The Strongest Relationship

[Power Levels:29% and decreasing.]

[Injuries detected:Potential infection if not treated.]

"Ignore all evacuation protocols.Manual override to self destruct on command."Starlio confirmed once more,looking up at Titus who was getting closer every moment."Look at what fighting got you.You care about your family so much and look at where they are now when you are on the verge of death."Titus jumped forward,blasting Starlio onto the ground with a bone crushing kick.

Starlio hit the ground,blood splattering out of his mouth.

"I got him."Titus reports,bringing his sword down on Starlio who got the blade with his left hand,the heat slowly melting off his armor but at that point in time...the pain didn't matter anymore."They...are in my heart forever.Like I am in theirs."

Titus dragged his sword back,ripping out the entirety of Starlio's glove armor:"Whatever."

[Model 2 Approaching.200 meters.]

"What?"Starlio got up when a missile flew overhead,striking Titus and blasting him away from Starlio.The Model 2 swooped past him,firing down blast after blast down onto the small army of corrupted police officers driving them back and forcing them to retreat a little.

"I told you I'll see you again."Shannon says,landing in front of him in the Model 2.

[Model 2 Communications.Connected.]

"Huh...how...?"Starlio looks at his girlfriend,who offered him a hand,pulling the prodigy up."We fight here,two of us against Titus.We can take him."Shannon analyzed.Starlio looked at her,surprised and impressed at the same time:"I would give you a hug right now."

"Save it.Javier has gotten true police officers soon.They will take care of those corrupted ones,we take care of Titus.I've also used some of your missiles on this armor to blow a hole in the police station our friends are held up in.Hope you don't mind.How bad's the damage to your armor?"Shannon asks

"I'm good.I can still fight."Starlio tells her as the couple watched Titus get up.

I have the best girlfriend.It's official.Starlio tells himself.

"Backup?"Titus tilts his head,readying his sword.Shannon and Starlio both looked at each other,knowing that this is the only way they would win."Alright Shan...show me what you can do."Shannon and Starlio looked dead ahead as Titus shot towards them,the two armored teens jumping out of the way as his heated blade slashed the ground between them.

Shannon jumped kicked Titus in the arm,knocking him towards Starlio who charged up his punch,smacking Titus right back at Shannon who began firing out the Model 2's blasters,time and time again knocking Titus backwards.

Starlio charged at the pinned hunter and fired out a huge gust of fire,exploding a large chunk of the area in front of him and the fire itself,forcing the Chairman's other troops to retreat back."You're the girl aren't you...?The one he saved from the traffickers back then."Titus discovered Shannon's identity.

"I am."Shannon raised her arms in defense,confidently replying.

"Starlio,I'm not a good fighter,but I can tank some hits.You have to be doing the damage."Shannon whispers to Starlio who nods:"We'll share the hits.You wanted to fight together right?We will do this together."The two teenagers quickly flew out of the way as Titus began launching a volley of missiles from his shoulder cannons,forcing both armored teens to fall back.

Starlio flew into the sky,determined to avoid the missiles and seeing Shannon doing the same.

"Shan!Fly towards me!"Starlio roared.

Shannon listened to him,flying over to Starlio who used himself as bait for the missiles,flying right back at Titus and dodging last minute,raining down his own missiles on him.Titus was blasted back,forced to tank the attacks as he yelled for backup:"What are you guys doing?!Shoot these two kids down!!!!!"Titus roared,turning around in rage to see the Chairman's backup for him under fire by other police officers,presumably those that weren't under the paycheck of the infamous gang lord.

He was on his own now.

"There!"Starlio heard Roy's voice as he and his friends,Angie,Frank and Joseline led a large group of SWAT officers towards the fight,forcing the Chairman's men away from them.

The fight was now between Titus,Starlio and Shannon.No outer interference.

"Not like I need those small fry."Titus brushed the majority of the missile attack,standing right back up despite his armor being more dented than before and several cracks beginning to appear all over the suit.Starlio and Shannon charged in at the same time as Titus grabbed his heated sword,swinging it at them.

Shannon landed first,using herself as a shield,grabbing the heated sword with her armored hands,ripping it right out of Titus' grip and before the hunter could regain his footing,Starlio ducked under Shannon,aiming his palm at Titus and firing off a devastating beam of fire that exploded a chunk right out of Titus' chest piece.

Titus growled as Starlio flew forward,firing multiple beams of fire in quick succession,Titus ducking and maneuvering around the projectiles surprisingly quick,kicking Starlio in the stomach before grabbing him and tossing him towards Shannon,clashing the both armored teens together."Fucking kids."Titus hissed.

Starlio quickly pushed himself up as Titus launched a punch,Starlio quickly reacting quickly and catching him in the arm,temporarily trapping him as Shannon activated her rockets,flying upwards and launching a kick towards Titus,blowing him away from Starlio.

The two teens stood side by side,looking at each other,thinking the exact same thing as Shannon fired her blasters while Starlio shot his fire cannons,raining down devastation on the hunter.

Titus tried to recover but was quickly shot back down,the combined power and teamwork of the two teenagers with the abilities given by the Model 2 and 4."Titus may be going insane,which is why he's fighting so recklessly but still...he has the drug enhancing his strength in addition to the armor's power.He cannot underestimate him."Starlio advises Shannon.

"Of course."Shannon nods.

"I don't need them..."Titus looks at the Chairman's forces,which were locked in a fierce firefight with multiple SWAT teams."I don't even need this armor to kill you both!"Titus announced angrily.

"I don't give a shit."Starlio responds.

Shannon quickly grabbed the heated blade by it's hilt,wary to not hold it by the blade for any second longer as she tossed it to Starlio,who caught it quickly:"You can use this better than I do."Starlio's heart was more dedicated than ever,knowing that this was a girl that was one of a kind.

"AGH!"Titus burst forward at crazy speeds,landing a punch that struck Starlio right in the helmet,blasting him back before focusing himself on Shannon,delivering a back thrust kick that sent her flying into a tree nearby,breaking it in half like nothing.

Titus closed the distance between them quickly,going completely berserk,grabbing her by the helmet and smashing Shannon right back onto the ground,unloading a volley of punches and kicks onto the Model 2 wildly.

"HEY!"Starlio shot towards Titus,landing a kick that slammed the hunter away from Shannon.

Titus was forced against a wall as Starlio charged at him,using the power of his armor to smash Titus right through the brick wall behind him before tossing the hunter into the air,aiming his fire cannons at him and firing a fireball that burned Titus mid air.Shannon got up,ignoring the damage to herself as she flew upwards,punching Titus right back onto the ground where Starlio set up a kick that cracked open Titus' helmet,sending the hunter tumbling onto the ground.

"Let's go!"Shannon yelled at Starlio as both armored teens sprinted at Titus to confirm their victory.

Titus started laughing maniacally,ripping the helmet away from himself in the nick of time as Shannon jumped at him.Titus lunged forward,punching Shannon in her injured arm and forcing her to fall back in pain when Starlio interfered,grabbing his next punch and kicking Titus in the chest."You turn your attention on me."Starlio demanded.

Titus was swinging like a madman,the once polished combat skills he once displayed was now reduced to a wild raging fury of attacks by his depleting sanity,allowing Starlio to react accordingly,blocking and deflecting his attacks before finding an opening,sweeping Titus off his feet when Shannon began raining down blast shots on Titus,tearing off even more chunks off Titus' armor and stripping him of his power suit.

"NO!"Titus pounced forward like a wild animal only for Starlio to jump back and shooting out a devastating punch,knocking Titus right in his face,knocking him clean out as the once seemingly invincible hunter collapsed onto the ground beneath Starlio.

"We did it..."Starlio turned around,looking at Shannon who herself collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion,the wound on her arm reopening as blood seemed through the cracks of the Model 2.Shannon collapsed forward into Starlio's arms as the two teenagers sat down on in the middle of the debris filled road,completely exhausted.

"Thank you..."Starlio tells her.

"This is our future Starlio...I'll always be here."

The couple looked up to their surroundings,police officers and SWAT teams successfully taking out or forcing the Chairman's corrupted police officers to surrender.For a moment,Starlio thought of a peaceful future that might actually be possible.A future where maybe...he could build a paradise,a gigantic safe haven for himself and Shannon as well as his friends and family,where he could use his wealth to help the world and his genius,to create inventions that will improve the literal state of Earth.

I might be thinking too far for now.Starlio tells himself.

"Starlio?...Shannon?"Roy found them.

"Yea...it's us."Shannon tells him.

"Wow...I assumed it happened?"Roy asks Starlio who coughed a little:"Bro,what are you talking about?"

"You two...you're both attached now right?"

"Yea."

"I freaking knew it.See,you tried to deny it last time!Bloody hell I told you hahaha."Roy fist bumps Starlio,who took off his helmet,taking in some fresh air and smiling:"I guess you're right."Starlio turns to Shannon,who had taken her helmet out as well,revealing several scars on her face,her once smooth blonde hair now messy and dusty,causing Starlio more of a heartache than he expected.

Starlio stood up,supported by Roy as he helped Shannon up:"Come on,I'm taking you to the hospital.We can do that now that the authorities are officially not hunting for us now....they aren't right?"Starlio turns to Roy.

"Don't think so.I think Javier settled that."Roy tells him:"I'll help you explain.Just go."

"Thanks Roy."Shannon tells him as Starlio grabbed her,taking off into the sky and right towards the hospital.

-

3 Days Later.

"Authorities have hence arrested Titus Alanore who has been suspected for being responsible of the murder of his OWN family.The teenager,known for previous incidents such as the rescue of his fellow classmates from a human trafficking ring as well as the North Star Academy attack,Starlio Stex and another unknown armored figure was spotted fighting Titus,who was in his own armored suit multiple times across the city across the past week.

Titus is expected to be in court next week on Wednesday and if guilty and charged with murder,he may face the death penalty."

Shannon looked at the television playing at the lobby of the hospital,smiling to herself knowing that for now,no one was hunting her and Starlio.

Shannon walked out towards the front of the hospital drop off point,her arm covered in bandages in a cast and multiple plasters stuck around her face and legs to heal the scratches she suffered from during the fight.The teenager found a bench,taking a seat when a familiar voice greeted her.

"Hey Shannon."Angie says,offering a cup of takeaway coffee.

"Angie?"

"Sorry I couldn't visit sooner.My parents were too worried to let me out again.I almost thought I missed your discharge girl."Angie took a seat next to her as Shannon smiled:"It's okay,I'm just glad to see you here."The two friends sat next to each other,a strange awkwardness lingering between them when Angie broke the silence:"You know...I'm okay with it."

Shannon knew exactly what she meant.

"I thought you..."

"Roy...he told me some stuff that I found pretty logical.You're my friend after all and if it's not meant to be,I don't wanna force Starlio to fall in love with me.I've seen him around you and he just seems,more outgoing and happy as a person.After the events of these few days,after what you've done for him...you're the one and I wish you two all the best.Genuinely."Angie grabs Shannon's hand.

"I....yes thank you."Shannon gave Angie a hug when Shannon's parents arrived in their car,fetching Shannon out of the hospital.

"Sorry,my parents are here.Hang out sometime?"Shannon apologized.

"Of course."Angie gleefully agreed.

Shannon boarded the car,greeting her parents."Are you sure you don't wanna go home now?You've just been discharged you should be resting."Jennifer Ray,Shannon's mother asks."I...today's the funeral.I have to be there.Xavier did sacrifice his life for us after all."

"The boy's gonna be there too?"Charles Ray,her father asked.

"It's his mentor.Of course he will be there."

"Shannon,we know you two have history and honestly,your father and I are going to be supportive of your relationship but as parents,you have to understand that we worry about your future with Starlio.He isn't the ordinary boy who would bring you to prom that we expected.He may be financially strong but this life you two have been leading...we are very worried.We want you to seriously consider your path with him going forward."Jennifer begs.

Shannon paused for a moment,taking in a deep breath:"I'm asked myself these questions before many times before ever since the day he got me out of that trafficking ring.I...I know it's going to be tough for the both of us,considering our life going forward.But I believe that I will be happy with him and that from the bottom of my heart,I want to spend this life with him."Shannon tells her parents.

"Alright...we support you Shannon."Charles says.

Shannon alighted right outside the church where she spotted Starlio,dressed in a black suit talking to Javier Navarro.She knew better than to interrupt them as she stood behind,fairly out of sight,awaiting their conversation to end.

"From now on,you'll be in charge,200 employees will now answer to you."Javier says.

"It's a huge responsibility...I still don't know why me."Starlio admits.

"I'm sure he told you this.I've personally discussed this with him countless times and for decades I've seen him try and find someone to try and inherit this company and his knowledge and skills.He didn't want me to tell you this but...he has dementia.He was months away from completely losing his memories and along with it...all the knowledge he has built up."Javier finally reveals to a distraught Starlio,taking a step back in disbelief.

"It makes sense now...why he was pushing me to take over this.Why he was...so worried I couldn't be able to absorb everything he taught quickly.He didn't tell me-"

"Because he wanted you to focus,to reach your potentials.He didn't want his condition to get in the way of your progress."Javier says before grabbing a file from his bag,handing it over to Starlio:"This is Xavier's will,all the details and questions you want are in there.For now...well,let's send him off.We can talk about this further on another day."

Starlio's voice quivered:"Yea...yea."

Javier pats Starlio on the shoulder,heading into the church for the funeral with the dozens of guests that arrive,giving Shannon the opportunity to finally head to him."Hey...are you okay?"Shannon noticed the tears flowing down Starlio's cheek as he nods:"Yea...yea it's just-"

"I heard what Javier said.I'm sorry...He took really good care of you."Shannon tells him."He did...he did.."Starlio leaned in as Shannon wrapped her good arm around him,hugging him tightly.

That evening.

Starlio and Shannon walked down the beach of Plex City,able to date each other properly for the first time."So...where to for dinner?"Shannon asks.

"Somewhere quiet.I don't want any uninvited attention."

"There's a new steakhouse that opened there.Wanna check it out?"Shannon suggests.

"Ooo alright.It's on me though,for the meal you bought me while in the car shop."Starlio tells Shannon who smiled:"Oh boy that's a bold offer.I will order a lot of stuff you know?"

"Bring it on."Starlio challenged her.

Shannon collapsed on the table,careful to not bend her cast as she waved her hand in surrender after finishing three quarters of a steak and a bowl of pumpkin soup."Ha,I win."Starlio says,munching on his steak,barely full with a platter of truffle fries,creamy chicken soup and a large milkshake still in front of him,the prodigy casually enjoying the rest of his meal.

"I told you."Starlio tells Shannon who jokingly slapped his hand in annoyance.

After finishing their meal,the duo found themselves sitting at the outer balcony of the ocean facing restaurant and the two of them,surprised by the lack of guests with them,most of which sat indoors to enjoy the air con while the two teens preferred the ocean breeze.

"So...what now?"Shannon asks Starlio,who knew her intentions.

Starlio began reflecting on the events that had happened these past few days.The Chairman is still out there.They might have taken down Titus down along with many of his corrupted officers but with everything he had heard,that was merely a fraction of the Chairman's true influence.The gang lord has already been pushed back by him twice and when the Chairman comes for him again...it will be an all out war.

"For now...I need to build more armors.I have to hunt him down."Starlio tells his girlfriend.

Shannon nods:"Alright.I'm with you."

Starlio looks at her,knowing that this was a huge sacrifice on her part.As bad as he felt,every part of his instincts was telling him to stay with her.Before Starlio could say anything else,Shannon grabbed his hand:"It's okay to be selfish Starlio.I want to be with you."

How...?Starlio swore she could read his mind.

"I...are you...sure?"Starlio felt extremely nervous abut the scenario they were both trapped in."What if something happens?I can't guarantee your safety...not yet.The Chairman is still out there and...as much as I want to tell you it's all going to work out,I..."

"I don't care.Let's go through this.All of this.Together."Shannon assures him.

"Okay."Starlio nods,convincing himself.

The prodigy took out his phone,summoning a cab to their location as he and Shannon got up,walking hand in hand out of the restaurant,ready to face any challenges as a couple.

End.

Next Book,to round up the trilogy:

Starlio Stex:Year 3.