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The crowd of onlookers thins as time passes by, until even the most persistent stargazers pack their telescopes and cameras, exchanging waves and airing disappointments to one another as the sky fails to dazzle that night from their ridge overlooking a serene Northern California lake.

Every night for the past several weeks, a crowd ranging from lovers of scenery to scientists, carve a new path through the redwoods to witness a brilliant aurora paint the sky. Lately, the lights have only gotten brighter, with new shades blending in as if turbulent forces were clashing with the northern lights daring to venture this far south.

But tonight, there are no lights. Not a single green or turquoise streak to set the scenery for gestures of love or discovery of the stars above. In its place is the usual moonlight and silence that fails to dazzle a crowd with much to celebrate, as the ridge they stand on was spared by the recent wildfires, and the scientists were finally gone, departing without a single answer to the millions of questions taking up prized space on their narrow ridge.

The stargazers will never know why there were no lights that night, and they'll never understand why they never saw another aurora paint the sky over Thaddeus Axton's manor ever again.

Far beyond the ridge, Indigo stares out through a narrow window running the length of the curved walls to their bedroom, unable to sleep for a single moment on that long night before their flight to London.

Only now do they recognize that their plan relies solely on the success of Kamala aiming Aarden's cannon at a werewolf through a crowded event before they have to break into the mind of their greatest fear.

In the hours before the pre-dawn light shines into their small bedroom, Indigo reaches for their cellphone on the nightstand to call Marina Fletcher. She answers, her melodic voice ringing through.

Already in London, Marina Fletcher goes for a late morning walk along the River Thames, observing an arena from her vantage point on the Isle of Dogs.

"I'm surprised you rang; we haven't really spoken in a long time."

Indigo leans back onto the bed, their hands running through their messy blue hair.

"I thought it would help settle my nerves to speak to you. Where are you, can you see the venue?" They ask, counting the golden flowers on the molding surrounding their bedroom.

Fletcher leans against a cold railing, her keen eyes focused on the site before her.

"See it? I can hear it from across the river. I figured Dietrich would choose a large venue to host his event. Well, he chose the largest venue London has to offer and it still won't be enough. Whatever he's planning, it's going to be grand," Fletcher says, squinting her eyes to see a crew of workers hauling equipment into the domed arena across the river, "can you communicate that to the others?"

"Will do. Whatever he's planning, we're taking it down tonight."

"You sound nervous."

Indigo hesitates. Silence being the only alternative, they open up to the peacock on the other end of the phone.

"Phoenix won't be there, of course I'm nervous. But knowing I'll soon be back home to Orson helps."

There's a long silence before Indigo speaks again.

"We're all going to have to make some big decisions real soon. I think I've made mine. It was nice talking to you, Marina."

"Of course, I'll be here waiting for you all. See you soon, Indigo, give the others my best."

Fletcher hangs up, unable to see what's on the horizon before her, or the assailant behind her who tastes the air as he stalks her from amongst the morning rush, prepared to strike.

***

Realizing sleep will never come, Indigo makes their way to the library where the rest of the team anxiously waits, each with an identical look of exhaustion on their faces.

Aarden is the last to stroll in, waving lazily as they stand beside Kamala, unable to remember the last time he saw a sunrise. Only the forest speaks before Kyran strides in from the annex, carrying a large aluminum case he hands over to Aarden. He pulls a smaller case from his coat pocket and places it onto the fireside desk, snapping open the lid to pass them each a small earpiece.

"One for each of you, and please don't lose them this time. Even though you all must believe we have an endless supply of money, equipment like this is still very difficult to come by, and I don't have the charisma left in me to acquire another set."

"We'll make sure to take care of them," Quinn says, handing hers to Aarden to keep in his jacket.

"Zenith 6, copy," Aarden speaks into his own earpiece after pushing it deep into his pointed ear, "it feels good to finally say that."

"There's no need to place your hands on your ears, unless you want everyone to know you're wearing an earpiece," Kamala teases him as she slips into a Zenith branded jacket.

Kyran contemplates telling the team what he expects will happen on their arrival, but when he places two communicators in Indigo's hand, he knows he's said everything he wants to say by the look in the rabbits' eyes.

"You think so?" Indigo asks.

Kyran nods. "We haven't lost him yet."

Later, in the barren airstrip beyond the lake, the engines of the Cepheus roar to life with fire as Kyran flips on switches from his seat at the nose of the aircraft. The others strap themselves securely into their seats, unsure what comes next.

"No turning back now," Kyran tells himself as he grips the controls tightly. Thinking only of Zephyr, he pushes gently, sending the jet down the runway before pulling up off the ground.

Kamala closes her eyes and grips Quinn's hand as her body presses into the seat, her head spinning as they soar above the forest.

"I hate flying," Kamala confesses as the jet slices through waves of turbulence hidden in the golden morning air.

"Hold yourself together because we can't do this without you," Aarden says as he watches the details disappear from the window.

"It will all be over soon," Kamala assures Quinn, having known her long enough to tell she's nervous.

"Then what?" Quinn asks.

"Then we'll have to figure that out together," Kamala says.

In his seat, Aarden thinks about what Fletcher told him the day before, but the fear that everything will change remains in his heart as he turns back to see the empty manor through a small window as they circle back eastward like a lone black star in the bright dawn.

He holds onto the truth revealed to him by the memories of Elio Xavier like a secret, unsure of what to believe or if the revelation about his adaptation is even true.

If it is, Aarden hopes it will be enough to save them.

***

London, July 2015.

London is larger, louder and more crowded than Aarden imagined it would be. Since landing the Cepheus beside an abandoned warehouse in the outskirts of the city, the Zenith and their guests have traveled via the Underground toward their safe house by the arena. On their way there, whispers of Ziegler's event cross their consciousness.

Dressed handsomely in tailored tuxedoes and glimmering gowns, the five lure the gaze of onlookers, some of which ask about the mysterious event occurring in the arena. As they near their final platform, Indigo assists Quinn with her make up. She makes faces at Aarden, who laughs nervously, his hands tucked into the shallow pockets of an emerald suit.

It's the first time he's been away from Xavier's jacket, and it makes him feel naked.

Despite all of their training and preparation, a sense of uncertainty hangs over them like a menacing storm front. Dread rises in each of their hearts, as if bracing themselves for a funeral.

"No way else but forward," Aarden says to himself over the hum of the train.

Through the sliding doors, the Zenith spill into the crowd at the platform, pushing against the current of the city until they reach a path overlooking the River Thames.

"It's a lot wider than I remember," Kyran says, placing his entire weight on the metal railing as the amber glow of a fading sunset beckons for the nightlife of London to sprout from the city surrounding them.

"It's not too wide to jump across," Kamala says at his right, trying her best to reassure him, his arms shaking as he grips tighter on the railing.

"I know, but that still doesn't make me any less afraid. The last time I felt this way, Phoenix had to pull me out, but he's may not be here to do that anymore, so there's no other choice but to make it across. Are you ready?" Kyran asks as five sets of hands interlock in preparation for the instant leap of a thousand feet.

"For Zephyr," Kamala says, holding Kyran's hand tightly.

"Still no sign of Fletcher. Do you think something happened to her?" Aarden asks, Quinn's heart beating through their interlocked fingers. He tries to focus on what's ahead of him, but he's distracted by the fact that Fletcher wasn't where she said she'd meet them.

"She's probably back in Brixton, seeing all the sights. She'll be here when we get back, I'm sure of it," Indigo reassures them from the end of their chain.

Kyran takes a deep breath and leaps, teleporting them across the river.

Through smoke riding along the evening breeze like nightfall, five sets of dress shoes clatter onto stone as they gain access into the arena hosting Ziegler's luxurious event, a large domed stadium wearing a crown of outward facing spires.

Aarden fidgets with the sleeves of his tailored suit as they avoid every set of eyes lining the narrow passageways after gaining access into the arena.

"You'll raise suspicion if you keep tugging like that," Kyran hisses, leading the way.

"I tried to make the new casing as narrow as possible," Aarden says as the gentle melodies from a live orchestra greet them as they approach the floor of the venue, "but it's impossible for something that powerful to be so small."

"Speak for yourself dear," Indigo says, applying a fresh coat of candy lipstick onto their pouty lips.

"Well, getting in was the easy part, what's next?" Aarden asks, his empty stomach churning.

"Now comes the hard part. Blending in," Kyran says, signaling for them to split up as they reach the spacious floor of the arena.

"I'll try to. I haven't been to a party this tame in a while," Indigo says, strutting into the party, their hypnotizing tail getting some attention from a large stallion they pass by.

Aarden and Quinn steps outside as Kamala pushes forward.

Sometime later, Kyran takes a seat at the head of a small round table, observing from afar as he accepts a glass of golden liquid from a well-dressed ocelot.

"You must be the youngest guy I've seen here all night. I may even need to see some identification," she teases, winking.

"It's usually the wives who are the younger ones, aren't they?" Kyran says, smiling handsomely at her.

"Now those I've seen a lot of tonight. They sure look bored though, I don't think they'll want to stick around here all night long."

"Well, geneticists and their investors aren't the youngest crowd if you can imagine that. I have a feeling it's going to be an early night for you," Kyran says, taking a large sip of the drink as she walks away.

"She's right, we'll stick out," Kamala's voice rings from his earpiece.

"You'll stick out, that dress is far too revealing," Kyran says as he waters a potted plant with the rest of his drink.

"If you have it, why not flaunt it? I'm either going to use this ass to sit or seduce some investors, so I'll do the latter and see what I can find about where Ziegler may be," Kamala says, slipping into the dim light at the fringes of the arena floor.

"Spare me the details," Kyran says, adjusting his tie.

In the opposite end, Indigo maneuvers their way to the bar, welcoming every dirty thought being said of them as they pass through a crowd of expensive tuxedoes in their blue rhinestone dress.

They shout their choice of drink to the bartender's wide back over a particularly loud piece by the orchestra before he turns around to smile at them.

"Are you sure you should be drinking? You always get a bit frisky when you do," Phoenix says as he hands Indigo a small glass of amber liquid.

Indigo strikes the lion across his large face, barely moving him but making his eyes tear from the sting as he straightens himself back up.

"I deserved that."

"That was for me, what you deserve is much worse. What the hell are you doing here?"

Phoenix stirs a drink with a long metal spoon, making Indigo's ears twitch from the strangely unpleasant sound of metal clinking on glass.

"Why am I here? The same reason any of you are. One last mission before we go our separate ways. You didn't think I'd miss out on this did you?"

"You tried to kill Kyran! And you're doing exactly what I expected you to do. Come crawling back with those big beautiful sad eyes, expecting everything to be just fine between us. I believed you changed once before, but I'm not falling for that shit again."

"That may be true between myself and Kyran, but never you," Phoenix says, dropping a cocktail and cursing as cold drink and glass spills at his feet.

"Then you obviously don't know me anymore. What are you doing dressed as a bartender anyway?"

Phoenix bites into the cork of a bottle before pulling, spilling deep red onto his mane.

"That wasn't the plan? And I thought I was the dumb one, you guys stick out you know. Then again, I've pretty much ruined every drink I've made today so if there's anyone that shouldn't be here, it's me."

"You can say that again," Indigo says, downing the drink.

Phoenix rests his elbows on the countertop, leaning in so closely, the rabbit can smell the drink on his sweet breath.

"I like the way your little nose furrows when you're mad at me. I missed that."

Indigo storms off, leaving Phoenix's communicator in the empty glass they hand back to him.

***

In the warm summer night outside the arena, Aarden and Quinn dream about what lies beyond the river, and toward the hectic London nightlife, wondering how different their lives would be if they decided to abandon everything behind them to become a part of the organized chaos of city life before them.

"Has anything changed since you've last been here?" Aarden asks her, the sights of such a massive city overwhelming him.

"Too much has changed," Quinn responds, leaning to rest her head on Aarden's shoulder, "but the city looks the same."

"Why do I feel so guilty?" Aarden asks, admiring how beautiful the violet raccoon looks draped in black silk.

"For what?"

"For wanting to run away from who I am and get lost in all of that together. I'm not oblivious. I know exactly how this will end, and I'll once again be a burden to those around me. You were right, things will change, and I guess I'm the last one to accept that."

Quinn turns to him.

"All I wanted to do since the day I met you was get lost in some city together. If you're serious about it, we can go."

Aarden gently brushes some of the red tipped fringe over Quinn's ethereal eyes.

"When?"

"Now."

A knot builds in his stomach before rising to his throat as the fears he fought in the weeks leading up to this re-emerge.

"You know we can't tonight, at least not until we save Zephyr."

"What does any of that have to do with us anyway? If we run away now, it will change nothing, we're just getting a head start and avoiding having to say goodbye. We can't do what they can," Quinn says, anger in her voice, "were not Zenith."

"Just because this doesn't affect you personally doesn't mean it's not important, this is so much bigger than you or me," Aarden says, frustration in his voice.

"Is it bigger than us?"

"If you believe it isn't, you're being selfish."

Quinn pushes his hand away as tears build up and fall down the purple mask on her face.

"What exactly do you plan on doing Aarden, your best? You can't do the things they can do."

Aarden tries to hide the pain blossoming in his heart.

"Even those who feel powerless can do something. I'll figure it out, I always do. I spoke with Xavier--

Aarden is close to speaking the truth revealed to him when Phoenix's voice rings loudly in their ears.

"Hello everyone, Zenith 4 here, surprise for those of you who didn't know, but we have a situation here on the arena floor. It appears an old dog from Amsterdam has spotted our pink panther in the crowd, and he's not happy."

Aarden wipes his eyes in his sleeves to turn back toward the arena, but Quinn remains rooted in the same spot.

"I can't do it anymore Aarden, but it was fun while it lasted," Quinn says, leaving Aarden with the exhilarating swell of his first kiss as her glossy lips press against his.

Without having the time to think, Aarden runs back into the arena, turning his back to Quinn, who throws her communicator as far as she can into the river before disappearing into the night, cutting through strangers like a wandering ghost, as hurt as she always feels, but finally free for the first time.

Aarden turns to face the venue, but all he sees is a pair of hellish eyes.

***

"This cunning lioness deceived me! She took my nightclub, and then burned my life's work to ashes," an old dog barks to a gathering crowd as Kamala burns his hands in her grip as he pulls on the back of her red dress.

"After what you did to those girls, I should've done a whole lot worse to you than what I did to your club. So, if you want to have this discussion now, I'm more than happy to settle this here," Kamala says, growling as he splashes drink on her with each exaggerated gesture.

Phoenix parts the crowd with his large body to stand between them.

"Look, I'm the one who burned your place down, and I doubt you want to fight me. So, can't we all just let this go, or would you prefer I join my sister here in our little parlay outside?"

The dog lunges forward before his frantic eyes are set adrift in a sea of lavender when he stares into Indigo's pacifying eyes, forgetting everything he was upset about as if it were a passing dream.

"What would you do without me?" Indigo asks as Kyran makes his way through the dispersing crowd.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Kamala hisses, slapping Phoenix's hand away from her shoulders.

"Kamala, I--

"Are you troubling our distinguished guests?" Ziegler's gruff voice sounds as he paces toward them. The tall timber wolf looks unrecognizable, from his long crimson hair resting neatly on his back to the faded scars on his face, some sort of make-up added on to blend into the dark fur. The only sign of damage on the gaunt wolf is the tired look in his dark eyes. He places his hands on Indigo's shoulders, grinning down at them as he feigns a genial smile.

The old dog stares at him, his mind slipping. "Not at all, Dietrich. I was just looking for my wife. I confused one curvy cat with another. Can you blame me, they're both around the same age!"

"Who would be so unlucky as to marry you?" Ziegler asks through a sneer to a round of laughter, accepting a glass of bubbling amber drink and toasting to the team before him.

"Come, all of you. I want to show you something you won't want to miss. Ladies and gentlemen, The Zenith!" Ziegler says, raising his glass as waves of applause crash throughout the venue.

"Come, all of you," the wolf insists, his bushy eyebrows settling down to it's usual frown.

The Zenith follow Dietrich Ziegler behind his impressive stage and through the inner-workings of the venue until they're led into a large storage room where they find Aarden, who smirks nervously at them, waving bloody hands bound to the arms of a steel chair.

Thorne keeps a close but distant eye on Aarden, snarling at the team from the dark corner of the cramped room.

"Whatever device is attached to his arm, it won't budge, almost as if he has a magnetic attraction to it. I've asked politely, but he's not easily intimidated. Perhaps those of you who are a bit more familiar with me could talk some sense into your friend here and let him know how serious I am when I say I'll have Zephyr tear his arm off if he doesn't hand over whatever weapon he's concealing."

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Where are you hiding Zephyr, Strangelove?" Aarden asks, winking and spitting blood onto the floor.

Ziegler strikes Aarden across his jaw in frustration. Kyran leaps forward but he's pushed backward by Thorne, who swipes at the panther with his powerful tail, tearing into his coat and tearing open one of his still healing wounds.

"You're not the only ones who made last minute improvements to your weaponry," Ziegler says, pacing the room. "He's a brand-new Thorne."

Ziegler tears off the rest of Aarden's sleeve and twists his arm violently, examining the cannon closely.

"Is this your grand plan? You've resorted to assassinating me with whatever this is? Thaddeus taught you well. Well, if you insist," Ziegler says, removing his coat and throwing it to Thorne. He places his hands behind his head, falling to his knees and leaning in for Aarden to press the cannon between his eyes.

"Shoot!" Ziegler shouts, causing them all to jump.

"Don't shoot," Kyran warns, clutching his shoulder.

"Aarden won't shoot even if he wanted to, none of us would, because Ziegler is one step ahead of us, aren't you?" Kamala says.

"The Pink Panther is right, even if you wanted with everything inside of you to kill me in cold blood right now, you won't, not unless you'd like to silence the song of a beautiful peacock I became reacquainted with earlier today."

The panther's eyes glisten with rage as Ziegler pulls a long white feather from his back pocket and places it on Aarden's lap, staining his tan pants with blood like a feather quill dipped in crimson ink.

"That's where Zephyr is hiding, and on my command, he'll bite Fletcher's beautiful head clean off, unless you all behave and join me on stage to stand by my side as I make history."

"She has nothing to do with this. You don't have to hurt her, we'll go with you," Kamala says, glancing at Kyran, who's expression tells her he's deep in thought.

Ziegler rises and retrieves his coat, brushing dust off his sleeves as he approaches Kamala.

"Look at you, listening to reason for a change. Come," Ziegler instructs Thorne to free Aarden as he gestures for the others to follow him until they're standing behind a tall set of velvet curtains.

Ziegler peers back at them, smiling the strangest smile they've ever seen paint his marred muzzle.

"Despite everything, it's good to see you all in one place like this again. I nearly paid you all a visit in that night club."

"We killed one of your dogs in that nightclub," Aarden reminds him, braver than he feels. "I did that."

The smile disappears from Ziegler's broken face and his searing eyes burn through Aarden, the corners of his mouth curling to reveal an unusually sharp canine before he regains his composure.

"Tell me Aarden, do you remember his name? Because I don't," Ziegler says, a darkness bubbling to the surface of his false smile.

The voice of Thaddeus Axton roars through the venue as the history of Zenith Genetics is spoken to the authors of their tragedy via archived footage.

"If you excuse me, history is calling my name. What happens after is entirely up to you. The time to make your choice is now. I'd think about it carefully, because if you choose to fight me, the songbird who trained you to kill will end up like my compatriot in the nightclub whose slaying you regard with such pride. Remember, whoever chooses to come with me tonight, you'll hold the power to make the whole world fall at your command, as your father had always intended for you. Eventually, you'll realize my mission is inherited, all I'm doing is finishing Thaddeus's work," Ziegler says before disappearing into the light of raucous applause.

"There's nothing Ziegler loves more than talking about himself, so we still have plenty of time to figure this out. So, what do we do?" Phoenix asks Kyran, who doesn't even bother to look back into his eyes, fuming at the sight of him.

He knew Phoenix would be there, but the emotions from the garden fill his heart with rage like a potent venom.

"Look, Kyran. You can go back to hating me when this is all over, as you should, but right now we have to decide what we're going to do. Fletcher's life is in danger," Phoenix says.

"We continue with the plan. Fletcher would agree with me if she were here," Kyran says.

"Are you listening to yourself?" Aarden asks. "Fletcher is one of us, we can't do that to her!"

"She decided to engage knowing she can't defend herself the way we can. She's made her choice."

"So that somehow makes it okay to sacrifice her? Was I not good enough to save on that mountain, or did you only do it because you believed I had powers too?" Aarden demands.

"It's not like that--

"That's exactly what it sounds like to me!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Kyran asks, staring directly into Aarden's angry eyes.

"I'm suggesting we do something right for once and save everyone!"

"You can't save everyone!"

Kamala steps between them.

"We won't if we don't try. Where's Quinn?" Kamala asks Aarden, placing a hand on his shoulder while looking around.

"She made her choice," Aarden says, rubbing his bloody wrists.

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's up to the five of us to rescue Fletcher and Zephyr now," Aarden says, "all in a day's work for The Zenith, right?"

Kamala can't help but to smile as she looks into ardent eyes, proud of how far the once timid red panda has come. It only pains her that she wasn't around for the journey.

Kyran doesn't have the time to argue, his mind racing, he comes up with the best plan he can.

"Phoenix and Aarden, head to the stage. I'm going with Kamala and Indigo to find where Zephyr has Fletcher," Kyran says, signaling for them to split and gesturing to Indigo to search for Fletcher's mind.

"You'll need this," Aarden says, handing the cannon to Kamala.

"Take care of him," Kamala says to Phoenix, winking as the cannon roars to life.

On the stage, Ziegler speaks to the crowd, glaring down at the black smoke dissipating at his feet, knowing The Zenith have made their choice to die.

The wolf leans closer into the microphone, his deep voice booming before his rivals and adversaries.

"What Zenith Genetics has accomplished would've been impossible if not for the efforts of the dauntless visionaries who tragically can't attend today's historic event. Individuals like Soraya Singh who was one of the brightest minds I've ever had the privilege of knowing, or Thaddeus Axton, who we lost not too long ago to a disease we've worked so hard to eradicate. The disease of greed."

Some in the crowd gasp and jeer as Ziegler speaks ill of someone they once hailed as a leader, others listen intently, holding onto every word the eccentric wolf says from behind a tall podium on the stage.

"While I came here with every intention of commemorating these late visionaries, I can't do that without mentioning the lives they've destroyed on their rise to the top, a rise which began right here in London. The direction we'll take Zenith Genetics in will be bold and we'll have our detractors, but if you're in this space, you've been summoned because of your belief that this world is deteriorating. Overcrowded and overrun with pestilence, our planet is suffocating. Together, we'll reign in the dawn, even if we must put the masses to their knees and force their eyes open to see the light. As we speak, Thaddeus's forces, blinded by an allegiance to maintaining the failing course, are running above and below us to thwart our efforts. I speak to them directly now. Kyran, I can give you the reins of power you so desperately deserve. Kamala, I can give you peace and an opportunity to gift her a second chance. Phoenix, I can give you the guidance you need, and the answers you so desperately desire. Indigo, I offer a chance to walk away from this before someone you love is hurt. Aarden, I offer answers to everything kept from you, and a chance to feel as powerful as those who regard you as worthless."

The audience hangs onto every word he speaks. Then, born from the space between silence, shadowy wisps of black smoke fill the unseen space of the arena floor.

The Zenith race through the crowd, Indigo clutching Fletcher's hand closely as they command the crowd to run away. On the stage, Ziegler is shrouded in a cold he's too familiar with as Kyran teleports behind him. The wolf brushes the smoke aside, causing the wisps to dissipate.

Then an inferno erupts behind Kyran as the velvet curtains catch fire, melting screens frozen on an image of Ziegler's handsome face long before the scars made him unrecognizable.

"Well, his speech took a turn. I'm starting to think this is less of an unveiling, and more of an initiation," Phoenix says, grabbing another set of curtains and lighting them ablaze.

Through billows of onyx smoke, the other Zenith leap onto the stage. Kamala points the cannon directly at Ziegler's frozen heart. The wolf raises his arms without breaking his glare from the panther's eyes.

"I didn't kill her, Kamala. Singh is responsible for who you are, I had no part in it. You still have a chance to walk away from this."

Kamala shakes her head as the commotion on the arena floor grows louder.

"Fletcher, get out of here!" Kamala shouts. The peacock nods hesitantly, departing with the thinning crowd.

"Kamala," Ziegler says again before the panther acts.

"You asked for this," Kamala says, firing the cannon.

Thorne pounces onto the stage unseen and repels the blast with the metallic scales forged onto his body. The green laser launches upward, blasting a hole into the arena's domed ceiling, causing debris to rain down toward them. Kamala taps into the Zenith Crown power within her to change the trajectory of the falling metal, stabbing it into the empty seats surrounding them.

Zephyr's piercing howl rings loudly as the werewolf mows his way through the panicked crowd, taking joy in spilling as much blood as he can on his way to his master on the stage.

"Told you those restraints wouldn't last," Kyran tells Kamala as they back away as far as they can on the stage, Phoenix's fire growing rapidly as their surroundings fuel the unrelenting flames.

"You only have one shot Kamala," Aarden reminds the panther as she primes the cannon to launch the polarized Zenith Crown energy.

The cannon whirs loudly, emanating the Zenith Crown's signature song. Kamala raises her arm to shoot when she's knocked off her feet by Thorne's swiping tail. The panther's back crashes onto the stage, knocking the wind out of her chest. She kicks at the lizard while trying to push herself up with her free hand, narrowly avoiding Thorne's poison bite, but searing pain shoots up her body as the lizard buries his claws into her calves, pulling her down to the heat of the roaring fire.

Kamala shoots at Thorne with her adaptation. The dragon turns, shattering the crystalline blast with the thorny scales on his massive back, launching her backward into the evacuating orchestra. Phoenix tackles Thorne, using his full strength to pin him down to the ground.

From the other end of the arena, Kyran shouts Indigo's name as he avoids Zephyr's teeth, keeping the werewolf away with the help of their illusions as Ziegler again frantically instructs the beast to kill. Zephyr howls, filling the room with ear splitting chaos.

The werewolf trips over a lifeless body, falling over Kyran and Indigo, the panther taking the brunt of the werewolf's crushing weight.

Hobbling, Kamala rushes to help Phoenix pin Thorne to the ground. Still gripping Thorne's thrashing tail, she shouts Aarden's name before throwing him the cannon.

Aarden fires two shots, one at Ziegler, who's launched violently back into a table, and one at Zephyr, who's knocked backward enough for Kyran and Indigo to escape his crushing weight. Kyran slumps forward after a few steps, having broken something in the fight.

"One blast wasn't enough; This one should be enough for Kamala to have a try with the Zenith energy," Aarden says, making sure the cannon isn't primed to fire their only shot of concentrated Zenith Crown energy. He's warming the cannon up to pass back to Kamala when Ziegler leaps off the shattered table and shouts a command at Zephyr, who obeys, slicing his claws across Kyran's stomach and chest before the distracted panther can dissolve back to smoke.

Kyran gasps and sputters, staring down to see the raging fire reflecting in pools of lustrous blood spilling over his pitch-black fur. It spills down to the ground, rushing out of him. The panther clutches his stomach, blood pouring from between his fingers as he tries to hold himself together. Kamala rushes to his side, keeping Zephyr at bay as Kyran collapses in the center of the room, staring up at the full moon through the hole in the ceiling.

"How bad is it?" she asks, trying to pry his hands away but he presses harder, shaking his head as blood slips from his mouth.

"I wasn't fast enough. It's up to you now," Kyran says, his teeth forced shut from the pain. "I'll be okay, it's going to take much more than this for you to get rid of me."

"Phoenix, get him somewhere safe, please," Kamala says, trying to control her shaking hands as visions of her dying mother come flooding back to her.

"The fire is surrounding the building; I can't protect him from that for long. The only way out is up," Phoenix says, cradling Kyran gently in his arms as he yells for Indigo to follow him, the rabbit too distracted by the sounds of Thorne's fears cowering in the darkness as Kamala traps him between twisting metal.

Zephyr barrels toward them, tearing apart the seats with his claws, a ravenous thirst for bloodshed in his glowing eyes.

"I can summon the Cepheus to get us, but we're not leaving without Zephyr," Kyran says feebly, reaching into his coat pocket for the small silver transmitter shimmering with blood.

As they run, Aarden passes Kamala the cannon. She forces open the door leading to the steep rooftop and observation deck.

The Zenith step into the summer night, maneuvering past one of the twelve spires circling the canopy of the arena. Seeing no way to go but across, the team climbs the metal railings to the observation deck, Zephyr close behind them, his nose catching the scent of the river as flames sear the sweltering summer air.

"He's going to jump!" Aarden warns as they climb, using his tail to keep himself balanced as he helps Indigo by pulling them up with his strength.

"If he makes it past the river and into the city, we lose him!" Kamala warns, placing her hands on one of the spires, channeling electricity into them until arcs of lightning dance between them, preventing Zephyr from escaping by trapping them in a powerful electric cage.

"He's too far gone, you've failed, and we'll die if we don't make it off this arena," Ziegler calls out, the last living soul to make it onto the refuge on the roof. Flashes of Kamala's lightning reveal Ziegler's severely burned coat of fur clinging to the clothing melted onto his skin.

"Where's Thorne?" Indigo's soft voice cries out from somewhere amongst the smoke.

"I was hoping he'd already be up here, halfway through a well-deserved dinner of roasted hare," Ziegler says, bearing his sharp teeth as he comes close to collapsing from the agonizing pain.

Kamala draws the werewolf closer to the center of the canopy by manipulating the lightning to strike around Zephyr. She then stands at the edge of the hole on the roof, holding onto the cannon with shaking hands.

"You better be worth all of this bullshit!" Kamala yells, shooting a powerful blast of concentrated Zenith Crown energy. But the green light doesn't collide with Zephyr's enormous body, it's instead deflected once more by Ulysses Thorne as he materializes from the night air itself, his steel scales camouflaging him into the burning night.

Kyran defies the pain to leap beside Kamala, pushing her aside as the blast of energy strikes him across his chest, launching him backward through the chasm on the collapsing roof.

Unable to harness his adaptation and become smoke, Kyran falls until he lands into the inferno far below, his body immediately consumed by a raging sea of fire as he lands somewhere in the unseen smolder.

Ziegler howls with maniacal laughter as Phoenix pounds a bleeding fist into the ground, roaring with rage at his failure to save his brother as he leaps forward short of catching smoke.

"You've killed us all, Thorne!" Ziegler shouts, tearing off the clothes sticking to his burned fur, "he had the device to save us!"

Thorne roars, lashing out at the survivors as lightning crashes around them.

"Ulysses!" Indigo shouts as loud as they can, breaking from Phoenix's embrace as they mourn together while facing the same demise as Kyran. Indigo walks toward the Komodo dragon, showing them the palms of their hands.

"It's me. Do you remember?" Indigo says, remembering their encounter in Kamala's nightclub in Paris.

Thorne approaches the rabbit, pressing his hands against Indigo's. Pleasant memories of a lifetime lost to him come flooding back as soon as he peers into Indigo's crystal ball like eyes. However, like reels of scorched film, Thorne can only see fragments of memories as Indigo tries with all their strength to rebuild his psyche one memory at a time.

Ziegler calls for Thorne, Zephyr cowering from the lightning at his side while swiping at the fast-approaching flames with his massive claws.

Thorne shrieks his anger into the night, turning toward his master with murderous eyes unlike any he's ever seen before. Indigo concentrates further, trying their best to break the chain as hot air burns the fur on their face.

"I no longer serve you, and I owe you nothing!" Thorne bellows, his eyes glowing violet as he speaks in a voice Ziegler hasn't heard in years.

"I gave you everything, I made you invincible!" The wolf responds as the ground they stand on becomes unstable.

"Only after taking everything away from me, corrupting me with your poison and transforming me into a monster!"

"If I can't pull Zephyr from the nightmare, you put him under, I can at least free Thorne," Indigo says, focusing deeper to channel their grief into magic.

"I think it's time we silence you for good!" Ziegler says to Indigo, pressing a hand against his ear to speak one last command to Zephyr as Thorne leaps, burying his claws into the body of a friend turned master before tossing him over the railing. Ziegler drags his claws into the canopy until they snap on a metal railing, causing him to plummet into the inferno below.

Zephyr roars and leaps at Indigo, wrapping his powerful hands around the rabbit's delicate neck.

Indigo peers into Zephyr's eyes and tries with all the might left in them to rescue their own worst fear, screaming their last breaths away as cerulean illusions sprout all around the rooftop.

Zephyr's deepest nightmares come alive as he's forced to gaze at himself in a field of silvery mirrors, the beast understanding that he not only shares Zephyr's body, but he also shares his greatest fear.

The fear of having to look at himself for the monster he is.

Kamala and the others call out for Indigo in the field of mirrors, pushing themselves through the magic as they shatter the false glass cautiously, afraid of losing their ground on the crumbling rooftop.

"Indy what are you doing?" Phoenix shouts, panicking as he loses his sense of direction.

Zephyr's hand crushes Indigo's windpipe tighter, the tips of his long claws gripped so tightly they begin to stab into his thumb as he tries desperately to stop the illusions. Indigo gasps for air and kicks their feet as Zephyr lifts them further off the ground, using their body to smash through the imaginary mirrors.

Indigo looks for Zephyr in the werewolf's eyes one last time before the beast closes his fist, snapping Indigo's neck and killing them instantly with the gruesome sound of snapping bone.

Immediately the illusions cease as the crystal ball that conjured the dreams shatters, and the conduit to the blue Zenith Crown energy falls limp at the werewolf's feat, the only thing still shining in their face being the starry night of purple glitter on their heavy eyelids.

Phoenix roars and launches a wall of fire and rage at Zephyr, who falls through the roof and out of sight as they find Indigo, knowing there was only one way for Zephyr to end the illusions as suddenly as he did.

Phoenix gently picks up Indigo's body and stares into their beautiful, unseeing eyes, the rabbit's final tear falling down their gentle face.

Kamala shakes as she falls into Phoenix's embrace as Aarden watches helplessly from afar, each too familiar with excruciating loss.

Aarden steps forward when a loud screeching fills the air. One of the yellow spires collapses, surrendering to gravity as it swings to fall on Aarden's head.

Kamala breaks from Phoenix's embrace to push the spire away, shouting as she channels all her strength to magnetically push against the metal with her adaptation until it falls through the roof and out of sight toward the river.

"You're not out of time just yet," Kamala says, tears in her eyes.

An idea sprouts from the last optimistic mind on the rooftop.

"I think I figured out how we can make it off this roof!" Aarden says.

"Get away from them!" Phoenix yells at Thorne, who falls to his knees as he reaches for Indigo's delicate hand.

"I'll fucking kill you, get away from them!" The lion again shouts, burying his face into Indigo's lavender scented hair as he sobs.

Thorne reaches into his tattered lab coat and pulls a small blue flower made of folded paper, placing it in Indigo's open palm.

"He set me free because he didn't see a monster, he saw a friend," Thorne says, unsure about how he made it onto a burning roof but understanding enough to know he lost a close friend by the emptiness in his shattered heart.

"They brought you back?" Kamala asks, a different look in Thorne's eyes.

"I owe them everything, even if it appears I have no time left," Thorne says solemnly, as if he understands the rabbit a bit more.

"They were everything to me," Phoenix says as the floor he stands on shakes, "what am I supposed to do without them?"

"I'm sure you were everything to them as well," Thorne says, realizing how delicate and small Indigo was as they lay there fast asleep through all the noise.

The floor they stand on lurches. Kamala pulls on Phoenix's shoulders.

"We have to go!" Aarden says. "Kamala can twist those spires enough to get us over the river."

Kamala squints to see the spires through the billows of smoke.

"I can try, but they won't be long enough, we'll have to jump and swim the rest of the way," the panther says.

"Not without Indigo!" Phoenix shouts as Kamala builds a ledge over the river from the burning steel, blasting apart the bases of the spires with her adaptation.

Kamala guides Aarden across the ledge before looking back and holding out her hand for Phoenix.

"Go. I'll stay with them until the end, to repay them for being my friend," Thorne says, closing the rabbits' starry eyelids.

Phoenix's tears fall on Indigo's face as he kisses the space between their ears before following Kamala, running, and leaping into the depths of the river with the others.

Phoenix's fire illuminates the murky water like a flare, guiding the survivors across the river and toward the stone shores on the other side. They break the waters' surface, only to sink back into the waking nightmare of a blazing indigo night.