Don't Feel Lonely

Yuri knew exactly how strong the Eternals were as individuals.

Aside from Gilgamesh, who could punch through anything, the toned-down Marvel "Superman," Igris, and Tina the Valkyrie, whose close-combat skills were maxed out, the other seven couldn't even defeat a single Mutant on their own. The Eternals had managed to wipe out and seal away the Mutants not through individual strength, but thanks to the triangular spaceship Domo, which had brought them to Earth.

Yuri had never set foot inside Domo. He knew it housed a statue of Arishem, the Supreme Celestial Observer. He didn't know how closely the statue was connected to the real thing, but better safe than sorry. If he somehow drew Arishem's attention, not only would he and the frozen Mutants be in danger, but Earth itself could be utterly destroyed.

When Yuri had killed Ajak and absorbed her abilities, he had also kept his distance from the "Celestial Sphere" inside her, which she used to communicate with Arishem. He was worried that one little mistake might bring catastrophe upon his people.

Time always passed quickly.

After watching Yinsen head home from work with a book in hand, Yuri immediately closed the shop and returned to the third floor. With a wave of his hand, a pile of patterned gear appeared on the makeshift workbench. He picked up a bracer and lightly tapped it against his wrist. Golden lines flowed across its surface before it fitted snugly around his wrist. He flexed his fist a few times and felt no discomfort at all.

With a gentle flick, a huge energy shield appeared out of thin air, large enough to cover Shack completely. Curious, Vanax poked it with her finger, and tiny ripples spread across the spot she touched. Yuri glared her back into line before explaining to everyone, "After my three rounds of modifications, you should be able to feel a special energy inside you. It can heal your injuries, make you faster, and strengthen your souls. It can also power this gear and activate its special functions."

"These are bracers. I carved shield magic into them. Once activated, they can summon a huge energy shield like this one. We all know Jinger's energy blasts pack a punch, so the shields can protect you from attacks. These are knee guards. Unfortunately, time was short. I wanted to make you a full set of leg armor, but these can briefly increase your movement speed once activated, letting you dodge if you don't have time to raise a shield. These are force-dispersing shoes. I know you're all incredibly strong, and human building materials are like paper to you. But we have to keep a low profile, so we can't leave too many traces behind. Activate them before moving, and they'll cancel out the force you exert on the ground for ten minutes. These are bracers..."

By the time everyone had gotten used to their gear, it was already half past eleven. Most of the delay came from Vanax and Kate, those two idiots, who kept asking questions. Even Shack and the other two, who hadn't been particularly nervous to begin with, started showing signs of pre-battle jitters. Yuri had to give them another pep talk before their morale finally picked up again.

sigh

It was only a little Jinger... Once you've finished this fight, you'll see just how pathetic the nightmare you once feared is against the people you've become.

"Operation begins!"

After a resounding "Yes!" the six Mutants, Yuri included, nodded. Within a few breaths, the forehead guards they wore slid down to cover their entire heads. A flash of golden light passed beneath their feet, and they moved without making a sound.

Yuri waved his hand, and the third-floor ceiling swung open. The six bent their knees and sprang lightly onto the roof of old man Rogers's bookstore next door. After a few leaps, their silhouettes vanished into the thick night. The old man, lying in bed and unable to sleep as he watched the clouds, caught a glimpse of something passing his window. He pursed his lips in confusion, then rolled over and muttered, "What's that line again? A moonless, windy night—perfect for murder and arson..."

The presidential suite on the top floor of the Shalina Hotel.

After seeing off Karen, his assistant, who had arranged the next day's promotional schedule, Jinger switched off the lights and stood alone in front of the enormous window, lost in thought. He had lived far too long. In his seven thousand years, aside from the times he'd fought alongside his companions, he'd spent two or three thousand years wandering alone. Immortality wasn't always a blessing; it could become a cruel curse.

He'd made many human friends, but without exception, they had slowly grown old before his eyes. Karen was the same. The handsome young man he'd once been was now a pudgy middle-aged man whose dark circles never seemed to go away. Perhaps in another decade or so, Karen would leave him too...

With a sigh, Jinger rubbed his face hard. He didn't know what was wrong with him today, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Could it be that he'd been apart from his comrades for too long, and missed them?

He failed to notice the six uninvited guests who had appeared out of thin air in the previously empty living room. They wore mismatched armor, and helmets covered their entire heads.

Yuri took a light breath, easing the strain caused by overusing Space Power. Transporting six people at once had been a little difficult, but at least he'd pulled it off—and the high-energy fluctuations hadn't caught their target's attention.

He waved, and the six spread out evenly, slowly approaching Jinger, who was covering his face and radiating an air of dejection. Over thousands of years of hunting, every Mutant who had survived had learned to rein in—or even conceal—their murderous intent toward their prey. As a result, Jinger didn't sense anything was wrong until the six had come within ten steps of him.

He lowered his hands. His keen eyesight as a sharpshooter had not dulled despite his long absence from battle. Almost instantly, he spotted the six figures slowly closing in behind him in the window's reflection. There was no time to think. A brilliant golden spark gathered at his fingertip, while Shack and the other four, knowing they'd been exposed, activated all their gear at once and lunged at him without hesitation.

The knee guards accelerated them, the arm guards amplified their strength, the gauntlets pierced through defenses, and the boots dispersed the force...

The energy sphere at Jinger's fingertip had barely reached the size of a peanut, but five fists packed with immense power were already less than a foot away. Yuri had done nothing after waving his hand, but now he flicked his wrist and activated the energy shield, setting it upright in front of him. It blocked the scalding blood that sprayed everywhere the next second.

Shack and the others landed their blows and froze in place, stunned. They looked up to see Jinger's agonized face and the golden energy sphere in his hand slowly fading away.

Yuri put away the energy shield and strolled over to his disbelieving kin. Dozens of blue-black tubes shot from his back and plunged deep into Jinger's body as he opened his mouth, trying to say something.

"We're Mutants."

Yuri leaned close to his ear. Beneath his helmet, his handsome face curved into a dangerous smile. "Don't feel lonely. You're the fifth..."