Shang Yan walked across the streets on his commute to work, he was an average looking person, nothing but typical about him. He had short hair that he well maintained, he wore a plain blue jacket with a blank white undershirt, accompanied by a pair of black sweatpants. As he walked through the city streets, his mind wandered, it felt like a daydream, however, the sensation simply got stronger and stronger, as if like a door being knocked repeatedly with greater and greater fury with each subsequent knock.

A great multitude of men and women stood in a large formation, standing poised and prepared for battle. Standing opposed to them was a legion of strange creatures, coated in an ebony mist, their image was increasingly blurry to Shang, they approached in droves like waves upon a coast, never relenting in their advance no matter how many times they had fallen, the heroes displayed great resilience as well, not backing down from the ensuing conflict no matter how many of their comrades fell, his perspective of the battle changed rapidly as if seen through the glimpse of a madman, however,  the dream itself had been short lived, and the fit of chaos it brought, subsequently met its abrupt end. He held his head for a moment, and closed his eyes, turning behind him as he thought nothing of what he had just perceived. He continued walking to work, passing off dreams as dreams, and advancing towards what really mattered, reality.

Step after step after step, he marched endlessly towards his destination. The monotony of life was something that never bothered him, it was simple, routine, and easy to follow. He intended to survive, and saw no other way than to simply continue what he was doing. Behind him, he could hear the sound of a television display playing out some broadcast, he listened to it, but not intently, only managing to hear every other word, while a crowd had already formed amongst it, like some kind of religious congregation. It was just some reporter interviewing one of those celebrity hot shots, it was nothing new, it was something that happened a million times under the sun yet people seemed to care about it like it was brand new.

" So, David, how do you see life in a hundred years, what do you think the 22nd Century is going to be like? "

" I think that we will be able to improve the quality of life significantly. People can do anything once they come together, and I feel like after all this fighting...they're bound to. "

Another voice suddenly interjected. " You're so full of shit, Dave. Do you seriously think people are still going to be around in a hundred years? We're barely hanging on as is...I'll give us half a century tops...after that, I don't think so..."

There was a bit of laughter that ensued between the two, it was more than likely whoever these people were, they were friends, close ones at that. " So, what makes you think that, Josh? "

" The planet has been polluted beyond belief and no real change has happened for decades, the same can be said about pretty much every problem we face. It's like nothing even matters anymore. My dad used to talk about the heroes his father used to talk about, now they're just that...oral tradition...whatever paragons of society we had, they're long gone now. "

...

As the denizens of Earth conversed, so did others, drawing their origin from the stars. Far from civilization, two men walked in the deep forested wilds of the Korean Peninsula before entering a clearing, grey clouds floated amidst a bright sky, creating a beautiful juxtaposition that enveloped the area, however, to say these people were men was to stretch the truth of their being. Their skin was pale, like snow, and was accompanied by long, silver hair. Their eyes were of a golden yellow color, giving them an ethereal presence about them. As opposed to human ears, they possessed a furry hearing organ that protruded from the sides of their head, of a light turquoise coloration.

Tall and firm stood Jugana, his features were rough and his clothes were dirty. Scars and bruises littered his body, all of them testaments to his vast military history. He wore a black bodysuit with a dirt stained cloak worn around it. He had short hair, and was on the very verge of balding, many of the early signs already starting to show. There was a certain gravity about his very being that could not be denied, very few people had seen his face and felt nothing.

Chief among such a short list was his compatriot on this journey, Ayudara, who was the adverse of his comrade. He wore illustrious white robes with blue accents. His robes opened up in the middle of his body to reveal much of his developed chest region. His hair was quite long, and was partially but into braids that were coiled in golden bands. His figure was like a stainless statue, one that had seemingly seen nothing, however, his illustrious yellow eyes gave an air of uncertainty about him, an uncertainty that he knew all too well to transform into a deep seated trust.

Ahead of them stood a human, dressed in a dirtied dress suit, his hair was short, scruffy, and deeply black in contrast to the others approaching, he was Central Asian in his complexion, and within his arms, he carried a black box with many locks protruding from its sides. He smiled with a shit faced grin as they came his way, a joyful confidence brimming across his being. " Monja- " Jugana began, only to be cut off by the human.

" Please...call me Temur. Temur Tseren. "

Ayudara smirked, followed by a chuckle. " I heard you were sent to scout this planet out...infiltrate it..seems you've grown a little attached to your human form..." He commented, placing a hand on his chin.

The human looked up at Ayudara, with a bit of a glare, before returning his attention to Jugana. " I have scouted this planet for several centuries...approximately 800 years ago, our technologies had surfaced on the planet, I have attempted to track down the source...however, it has become lost to me now...the technology of this planet was even more primitive then than it is now..."

" It is paramount that we must recover it...these natives cannot be trusted with such immense destructive potential...if I had been informed of this sooner...I would have arrived ages ago..."

Jugana's eyes returned to Ayudara, but he did not address him, still very much weary of the stranger's presence. " Who is he? " Temur asked.

Jugana gestured to the young man. " This is the heir apparent, Ayudara, son of the Chanyu of the Tumad Empire. The Tumad Chanyu has sent him to oversee the pacification of this planet, so it does not interfere with the military ambitions of his majesty. "

As Jugana explained such to him, Temur could not help but laugh. " Him? Oversee you, captain? Look at his face! The lad has probably never even seen a battle, let alone participated in it! " He exclaimed, bursting out into an uncontrolled and unsurpassed fit of giggling, enough to make him roll on the floor.

The prince put on a rather stupid face, as if trying to prove him right. " You must start somewhere, my good friend. " Ayudara replied, a soft smile on his face as he turned away, making his way back from the way that the two had came.

Jugana stared at Temur rather stoically as he continued his laughter for the next few minutes, until stopping to contain himself, and then breaking out into an obnoxious second wave until he stopped for good. " Temur. I will have you scout the area for a good vantage point to set up a base of operations here...staying in our ship for the duration of the pacification will only be a waste of fuel. " He commanded, about to turn away to follow Ayudara when Temur suddenly spoke.

" A ship? I thought you commanded several? "

" Our forces have been spread thin and subdivided, as we speak, members of my fleet are already being used many lightyears away from one another. The ambitions of his majesty far exceed our normal chain of command. We only have a few of the prince's entourage as enforcers for the time being, I don't know if my own troops will be coming considering how far this conquest spans...  "

Temur nodded, it seemed things had changed quite significantly during his absence. He grabbed the box he held previously and went on his merry way to go forward with his task.

" Do not worry my friend. I have just the remedy..."
...

Cassandra was walking down the streets of Kowloon, Hong Kong alongside her sister, Hannah. Cassandra possessed short black hair, which was complimented by a set of round, large glasses. She wore a modest and simplistic Victorian era dress despite being a 21st century girl, and her sister could barely stand her ' quirks '. Hannah, conversely, was a brunette with long hair and was far more comfortable in her contacts. She wore a set of Capris jeans and a white tank top, with a matching denim jacket. The black haired teen bent down as she came across a flower, immediately earning the ire of her sister, who responded with a loud, annoyed sigh. " This is the ninth flower that you've stopped for, what the hell is wrong with you? "

Cassandra got up and pulled out a sketchbook from her person, quickly drawing the outline flower with great speed. " Soon enough, we're not going to be able to see things like this anymore. We've damaged the planet irreparably...things can only go downhill from here. "

" You're really a cynic about these kinds of things, huh? Well if you keep stopping I'll have no choice but to keep walking without you. "

Cassandra perked up her glasses and smirked giddily. " And what would mom say when I get lost? " She asked, as if intentionally to get under the skin of her sister. 

Hannah simply grunted again in annoyance, and began to walk on without her sister, albeit, in a pace that she could easily catch up with. Cassandra continued doing her sketch, however, her mind suddenly shifted from her drawing. She saw the image of a triumvirate of strange figures, too fast and fleeting to perfectly capture. As she stared into the image, the image stared back at her until she was brought out of it. Her pencil struck against her drawing while she was within the trance, creating a large black line through the flower. She stared at the drawing for a bit, her breathing becoming steady, until she got up and walked, following her sister back home.

...

Akeem had situated himself in a local restaurant in Kowloon, known as Jeremy's, named after the favorite song of its owner, Jeremy by Pearl Jam. It was a rather cheap place, but that was part of the appeal. It had a few murals depicting various scenes from ' Romance of the Three Kingdoms ' and ' Water Margin '. The white and dark green tiles always had a little dirt on them, and neon lights occasionally flickered throughout the place. Akeem firmly sat at a table with an employee. Akeem wore a simple turquoise robe with orange accents surrounding it, in addition to an all orange hat that rested firmly upon his head, his skin was rather dark in comparison to the other residents of Kowloon, having a deep tan complexion matched with a pair of illustrious, brown eyes. " I like bread...I like raisins...but if you put them together...I can't fucking stand it! Do you understand the person I am? I can exist as a human being, I can love the planet I reside upon, but that does not mean I am obligated to like most people. " He explained rather loudly to the employee, who seemed rather dazed and tired by this point.

" Akeem...how do you expect to make any friends with an attitude like that? "

Akeem's face immediately lit up into a grimace. " Have you even been listening to me!? I do not seek or desire companionship. It is through this principle that I gain my strength, by prioritizing myself, I have risen above other human beings in their capabilities. "

His tone began very angry, however, there was a certain gravity to his voice afterwards, it was calm, commanding, powerful, the kind of voice only found in kings. The employee was shocked for a moment, however, he quickly dismissed him, passing Akeem a light drink. It was entertaining observing a specimen like him, it was the only thing that had been keeping him listening to his conversations about his ideals. He had a sort of charisma about him, however, it was almost always juxtaposed to his audible distaste for other human beings. There was a strange rustling throughout the area, almost like an earthquake. The neon lights began to flicker more than they usually did, as sparks flew throughout the area. Akeem turned over to watch as many people made their way for the exit, trampling, screaming, shouting, punching, kicking, pushing their fellow men. " That...is why I hate humans...at our core we are all deplorable beings...and yet, we guise ourselves as the pinnacle of this world. " Akeem said, feeling something rustle through his sleeves and fall onto the table, face down.

It was a tarot card. Akeem was rather fond of the divine, as he did not have a great amount of faith placed within other people. He turned over the tarot card, and his face lit up with shock. It was ' The Tower '. It was a card that represented crisis incarnate, the abrupt destruction of the status quo. " This is no mere earthquake..." The raven haired man muttered, rushing through the crowd as he went on over to see what exactly was going on in the streets.

The ground continued to tremble, and the morning sky was littered with stars. They shown brightly as rays shot forth from them, congregating together as a figure formed from nothing. It was not materialization, but some form of advanced teleportation. A pale figure emerged, adorned in light brown robes with deep black animal furs all over its body. It possessed a pink, fleshy appendage protruding from its back in addition to oddly shaped ears that shot out from the sides of its face. " Denizens of Earth. I am Apex, I have been sent by Captain Jugana to retrieve technology that has been deprived of my people and hidden upon this planet. Silence will not be tolerated. " The creature spoke, smirking as the crowd simply look in awe and disbelief of her arrival, all of them dumbfounded by her sudden and violent appearance.

Suddenly, a bow-staff was hurled straight towards her, which she had taken notice of, quickly grabbing a nearby bystander and using them as a shield as the bow-staff bludgeoned them, the pole only managing to graze her skin. A figure hopped down from above, dressed in a blue cloak, he was quite the unit, being 6 and a half feet tall, towering over many of the others in the area. His head had been clean shaven, with the exception of a single, slim braid that was slung down onto his back. The mysterious figure lunged at Apex, launching his hands towards her in quick, precise chops. He moved with exceeding elegance, as if he himself was like water, constantly changing to suit his environment. " Your presence is not tolerated here, foul creature! " He exclaimed, only for Apex to throw the bludgeoned corpse at him in defiance.

The sapphire warrior proceeded to evade the body that was coming straight at him, however, in the midst of this, he lost track of his enemy. She had vanished entirely, leaving no trace. He grabbed his bow staff, and got within a fighting stance, observing the area carefully before turning around and beginning to walk away. Whispers filled the area at his very presence, heroes of his caliber had been absent for generations. Seeing something like him in action felt more akin to a blue moon, fitting to his colors. His eyes locked onto Akeem, and he began to part the crowd to approach him, however, he felt something under the soles of his sandals. He immediately looked down to see the face of Apex, as if emerging from water, she shot out from the ground and grasped his legs. " I've never encountered anything like this before..." He thought to himself, the creature digging her claws into his legs.

The warrior quickly performed a sweeping kick against the monster, and began to make a run for it, trying to pull the creature away, however, the crowd forming between the two ensured no escape. Phones and flashing lights littered the crowd, observing the conflict. The man ran towards Apex, only for the creature to dive back down into the ground and emerge like nothing happened, her tail wrapping around his neck from behind as she emerged, kicking the right leg of her opponent while he was immobilized, dislocating his leg. She continued to constrict him, flashing cameras echoing throughout the crowd amongst chaotic, indiscernible chatter, however, in the midst of this chaos, a voice called out. " Don't kill him. He was here looking for something before you even came. I intend to know exactly what that is. " Ayudara's voice called out in the distance, telepathically communicating with her as she nodded.

Apex released the blue robed man from her grip, and proceeded to sink into the ground soon after, vanishing with no trace. A couple of people rushed through the crowd, propping the man up and helping him. He pointed directly towards Akeem, who stared at him blankly.
" You. Come here. " He muttered, as Akeem followed suit, walking up close to him.

The dark skinned male looked at the tall, slender man, wondering why him out of all the people present. " Akeem Baybar. I am Vietsa...you have been chosen to become a hero of the planet along with several others, this world is in dire need of heroes...my disciple should have gathered most of them by now..." He muttered, coughing up blood as he broke into a coughing fit.

Akeem was a man that was very interested in the divine and occult. This prospect would deter many, but the fact this man knew his first and last name without him ever saying it in his presence was something that only aimed to entice him. He helped the group of people that surrounded Vietsa, taking him to a local hospital.

...

The disciple of Vietsa had gotten very little done in the time given to him. His eyes shot out with anger, impatience, and all around displeasure. He was Li Quan. He had attended the same school as the Lacroix sisters, Cassandra and Hannah respectively, and gained a reputation as a loner, an outsider, never truly feeling tethered to the school like the rest of the student body. He had short, blended black and brown hair, and always wore a signature dark orange jacket with a black undershirt, and black dress pants underneath. " I'm telling you. You two have been chosen to become the next generation of heroes. My master's life is hinging upon my ability to secure the next generation of heroes! " He shouted, to which Cassandra simply scoffed.

" You're a nobody at school. How do I know you're not just some creep trying to get his score in before he's out in the real world! " Hannah shouted, chucking a used lip balm at Li.

She turned over to her sister. " Come on Cass, we better get out of here. "

Her tone was not particularly endearing. It was merely a reminder that Hannah had to drag her around wherever she went, because her mother didn't want her sister going anywhere alone. Hannah shook her head, knowing the feeling that she recently felt had not been all for naught. " I have a gut feeling..."

Hannah was about to say something, but simply huffed in response to her sister. She had to admit, this was a bit out of character for her. While an unwilling protector, the raven haired woman was quick to trust Hannah when it came to these things, for she was a protector regardless of her will. " Alright, magic man, what do we have to do? " Hannah inquired, crossing her arms impatiently.

Li smiled a bit at Cassandra, glad she was able to help alleviate his strife for the time being, even if she didn't exactly know what was going on. He felt his phone buzz with a notification and immediately picked it up, seeing a news tab open. Seeing the headline, he frantically unlocked his device. Live footage of Vietsa against Apex began to play out to him. Seeing his master get beaten so was disheartening to him, he never knew him to be a vulnerable man. To distract himself from thinking about what had happened to him, he scrolled down the article. " We need to get to the hospital. That's where he is right now. "

Li broke into a sprint, watching as the daylight began to die, and the night sky began to overtake the day, however, the lights did not turn on as they usually did during this time of day. As he continued on up ahead, the answer to this peculiar problem quickly became apparent, large craters had formed within the ground prior to their arrival, revealing severed power lines all across the block. The student of Vietsa quickly stopped in his advance, knowing full well that this was no coincidence, they were being played. " Why'd you stop...the hospital is still a while away from here..." Hannah asked, a pinch of nervousness in her voice, she hadn't quite bought into all this hocus-pocus just yet.

Apex emerged from the ground, a devilish smile plastered upon her face. " Master Ayudara merely requested I keep the monk alive...I do not think it is in his best interests for me to do the same for you! " She shouted, running towards the male head on, aiming to take him out first.

Li was a bit unnerved by what she said. It was clear that whoever this being was, they served a higher being. Whoever he was about to fight was no mere brute either, and needed to be dispatched accordingly. Li closed his eyes and breathed in a deep, an aura of energy forming around his body as he began to glow brightly. He was suddenly enveloped by a green armor that formed over his skin, a blue visor forming upon his face. He punched the ground, and suddenly, an array of wooden pikes formed beneath the ground, which Apex began to crawl upon like a squirrel.  " What is this power! The monk didn't wield this kind of energy! " Apex shouted, utterly confused as to what was happening.

The armor the man was wearing was Tumad in nature. Whatever it was drawing its origin from, it had to be from the stolen technology that she had been informed about. " Like these two, I have been chosen by the planet to protect it. By using the Qi around me and harnessing its energy...I have the ability to unleash one of the five basic elements. " He said calmly, two twin roots shooting out from the ground to grab Apex and restrain her, however, she scurried on them like an animal, her hand transforming into a claw as she swung it at Li, scratching up his visor. She began to continue a barrage of attacks at him, locking him into an full on assault before he could counter.

Hannah looked on at Li, frightened of what was going to happen if Apex kept this up. Cassandra observed similarly, however, a fire was building up inside her. Seeing Li get hurt like that only made her angry, in pure impulse, leaving her senses behind, she elbowed Apex in a flanking maneuver, giving Li an opening to strike her throat with a one inch punch that sent her back a few feet. " You think that means anything! I'll show you! " Apex exclaimed, grabbing a wire from the broken power line and diving into the ground, aiming to fry the man inside of his metal shell.

Li pounded his hands into the ground in retaliation, sending a series of sharp roots towards Apex beneath the ground, striking her several times and warranting a scream, followed by a silence. The green warrior let out a sigh of relief as he believed the battle to be done, however, looking onwards in the distance, he realized it was far from it. Apex emerged from the ground, bleeding from many places, but still very much alive, running with her tail between her legs back to her masters, figuratively speaking.

He turned on over to Cassandra and smiled at her beneath his helm. " Thanks for that..."
...

Akeem stood in the hospital beside Vietsa, he had made sure to pay for the expenses for his injuries, or rather, pitched in with the other people that brought him to the hospital. Most of the city had been out of power due to Apex's actions, however, the hospitals had been left untouched due to Ayudara's edict to her. He didn't know why, but there was something special about Vietsa. He was no mere human in his eyes, the divine circled around him, and enticed him immensely. " You will begin your training as a guardian of the planet in due time. My disciple will be your teacher while I recover. " Vietsa said, sitting up, groaning as he grasped his legs.

The door opened, as if on cue. Li had arrived with the Lacroix twins, and he immediately rushed to the side of his master, glad beyond words that he was alright. Vietsa grasped Li's hand immediately. " My student. I entrust you to be the provisional leader of this team in my stead, once you come in contact with the true leader, you will travel to Beijing. Be fast in your movement. Our enemy is one unlike any we have faced before, if this is merely the beginning...I truly fear what awaits our future. "

Li's eyes widened, not in surprise, but in a jaded anger. " Provisional leader!? Master, I have moved heaven and earth to be your greatest student, I- "

Vietsa cut him off, and pulled his hand down with immense force, bringing his entire body crashing down onto the bar of the hospital bed. " You are my student. The planet has not chosen you to be the leader of this group, be grateful of the honor you already have. " He spoke, there was a cold gravity to his voice, unlike Li's confused exclamations, his voice was soft, never needing to exceed a normal speaking decibel for every syllable had a world of weight to it in his eyes.

Li blinked a bit in shock, and nodded as he weakly picked himself back up. " I understand, master. We will be on our way. " He sighed, respectfully bowing to him as he exited the room, the other three in tow...