Author's note:
Another author's note before we get in. So apparently, we have a current Zodiac hero named Michael but he will just be referred as 'Michael' and that's it. But there was also an 80s Zodiac hero named Michael but I'll refer to him as 'Michael J' cuz Michael Jackson hee hee. When I make an 80s spin-off, Michael Jackson would just be called 'Michael.' But anyways, enjoy.
Flashbacks...
In 1981, Roland and Curt first met their future teammates in their new dorm.
Jon: Oh hi, you must be the new leaders Jerry had assigned, I'm Jon.
Curt: Curt.
Roland: Roland.
George: I'm George and this is my partner in crime, Andy.
Andy: Hi.
Kate: My name is Kate and these are my girl gang friends, Whitney and Madonna.
Whitney: Hi.
Madonna: Hi.
Curt: What about this little girl?
Kyle: I'm Kylie, I'm actually 13.
Curt: Oh.
Rick: I'm Rick.
Bryan: Call me Bryan, I'm technically the only Canadian here.
Michael J: And I'm Michael, hee hee.
Roland: Weird.
Charlie: I'm Charlie.
Craig: I'm Craig.
Curt: Which one is which though?
Jerry: Well, now that you know your team, I already got the dorm set up for the 2 of you. Now, you guys please get along, I don't want you guys to fallout again.
Kylie: Fall out?
Michael J: It's complicated.
Jerry: Anyways, get to know each other, enjoy yourselves.
End of flashbacks...
Zach's POV
I glared at Andrew and Dream for quite some time until I used the water from the Great Bath just to get in front of them. I then used my powers to attack them out of rage because they practically ruined our trip to Wales. All this just so that there would be no more Time Travelling Spirits left to help us.
Zach: You mother fucking bitches!
Andrew: Oh, now you're swearing now. Very naughty boy.
Zach: I'm genderfluid, transphobe.
Andrew: Whatever. Fag-
Aimee: Ohh you're getting cancelled.
Zach: Everyone, come up here and help me fight.
Roland: It would be slower if we used to stairs.
Curt: Just use the holy water over there.
Maggie: For Water-based heroes.
Tanya: Just use the stones here and the Time Travellers will redo the damage.
Maggie: Oh yeah.
Daniel: Eh, I can fly.
Josh: Fire-based heroes like me will bast-off.
Denis: Same for the Air-based heroes.
Toby: Everyone, let's get up there and help Zach.
My teammates used their powers to get up here to help me attack Dream and Andrew. With the Time Travelling heroes undoing every single damage to prevent anyone from suspecting Zodiac activity. And Luke put an invisibility shield around us so that no one would suspect a thing.
Dream: Why did you put the invisibility thing?
Luke H: You know how there are many tourists here? We want to put this shield on so that no one could suspect anything.
Andrew: This is Bath, Dream, so glad those Germans bombed this place but this area is so well preserved.
Curt: Apparently, Andrew, this water is actually holy and it won't be affected by those little bombs the Luftwaffe dropped down. And these things burn Dark Spirits.
Taka: Erm... I don't think they burnt me, Darryl, Bill, Nick or any Hybrid or Dark Spirits.
Curt: With the exception of Hybrid or Dark Spirits who are part of the Zodiac heroes.
Tina: No wonder why the holy water seemed a little bit acidic. Thanks a lot, Karl.
Karl: Did it burn?
Tina: No.
Mat: But it shall burn you, my so-called brother.
We began attacking the Dark Spirits together but then more we hit them, the more Time Eaters were released. All these guys are doing is wasting our time as if we cannot go to Wales by tomorrow. Until something clicked in my mind.
Zach: Guys, stop the battle!
Roland: Zach, what's going on?
Mr Tan: What are you doing?
Zach: Look, I know it may seem weird but what these guys are doing is wasting our time. There's a reason why Time Eaters exist. The more time we wasted here, the more these guys would appear so we would well, waste our time. We have to stop fighting so that we could head to Wales tomorrow.
Aimee: Thinking about that, we should be heading to Wales tomorrow.
Andrew: No! Nobody's going to Wales tomorrow.
Curt: We will, alright.
Roland: Curt, what are you doing?
Curt: Teaching these 2 a lesson, for not respecting their elders.
Mat: Andrew is 119 and you're... what? 60?
Curt: Come to think of that. Oh right, he's a Guardian and his biological age is 39 like you. Now I get it. But whatever, into the acid you go.
Curt entered the Spiritual State and this is the first time we saw him doing so. He then used his telekinetic powers to move them with all his strength and threw them into the sort-of acidic water. He went out of the Spiritual State and we laughed as we see 2 of our enemies drown and burn in that water.
Toby: That was epic.
Tommy: Yeah, I haven't seen you in the Spiritual State, do it again.
Curt: Well, it only happens whenever I'm in a battle or something.
Kyle: But that was epic.
Curt: I know.
Roland: It's really funny that we've been wasting time on those idiots. Some masked dude with a green hood and a racist, ableist and homophobic dude.
Mat: Neo-Nazi.
Roland: Yup.
Mat: I mean, yeah, he's openly racist, homophobic and ableist to me. He made fun of my learning disability.
Curt: Dyslexia?
Mat: No, dyscalculia. I have trouble reading numbers. He also made fun of the entire family because we're Jewish, even though he's also Jewish. Not only that, he threatened to kill my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, Ben.
Ben W: He doesn't intimidate me anymore. I could just sit around as he makes fun of my ear.
Luke H: Guys, the invisibility shield is wearing off.
Zach: We better get outta here before anybody suspects a thing.
Karl: Oh and in case it happens, my rewinding powers would help.
Curt: Yeah, because only Zodiac heroes are not affected by the rewind powers.
Bill: That means you cannot reverse any of our injuries, healing powers exist because of that.
We ran to the bus station and waited for our next bus back to the estate building. I am so happy that nobody suspected us because I don't want the same thing that happened in Brighton to happen to us. The sky is getting darker and the stars are about to come out and our bus isn't here yet.
Zach: Bus isn't here yet.
Toby: When will it ever come? The Dark Spirits might appear again?
Curt: I thought we defeated them.
Mat: Andrew's a Hybrid Spirit.
Toby: I was referring to Chase and Medusa.
Curt: Those twats.
Toby: You fought them before, didn't you?
Mr Tan: Yeah and they would do anything with their power to get rid of us. That was the same motive as the Zodiac Labourers.
Tommy: Indeed.
Roland: These guys wouldn't give us a break. Even after we went our separate ways, I could still hear those whooshing noises everywhere. Even thought I was still drunk.
Calum: Really?
Zach: God knows how long these guys have been around. Wouldn't even be surprised if they've been around since Ancient China.
Our bus finally arrived and we immediately hopped in because we wanted to be home before the moon is out. I just hope that we could make it to our bus station on time before we hear another set of whooshing sounds. Also, I just hope that nothing goes wrong when we go to Wales tomorrow.
Brad: Zach, stop worrying about the future again.
Curt: Why are you so worried about him?
Brad: His oxygen levels dropped again, he's always stressed out over stuff. And you know you cannot get a transplant.
Zach: Shoot.
Curt: You better keep yourself calm, kiddo.
Zach: I'm trying, Curt.
Brad: Do you want to be on a ventilator again after overworking yourself?
Zach: No.
Brad: Then don't stress the small stuff.
Zach: Dammit.
Curt: I think he might be showing signs of ADHD or OCD. Probably both. Trust me, I have both, err... had both actually. I was diagnosed when I was his age. How old is he though?
Brad: He just turned 19.
Curt: Oh, I apparently got diagnosed after my dad's death when I was 17.
Brad: That sucked.
Curt: I know. But it didn't stop me from being the leader, even though the repeated, intrusive thoughts kept distracting me from time to time.
Taegan: Does it still distract you now?
Curt: Not anymore.
We reached our bus stop and began our walk back to the estate building. The sky was pitch black, the moon is up and the stars are coming out. Even though the view is calming, we had to run faster back to the building because of Chase and Medusa.
Zach: So y'all know Chase and Medusa, right?
Roland: Yeah, fought them back in the day.
Curt: These guys wouldn't even leave us alone.
Taka: I'm hearing whooshing noises, they must be coming.
Toby: Shoot, keep running.
Even though some of us have the power to run faster, it is too late. Chase and Medusa appeared out of nowhere while we were in the dark streets of Bath. I ignored them and just kept running until they decided to block our way.
Chase: We meet again.
Zach: Oh boy.
Dylan: You guys, who the hell are you?
Cara: That's Chase and Medusa over there.
Curt: You guys.
Medusa: Oh look what we have here, the 2 leaders from the 80s Zodiac heroes. Curt Smith and Roland whatever your surname is.
Roland: Orzabal.
Medusa: Whatever.
Chase: You guys haven't changed one bit.
Medusa: Well, they actually did change a lot. Curt is an old man now instead of an angsty young adult man with autism.
Curt: ADHD and OCD.
Medusa: Whatever. And Roland looks like Santa Claus.
Roland: Ho ho ho, merry Christmas in the middle of June.
Jenna: Okay, where are the presents?
Zach: What do you want from us? You want to fight us? Wanna poison Curt again?
Chase: Oh, we don't want that, we did that before though. We just wanted to warn you that more dangers are up ahead, tomorrow you're going to Wales and find the other Time Travelers. However, more Time Eaters are still existent so you must not mess with them, they-
Karl: Waste our time, we know. But why are you warning us?
Medusa: You'll see, you lot, you'll see.
They both soon disappeared and I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming. We immediately went back to the estate building and settled down in the lobby for a bit. That experience was scary, that was the weirdest encounter of Chase and Medusa of all time.
Zach: That was so weird and scary.
Ryan L: I know.
Brad: What were they on about anyway?
Roland: If you've known them for a long time, they really don't make sense. My team and I thought we killed them, but that was back in around 1985. Turns out, they were still alive but in the Pandora's Vault. After we disband officially in 1990, they were released but then a new batch of Zodiac heroes came to the rescue.
Delilah: It's being repeated, they always come back whenever a new Zodiac team arises.
Mr Tan: Yeah, and I had to guide those 90s heroes as soon as I became the Guardian.
Kyle: You seem pretty active for a long time.
Mr Tan: I've been a Zodiac hero since the 1970s.
Martha: But you're not the oldest hero here.
Mr Tan: Oh yeah, right.
Gerald: But Chase and Medusa weren't the only enemies we had to face, the Zodiac Labourers are another problem.
Curt: We know, and did they dissolve back in America?
Delilah: We dunno. I've been in the Philippines after the shootings and Gerald was adopted by Jim and went to the UK. We both started up our businesses but my parents are looking after them at the moment.
Roland: Why did you do that?
Delilah: I'm missing out on my teenage and young adult years and I just wanted to live a normal life. Sure I have everything and all but being normal for once is for the best.
Gerald: Wise words from the best.
Delilah: Gerald.
Zach: Well, let's go to bed, tomorrow we're finally heading to Swansea.
Aimee: So excited.
Curt: Can't wait to see my own kind.
Karl: That's what I said before this mess happened.
Roland: But whatever, let's head to our rooms, we have a mission ahead of us tomorrow.
We all separated and went back to our rooms in the estate building. I laid down on my bed and stared at the dark ceiling in this moonlit room. I didn't bother to even bathe or turn on the lights to this dusty-looking room. Ryan and Noah were probably doing their treatments which reminded me that I have to do mine. So I took out my nebuliser, set it up, put the mouthpiece in my mouth and just laid on my bed. Until I realised that Ryan and Noah are done with their treatments.
Ryan L: Wow Zach, you're falling behind on treatments again.
Zach: I don't usually have time.
Noah L: Why are you staring at the ceiling?
Zach: No idea.
Ryan L: It's not like you're stargazing or anything. More like cobweb gazing.
Noah L: I'll go to sleep.
Ryan L: Look, you've been putting everyone first instead of yourself when it comes to your health. That's why you've been missing out on your treatments and stuff. You've been recently doing so because of that.
Zach: That's why I'm doing them now. And you're well aware that I cannot get a transplant, I might die soon and I know that.
Ryan L: Well, so do I. Which is why I decided to look at the bright side of life instead of letting my illness take the best of me. It's good for your mental health.
Zach: Yeah right.
Ryan L: Ready to go to bed?
Zach: Not yet, my treatment's not done yet.
Ryan L: If you say so.
Soon after my treatments are done, Ryan and I packed it up and then we went to bed. Apparently, we're both sleeping on the same bed while Noah is sleeping on a separate bed. With the sound of everyone's oxygen concentrators, I fell asleep on Ryan's arms. I woke up to Noah taking pictures of us using his goddamn amulet.
Zach: Noah, what the hell?
Noah L: What, you guys are so cute sleeping together.
Ryan L: Yeah, but you didn't have to do that.
Noah L: Or what? Uncle Curt and tio Roland would see it?
Zach: Oh no you don't.
Noah L: Bye bitches.
Ryan L: Holy mother of Jesus.
Zach: Let's get after him.
Ryan and I chased Noah down the halls but we were too late at this point. He already showed pictures of us sleeping together to Curt and Roland and we were both embarrassed. Oh my goodness, a leader sleeping with his non-leader boyfriend and a little brother-like figure had to bust us.
Curt: You guys were sleeping together.
Ryan L: Erm...
Zach: Probably...
Roland: Didn't know you guys came out already, congratulations. That picture reminded me of when Curt and I were young.
Ryan L: You guys are gay, aren't you?
Curt: Err... I'm actually pansexual.
Roland: It's complicated, for me. Curt would always get breakdowns so I always give the time to give him comfort. Even while he was paralysed and on oxygen after respiratory failure due to Lunatite poisoning. God knows how many times he broke down.
Curt: I couldn't help it because of the intrusive thoughts.
Zach: Seems like you were together before.
Roland: Yeah, we broke up after our team disbanded and he went to America. With the other American Zodiac heroes in our team. Mainly because the Labourers were still active and he didn't feel safe in the UK because of that.
Curt: But at least we're back together again.
Noah L: Are you guys dating now or something?
Roland: Sort of.
Curt: Yeah, nobody wants to see gay 60-year-old men.
Mat: Gay 60-year-old men? I'm 119 and Ben, my husband, is 126. We're both from the era way before you were born.
Roland: World War 2?
Ben W: Yeah, we kept our marriage a secret.
Curt: Okay, let's just say Roland and I are sort-of dating now, not as much as back when we were teens and young adults.
Zach: Let's go have some breakfast before we head to Swansea.
We grabbed our bags from our rooms and then went to a nearby cafe to grab some breakfast. However, we didn't sit down to eat because we needed to head straight to the Bath railway station. We just sat down and ate our breakfast there before we find our next train to Swansea. When I'm done, I talked to one of the staff members for a bit until I went back to my team.
Zach: They said that there won't be any trains heading to Swansea.
Beau: Wait what?
Aimee: Why? That's my home.
Zach: You know when the time eaters destroyed the tracks? They had to re-route to Cardiff. If we want to go straight to Swansea, we have to go to London.
Aimee: We can't afford to go back to London, I already have our tickets to Swansea booked after having a goddamn refund.
Freddie: Those are tickets to Cardiff.
Mr Tan: Welp, we can go to Cardiff. We just need to take another train to Swansea.
Zach: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go.
The end...