What the fuck is with me and passing out recently?

Oh, yeah. Accepting the offer to sell my soul to the spandex-clad devils named the Titan Club (my father in particular) to save the Outcasts' lives as well as my grandparents'.

Folks, you can pretty much guess that this part of the story is bound to get more bonkers as I soon woke up inside a casket-like pod that was a big as a vending machine and could easily fit up to two people in here (if not for the fact that my arms were attached to two IVs and restraints while my feet were also bound. In front of me was a glass door that enabled to see my father and the Dermotts (all of them now dressed in jeans and casual T-shirts) as the trio smiled faintly and waved hello. I couldn't hear anything due to the humming from outside, but I did see Marcel mouth something like "You're going to do okay, Kyle. Relax."

If I wasn't restrained right now and didn't have the lives of Tamarious and the others on my mind, I'd smash through that glass door and choke the living shit out of that bastard, damn his gorgeous tilted eyes (I'll deny it if you told him that) before risking death to escape town. Instead, all I could do was keep a cool head and let myself prepare for whatever was about to happen.

"Hello, Kyle York," I heard a computerized male voice say from out of nowhere.

I looked around. "Who- who is this?" I asked confusedly.

"I am simply known as Matrix, the AI version of this machine that will help you with your transformation," the voice replied gently. "From here, you'll be unconscious as your body will be in tune with your future metahuman self. You being unconscious will not only easy any pain but also be in tune with you Titan alter-ego. It's all complicated to explain in layman's terms, but I assure you that your transformation will begin a new era of what will be the next chapter of your life. It's not what you think, but what you can become. There's been many assumptions of what the Titan Club stands for and what the conspratory theorists want you to believe that are not beneficial, but the brotherhood have been the best-kept secret from the world. Many have been called, but only the worthy and the dutiful have been chosen."

That just left me confused with a lot of questions.

I heard a small chuckle. Are computers allowed to chuckle nowadays or have I completely lost my goddamned mind? "Again, young master Kyle, it's all complicated to understand now, but know that you will become a part of the waiting dynasty that will usher into a new age," Matrix replied. "You'll feel faster, freer, stronger, sensible, powerful, ready to take on the world and discover what it has to offer for you. Trust in the process. Believe in the impossible. Believe in yourself. There's no promise for tomorrow for the cynics and the agnostics. The future can be yours, Kyle York, once you shed your inhibitors and let go of all the worries and insecurities. Are you willing to take the chance, Kyle York? Are you willing to be bold and let go of all the things that hold you back?"

I took a deep breath. "I came too far now to turn back," I replied honestly. "On the one hand, I'm still not sold on this idea at all and want to remain faceless in the crowd. But on the other hand, I know too much right now and all that I love dearly is on the line. I have to do this, not just for them...but for me. Just don't let me be broken or misused more than I already have."

"Very well," Matrix commented as a small hiss came from the ventilators. "The transformation process will begin soon. Breathe deeply and smell the roses while you can. You close your eyes as an agnostic. But when you wake up, you will become a believer."

I soon saw the clouds of gas as my nose was soon filled with the scents of roses and other flowers before I felt my eyes growing heavily. I saw Kyle grin widely as he waved and mouthed, "See you when you wake up, love!"

It would be the last thing I saw before going under yet again.

*************

DREAM SEQUENCE

My eyes flew open as I stared at a vast empty void. "Hello," I called out, looking around to see that the white void wasn't really a void at all but an all-white room with a small sitting area. "Anyone here?"

"I've been waiting for you," I heard a powerful voice say lowly.

I whirled around...before letting my eyes go wide and jaw drop at the sight of a more-confident version of myself. He was dressed in a simple white shirt and pants that fitted his athletic frame perfectly. His smirk was similar to Marcel's, but in a playful way as he crossed his arms while we stared at one another. But the one thing that made a huge difference between the two of us was his champagne-gold eyes that glowed powerfully. "Who...who are you?" I asked softly. "What is all of this?"

The dominant version of me chuckled deeply. "I'm you," he said. "Or rather, the unseen version of you- the one that you kept hidden away because of your ignorance and insecurities. But you can call me by your new name...Kevarix. And as for where we are, we're in the actual matrix between the world you live in and the world which all Titan alters are created."

"So it's more of a conscience thing, right?" I asked, feeling more confused than before. What was it with everyone wanting to be the next goddamned Zordon from the "Power Rangers" franchise?

"Oh, it's more than that, but it'll take years to explain it all. And you and I...well, we need to be on one accord with each other," Kevarix replied as he motioned for me to follow him to a waiting TV that appeared out of nowhere. "Tell me something, Kyle. Why do you think that life is always this black-and-white system? Why does your mindset keep you from enjoying what life has to offer?"

I squared my shoulders. "Because I've been taught that nothing lasts forever and that I need to focus on what's really important, like my schooling, future careers, and even being real with myself," I replied firmly. "My grandparents came from no-nonsense backgrounds and they believed in practicality, something that my father never got the message because all he wanted was to chase after something that's not stable enough. My sisters got his message of being a part of the New-American Dream while I remembered the times of old and simplicity. I believed that today's social norms aren't really that promising for kids like myself- kids who ask themselves what the big picture is really like.  I stuck with the kids who were deemed to be seen as 'nobodies,' the ones everyone else tossed to the side and left us to scramble around for the scraps. I believed that I have to keep my nose clean and spend less time with anything that's deemed a distraction- like chasing false dreams and running in the rat races of social climbing. I didn't want that because it's all a part of the things that I can't take with me when I die."

Kevarix gave me a dour stare as the TV screen began playing memories of being seen with my old circle of misfits back in Oakland, a certain scene where I was attending a small party held by one of the theater kids as we talked about wanting to spice up the entertainment industry by showing darker and edgier films that made people think. I was in ninth grade at the time and celebrating my 14th birthday since neither Mom and Dad cared enough to celebrate it with me, the screen showing them throwing another lavish dinner party for their friends and clients while Khandi and Khadijah entertained the clientele's snobbish kids. "You could've been there, you know?" Kevarix commented as the dinner party went on. "Yourr dad's clients' kids were waiting to talk to you and were even planning to talk about your designs and all."

I rolled my eyes. "They just wanted to say the same thing like Dad would always say," I replied. "'It's good and all, but it can be better if you gave thought to what's going on with today's trends.' 'You need to spice up your life and spend time with winners.' 'Your designs are too blah. Be a part of the cool world. Be bold.' I didn't have time for all of that shit, man. I was a nerd who had my own flair and didn't want to be bothered with being a poser. I could only be me."

"But didn't you think that you deserve somehting more than what you've settled for?" Kevarix rebutted. "Didn't you get tired of settling for less than what you should be going after?"

"Who can say? Like I said, nothing can last forever."

Kevarix sighed heavily, a small clap of thunder rumbling. "I only have one more question, and I need you to be honest with me," he replied, his tone brooking no argument. "Do you think that you can give being a Titan- being one with me and letting me help you be more than what you perceive to be- a chance? Can you surrender all of your insecurities, fears, and anything else that holds you back from living life...to the darkness and embrace the new world that's waiting for you to discover? Right now, the present belongs to the mediocre, but the future can be yours for the taking. Stop denying yourself what's yours and stop settling for less. Be more. Be one with me. Let me take you to new heights."

"But-"

My clone placed a single finger on my lips. "Do not think about what could go wrong, Kyle," he said as our clothing disappeared that left us naked before another clap of thunder rumbled from somewhere. "Think about what can be yours right now. Shake away all of the insecurities and embrace me- embrace your new destiny."

The room suddenly grew dim until a lone spotlight centered on our naked bodies before a dense fog swirled around us. "What's happening?" I asked, a painful headache throbbing in my head while a bright light soon enveloped us as Kevarix wrapped me in a tight hug. "What's going on?"

"It's begun, Kyle," he said in my ear as the fog and the bright light grew. "Let go. Let go of your past and embrace the future. Embrace it all."

The headache pain grew as I looked at the TV screen to see the memories from my past being erased, one by one as the thunder began crashing louder and louder."

"Kevarix..." I moaned, him wrapping me tighter in the hug."

"Just let it go," I heard him intone. "Let me be you and let yourself be me. Let yourself be one with me."

All I could do was hug him back, shutting my eyes and letting my memories be erased.

"So it is, it is so," I heard Kevarix intone as I felt a more-comforting warmth surround me as the darkness swallowed me once again...

**********

Readers, I bet you're wondering if the person typing my story has finally lost his goddamned mind. Hey, I don't blame you. But it's my version of events, so sue me if you want to. Besides, I can only tell you that the next several chapters from here on our are going to be chaotic as fuck, so buckle up for safety and hang on for the wildest ride.

And he's not wrong, folks! Right now, act two is going to be nutty and the next few chapters after the next one will be...well, you'll have to stick around to see for yourself.

Dedication: Olivia_Benedetti and AuthorOliviaGrace. Song: "Boadicea" by Enya

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