front door and ran out as a rusty, yellowish-white RV parked at the curb. The small boy rushed to the vehicle as the door opened to reveal a man in his mid-fifties wearing a red, Hawaiian shirt. "Mr Tennyson! Mr Tennyson!" the boy cried happily he ran up to him.

"Hello there, Christian." The man's voice was low. As the boy finally reached him, the older man knelt to his level.

"Is my mummy and daddy with you?" he asked excitedly, trying to look past the man at the interior of the vehicle. He couldn't understand why they hadn't come out already. As he tried to push his way past the man, he was stopped when Max placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, son," he said, small tears brimming on the edge of his eyes, "but your parents aren't coming home."

XXX

October 30th – 00:17 AM

'Greetings, Christian Hawke. I am not one for long-winded explanations, so I will be blunt with you. I am the one who killed your parents.

I know of your activities at Yokai Academy, and your mission interferes with my plans to build a better world. I want to meet, face to face. Enclosed are coordinates and a communicator. Press the red button when you want to meet. I look forward to your call.

With regards, Icarus.'

Christian crushed the letter in his hands as a wave of fury washed over him. All this time searching, the days he had spent looking for answers. And here was the bastard who had taken his parents, giving himself to him like a wrapped present! It was infuriating! He'd smash his desk if it weren't already broken!

But now wasn't the time for negatives. He had a name. Icarus. In all the time he'd been looking, he'd found nothing about the thing that killed his parents. It had vanished as soon as it appeared. For nine, painful years, there had been nothing. This seemed almost too good to be true.

He wanted desperately to go there right away and confront them, but it was undoubtedly a trap. Paradox had also warned him about a catastrophe. He took out the communicator from the envelope. True to the letter, there was a large red button on the rim that looked very eager to be pressed. Could he just abandon everything and go searching for this guy?

'Of course,' a dark voice said in his head. 'This guy took your parents. Left you an orphan in a cruel world. They could have been here today, enjoying the festival with you. Are you really going to let him get away with that?'

"No," Christian growled, his bubbling anger blinding him.

'Then go. He's left you a map. You have the Rust Bucket. Go and take the vengeance you deserve!'

Christian took another glance at the communicator. For a moment, his thumb hovered over the button. However, as he thought back to his seventh birthday and all the anguish that followed, his resolve strengthened. He pressed down.

XXX

Moka humming happily as she moved about her room. Her mind was replaying the events of the last few hours. Finally, she'd been able to enjoy a festival with someone she cared about. The smile on her face was near-constant as she removed her hairband and let her pink locks fall free. As she began to untie the sash around her kimono, there was a bright blue flash.