Zuro
Many, many decades ago, on a planet millions of light years away from Earth two twins were born from parents of a certain race. They were far from human, but numerous millennia of evolution had led to their race developing a second form that was far more human in both appearance and anatomy, albeit with a few differences due to the atmosphere and environments of their planet. This form was significantly weaker than their true form but conserved far more energy, and since the current laws of the planet stated that no one was allowed in their true form while outside of their own home, majority of civilians kept to their human bodies at all times. The planet had one ruler, a king, who all must answer to, though there were many who were envious of the fact that power only came to the members of the royal family, leading to them detesting and rebelling against authority. No force was large enough to overthrow the government however, for they had weapons that far exceeded anything the rebels could muster. Each time they rose up they were pushed back down, and eventually the idea of breaking free from the apparent dictatorship, as so many viewed it, was deemed entirely impossible. There were no more open rebellions or attempts to seize power carried out by the people, however whispers filled with hateful defiance continued to spread across the planet, and in the shadows a growing force with plans to build up and one day shatter the government entirely hid in wait. The twins were named Hadi and Charon, and from birth they were both raised in the capital city of the entire planet. A grand building with large hallways and awe inspiring decor was their home, although this planet's buildings and interiors were far different to that of Earth's. For starters, the material most houses and structures were built out of was a sea blue mineral named Obalk, which was similar to stone though a lot more malleable. Their technology was not extremely advanced compared to Earth, in fact if anything it was further back - as there was nothing even remotely close to cellphones available to people and only one method of transport to get around the entire planet. That was in terms of the general public however, as in certain more specific areas, like mining for example, the planet already had automations and advancements that worked wonders for them. The ores and minerals found in the planet's crust were much different from anything on Earth, leading to a much more varied range of lifestyles on the planet. Regardless of this however, there was no lifestyle, not even criminal, that matched the luxury of royalty. And that's the life Hadi and Charon would have lived, had it not been for one man. The twins' parents were the King and Queen of the planet, but their lives of comfort and peace were stripped away before the boys were even old enough to remember the faces of those who birthed them. The King was attending an overnight meeting, an event that was uncommon but not unheard of in the planet's government. His wife, the Queen, was alone in their bedroom, asleep on the bed with her two twins resting similarly in their cots close by. Slowly and silent the door to the room was pushed open, and the maid standing in the hall peeked her head through to see if the Queen was asleep or not. In seeing that she was the maid stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar to let a trickle of light inside. Swiftly and quietly she crossed the room, moving to the cots which held the two sleeping children inside. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny vial, filled with a glittery blue substance, which she hurriedly opened before reaching over the cot and pouring a single drop onto one of the babies' head. The drop stayed there for a second, before seemingly absorbing into the baby's flesh and ensuring that it would remain unconscious for a great deal longer. The maid did the same to the other child, then closed the vial and slipped it back into her pocket. She turned to the sleeping Queen, then from behind her back revealed the faintly shimmering blade she now held in her hand, its appearance seeming almost translucent. It was made of an extremely special and extremely rare type of material, one that was scarily lethal to the inhabitants of the planet. She remembered the man who'd entrusted her with this very mission explaining it to her, telling her how the blade, if a lethal shot is landed, can kill a member of their race even in their human form. It was a terribly destructive weapon despite its elegant beauty, and incredibly useful for a task like this. An assassination. The maid lifted up one of the pillows that lay beside the Queen then hovered it above her sleeping face, pointing the blade down directly at her heart with her other hand. She took a deep breath, composing herself, then stared right ahead at the wall in front of her. "For the resistance." She whispered, before plunging the blade straight through the Queen's chest and stopping her from crying out by using the pillow. Her body stiffened for a second, a horribly nightmarish screech sounding from under the pillow, before she went entirely limp and a deathly aura filled the air. The maid looked down at the dead woman for a second, then gasped as a glowing light emitted from her chest, starting small then slowly growing larger and larger despite the fact she had most definitely moved on to the next life. Once the light had reached its peak it moved away from the Queen's body, bursting out and filling the room for a second before every single speck shot down towards one of the twins, immediately disappearing into him but leaving his sleeping form entirely undisturbed. The maid stared at the baby, trying to process what she'd just seen, but then the realisation of how little time she had to waste hit her and she hurried over to the cots. She rapidly grabbed the sleeping twins, carrying each of them in her arms, before running towards the door and out into the hall. A quick glance around told her the coast was clear, meaning the rest of the resistance members were doing their part in keeping stragglers and passerbyers away. Now all she had to do was make it to the roof. She ran there as fast as she could, keeping both babies held tight against her until in no time at all, and without any trouble, she was up on the roof. Once there she spotted two figures standing in the centre, both men and both with skin that wasn't remotely like a human's. It was bright blue for starters, and, although it wasn't abundantly clear just from looking, it was far, far tougher than a human's skin. The men stood without a single item of clothing on, however where any genitals should've been there was instead just plain skin, no sign of any sort of reproductive feature that a human would have. Their genders were still identifiable however. Women's forms were far more slim and built for more agile and elegant movements, whereas men were all about strength and being built like a tank. The two in front of the woman right now though were a somewhat special case. They had the usual physicality all male true forms had, extremely fit and muscular, but the main feature of their specific blue skinned kind were their wings. Great large, smooth wings spread out to either side of them from their backs, easily seven or eight feet wide, with a touch that was strangely similar to that of a bat's. They were blue like their skin, albeit a far darker shade, and although some true forms with different colours still had wings, they weren't specifically built for flying like these blue ones were. "These are the children?" One of the men asked the maid, looking down at the twins in her arms with pinpointed blue eyes. She glanced up at the two horns protruding from either side of his head, then at the curved semicircle pattern ingrained right underneath his eyes, before locking her gaze with him and giving a small nod of her head. "You know the plan. Our window's growing small, hurry." The other blue winged man said, stepping forward and taking both sound asleep babies as she handed them to him. The one who spoke first said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her, before taking off into the sky with a single flap of his wings while the other followed behind with the twins in his arms. They flew high above the city, leaving the grand mansion behind them, and with it the prosperous future that Charon and Hadi would never get the chance to live out.
On the far side of the planet, where practically no life grows and where there seems to be only desolation, there was a system of underground chambers in which Charon and Hadi lived ever since that day. They didn't live alone of course, in fact the hideout was usually so busy that you couldn't go to the bathroom without running into one or two people, all of whom knew the boys well. Neither of them understood where the tunnels and chambers came from, they'd just been told that they were to keep common people hidden and safe from the corrupt government that ran the planet. This was, of course, a lie, but having never known anything else outside of their underground home the boys accepted everything they were told as truth without a shadow of a doubt. The main area was a large hall of sorts, which was mostly filled with places for people to mull around and interact, and it branched out into all the different sections of the system. Charon and Hadi hadn't explored every inch of the place, they just went where they were allowed - which was surprisingly little due to their young age. They shared a small room which was hardly used for more than sleeping, where they slept in bunk beds; Hadi on the top bunk and Charon on the bottom. Most of their time as children was spent in the study, which was a moderately large room filled mainly with different books and resources, and also happened to be where the leader of the hidden resistance resided. He was an old man who went by the name Dolion, and despite his noticeably aged appearance he was still as cruel and ruthless as he was in his youth. Many of those who lived in the underground, the other members of the resistance, didn't have a clue what the man looked like, as he almost never left the chambers that were directly connected to the study; however, they knew his name. And they knew that he was the one who built the resistance into what it was now, a united army ready to take on the planet's leaders and claim their prize for it once the new world had been established. These were all the things Dolion had promised them, and he did intend to deliver on his promises, albeit with a far more self-benefiting conclusion. He was a selfish man, though wise enough to hide it, and since the day Hadi and Charon had been brought to him he'd raised them as his own children. Not out of kindness - he was, alas, the one who planned and executed their kidnapping in the first place - but rather in preparation for the future. To ensure he had the means to carry out the plan his entire false revolution was based around. Hadi and Charon believed Dolion was their blood father, and that the corrupt madmen in power had murdered their mother shortly after their birth. They'd never seen the over world a single time, Dolion forbade it, and since the man was always stressing how important it was for the children's identities to stay hidden from those who dwelled above, they never had any reason to doubt him. The reason they spent as much time in the study as they did in their childhood was due to the lessons Dolion would often give them. Since he was raising them as his own, the man knew the importance of aligning them to his cause and filling their heads with tainted views as early in life as he could. He had to ensure they were his most loyal soldiers, and all his preparations - books that talked about a fake history, a corrupt government that didn't actually exist, the powers of the planet and a hatred for humankind - were being fed directly to the twin's minds piece by piece.
"Father, when will my training with my powers begin?" Hadi asked Dolion during one of the twins' lessons, watching as his father paused halfway through writing a page in his journal. The boys were eight years old, and still at the age where the majority of the underground base was entirely off limits to them. They'd been promised, though, that eventually they'd be free to roam where they wanted. Hadi had noticed people walking to and from different areas, with weapons and machinery and all sorts, so he'd somewhat guessed a few things about what they weren't allowed to see, and made sure to tell Charon about them as well. Regardless, they both still wanted to find out for certain, and since Dolion had promised Hadi he'd be trained to use his powers soon enough the boy was struggling to contain how much he wanted to see for himself. "I've told you plenty of times Hadi. Your impatience will achieve nothing." Dolion told him with a hint of finality, closing his journal and placing it in a drawer beside the desk he was at. It was the stage in the twins lessons when he noted down the day's events while they took the time to read whatever book he'd allotted to them previously. Hadi, and Charon - who was lounging on a couch across the room while he read his book - were wearing similar clothing, a simple plain white tunic with stitched brown trousers; however Charon had donned a dark green leather coat in order to remain decently distinguishable from his brother. Due to their identical red eyes, brown rugged hair and height, a lot of the time it was impossible to know who was who unless you were like Dolion and had spent enough time with the pair of them to know the slight differences in facial features. Their father was situated at his desk, wearing his usual getup of a long yellow hemmed black robe, fitted with a golden chained collar and leather stitched patterned undershirt. The man was extremely prideful in his appearance, despite almost never leaving his rooms, and always tried his best to make himself look higher and mightier than those who accompanied him, in as subtle a manner as possible. Although his apparel made him looked like a particularly prosperous man, he was anything but. His hair had grown thin and grey a long time ago, and his skin was terribly wrinkled, giving him a sullen look at all times. The fact that his eyes were sunken in their sockets and his features seemingly lacked the ability to express any emotions other than distaste or disdain didn't help this, either. "I know, it's just...I've had these powers all my life and have still learned nothing about them." Hadi tried to argue his case, expecting his father to get angry like he had many times before, but Dolion simply set his jaw as he thought for a second. "Fine. You have done well to obey me up until now, I suppose I should give you something in return. You are eight, yes? On your ninth birthday I will arrange for your training to begin. Do not expect it to be anything short of torture - it will likely be the most difficult thing you ever do." He watched Hadi's face to judge the effect his words had, but if there was any doubt the boy did well to hide it. "I will do you proud father." Hadi said with a nod of his head, prompting Charon to look up from his book before speaking up "And what of me, father? You know I lack powers, do you wish for me to remain reading these books for the rest of my years?" Dolion managed a short laugh, though it came out more as a cackle when it exited his croaky windpipe. "Don't insult me, child, I have not forgotten I raised two sons instead of one. Your training shall begin also, but one of a different kind. Do you understand what I expect of you?" Charon and Hadi both nodded, their father had drilled into their minds just how important a part they would play in the resistance. The planet's race, known as Dohlkai, consisted of a variety of different coloured skinned true forms. They ranged from black, to blue, to violet, to bronze, and all of them were particularly strong in different aspects of life; though since almost every member of the Dohlkai remained in their human forms anywhere outside of their homes, there was no prejudice against specific colours. Undoubtedly however, above all other colours stood the red skinned Dohlkai, a practically unheard of breed who's base physical strength and speed allowed them to outshine even the most well trained warrior in combat with ease. The reason the race's true forms were banned in public was mostly due to the danger that came with using them, as they exerted such an extreme amount of energy that there were only a few specially made clothes that could withstand their basic body heat. It was also said that the mentality of those in their true forms can be affected as well, so that more often than not rage could take over all other judgement and emotion far more easily. This wasn't true for all kinds of course - however it was an especially prominent feature in the red skins - but the form's true purpose was plain for all to see. They were a race bred for war - nothing else - with the red skinned Dohlkai as the fiercest and deadliest warriors of them all. That was why both Hadi and Charon, regardless of who had powers and who didn't, were both key figures in Dolion's plans, and why he planned to turn both of them into seasoned warriors ready to do whatever he commanded of them. They were what was presumably the only red skins alive, however Hadi with the extra addition of his powers was leagues more powerful than Charon, or at least he would be if he learned how to use them. That was plenty of expectation placed on the shoulders of a young boy, but Hadi would fight for what was right till the day he died. "What are you reading, boy?" Dolion asked Charon, peering at the book in the boy's hand. "It's about humans. On Earth." He answered, lifting the book up to let his father see the cover. "Ah, of course. A pitiful race, really." Dolion said as he walked over to a bookshelf in the study, his eyes skimming across the titles "Disgusting creatures. I pray you never encounter them." "Is everything about them true?" Hadi spoke up, a curious look on his face "They sound...cruel. Almost monstrous. How can a race built only on hate still function?" "You're too sceptical Hadi." Charon said to his brother, stifling a small chuckle "And you're wrong, too. They're not creatures built on hate, but creatures which hold hate as their nature. God knows what they really are built on, but it's the roots of their beings that make them evil." "I'm glad to see these teachings have not been lost on you." Dolion said to Charon, the most minuscule inclines of a smile on his face "Your brother is right. It's insulting to know we carry a second form that matches their only one. They're weak, yet still do all they can to slaughter and obliterate one another. In small areas, yes, they may be able to tolerate each other, but heed my words when I say this. Never show them mercy. You could conquer their planet as a whole with ease if you so wished, and still no lesson would be learned." Hadi and Charon both grew quiet, thinking about this. They never believed they would ever go to Earth, or meet any humans anyway, so they didn't think to worry about it. However, something about their father's words irked them both, and not for the same reasons. Dolion glanced at his son's, his expression grim, although he was sure to hide that from them. He stared at the books in front of him, the ones he had created entirely out of lies. He smiled sickly. Sometimes he couldn't resist admiring himself "Anyway, I believe that may be a good enough lesson for today. You are both dismissed."
Years passed, and both Charon and Hadi were trained beyond their limits by key members of the resistance all through their teen and adult years. Their lives had changed drastically over the course of their years of training, and when they reached their late twenties they were both at the peak of their physical abilities. Hadi had full mastery of his powers, and could now use them at their full potential in combat, however he and Charon made it a regular thing to spar one another once or twice a month and Hadi had never won a single fight against his brother. That was the one thing Charon had over him. Since he'd begun his training he'd practically spent all of his free time working on himself and his abilities, to the point where there was no one on the planet who could even hold a candle to him. Of course, they both knew Hadi could destroy him entirely if his powers came into play, which was why everyone in the resistance, and Dolion and Charon, viewed Hadi as their ultimate trump card. The strongest Dohlkai alive. Around the resistance base they now had far more access to the places they weren't allowed to go as kids. Most of the sections were used for training, there was also an armoury, forge, numerous other dorms for members, etc. It became clear to the twins later in life that their father was planning on forming an army, but by that point they had already guessed as much. They were still yet to learn what the over world was really like, but Dolion assured them that their first real mission was in the works; however first, Hadi would have to face the entirety of the resistance as their new hero. That was what the twins were preparing for - there would be a huge gathering, speeches, and celebrations, with Hadi receiving all the recognition in the world while Charon stayed quiet by his side. Having Dolion as their father gave them a few privileges in the resistance base, one of which was their own room to train in which they were using to spar in on the day of the gathering. Hadi stood directly in front of Charon on the wooden floor, watching his brother as he stared him down silently. There was a wide red circle painted on the floor which they used as boundaries, and outside of it lay numerous weapons, dummies, training equipment, and all other apparatus they might need to hone their skills. Charon had a grin on his face as he levelled his gaze with Hadi. Years of beating his brother in hand to hand combat had led to him developing a slightly cocky attitude whenever they sparred, and this always seem to manage to piss Hadi off. He refused to lose his temper so much that he would resort to using his powers - that was just foul play - and he promised himself he would beat Charon without the powers one day. Slowly and deliberately he stepped to the side, attempting to circle Charon, but the boy matched his movements perfectly without so much as glancing down. "We gonna stand here staring at each other all day or are you gonna throw a punch?" Charon said with a slight smirk, but Hadi was far too focused to react with more than a small huff. He took another step to the side, then another, but just before the sole of his foot touched the bare wooden plank Hadi pushed off with his other foot, darting right at Charon in an attempted feint. As Hadi approached however, he noticed Charon's grin widening slightly, causing him to scrunch up his face in annoyance. His fist shot out at an unbelievable speed, aiming for Charon's face only for Hadi to duck at the last second before his brother had the chance to block it. It was another feint, with Hadi instead swinging his other fist straight for Charon's ribs. His brother adjusted his stance the tiniest bit as the fist approached, then pushed down on his front foot with all his might and swerved backwards, watching Hadi's punch miss its mark and continue on uselessly. Charon burst into an attack, flying under Hadi's arm and wrapping his own around it, then linking it around the back of the boy's head. Hadi knew what he was doing, he'd used the move plenty of times or time, but Charon was so quick he had no chance of escaping it. Almost as soon as his hand had wrapped around the side of Hadi's head, Charon's other hand slipped round and grabbed it, locking Hadi in a tight grip around his arm and neck. Charon attempted to finish it there, spinning to throw Hadi to the ground, but the other man refused to let himself be bested so easily. Hadi spun with Charon, then swung his leg behind him and brought his heel crashing hard into his brother's ribs, catching him off guard with a brutal hit that forced his grip on him to fall away. As soon as he was free Hadi turned to try and land a punch right on Charon's jaw, but he was fast enough to pull his head back just the right distance and escape the swing. Hadi didn't give him the chance to recover, he was on him like a predator on prey. Rapid consecutive punches and kicks came flying right at Charon, who focused solely on avoiding all of them to the best of his ability. Hadi's powerful kick aimed for the side of his knee, so he pivoted back and dodged it, only for an elbow to come right at his face. He ducked under it, then lunged backwards in the next instant and watched Hadi's foot sail past where his ribs had been a second ago. Hadi hadn't landed a hit, but that wasn't what he was aiming for. If he was trying to knock Charon out or incapacitate him, he knew there was no way in hell he would actually win. Instead, he attempted to push him back towards the red circle, and so far it was working well. Charon was about a metre from the circle, so Hadi's advances continued like lightning. Another few kicks and punches and another few dodges led to Charon standing a step away from the red mark, unaware, exactly where Hadi wanted him. He feigned another one of his usual attacks, expecting Charon to get ready to dodge, then in the last second brought his foot back and lashed out with a lethal kick to the chest. With the speed and the element of surprise on his side, Hadi thought the kick would land with ease, but he was sorely mistaken. As he lifted his foot up he failed to notice Charon's own leg leaping into action in a low sweep in front of him. Before the kick could land Hadi's only form of balance was taken out from under him, and he gasped as he fell with the momentum of Charon's foot. That was when Charon, while Hadi was in mid-air, grabbed his brother by the torso, forcing him to hover there for a second. In a single instant he turned, with Hadi still in his grasp, and flung the man out of the circle, where he collided with a rack of wooden weapons, sending both them and him crashing to the floor. Hadi cursed under his breath, brushing himself off as he stood back up. "Those were some good moves you pulled." Charon said with a grin, sounding surprisingly encouraging rather than arrogant. "Still not remotely enough to gain the upper hand against you." Hadi said with a grumble, but secretly he was grateful for Charon's feedback. "Hey, you should be glad I've got something to be prideful about when comparing myself to you. Any lesser brother would be overridden with jealously by now." Charon laughed, knowing that a hint of what he was saying was true. Only one of them had powers, they'd known that since birth, and it was part of reason why Charon had done all he could to become the best fighter in the resistance over the years. "Yeah well, try not to get too jealous. You're not the one who has to 'become the face of the revolution'. I'm dreading this fucking rally today." Hadi said with a shake of his head, speaking his thoughts true and clear to his brother. He did that a lot, it seemed the only person they could both properly confide in was each other. "Speaking of, you better go get ready for that. People have been gathering from all over the continent for the past week and it's in what, a few hours? Father won't be pleased if you aren't prepared." Charon walked over to the pile of dummies and grabbed one, carrying it effortlessly into the centre of the circle before planting it on the ground. "The same goes for you, you know." Hadi said with a slight smile. "Don't pretend, Hadi." Charon said, the slight amusement in his voice rapidly fading "No one will bat an eye in my direction unless they mistake me for you. Which I'm fine with, really. Once I win all the battles for the resistance, they'll regard me as a hero anyway." "Sometimes your longing to be revered worries me." Hadi told Charon, a genuine hint of concern in his tone "It might corrupt you one day." "Why shouldn't I be revered?" Charon fired back, starting to throw a few punches at the dummy "Haven't you seen the effort I've put into training? Am I not above others? Do I not deserve it? The only reason I've not received the recognition I should is because of you, Hadi. You've overtaken me, based on nothing but luck of the draw." He hit the dummy's face extra hard, almost toppling it over, before he turned to Hadi, not breathing the least bit heavier. Hadi stared at his brother, more than just fleeting concern worn plain on his face, but he didn't say anything. "But I love you, brother." Charon said, his usual self coming back to the light as a small smile entered his face "And we'll both be revered, I might just have to wait a little longer than you." His grin widened, and he clapped Hadi on the shoulder whilst looking him in the eye "So don't worry about something as farfetched as me going off the rails. We'll beat this fucked up world together." Hadi felt a smile creep onto his face, unable to stop it, before giving a small nod to Charon "You're right, brother. I'll make sure the new world appreciates your deeds when all is said and done." Charon let out a laugh, looking at Hadi for a few more seconds before turning back to his dummy "Well, I suppose I'll see you at the rally." He was already throwing punches when Hadi turned away from him "That you shall. Farewell." The man called back, walking out of the room with a strange newfound confidence.
The rally had begun. Hadi had never seen so many people gathered in one place, and it was so overwhelming he thought he was going to topple over every time he faced them straight on. He was stood beside a small stage, on which his father was planted in his usual wealthy garments. Leona, his most trusted and faithful subordinate - and also the maid who kidnapped Hadi and Charon in their youth - was by his side, fixing a strange metallic mouthpiece across Dolion's jaw. She clicked a button on the side before walking off the stage, which is when Dolion cleared his throat, drawing the attention of practically everyone in the room. His voice was heard loud and clear by every person in the room, yet no one seemed to be able to identify where it was coming from. They were in a huge antechamber in a subsection of the resistance base, and it was extremely likely that it was built entirely for the purpose of hosting the rally. There were thousands of people gathered, all grown men and women who yelled out their voices in defiance, some even wielding various weapons as proof of their willingness to fight for their cause. Charon hadn't lied when he said people were coming from all over, it was evidently clear now how accurate that actually was. Speaking of his brother, the man was stood right beside Hadi, though he looked more like his bodyguard than twin. Charon wore draped clothing, barefooted with his lower garments so long that it was impossible to tell so. His top half seemed almost elegantly peculiar, a dark fabric shirt with small bright luminous blue splotches and dashes freckled across it. On top of that a long grey cowl draped from his shoulder down under his arm, and also concealed his entire face bar his piercing red eyes. It was clear he was taking extra precautions to stop any misunderstandings being made about him and Hadi, especially given what was about to happen and all the consequences that would come with it. Hadi would be the face of the revolution, the only man with powers willing to fight for their cause - it was no doubt he'd become renowned long after the rally had ceased. Another man walking around with his face would certainly cause a lot of misinterpretations. Charon placed a hand on Hadi's shoulder, squeezing it firmly through his armour before his muffled voice came from behind the cowl "You need not worry brother. Father will do all the talking, you just have to stand there and look pretty." Hadi glanced at his brother, then down at his own clothing. Leona had fitted him with a set of armour, telling him it was his father's instructions to ensure he 'looked like a warrior'. It was a plated chest piece, though rather than metal it was composed of a special kind of heat resistant scale found deep in the inner layers of the planet. It clung to his chest, tighter than usual armour, as well as covering halfway down his arm. There was a large opening on his back, which reveal his plain woollen shirt he had underneath, and his legs and feet were donned in items made of the same material as the chest plate. Other than that he was completely bare, but for reasons he knew were valid. "Members of the resistance, I thank each of you for choosing to unite here today under one banner. The banner of the common good, and the people willing to fight to make the necessary changes for all people of this planet to prosper, not just those in positions of power." Dolion began talked, ensuring all those who's attention he didn't capture earlier were now fully focused on his words. "Stand and look pretty, huh?" Hadi said to Charon, flashing him a look before watching his father on the stage "You have a way of making things sound simple." "Or you just overcomplicate them." Charon leaned in to say, hearing Hadi scoff just before Dolion started talking again "I will not bore you with needlessly long winded introductions, other than to tell you all that I am Dolion. You may have heard my name before, but my reputation is not what I wish to discuss. Instead let's talk about why we're here. The reason we've joined forces to fight the selfish and corrupt leaders of the planet on this day. For those who don't know the full truth, or are in need of remembering, allow me to reiterate the soul purpose of our glorious revolution to you. Thousands of years ago, too long for anyone alive today to remember, our race was the strongest force in the universe. Unparalleled with our basic strength coupled with powers we inherited from the very first Dohlkai, the founders of our people and planet. But after a time, those powers were stripped away from us. We were fed lies - led to believe that some godly, omnipotent being took them from us as punishment for our wrong doings." At this point, after remaining next to silent for the entire speech so far, the crowd erupted into cries and shouts of outrage "Lies!" "Deceit!" "Selfish bastards!" The yells came from all over the hall, some more vulgar than others. Dolion had the power to speak above them all if he so wished as a result of his booming microphone, but instead he let them rant amongst themselves for a minute or two, before they gradually quietened themselves down again. "You are right, my friends. We were deceived, by none other than those who promised to lead our race and rule our planet righteously. The Royal Family. They are the ones who stripped us from our rightful heritage, for the sole goal of putting themselves in an unopposed position of power high above the rest of us. But my friends, we did not give up so easily! They stayed ignorant, thinking they had us under their thumb, but look around this room and you can see how wrong they were! Look at how our strength has gathered, how strong we stand, ready to oppose our suppressors with fire and fury!" The crowd exploded again, this time with vigorous roars and cheers of agreement. Hadi turned to look at his brother, seeing his eyes shine through his shrouded mask as he stared at the vast and glorious sight of thousands of voices screaming out in defiance together. Although unable to see it he could tell Charon was smiling underneath, but for some reason, deep down, Hadi knew he wasn't sharing the same enlightened bewilderment that was plain on his brother's face. He forced it out of his mind, believe it to be nothing more than nerves messing with his thoughts and emotions in the heat of the rally. "All of you." Dolion said, yet again shutting out all other voices with his own "I promise that before my time here is done my plans for the future will have been successfully executed, and all of you shall have your lost powers reclaimed once again." Before the crowd could start shouting again he moved along, leaving the specifics of his referenced 'plans' to the rebels' imaginations "I should like to reveal something that only my most trusted soldiers know about to you all. Up until now, utmost secrecy about this project was necessary for its success, but now it is time for its publicity to be shared with you. Although I am but an old man, I have managed to raise two children in the absence of my tragically departed wife. Twin sons, I am proud to say." Hadi turned and exchanged a glance with Charon, who appeared equally as confused as him. That wasn't part of the plan; Charon wasn't meant to be so much as named, but here he was being introduced on the same level as his brother. He didn't quite know whether it was a good or bad thing at the moment. "Over numerous years, my sons have dedicated their lives to training both their minds and bodies in order to become the revolutions most valuable assets, and it is plain to see now that they have become just that. They will lead us to a new future, together, and if you need any further convincing of their abilities...Hadi, Charon. Come." Dolion looked both his son's in the eyes, motioning for them to take the stage with him. Hadi seemed unsure, especially due to how unplanned all this was, but upon Charon kicking his shin he spun and moved to climb onto the stage. A portion of the crowd cheered, though it was plain to see many of them were just as uncertain as him. After Dolion's large, riled up speech it now seemed like he was merely a father trying to give his son's undeserved recognition. They were about to see how wrong they were, however. Charon and Hadi stood side by side on the stage, facing the crowd silently as Dolion took a step out of their way and stood on the edge of the stage. "I present to you...my own flesh and blood." That was the cue, Hadi knew. Though he was unsure if Charon knew it too. In an instant Hadi's skin changed to a deep red colour, and he immediately grew far taller and muscular than he was a second ago. His hair disappeared, along with his woollen undershirt which burned away almost as soon as his skin changed, though the heat-resistant scales that formed his armour remained, unscathed. In place of his human form stood his full red-skinned Dohlkai one, and he heard most of the crowd gasp as they examined every inch of him. His hands were replaced with claws, sharp nails that could slice through any Earth metal with ease, and his teeth grew sharper and longer, a far more full set than before. Under his eyes four strange semicircle patterns formed, a deeper red than his skin, almost as though they'd been etched into his face, whereas his eyes themselves were now a deeply blackened abyss with a single red pupil held within them. A pair of huge, black, bat like wings suddenly sprouted from his back and spread either side of him, eliciting a small shout of surprise from some of the members of the rally. The wings were wide, curving up at the end to form a sharp spike at the tip, then curving down and inwards before forming another sharp point at the bottom again. On his head three red horns protruded, one directly at the front with the other two on either side, equally as sharp and threatening as his claws and teeth. The muscles in his bare arms could be seen visibly gyrating with the raw strength held within, along with the excessive amount of energy being released just to maintain the form. As Hadi watched the crowd he realised many of their eye's were on Charon, and with one glance he knew why. Unlike him, the boy hadn't been as lucky as to have been wearing any heat resistant armour when he changed. His true form was completely bare, and where only Hadi's arm muscles could be seen, Charon had every single one on display. Everything about him screamed danger, like a sense of impending mass destruction emitting from his form. Although it would've been impossible for anyone to notice, Hadi could see clearly that Charon was in far better shape than him in his true form. It made sense, yet it still came as a shock to him seeing the full extent of just how far Charon had gone to train both bodies. Hadi had expected to crowd to lose their minds again, but looking around he saw the shock clear on their faces and presumed they were far too taken aback to respond. One man yelled out "Red skins!" appraisingly, and while this usually would have been the trigger to set them all off, none of them seemed to share the man's views on the twins. A lot of the faces seemed scared, which made Hadi's stomach do a strange leap, and for a second he thought about changing back into his human form. The thought was wiped from his mind entirely, however, when Charon spoke up "Good people, despite my father's words I have no right to be standing here as my brother's equal." Despite lacking a microphone, Charon's voice echoed across the hall, loud enough to be carried all the way to the end unassisted. Dolion almost seemed to smile very slightly as he watched Charon, before facing the crowd and spreading his arms "I was prepared to tell this story myself, but I believe my son will do it far more justice than I. Go on, Charon, if it pleases you." Charon gave a small nod of his head, which to Hadi was so robotic that it almost looked rehearsed. He knew this wasn't true though, Charon was undoubtedly improvising as he went along, but he seemed so confident in himself that Hadi made the conscious decision to stick to the plan of 'standing and looking pretty'. "Years ago, my father learned the truth of the powers held by the Royal Family. As Dohlkai, we are able to hold whichever powers we have granted to us, however when we die these powers cannot afford to linger. They search for the nearest body they can, which means when a power-holding Dohlkai is killed, it is more often than not their killer which is granted their powers. That's precisely what happened the night of the Queen's death." The crowd seemed completely and utterly entranced in Charon's words, and for a short while Hadi believed it was because they still feared him. After a little bit, however, he found himself focused on everything that was coming out of Charon's mouth, clinging to every word. He'd heard the story a thousand times, yet somehow the way he addressed the crowd, with such an impassioned tone, drew all eyes and ears in his direction. "One of our loyal resistance members took the Queen's life, and her powers along with it. They knew, however, that they had too little time to achieve true mastery of this power. So they passed it on to someone who had all their life to learn the ins and outs of it, how to fight with it, how to reach the limits of what they could do and soar straight past them. And now, that man will become the face of our revolution. He himself, the only power-holding Dohlkai with the heart and willpower to go against The Royal Family, has the ability to lead us to victory, and tear them all down one by one. There's an ancient name for a man like this, one I came across in my studies. It means champion, or leader, and it's said that whoever bears this name is filled with the strength of all the heroes who bore it before them. And it's with honour, and pride, that I bestow it upon my own twin brother Hadi on this day, to signify that from this point onwards he is no longer the man he was before. Now, he is our leader - our champion. Good people, I present to you the face of our revolution...Zuro!" The crowd did erupt this time, cheering and whistling and crying out with hope and ecstasy, all while Hadi stood in stunned silence on the stage while they reached out to him in acknowledgement and praise. He knew he should've been feeling something, but there was nothing - not a single cell in his body - that was reaching back out to any one of these people. Slowly, starting quiet before building up into an immense roar, the crowd began to chant his new name vigorously. "Zuro! Zuro! Zuro! Zuro! ZURO!"