Path to the Apocalypse

Helen led Andrew into the basement, through a hidden door, and down a long hallway until they reached a room with a small cart on a set of rails. Helen got inside, sitting at a strange set of controls full of complex symbols and starting the cart up with a low, otherworldly hum as they began gliding down the rails. The walls of the tunnel began to pass by faster and faster, until all Andrew saw was a brown blur. It wasn't long though before they slowed down, their cart pulling off into a small alcove. Today was the day that Andrew would enter the Outside for the first time, meeting other Bonded his age, going on his first hunt, and he couldn't be more excited! The tracks had taken them to the local transport station, where a portal was ready to bring them out of Earth and into the Outside world. As a Tiger, Helen could have made a portal herself, but in order to keep the pocket dimension Earth was situated in safe, any unidentified portals between it and the Outside were strictly investigated, and carelessly doing so would result in a severe reprimand.

Helen led Andrew towards the platform where a few other people were waiting, mostly adults, though Andrew could see two others around his age, looking just as excited as he was. They all waited for a few minutes, until the wall in front of them seemed to split, revealing a large courtyard. Andrew followed the crowd as he stepped through, looking around to see many more portals opening along the walls as more and more people stepped through them and into the courtyard. Some quickly went on their way, clear on where they were heading, while others milled around absently as if they were waiting for something.

Andrew followed Helen towards one end of the courtyard where a bunch of teenagers were standing around, accompanied by their parents, waiting for whoever was in charge to arrive. Andrew did a quick count and found there were only about a hundred teenagers. He frowned, wondering why there were so little. He knew Bonded had a hard time reproducing, but for there to only be a hundred from across the entire world, wouldn't that be a bit too little? Andrew wondered if maybe there were still a few more who hadn't shown up yet, when he saw Elder Barry step up onto a small platform, smiling at the crowd.

"Well, it looks like everyone's here. Welcome! As some of you already know, I am Elder Barry, and I'll be in charge of organizing this year's First Hunt. I'm sure you're all anxious to get out there, but before we do, there are a few matters to take care of first. To start, we'll have everyone separated by clan. Starting from my left, we'll have Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, and finally Ox." Elder Barry announced, pointing out the areas for everyone to gather.

Everyone quickly moved to their various positions, except for Andrew, who stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether he should head to the Tiger group or the Monkey group. People began to look at him weirdly, and he began to shift awkwardly, until Elder Barry finally noticed his predicament. "Ah, yes, Andrew, you can wait over here. We'll be placing you separately." Andrew nodded, walking over to the area Elder Barry had pointed out.

"Now, all of you will receive a token with your designation on the front, and your new team members designation on the back. For example, you could be Dragon one, while your teammates would be Pig four, Rooster seven, Ox three, and Goat nine. There are a hundred and nine of you, so we'll have twenty-one teams of five, and one team of four. Each token has a number on it, and you'll line up according to that number, starting with one on my left, and going around until twenty-two is on my right." Elder Barry gave out another set of instructions as the tokens were handed out to each group.

Once he finished, everyone began to shuffle around again, as Elder Barry took a token out of his pocket and tossed it to Andrew. On the front of his token was the number twenty-two and just his name, while on the back was Dragon five, Goat eight, and Horse three. Since Andrew was already right next to Elder Barry, he just waited. Soon one girl arrived next to him, followed by another, and then a third. Andrew looked the three girls over with a frown. "You guys are all on team twenty-two?"

"Yup!" One of the girls answered cheerfully, showing her Horse three token. The other girls also showed their tokens, revealing them to be Dragon five and Goat eight.

"But-" Andrew began, before stopping himself. The tokens were handed out randomly, so it wasn't like they tried to give him a team of all girls. It must have been a weird coincidence.

"But what?" Horse three asked, cocking her head curiously.

"Nothing, I just thought it was a little weird that you all were girls." Andrew explained with a shrug.

"Yeah, lucky you." Goat eight snorted.

"Er, yeah…" Andrew agreed hesitantly, eyeing her weirdly.

"So, what's up with you then, huh? Why aren't you in any of the other groups?" Goat eight continued.

"Uh, I'm kind of weird. I don't have a Beast, but I can transform into both a Tiger and a Monkey, so-" Andrew explained.

"You can transform?!?" Horse three interrupted, exclaiming in wonder. "How does that work?"

"Uh, just like it sounds? I physically turn into a Tiger or a Monkey. I also have a sort of combined form I can use which I don't have to get naked for." Andrew replied.

"Wait, naked? Why would you have to get naked!?!" Goat eight asked in a somewhat disgusted tone.

Andrew frowned at her. "Well, what would happen to your clothes if you turned into your Beast's form without taking them off?"

Goat eight paused for a bit, before flushing as she got his point. "I-I see."

Elder Barry let out a small cough, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Alright, settle down. You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other over the next few weeks. Now, we have four different base camps set up." He gestured towards four open portals behind him. "Teams one through six will go through portal one, seven through eleven: portal two, twelve through sixteen: portal three, and seventeen through twenty-two will go through portal four. Once you arrive, there will be cabins with your team number on them where your team leaders will be waiting. Take your time to say goodbye to your parents, but be warned, the portals close in half an hour." Elder took one last look over all the gathered teenagers, grinning widely. "Good luck, and good hunting!" He exclaimed, before descending from the small platform and heading on his way.

Andrew headed over to where his mom was waiting, looking slightly nervous. "Be careful out there, alright? You don't have the protection the others have, so you'll need to be extra careful about what you get yourself into." She warned as soon as he got close.

"I know Mom, I'll be safe." Andrew grinned, giving her a hug.

"You better be." Helen growled, slightly, hugging him tightly before releasing him. "Now go. Make your mother proud!"

"I will!" Andrew grinned back, waving as he strode back to portal four, striding through. The moment he arrived, he took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of the forest and he looked around. The section of the base camp they were in looked like a strange mix between a summer camp and a military fort, full of log cabins and campfires, while surrounded by large, sturdy walls. Large Beasts openly stalked through the camp and along the walls, greeting humans politely as they did so. Andrew felt as if he'd suddenly stepped into a strange new world as he took it all in.

Once he'd gotten his bearings, Andrew headed towards the cabins, looking for team twenty-two. As he'd suspected, their cabin was the one all the way down at the end. He walked in to see a nice, comfortable looking living room and a small kitchen. A hallway led off, splitting into six different rooms and two bathrooms. Each room had a designation on it, including Andrew's name. He dragged his suitcase after him, and began unpacking everything before returning to the living room to find all the girls waiting, along with an older woman who appeared to be their team leader.

"Ah, you must be Andrew! I didn't realize you were already here. You're a sneaky one, aren't you?" The woman joked lightly with a twinkle in her eye. Andrew paused, not sure how to respond, but the woman quickly moved on, so he didn't need to anyways. "Alright, since we're all here, let's introduce ourselves, shall we? Let's start with you." She pointed at Horse three.

"My name is Susie!" She chirped cheerfully.

"Karen." Goat eight replied as the team leader turned to her.

"Li Jing." Dragon five, answered quietly.

"And we all know you're Andrew." The team leader continued. "My name is Zelda, which, when I was born a few hundred years ago, was a rather normal name, completely unassociated with any major franchises. I'll be your team leader for the duration of this hunting trip. First, who knows why it's important that we hunt as Bonded?"

Susie's hand immediately shot up. "To get stronger!"

"Okay, yes, but how does it work? Why does hunting make us stronger?" Zelda continued.

Susie frowned, not sure how to answer, and Li Jing slowly raised her hand. "When a Beast is killed, their ability crystalizes. By absorbing these ability crystals, we can strengthen our own abilities. The more compatible the ability crystal is with our ability, the more efficient the process."

Zelda nodded. "Exactly. Ability crystals strengthen abilities, and in turn, abilities strengthen you!" Andrew froze. What was that? "Now, don't dismiss an ability crystal just because it isn't very compatible with your ability. By absorbing multiple crystals of the same type, your ability has a chance to mutate, gaining properties of that ability! It doesn't make you any stronger, but it does make your ability more flexible, giving you more options."

Andrew raised his hand. "Excuse me, but… what did you mean when you said abilities strengthen us? Like physically?"

Zelda cocked her head at him. "Well, it strengthens you, or more specifically, your Beast side, in many ways, but yes, physical strength is part of it. Why-" Zelda suddenly realized who she was talking to, her eyes widening. "Ah… that could be a problem for you, now couldn't it?" Andrew grimaced. He'd known abilities could get stronger, but he didn't realize it would make him literally stronger! Why had no one told him this!?! He had enough trouble controlling his strength as is! "Uh, yes, well, moving on, since it is your first day, let's take this afternoon to spar and get used to each other's abilities. Go and unpack, then we'll all head to the training field."

The girls split off, heading to their own rooms to unpack, while Andrew took a seat on the couch, already finished unpacking. Zelda glanced over at him, hesitating slightly before sitting next to him. "There's something else I'd like to talk to you about. About your… condition. Unlike the other three, you'll be heading out to hunt yourself rather than sending your Beast. How do you feel about that?"

Andrew shrugged. "Fine? I mean, I've always known that'd be the case. As long as I'm careful, it shouldn't be an issue, right?"

Zelda sighed, shaking her head. "That's what I was afraid of. Andrew, you shouldn't be careful, you should be downright cowardly! You run into an enemy you can't face, you run, and you don't look back. If there's a weird situation that looks risky, you send one of the others in first. Whenever there is anything that could risk your life, you stay as far away from it as possible, you understand? The others can take risks, because unless something can kill their Beast in a single hit, they can return through the Bond to heal. You don't have that luxury." Zelda lectured him sternly with a hard glare.

Andrew frowned. "You want me to be a coward?" He asked incredulously. "But… I'm a Beast! A protector! I- I'm supposed to help people, not run the moment things get a little dangerous!"

"This isn't about protection, it's about growth. It is perfectly possible to continue growing by consistently preying on those weaker than you. It's slower, but you only have one life. Why risk it just to save an insignificant portion of your infinite time? There will be times where you will be called upon to risk your life in defense of the City and Earth, but it isn't on a damn hunting trip, understand? All your effort in growing yourself isn't of any use if you die!" Zelda replied.

Andrew nodded, but couldn't get a sour feeling out of his mouth. Zelda's words made sense, but it just didn't sit right with him. To push all the danger on everyone else just felt wrong. Still, at least until he got stronger, it probably wasn't the worst idea.

*

A short while later, the girls finished unpacking and Zelda led them all to a flat dirt field nearby. "Alright, everyone release your Beasts so we can get to know each other!" Zelda announced as a cloud of smoke began to billow out of her, before forming into a giant Ox. One by one the girls followed suit, and soon there were four large Beasts standing on the dirt field. Andrew took particular note of Li Jing's Beast, a dragon which took after Chinese mythology, rather than Western. Or, he supposed, Chinese mythology took after this type of Dragon. It was long and snake-like, without wings or anything, plus four powerful limbs tipped with viscous claws, and a large head filled with razor sharp teeth. Unlike the reserved Li Jing, this Dragon snarled at the other Beasts the moment it was released, looking like it wanted to pick a fight. Andrew could feel Li Jing struggling with it, trying to keep its wild impulses under control.

With all the Beasts released, everyone's attention turned to Andrew. With a shrug, he kicked off his shoes and transformed into his mixed form, stretching lightly. "So that's what you look like transformed." Susie exclaimed.

"Yup. I can also fully transform into either a Tiger or a Monkey, but… that would ruin my clothes." Andrew explained with a shrug.

"You said that already." Karen rolled her eyes.

"Will you be okay sparing in that form?" Zelda asked, looking slightly concerned.

Andrew nodded. "My strength doesn't change no matter what form I'm in. All that changes is how I can use it. My Monkey form is more agile, while my Tiger form focuses more on bursts of strength. This one has more of a balance."

"I see. Alright then, let's start with introductions then, shall we? This lovable hunk of meat is my eternal partner, Francesca." Zelda announced, patting the Ox with a grin.

"A pleasure to meet you all." The Ox nodded in greeting.

"This is Petunia!" Susie announced, hugging the large Horse next to her.

"Linda." Karen answered shortly again, earning a warning nudge from the Goat beside her.

"Li Mei." Li Jing replied shortly as well, in a more quiet and shy manner.

"Nice to meet you all! How about we have Andrew pair up with Susie and Petunia for a spar, while Karen, Linda, Li Jing and Li Mei just watch for now?" Zelda suggested.

Andrew nodded, moving to the middle of the field, followed by Petunia. On the side lines, Susie sat down, taking up a meditative posture, and suddenly a spark of intelligence entered into the Horse's eyes. "Ready?" Petunia asked in a tone that sounded eerily like Susie's, weirding Andrew out a bit. He glanced over at the sidelines, noticing Susie's condition as he put the pieces together. He knew Bonded could merge their consciousness with their Beast, allowing them to control their bodies as if they were their own, but he'd never actually seen anyone do it before.

Taking a deep breath, Andrew composed himself, before nodding to the Susie/Petunia combo. "Ready!" He announced. The Horse let out a whiny, charging towards Andrew. Andrew jumped to the side, dodging as she dashed past, before jumping after her, claws ready. Andrew was drawing closer, running behind the Horse when he sensed a smug satisfaction come from her. Warning bells went off in his head as he suddenly jumped back, just barely avoiding a vicious kick the Horse had unleashed behind it! Andrew breathed out a sigh of relief as he sensed Petunia/Susie's disappointment, before his eyes narrowed. Carefully avoiding the Horse's back end, he began to follow it once again, dashing by her side. The Horse turned in circles, trying to get Andrew either in front or behind her so she could hit him with her hooves, but he proved too agile, dodging each and every time as his constant monitoring of her emotions gave him an early warning.

Finally, the Horse stumbled on a pothole, creating a small opening which allowed Andrew to leap onto her back, bringing his claws down viciously, but as his claws reached the Horse's back, a weird opening appeared, sucking Andrew's claws in! Without any grip, Andrew couldn't stay on the Horse, sliding off as the weird openings slid with him, until he landed on the ground again, panicking slightly as he had to dodge another kick.

"Alright, that's enough!" Zelda called out, stopping the two before they fell into another stalemate. "Well done, both of you! Andrew, good job predicting her actions based on her emotions. Susie and Petunia, excellent use of pocket dimensions! I was almost worried for you for a second there."

"Pocket dimensions?" Andrew asked curiously as he walked over to the sidelines.

Susie nodded. "Horses can create small pocket dimensions and create openings to it on their bodies. That's why your claws couldn't reach me!"

Andrew's eyes widened slightly. "So that's why I couldn't get a grip on you! I wasn't even touching you!"

"Exactly!" Susie replied with a giggle.

Zelda grinned. "Alright, it's time for Karen and Linda versus Li Jing and Li Mei!" The other two Beasts stalked out into the field, before turning to face each other. Their bout was as much of a stalemate as Andrew's. Linda was faster than Li Mei, running circles around her, but Li Mei had the reach, and whenever Linda got close either her tail or head would flash towards her, warding her off. However, once again, the stalemate ended with a stumble. In the middle of a charge, Linda hit her foot on a pothole, and stumbled closer to Li Mei. Like a viper, Li Mei lashed out, wrapping around the large Goat and latching on with her claws, biting into her shoulder before the Goat turned to smoke, quickly returning to Karen who frowned bitterly.

While Zelda congratulated the two on their fight, praising Li Jing and Li Mei for their victory, Andrew narrowed his eyes at the pothole Linda had tripped over. He could have sworn it wasn't there a second before she stepped into it! As he watched, his eyes widened. The pothole had suddenly fixed itself! Andrew looked around, before catching a glimpse of Francesca looking at him with sparkling eyes. The Ox raised her hoof to her lips in a shushing gesture, before winking at him.