The building was aged. One might’ve thought it miraculous that it hadn’t fallen yet, but the foundations of it were solid, built through hard labour and effort. It was built to last, and despite its current condition, would do so for many more years.

Sincan and Titanis stood in front of this building, clutching their weapons. They nestled their fears deep inside and opened the door to find an abandoned house. Sincan stepped forward, slowly carving a path through the dimly lit and eerie hall of the building until he came upon some stairs, at which point he noticed the blood covering the railing.

Oh no. Oh goddess no. He started walking up the stairs, not caring about the smell that had begun to fill his nose. Blood, that metallic odour. Around and around him were desks filled with bloody tools, giving shape to the horrific moans that began to fill Sincan’s ears. He started rushing up the stairs faster, tripping a wire he didn’t even stop to check.

A voice started speaking, coming from the top. A slight luminescence leaking from the top floor.

“….and these are the fruits of your actions, borne of your greed.”

Cells, filled from side to side with children, crying and weeping. Sincan stepped onto the floor.

“Let this be a lesson to you, one that you will never forget-“

Their faces hollowed out; their eyes left with no tears to shed. Alfis appeared on the screen, not acknowledging Sincan’s presence. Sincan stared at the man, but he was just a recording. His mask seeming more sinister than the first time they had met.

“This is what you have beget.”

Sincan’s fists tightened. He struck the screen before he could control himself. He wanted to rip him to shreds, leave nothing but shredded clothes and a mangled body behind. He punched it again, the screen caving in fully and leaving him in the dark once more. Titanis came up soon after. His flashlight shined on the children and their horrid forms; terrifying even him. He clenched his teeth and put a hand on Sincan’s shoulders.

“We’ll get him, Sincan. He’ll pay tenfold for what’s been done here,” he barely kept the rage out of his tone. Sincan turned to acknowledge him, when he heard the voices call out to him. From the left, at the far end of one cell, two children started shouting for him.

“Over here, Mr. Sincan!” a little girl said. She was too young to face horrors like these, so Sincan wondered how she could still look so unharmed. The boy next to her too, he was a bit older, and was gesturing for them to come near. Sincan burst open the cell, moving towards them.

“Are you okay?” Sincan asked them.

“They didn’t do anything to us, Mr. Sincan. My father told me about you,” the boy replied.

“Your father?”

“Alumn Showal. I don’t know why they didn’t touch us. I just remember Fenis being involved,” the boy continued, “I used to look up to him…”

“That’s not important right now!” the girl interrupted. “They’re planting bombs, Mr. Sincan!”

“Wait first.” Sincan broke open the chains, the rusted links no match for his strength. “Titanis, call them!” Sincan said.

Titanis obliged and started calling as many officers as he could, all the while checking up on the children and their condition. Titanis observed their bruises. Shallow, but painful. They weren’t going to be killed. Just scarred.

Snickett, the boy, explained with the help of his little sister. “The Rowlander Amusement Park. It was a big source of income so that was going to be their final blow. Please stop them, Mr. Sincan. Stop them so Fenis can go free. He’s a brother to me,” he begged.

Sincan knew better, but decided not to tell him at the moment. He got to work, removing the bonds on the children and consoling each and every one of them. They stuck to him like moths, forcing him to action to make sure this never happened again. These children would never be the same again, for that reason it was Sincan’s purpose to bring the man behind this down.

Snickett said it would happen tonight, meaning Sincan had to be quick. He let go of the children regrettably, and then walked into Titanis’ car, after making sure that at least one police car had arrived on the scene. He headed to Rowlander park, determined to end this charade once and for all.

****

The amusement park was empty when Sincan arrived. Not many people would be visiting it at this time, so it would make sense for Alfis to do what he wanted right then and there. Sincan walked through the gates of the establishment, past the patronizing tarps filled with attractions. His mood was soured and the sight of those annoying clowns didn’t help much with it.

The park was located next to the ocean, so only the sounds of crashing waves kept Sincan company.

He passed through a stand and turned the corner to find a scalin man standing there, tending to his plants. Sincan instinctively jumped back, but had no need to as nothing happened.

“Alfis wants the glory on this one. So, I’m just a timely distraction.” He put the plant on one of the carnival stands, gesturing for his band of thugs to step forward. Sincan had grown tired of Alfis’ crew, so he didn’t wait to lunge at them.

They unsurprisingly pulled out guns and started shooting. Sincan ducked into a tent and kept running, keeping out of sight of the men as he did so. One of them found a doll hurtling towards their face as Sincan followed the throw up with a punch to the chest. He then twisted the man’s arms around and knocked him into the wood, slamming his face multiple times into it until it caused a crack in the flooring.

He then stood up to find a gunshot zipping past him. Sincan looked over at the house of mirrors and ran into it, avoiding the man and woman duo who followed him inside. Sincan heard the gunshots ring out as they grew frustrated with the layout. Sincan weaved in and out of view, confusing them and causing no end of trouble. Sincan burst out from behind one of the mirrors, brandishing fists of hardened crystal. He clotheslined the first man and kicked the woman through another mirror, before making sure both of them stayed down.

Outside the house, he was face to face with the scalin man and his last subordinate. “I think perhaps I should’ve introduced myself first. I’m Gavil. You’re dead.” A hot beam of energy fired out from his hand, leaving Sincan only a small amount of time to hold up his crystal gloves. They absorbed the blow, but Sincan was still blown back and onto the ground. He conjured many balls of flame, hurling each and every one of them towards Gavil as hard as he could. In addition, Sincan tackled his man through another tent and into a pole. Sincan brutalized the man, punching him over and over while Gavil was preoccupied with the flames.

Finally, the man had no fight left within him and collapsed in front of the pole, sliding down. Sincan then turned to face Gavil by himself. There were no rocks around on the pier for Sincan to turn into crystal, none that he hadn’t stashed away at least.

Sincan looked at the man, hating the calmness in his expression. “You tortured children. I don’t care to feel any sympathy for you anymore,” he stated.

“When others do it, you don’t turn up a finger. But when it’s done by us, you turn into a savage, is it? Quite two faced of you, Sincan Tolkin,” Gavil replied. Sincan rushed the man, not caring about the lasers that came out to pierce his shoulder. The wound would be automatically cauterized by it anyway. He punched him in the face, but Gavil didn’t move back as much as he expected.

Sincan continued to clash with the man, punching and taking punches until both of them were bloody and beaten. Their fight had taken them to the aquarium, where Sincan had kicked the man into the counter. Sincan hopped over it himself, laying on the man and continuing to punch him. Gavil blocked a blow and countered, knocking the wind out of Sincan and forcing him to the side. Gavil then grabbed him by the tail and slammed him against the wall of the prize counter, knocking down several toys on top of him. Gavil stood up panting, leaning on the counter for support. Sincan looked up at the man, and considering that he was close enough, decided to just set his clothes on fire.

He choked out every ounce of bewl to light the biggest fire he could, distracting the man long enough for Sincan to pick him up by his collar and throw him one last time into an arcade machine with water inside. The soaking liquid put out the flames, but burns remained on Gavil’s body. Sincan stood up, triumphantly, and walked out of the prize corner determined.

There was only one obstacle left. One person who had caused this entire mess in the first place. Some wannabe revolutionary with a penchant for rhyming. Sincan grit his teeth, trying to keep his temper in check.

At the end of the pier was Alfis, standing with his back towards Sincan as he approached. “Now you’ve come to the end of the journey. Do you still feel righteous, like the just people’s attorney?”

Sincan took a breath before speaking. “You’re a hypocrite, a man who knows nothing but sorrow. You’ve hurt the innocent, brought nothing but a worse tomorrow.”

Alfis looked back and Sincan saw his face for the first time, not hidden behind a mask. It was smooth with angular features, showing off his wicked smile in its full grace. “I’m taking you in for several crimes. You’ve tortured children, stolen goods. You’ve ruined this city’s good name, now you’re going to do the time.”

A barrel aimed at Alfis faltered for a moment as his arms came flailing about.

“Look at this, Sincan. Truly look at this,” Alfis said as he gestured towards the entire park. “Their children, and their children’s children, were just going to ruin what my father, and his father before him had created.” His face contorted into a rage filled expression.

“I had to do it. Look at this vapidness,” he said as he held up a toy. “This… thing is what they want our children to obsess over. A beautiful and rich history, destroyed all for the sake of profits. Yes, their children have suffered. But my entire culture has suffered. What makes a Leostitan a Leostitan has suffered!”

Alfis pulled out a small device with a button on it. “And now, I’ll restore it.”

Now. Sincan thought to himself. A bullet went through Alfis’ arm, cutting through his Wheels as blood began to pour out of the wound. The man, however, didn’t let go of the device. Titanis’ sniper rifle smoked as he appraised the shot.

“I disagree, Alfis. And I always will,” Sincan said as he tried to run towards him.

“I never needed powers for this,” Alfis replied with heavy breaths as he finally pushed on the trigger, sending pillars of flame exploding from all over the park. Far too many of them appeared, such that Sincan was sure that it had already been too late. The park began to fall apart as Alfis still had that self-grin hanging on his face. The tents caught fire, the metal melted, as the very foundation of the park broke apart.

Sincan punched Alfis unconscious. He took up his body and started dragging him outside the park as Titanis looked on stone faced. “The others, Titanis, don’t let them die here either!” he begged him. Titanis grunted but obliged anyway. By the time they’d left the place, the only person Sincan could not find was Gavil himself. He cursed himself for not being thorough enough with that man, but was glad nonetheless that at least the others were alright.

They would face justice for their crimes, Sincan would make sure of that.