Arius' Adventures in DC

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Arius' Adventures

Chapter 02: Learning Ki and Village attack?!

-Arius Age:12-

Arius sat alone in the dappled sunlight, waiting on the edge of the platform where Kara had left him, her last reminder echoing in his mind: Stay here, I'll be back before sun down. Or at least that's what he understood. Arius knew she worried; the older he got, the more protective she seemed, especially as the other villagers grew wary of him.

Arius heard them approaching before he even saw them as soft, scraping sounds on bark, the low murmurs of voices laced with that familiar, mocking edge. They were about as quiet as a feminist on a 'Bro Podcast'. A group of the younger monkeys stepped onto the platform, their leader the same broad-shouldered adolescent with the same arrogant look in his eyes from last time smirking as noticed me alone. Dumbass in all his stupid glory.

"OooOoo AhhAhh (Look at him)," the Dumbass sneered his teeth showing as he tried to intimidate Arius, "AhooOo Ahh (thinking he's one of us)." One of the follower monkeys who Arius dubbed Dumbass #2 said.

The others snickered, moving closer, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Arius clenched his fists and quietly stood, his gaze trained on them with quiet resolve. Over the past weeks he'd grown accustomed to their random monkey sounds he translated into words and taunts, but today something felt different. They didn't just want to taunt him. They wanted to test him.

Dumbass stepped forward and shoved him, hard. Arius staggered back a few steps, but didn't fall. Taking a steadying breath, holding back the simmering power that threatened to rise within him. He wanted no part of this, not now, not while Kara was away.

But Dumbass lunged again, and this time, he felt a pulse deep within, a sharp spark that blazed hotter with each shove. One of the younger monkeys swung a fist at him from behind catching me off guard, and that was it. The control he'd been clinging to snapped. Arius' aura flared in a burst of green light, sending the group stumbling back with wide, stunned eyes as he finally decided it was enough.

Because if not now then when? Would he keep allowing himself to be mocked and ridiculed by these bumbling apes?! And while frustrated and angry he didn't let himself lose control as he knew that it would go bad very quickly for everyone in the village.

Arius didn't move, his breathing steady but eyes blazing as the energy poured out from him in waves. One of the younger monkeys, a follower of Dumbass, stood defiance in his gaze, but Arius' gaze alone held him in place, the weight of his aura pressing the monkey back. He most likely just wanted to raise his standing, but Arius wasn't going to let himself be the stepping stone for him.

He didn't want to hurt them. But when Dumbass advanced once more, Arius met him with an open palm, smacking his stomach and sending him back with a force that left him sprawling to the ground, gasping for breath. A stunned silence fell over the group, broken only by the low hum of his energy in the air.

Slowly, they began to pull themselves up, their eyes wide, the glimmers of fear replaced with something more uncertain, almost respectful. They backed away, nodding to Arius as they left, their faces taut with newfound understanding.

"It seems those monkeys respect me more now than ever. Darwinism at its finest. I wonder why that didn't happen in the first cha-Cough the first time we fought?" Arius reasoned and questioned at the same time.

When Kara returned, she found him sitting quietly, his aura long dissipated along with his anger, the silence heavy with a change he hadn't asked for but knew he couldn't ignore. She knew something happened, but not the specifics.

"Ooh Oooo Ahhh Aaaaa. (They attacked again while you were gone. We fought and I won.)" He explained in broken monkey hoping Kara would understand him and wouldn't start a fight with the other adult monkeys like in the past.

"Aaaa Aaaa Oooo (They always wait until I leave those cowards.)" Kara growled out before laughing at the thought of him beating the other monkeys despite being multiple times smaller.

[A/N: I found it funny the first few times but now it's kind of annoying so I'm going to do something else. MN= Monkey Noise]

MN "They seemed to gain respect for me." Arius questioned and while he had his theories it was better to ask and confirm.

MN "They respect the strong." Kara said, slightly flexing her arm as she dug into the fruit that she collected while she was out, before handing one to him and he dug in with gusto because as a true saiyan he never rejected the offer of food.

MN "Last time I was monkey handling that kid though and it seemed like it just made them more angry?" He asked with juice dripping down his face.

MN "I showed up last time so the slight amount of respect they had for you monkey handling a child was lost by my presence." Kara explained the intricacies of the monkey mindset.

MN "I see well, let's hope it lasts because I was getting tired of them insulting me and you." Arius complained while finishing the fruit before Kara somehow.

MN "Like you said earlier, it's good that they might accept you. More importantly you don't need anyone else's approval." She said with an approving pat on the back that once again reassured Arius.

MN "I understand." He said with a smile before his stomach growled once more, not satisfied with just one fruit.

MN "Good, now go eat. I left some of your favorite meat at the thing you landed in." She motioned towards the direction of the space pod.

MN "Thanks and I might be a little late getting back. I want to try learning how to use my powers a bit more." Arius explained with a smile and a determined look in his eyes.

MN "It's good that you are exploring what makes you so unique and that's fine, but if you need help make noise to attract my attention or run if you can't handle anything." She said with what looked like a supportive look and with a nod Arius left the hut at superhuman speeds leaping from tree to tree.

MN "It's about time that boy stepped up for himself. He seriously needed to come out of his shell for a bit and hopefully he attached himself to the tribe more. Though with his strength I doubt he'll need my help." Kara grunted out with a shake of her head as she took the basket of fruits inside her hut to enjoy.

-Arius-

The jungle air was thick and quiet around him as he sat near his space pod, tearing off another strip of roasted meat from the spit he'd rigged up over a small, smoldering fire. The meat was chewy, tough and stringy, but it was the only food he'd been able to find that held up to his appetite lately. He'd been hungrier than ever these past few weeks and it was a lot more satisfying than just fruits.

Every bite brought with it an awareness of his strength, the way his muscles pulsed under his skin with each chew, like they were itching to release some of the energy he'd been trying so hard to hold in. Arius looked down at his hands as he gripped the meat, a faint glow still lingering beneath his skin. This was something he'd felt only recently—a warmth, a pull, like fire blazing right beneath the surface, just waiting for him to unleash it.

The power inside Arius felt strange but good, a force beyond what Kara or the other villagers could understand. She accepted him, maybe the other children even looked up to him now after the last fight, but none of them could relate to the surge of raw energy he felt at his core. This energy, this ki… it was more than just strength. It was something primal and wild, like a river current that could either carry him forward or drag him under if he ever fully lost control.

Finishing the last of his meal, Arius wiped his hands on a leaf and leaned back, staring up at the two moons hanging heavy and bright in the dark sky. The bigger one was full tonight, its pale light casting silver light across the jungle floor, while the smaller one while also full provided less light like a distant torch in a video game. 

He found himself focusing on them, imagining what it would be like to reach them, to leap straight from the ground, defy gravity itself, one of the fundamental forces of the universe and fly toward that vast, endless sky. The thought made his chest tighten, a thrill mixing with a strange sense of excitement. Arius knew what power he wielded and it was finally time to start exploring that power and to maybe control it.

There was only one way to find out. He stood up, casting one last glance at the jungle behind him knowing the village was located in that direction, where the others were still resting. Kara's warning echoed in his mind, her voice telling him to be careful, to stay close to the village and to call if he needed help. But he'd never know what he could do if he held back.

Taking a deep breath, Arius leaping away even further putting even more distance between himself and the village and making sure his space pod was secured because damaging it would mean potentially staying on this planet forever, because one weakness of a saiyan is that they can't breath in space, so he left until he found an open patch in the jungle. 

Tall trees surrounded the clearing, their dark leaves hiding me from sight. A few quick tests, Arius told himself, and then he'd head back. Just enough to get a feel for this power inside him, because he couldn't rush this especially in the body of Broly.

Arius braced his legs, feeling the energy hum through him as he brought his hands to his sides crouching into a horse stance, focusing. He'd used his ki before, mostly in bursts and usually when he was angry, but tonight was different. He wanted to know his power, to understand every bit of it, to push it to its limits and see what he was capable of.

The energy surged, filling him up like a wave about to crest, and with a shout he thrust his hands forward. A beam of light exploded from his palms, cutting through the night air and searing a path into the trees across the clearing. Some disintegrated and others splintered under the blast, trunks crashing down with a noise that echoed through the jungle. Arius grinned, the rush of power making his skin prickle. That was the strongest he'd ever felt, but it wasn't his limit. 

Far from it.

He took another steadying breath, but the thrill of the blast lingered. He could still feel the energy inside him, stronger than before, and Arius knew he couldn't stop there. His muscles tensed as he let the power flow through himself again, stronger this time, feeling the pull of it from depths of his chest. He raised his hands, focusing, but the energy felt different, shifting and coiling, a strange heat gathering at the back of his throat. 

The instinct was sudden, an urge to let it out, to release it with everything he had, but knowing the beam would be stronger this time and that he didn't want to fire it at the planet without doing more exploration to make sure he didn't do serious harm to the ecosystem. He aimed the only direction he could think of at that moment. Up.

Opening his mouth, he felt the energy rush out in a torrent of light, a massive green beam that shot into the sky, blazing a path straight for one of the moons. The beam cut through the dark like a shooting star, and Arius could only stare, wide-eyed, as it struck the smaller moon, leaving a massive, jagged crater in its wake. 

For a moment, the night was silent, the beam's afterglow lingering like the memory of lightning, and then the moon's surface erupted with a faint, reddish glow, cracks spidering across its surface.

His heart pounded, his chest heaved as he took in what he'd just done. Arius scarred a moon. An entire moon, marked by my power. The reality of it hit him like a Mike Tyson punch, and he couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face. It was wild, terrifying even, but he couldn't help the thrill that thrummed through him. 

Arius' power wasn't just real—it was limitless.

But the thrill was quickly joined by an urge for something more, a need to go beyond what he'd just done and he gave into that urge. Closing his eyes once more feeling the energy pulse through him, a beat matching his own heart. There was a part of him, deep down, that knew he could take this further, that there was more to his power than just beams and blasts. He wanted to soar, to break through his limits.

Arius bent over once more, focusing, letting the energy flow to his core, feeling it drag him into depths that exceeded the previous two attempts. With a single tug, the sensation returned and it was unlike anything else, a weightlessness that sent a rush of excitement through his veins, so much raw power flooded at his fingertips and he could hardly think straight the ground around him cratered from the sheer weight of my bursting Ki.

Losing himself momentarily in the intoxicating feeling he grinned savagely. However he also noticed that beyond the power there was something so simple yet unreal that hit him even harder and that was that his feet weren't touching the floor. 

A power Arius has wanted since he was a kid in his hands and that one overwhelming feeling of awe helped him suppress his power that threatened to drown him, the energy faltering as he dropped, his feet hitting the ground.

He clenched his fists, determination hardening his resolve. Arius wasn't giving up that easily. Again, he pulled at the Ki pool in his core once more, willing it to wrap around his body and lift him, but this time he kept a stronger grip on his emotions, not letting them overwhelm him.

Arius took a breath, held it, and with another push, he rose this time steady, instead of the abrupt jerk like the first time. The ground falling away beneath him as he hovered, the jungle spreading out below. A wild laugh escaped his throat as he soared higher, the wind rushing past his face, the stars clear and sharp in the night sky. Before he was floating from the sheer output of power he was exuding, now Arius was flying. Truly flying.

He held himself there, his arms stretched out, feeling the vastness of the sky around him, the weightlessness that made everything seem so… surreal. For a few perfect moments, he wasn't just a kid who'd crash-landed on a strange world. Arius was something bigger, stronger. He was free.

However he realized that while he now knew how to fly somewhat he didn't know how to land. So he took the simplest solution and simply reined in his Ki and found himself free falling hundreds of feet, landing back in the clearing with a loud thud, the energy still buzzing through him, alive and electric. 

Arius couldn't stop grinning, the reality of it all filling him with a fierce pride. He wasn't just some kid with powers. He was a force to be reckoned with, a being capable of changing the very landscape of worlds. Hell, maybe even the galaxy once he grew up.

And as he looked up at the moon he'd scarred, a sense of purpose settled over him, to master his power. This was only the beginning. There were no limits, no boundaries. The universe was his to explore, to shape with his own hands and as he stood there, gazing up at the sky, he knew that this path—whatever it held—was exactly why he was placed in this universe by god.

First though he would need to practice with flying speed and maneuvering, launching Ki blasts from other parts of his body and varying strengths while making sure they destroy the world. Because if this is what his power is like now when he's around 12 years old. He couldn't wait for when he was fully grown and if he could control his legendary form he'd have nothing else to worry about except enjoying life to the fullest.

~Time Skip 4 years~

-Arius Age:16-

The wind felt sharper as Arius cut through it, the world below a blur of green as the trees merged together. It was late, and he should have returned by now, but he needed this time, this space to push himself, to see just what he could do without anyone around to see. Flying was becoming easier, but holding back… that part was getting harder. 

The energy was constantly there, humming just under his skin, ready to erupt. Kara should be waiting, probably worried, but he got some of those berries she likes that grow in the middle of the ocean, so she would probably forgive him. 

Arius could already hear her scolding voice in his head. He grinned, imagining the thought of having someone fuss over him felt good only to have the grin vanish as the smell hit me.

It was the scent of smoke and not the normal smell where the village was burning dead lumber for light, but the smell of live trees and other things burning. At first he thought it was just Dumbass that knocked a fire over again and they were struggling to put it out, but his stomach truly twisted as he angled downward, focusing on the faint smell of blood mixed with it. 

Arius should've felt the familiar warmth of the jungle below, the usual wild scent of the village, but this… this was different. Wrong. Every instinct screamed at him as he dropped lower, finally breaking through the canopy and landing hard on a thick branch overlooking the village.

Chaos. The jungle was too loud and chaotic to just be a gathering that the villagers normally had. His heart pounded as he scanned the village below, his pulse quickening when he saw the destruction.

Some of the central huts lay in ruins and the surroundings in a blaze that was rapidly spreading. Huts that should've been full of life and chatter were destroyed, wooden frames smashed and strewn across the ground. Some trees were scorched black, smoke curling lazily from branches that still crackled with embers. 

Arius dropped down to ground level and quickly used some ki blasts to put out the fires, except the major one that he made at the center of the village to provide light. And as he landed in the heart of the village, his fists clenched as he took in the devastation. 

Two or three villagers fighting creatures that he didn't recognize and it angered him seeing mauled bodies laying on the floor with chunks bitten from their flesh, the others fighting for their lives. 

Then Arius saw her. Kara. She was on her knees near the edge of the central clearing standing in front of the baby monkeys, one arm pressed against her side, her breathing labored, bruises darkening her face and neck. She was covered in blood—some of it hers, some of it not—and her gaze was locked forward, sharp and defiant even through the pain like the fighter she is.

So Arius quickly moved toward her, but before he could reach her, a low growl rumbled through the clearing, stopping him in his tracks. One of the creatures that were ignoring him for the bigger prey turned its sights to him thinking he would be a quick meal. It was massive, even bigger than the meter tall apes, fur as dark as night, eyes empty of any emotion except a raw, savage hunger and hideous beyond all repair. 

They weren't like any animals he'd ever seen before even after exploring the continent for so many years. Hell it looked like a wolf had a baby with a Xenomorph and a Yautja and moved with a feral, terrifying precision.

One was circling Kara and the remaining children like a tiger that had cornered their prey while dozens of others of its race attacked the remaining villagers who were fighting for their lives.

A younger monkey lay crumpled a few feet away, his frame not rising or falling with his breath. Instantly Arius recognized him having spent the past 4 years kicking his ass either in play fights or real fights, Dumbass. Kara's gaze flicked toward him, pain flashing across her face before she refocused, her shoulders squaring. She was ready to fight, even if it would be her last.

His stomach twisted. No. Arius wasn't about to stand by and watch. He quickly launched himself towards Kara, but the nearest creature whipped its head toward him, its lips peeling back in a snarl as it lunged without hesitation, powerful legs propelling it forward, claws extended and aiming right for him.

However Arius didn't even pay a second thought to the minor nuisance. As power surged within him, raw and furious, and he met the creature's charge with a fistful of Ki that tore through its body with a sickening crunch. 

It went down hard, hitting the ground with a dull thud, its lifeless eyes wide and full of shock. The village finally went silent for a moment as the other creatures halted their assault. Their snarls fading as they glanced from Arius to their fallen comrade, surprise flickering across their faces.

The tension snapped like a wire. The creatures abandoned their attack on the surrounding monkeys as they launched themselves at Arius with fury in their snarls. 

This showed at least a modicum of intelligence knowing they had to group up on him to stand a chance as Arius dropped into an amateur fighting stance, as he channeled energy feeling it pulse through his veins, stronger than he'd ever allowed it to be.

The first one lunged, claws slashing down, but he sidestepped, letting the power flow to his fist as he swung, feeling the impact reverberate through him. The creature crumpled like a sack of potatoes, the ground shaking under its weight. Another charged from his left, and he responded by spinning, sending a wave of energy that caught it mid-leap, flinging it back into a massive tree. There was a loud crunch and it didn't get back up.

Two were down within moments, but there were dozens more of them, and they weren't slowing down. For every one Arius put down, two more seemed to take its place, their dark fur with hints of crimson from the villagers blood staining their fur flashing as they leapt through the smoke-filled air. 

His muscles burned with power, the strain from unleashing enough power to slaughter them, but holding back enough to not cause collateral damage settling into his bones. He roared for Kara, for the family he'd finally found and slightly for the villagers who were slowly becoming a part of that family.

A scream tore through the clearing, and his gaze snapped back to Kara. She was on her knees again having gotten knocked down by a creature that was pinning her down, its jaws quickly honing in on her neck. She struggled, her face contorted with pain, but he could see her strength waning, the exhaustion in her eyes.

'That little shits knew it couldn't take me so it was going for who it knew I cared about.' Arius thought these creatures were more intelligent than he initially suspected and even in his thoughts he was referring to them in the past tense because they were about to be extinct.

'Control! Control! Control!' That thought echoed in his mind on repeat as a roar tore from his throat as he launched forward, power flooding his body, pooling from his gut and surging to Arius' throat as his hands were occupied killing the creatures. A blast stronger and more focused than anything he'd ever tried before was launched. 

The energy blast struck true and sent the creature hurtling back before the heat and power behind the beam became too much for its body to withstand and punched straight through, leaving Kara gasping for air with some slightly burnt fur but free. She looked up at Arius in shock, never having witnessed the Ki attacks up close and personal and gratitude flashing in her eyes before she managed a small, pained smile fainting as she knew Arius would handle the rest.

But it wasn't over. No, it was far from it. The remaining creatures froze in caution as he snapped the necks of the two in his grasp, their hungry eyes narrowing as they assessed him, hesitating for the first time. Arius grinned and took a step forward, letting the energy crackle around him, daring them to come closer.

"Leave. Now." His voice was low, dangerous, barely more than a growl. The energy pulsed around him, fierce and unyielding, and though he said it in English they seemed to understand the intent behind his words. 

They backed away slowly, snarling and reluctant, but unwilling to challenge him further. One by one, they melted back into the darkness of the jungle, their growls and footsteps fading as they disappeared further into the shadows. 

However Arius wouldn't let them off that easily.

It was all to get them away from the rest of the injured villagers. The jungle pulsed around him, thick with the scent of blood and the quiet aftermath of battle. His fists still clenched, his knuckles bone white, as he stood on the bodies of the creatures he killed and looked to where the last attackers had vanished. 

Arius' heart hammered in his chest, each beat steadying the flood of rage that surged and crackled under his skin. Kara had been hurt. They'd all been hurt and almost half killed, the image of Dumbass flashed in his mind.

Catching up in the cover of darkness, Arius saw the last of them fleeing, slipping through the trees with quick, panicked glances behind. They thought they could escape. They thought they could just walk away from this.

He felt my muscles coil as he launched himself forward even faster, his body moving on instinct from all the practice he had flying. The wind whipped at his face as he blurred forward, zeroing in on the stench of fear they left in their wake with a savage grin.

The first of the remaining three went down so fast it barely had a chance to cry out with a pathetic whimper. As his open palm grasped its spine and squeezed. He felt it crumble inside his palm, a grim satisfaction blooming in his chest as it fell to the ground, lifeless. 

The other two ran faster, but not fast enough. Arius was on them within seconds, a sharp burst of energy crackling through him as he closed in. His next hit sent one of the remaining two skidding across the forest floor, its life snuffed out before it even knew what hit it, its body half buried in the ground leaving a line of destruction in its wake.

The last one spun around and decided it was better to go down fighting, but I wasn't going to show it. Arius wasn't going to show it any mercy as it bore its jagged, broken teeth, a snarl twisting across its face. 

He felt his own lips pull into a similar expression, watching it try to retaliate with a body trembling in fear. As it lashed out he sidestepped, catching its jugular in an iron tight grip and pulled until he felt its head detached from the rest of its body. 

The body of the creature sagged, its strength gone, and Arius watched it crumple to the ground, a pitiful heap against the jungle's dark floor while he held its head.

All that chaos and now, there was nothing but silence. Just the quiet whisper of the night, the low rustling of the leaves, and the stillness that settled over him like a weight he hadn't known he'd been carrying with the thick stench of blood in the air.

His shoulders slumped as the rage of avenging his people and adopted mother drained out of him, leaving a familiar ache in his muscles. But it was more than that. As he stood there, looking over the bodies scattered across the forest, Arius felt a strange sense of calm, something steadying the fury that had blazed so bright just moments before. Something that had never happened before.

Looking at the bodies of the creatures he could only contemplate what this calmness meant. They were gone. The threat was over. He'd done what he had to.

So Arius took a deep breath, the cool night air filling his lungs, easing the heat that still sang in his veins. There was something satisfying about standing here, knowing he'd protected those who mattered. 

He'd defended Kara. He'd defended the tribe though there were lesser factors for him. And the anger that had driven him faded into something quieter, something he could finally hold in his chest without feeling like it might tear him apart or drown him. Like now that he was able to use so much strength without losing control it would be exponentially easier to do the same the next time.

He unclenched his fists and flexed his fingers as he looked around, letting the peace of the jungle seep into him. He hadn't felt this steady in… maybe ever even in his past life save the moments he was speaking to god. The energy simmered inside him was still there, still waiting if he needed it. But now, it felt like a part of him that he could use instinctually instead of having to drag it out, like something he could finally somewhat control, something that belonged to him.

At least on a smaller scale, because the rage Arius felt would've normally sent him into the stratosphere before he rained down thousands of Ki blasts on whatever he wanted destroyed.

Arriving back in the half ruined village he exhaled, his shoulders slumping as the adrenaline drained, leaving only mental exhaustion in its wake from controlling and channeling his emotions so thoroughly.

He turned to Kara, his heart pounding as he took in the sight of her—the cuts, the bruises, the exhaustion that clung to her like a shroud and crouched beside her, carefully, not wanting to agitate her wounds further. 

MN "Are you… alright?" Arius asked in a gentle tone that woke up Kara.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, her gaze fierce and unbroken despite the pain etched across her face. She nodded, reaching out and gripping his arm, her touch steady, grounding. Showing she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

MN "You saved us, Arius." Her voice was quiet but filled with a weight that made his chest tighten. She looked at him with something he'd seen, but never on this level—pride. Pure, unfiltered pride.

He helped her to her feet, supporting her as she leaned against him, her weight warm and familiar though this time instead of cuddles she was leaning on him to stand. Around them, the remaining villagers began to emerge, some limping and wounded but alive, their eyes wide as they admired Arius' form. 

He felt the weight of their gazes, their silence heavy with something he couldn't quite place. It wasn't fear, or suspicion, or even surprise. It was something deeper, something that felt even beyond mere respect after today he might have their worship. 

'Hell they might start calling me SunWu Kong to be the King of the Monkeys.' Arius thought with a chuckle and a slight shudder at the thought of being the monkey king.

One of the older villagers, a male who had never spoken to him directly before, stepped forward though hobbling would probably be a more correct term considering he was missing a foot, his gaze steady. He nodded his head, a slow, respectful gesture that sent a ripple through the crowd. The others followed, one by one, each of them nodding to Arius, from the children to the elderly acknowledging him not as an outsider, but as one of their own.

Kara's grip tightened on his arm, her smile soft and proud. "You've earned this, Arius," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

As he looked around, meeting the eyes of each villager, he felt a sense of belonging settle over him, warm and unshakeable. This was my family. And in that moment, he knew he'd do whatever it took to protect them, to stand by their side, no matter what threats lay in the jungle beyond.

–Arius (Age:18)-

Two years had slipped by in the jungle's embrace, the days blending together under the sun the village remaining relatively the same as the monkey patched themselves up and rebuilt the huts they needed for the remaining members, but Arius had changed, each season forging him a little stronger, a little more like the world around him. 

The quiet, uncertain child who'd once looked so out of place had grown into a young force, as rugged and determined as any of the monkey villagers who once shied away.

The village was bustling with noise when Arius floated through it. There were still whispers, of course—how could there not be? The villagers watched him with a mixture of awe and something close to worship, as he was one of their own. 

The children who had turned into young adults, the same ones who had once taunted him and even now physically towered over him, now looked up to him, watching in wide-eyed fascination. Whenever he practiced on the cliffs, leaping from ledge to ledge, or when he wrestled one of the larger villagers to the ground with strength that even the multiple monkeys couldn't match.

He had earned this respect bit by bit, through trials both quiet and fierce, standing by their side in skirmishes, defending the village from the predators that nearly wiped it out and even other beasts who attacked them in their times shortly after the creatures crippled their populations. And, though he doesn't say it much, Arius carried Kara's unwavering faith in him like a badge of honor.

She had taught him their ways, their traditions, but he didn't follow in some regards though because the thought of eating bugs off other apes was still disgusting to him.

One evening, as the setting sun cast fiery colors across the canopy, Arius found himself surrounded by villagers, their voices raised in hoots and hollers echoing across the jungle floor as they feasted and told stories, the air thick with a sense of ease.

Kara watched from her place beside him, her approving smile catching his eye, her silent pride filling him with a warmth that made him sit a little straighter. Though he still had a bit of trouble understanding them fully considering their entire vocabulary is filled with nothing but grunts and random noises he understood a majority of what they said.

Deciding it was time to truly fill his stomach he got up and went for the food gathered around, but something caught his eye as he was looking up as he saw what looked like a spaceship though of different design that came into the atmosphere.

"Looks like my peace and quiet are finally over." Arius said in English, grinning like a lunatic.

A/N: This chapter turned out weird, but I liked it.

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