After a month of creating and testing many failed prototypes, it was
finally complete. The Galaxy Gravity Control Machine, or GGCM,
could move the galaxy through space freely. The scientists, exhausted
from all the work, could finally see their invention put into action.
To make the GGCM work, a massive amount of energy was required.
At first, they were going to place it on earth's core to obtain the energy.
But then a scientist suggested they send the machine to the sun to utilize
its huge energy source.
"Won't the machine melt when it gets a few million miles from the
sun?" Spark asked. "I mean on hot days in the summer, I feel like I'm
going to melt. And we're 93 million miles away. What will happen to
all this metal?"
The chief scientist, a dark-haired woman with green eyes, answered
Spark. "That's a great question and one we've given serious consideration.
We've coated the outside of the GGCM in diamonds to protect it from
the sun's tremendous heat. It tipped the scales at making the project cost
a few million dollars more than we'd budgeted, but the Department of
Defense knows this alone could save the human race."

The team gathered at headquarters to witness the launch through
an encrypted video feed. Once the rocket got into space, sonic boosters
propelled the GGCM directly into the sun.
For the first twenty-four hours, everyone sat anxiously and watched
the sensor, waiting for a response. They slept and ate in shifts, never
once leaving the screen unattended.

Then the GGCM activated and created a shimmering, shard-
fueled forcefield to protect itself from the heat. Massive, flaring, gold-
and-orange rays shot out from the sun into the darkness, signifying

a successful core control. Soon after, the scientists used the sun as an
energy source to move the galaxy. Following its success, scientists began
their next project, creating an even better GGCM. The team was ready
to fly through the solar system to the next destination. The night before
they were leaving, Diana brought up a topic no one had wanted to
discuss.
"I know it doesn't matter because we'll go no matter what. But does
anyone know how long it'll take to get to where we're going?"
Spark and Ace exchanged looks. They both had a strong sense of
duty to their friends. They'd taken on leader roles and wanted to be as
knowledgeable as possible. "We've talked at length with the scientists
about that," Ace said. "Not as long as you might think."
"Seriously?" Erika asked. "But even still. What will we do to pass
the time?"
Ace and Spark grinned. "Don't you worry about that," Spark said.
"We'll be plenty busy on our way. We've got a lot to learn." He thought
of his golden headband and the almost mystical powers it gave him.
He'd need to remember to bring it with him everywhere he went.
The ESUs were introduced to a base that floated around Earth's
axis. It was shaped like a diamond, outfitted with only the best gear and

most luxurious accommodations. The best scientists on Earth had built
it for them, and they spared no expense on their new heroes.
Everyone trained and honed their abilities. Not only did they get
stronger, but they obtained new knowledge as well. Abilities that would
help on their quest to save Earth.
"I am ready for some training!" Ace yelled as he and Spark joined
the team in the shared living room of the ship. Diana was draped over
a white, leather couch, while Erika and Mark watched a movie on the
3D TV.
"Me too!" Spark said. "I'm getting bored with the things we've been
doing so far." He pulled the golden headband from his pocket and put it
on. He loved the clarity it gave him when he needed it most.
"Good news then," Kizaru said as he moved to the middle of the
room. He'd called them all there for that reason. "We've developed a
better simulator for you guys to try while en route to our destination.
This will help you become more prepared for the battles you'll soon be
facing."
"Not that weak simulator again," Ace complained. "It isn't even
worth stepping into."
"Ace don't be so obnoxious," Diana snapped. "It's not like we have
anything better to do. Let's just try it out."
"Whatever," he muttered. "You're always so bossy."
"I am not! You should just do what I say and then everything will
be fine!" She realized what she sounded like and burst out laughing.
"Point taken." She walked to Ace and hugged him. "You know I'm just
looking out for you, right?"
Ace rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. He'd grown to love how
overprotective Diana was.

"Not to worry, my friends," Kizaru assured them. "We upgraded
the simulator with stronger enemies. We're a bit more powerful than the
people who originally designed the simulators."
"So, what should we expect from this new and improved simulator?"
Mark asked.
"I guess you guys will have to just go in and try it out for yourselves,"
Kizaru winked. "You did say you were bored."
"I'm ready for a new challenge," Spark said, always willing to try
anything to further his quest to become the strongest man alive. "Come
on guys, let's go!" It was times like this that he missed Master Zo the
most. When he was younger, he didn't understand all the training Zo
required him to do. But, now, looking back, he understood that he and
Ace were the chosen ones and somehow Master Zo must have known
that.
Everyone followed Kizaru down a long, white hallway to a new part
of the ship. Kizaru stopped in front of a huge, metal door. He unlocked
it and stepped inside a massive, circular room filled with buttons and
screens.
"Whoa," Erika said. "This simulator is at least three times bigger
than the one we used last time we trained."
"Yes, I knew you'd like it. We made some significant modifications
and gave it a little upgrade to inspire teamwork. Try it out as a team
instead of alone this time. To face the enemies to come, you'll need to
work together."
"Hmmm interesting." Spark was used to fighting battles alone, but
he did love to work alongside his team. He was starting to see that they
made him stronger, and they helped each other improve. "Let's do it."
"I want to go first!" Ace said, pushing his way to the front. "I've
been training the hardest. I should get to go first."

Mark put his hand on Ace's shoulder. "Did you not hear what Kizaru
just said? We're doing this together."
"Fine." Ace pouted. In the years since Master Zo and Spark had
taken him in, he'd never stopped feeling like he had to prove his worth.
"This is a simulator created for team fights and coordination to
improve your team's ability to work together," Kizaru reminded them.
"Remember, five of you working together are much stronger than any
one of you could ever be alone."
"Let's go! I'm excited to see how this works," said Mark.
Everyone gazed at the glowing room, stunned by the new upgrades.
"So how does this crappy machine work?" Ace asked.
"Ace! Please be nice!" Diana rolled her eyes at Ace's never-ending
cockiness. "They are just trying to be nice and help us improve our
abilities."
"Step up together as a team to the front of the door," said Kizaru.
They walked in formation to the platform in front of the machine. "I'll
set up the level from this room over here. Good luck guys."
In an instance, a blue vortex light flashed. They blinked and when
they opened their eyes, they'd been teleported into the machine. They
gazed at the landscape, a wasteland really, covered in red sand with
craters and a few, scraggly trees. A scorpion scurried by their feet. Ace
killed it.
"So where are the enemies?" he asked. "I'm getting bored already."
"You guys are on a rank 79 setting, about to face the alien race on
that planet," Kizaru explained. "Remember that Earth just broke into
the top 100 when you defeated number 95. Seventy-nine may not seem
like a big deal. But prepare yourselves."

"What's that noise ringing through my head?" Ace asked.
"I'm able to communicate with you guys telepathically through the
simulator," said Kizaru.
"I wonder who we'll be up against," said Spark.
As they scanned the horizon, an army of green trolls marched out
of the red sand. They were stout, with sharp looking claws and deadly
teeth. They looked like they'd be fierce but slow.
"Everyone get ready!" Spark yelled.
Erika dashed behind a large rock and lay on the dusty ground to set
up her gun. Her hands transformed into a sniper with a large scope on the
middle of the gun. Leaves wrapped around Diana, and thorny vines curled
around her forearms, ready to attack. She reached out with her magic seeds,
growing trees with deadly flowers in seconds. An oasis among the dust.
The trolls ran at full speed toward the team, and though they were
short, they moved quickly. Too quickly. They were ready for a vicious
battle. Ace ran at them.
"I got this, guys!" he yelled. "Watch this!"
"Wait!" Mark said. "What are you doing? We're supposed to be
working as a team!"
Ace bolted in and rammed the trolls as they dropped to the ground.
Spark joined him and they easily cut down the army.
"This isn't that hard." Spark smiled at Ace, as they fist-bumped.
"Together, you and I can take on anything. I don't even get the whole
teamwork angle."
Then, from a distance, giants emerged from the back of the armies.
The trolls and giants merged, kicking up a cloud of dust as they charged
at the team.

"Guys, watch out," Kizaru warned. "These are giants from Rank
77. That makes them even more dangerous than the 79 guys you just
took out. They're different from giants you've ever fought before."
Of course, they'd never fought giants before anyway, so they didn't
know what to expect at all.
The giants teamed up on Ace who whirled, sending a flurry of
punches. One reached out and smacked him from behind, sending him
flying to the back of the team. He hit the ground with a thud, stirring
up a cloud of dust.
"Whoa," Spark said. "A challenge. This is getting fun."
Mark laid out smoke bombs as Diana threw seeds around. Her plants
quickly sprouted and grew taller, bushes and flowers reaching out to
the enemies. Once they were strong enough, they shot down the giants
with fire and poisonous thorns. They crashed to the ground, their skin
turning green as Diana's power set in.
"Yes!" Spark screamed. "Teamwork guys, teamwork!"
The smoke cleared and it got dark. "What's happening?" Diana
asked.
A yellow lightning bolt raced through the grey sky, then shot to the
ground. Out of the dust, a large, red dragon appeared.
"Where did this giant lizard come from?" Ace asked. He wanted to
show his team he could defeat the monster alone, but he was beginning
to understand Kizaru's point. They needed each other.
"This is a dragon species from Rank 73," Kizaru answered. "I would
not underestimate him."
"I eat lizards for breakfast on a normal day," Ace said, although if
this was only rank 73, he worried what the top twenty would be like.
"I got this."

"Wait Ace," Diana said. "Please do not do anything stupid."
Ace ran in for a full-on assault as he and his belt glowed red.
"What's happening to Ace?" Erika asked.
"He's using his new item's power." Spark wasn't afraid of any of this.
He charged in from the opposite side of the dragon. The team couldn't
believe how reckless they were being. Spark was supposed to be their
leader, but he was too swept up in pride to lead them in that moment.
"Wait!" Diana screamed. "Not you too!"
"This is going to end badly, I can feel it," said Mark.
As Ace got closer to the dragon, he went in for a direct hit only to
find the dragon's skin was too tough. It didn't even feel his attack, it just
whipped its tail around and knocked Ace to the ground, finishing him
with one blow.
"How dare you hurt my brother?" Spark yelled. "You will pay for that!"
Spark charged up his electricity, put on the golden headband, and
went for a shot to the back of the dragon, but he missed. It was almost
as if the headband were too powerful and he needed to learn how to
channel its powers. The dragon swatted Spark away like a fly. He crashed
straight to the ground next to Ace.
"I told you guys not to underestimate the dragons of level 73," said
Kizaru. The rest of the team froze in shock to see their leader fall and
crash to the red planet's ground, causing a giant hole.
"I think we underestimated this lizard," Mark said.
"That's it," Kizaru snapped, his anger reaching through his voice.
"You guys are done. We can't have you getting too hurt before you face
the real enemies. And you guys clearly need more training before facing
this kind of foe."

"But I'm doing so well with my electricity," Spark said.
"Says you," Diana snapped.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Mark stepped forward. "I got this. It means that being around you
is like constantly accidentally touching an electric fence. We need to
wear wetsuits or figure out how to ground ourselves so we quit getting
shocked all the time."
Spark looked like a puppy that'd been yelled at for peeing on the
floor. "I'm sorry. I'll try to do better and control my powers."
The simulator stopped and everyone was teleported back out of the
machine.
"Oh man, that kind of hurt," Ace grumbled, though his pride hurt
worse than his body. "But I'm feeling a little better now. I can take him.
I'm ready to get that lizard, put me back in now!"
"No!" Kizaru snapped. "You guys need more combat training before
you go back in there. All of you are too used to battling alone and not
as a team. You'll never defeat the dragon if you don't work together and
you will die out there on your own."
Spark wanted to snap back. He was trying to be the strongest man
on earth. How could Kizaru underestimate him like that? Surely the
strongest man in the world wouldn't need a team to help him defeat one
stupid lizard.
But they'd failed. That just made Spark more determined to defeat
the dragon, and if it took a team to do so, well maybe there were multiple
gauges of strength. One being strong enough to set pride aside to grow
as a team.
"What do you propose?" Spark asked.

"I think it's time you guys have a coach and I know the exact person
to call."
The doors opened and a small, alien man with pale skin, webbed
hands, a little hair, and glasses walked through the door.
"This is Captain Zen from Rank 48," said Kizaru.
"Is this a joke?" Ace laughed. "This guy looks like something I pick
from my teeth after I eat."
"Ace, please control yourself. You're embarrassing us." Diana turned
to Captain Zen. "I am so sorry."
Ace laughed. In a blink of an eye, Captain Zen shapeshifted into
a large creature resembling a giant from the simulator. Only taller.
Stronger. More intimidating.
"Wait," Ace said. "Where did that midget go?" He looked at the
new creature in front of him, intrigued.
"This is the same guy, Ace," Erika snapped. She was tired of both
Ace and Spark's giant egos. Clearly living in the mountain away from the
rest of society hadn't taught them social graces. "Stop underestimating
everything."
"Well geez." He rolled his eyes. "Sorry. He just looked funny from
the angle I saw him at when he walked in. Relax."
Captain Zen turned back to his normal form. "My name is Captain
Zen and Kizaru tells me you can use my help."
"Nice to meet you, sir." Spark shook his hand. "Where did you
come from?"
"I am from Rank 48, planet Morph. We're all shapeshifters there."

"That's pretty impressive," Mark said. "You're way more powerful
than we are. So why are you helping us?"
Ace scoffed at that notion, but Mark wasn't too proud to admit it.
Captain Zen stopped for a second. Darkness clouded his eyes.
"I failed a top-secret mission and got exiled from my planet."
Spark got in between Mark and Captain Zen, protective over his
team. Sure, he wanted them to get stronger. But not at the cost of
harming them or the planet they were devoted to. "Are you going to
bring us trouble?"
Captain Zen shapeshifted into his true form. "On Morph, if you fail
a mission, your death is guaranteed. I succeeded in over three hundred
missions and even had my own private team of over a thousand elite
troops at my disposal. My failure was an issue of trusting the wrong
people, not one of moral failing. Not a lack of strength."
"I don't mean to sound harsh here," Spark said. "But Kizaru has been
teaching us the importance of working as a team. What I've learned is
that if we don't trust each other, we'll never work together in concert.
So pardon my bluntness, but what exactly did you do?"
Captain Zen frowned as if he'd been expecting the question. "You
bring up a fair point, my boy. So I will trust you with the information.
Hold it in your heart and know that you are now the keepers of my fate.
For if one of you breathes a word of this to the wrong people, I will meet
a certain death."
Spark and his team exchanged nervous glances. "Understood," he
said. "You can trust us."
"Very well," Zen said. "You were brought together to fight King
Ion because he wants his orb back. You all think it crashed to Earth as
part of a meteor or an asteroid. But the truth is, the orb came from my
planet, Morph. It was a newly discovered energy source and I was in

charge of extracting its energy. But, I knew my planet's leaders were
going to use it to create a great war capable of destroying any planet in
the universe.
"I couldn't in good conscience let my leaders use this magnificent
orb for evil. So I got coordinates from a trusted friend from my past and
shipped it off the planet on a small missile pod. Little did I know that
my friend turned on me and tried to kill me. He called me a traitor and
said I must die. They surely would have killed me, but I got lucky and
found a shard—similar to the ones that fell to your planet. I used it to
fight off the people who were once my closest friends. I escaped in a
space pod by myself, but it had been damaged in the fight. The system
was warped and I was teleported to a random part of the galaxy. I was
sure I'd die there.
"Days of darkness and fear passed as I drifted through space,
wondering if I'd ever be saved. Then Kizaru and some of his men found
me. I could have taken them down but others from Morph would realize
my position and send an attack. I instead disguised myself and became
a hostage. I soon found that Kizaru was the leader, and after arriving
back on their planet, we were attacked. I feared that my location was
compromised but thankfully that wasn't the case."
Kizaru smirked, proud of his success. Captain Zen continued. "The
peace was short-lived though. Kizaru made an alliance with me for
his protection. I ended up having to shapeshift a few times in front of
Kizaru to defend him, as that was more important to me than my own
safety. So I told him my secret.
"Unfortunately, I was unable to defend the others. Unable to trust
them. I relied solely on Kizaru to guard my identity. He kept my secret,
even as we were surrounded by enemies. We surrendered, and I became
trapped once more."

"Then we soon all became prisoners on King Ion's ship," Kizaru
finished for him.
"King Ion took my shard. When he realized that the rest of the orb
had fallen to Earth, he forced me to give him the coordinates. And then
he threw me in jail."
"So your own friends turned on you?" Diana asked in disbelief.
"Yes, but my top twelve team members were loyal. They protected
me and helped me escape when I was attacked by over three hundred
of our men."
"So how can this little guy really help us?" Ace asked. "I mean, no
offense but you've failed so many times before."
Captain Zen winced with Ace's harsh words. He felt the weight of
his failures every day. He didn't appreciate someone else reminding him
of them.
"Sorry for my teammate's rudeness," Spark jumped in. "We all fail
sometimes. Earlier Ace and I failed to defeat a dragon in the simulator.
If that had been a real fight, then we would've been killed." Spark shot
Ace a glare. "And perhaps Ace wouldn't be so arrogant. I'm the leader,
Spark. It's a pleasure to meet you here today, Captain Zen."
Captain Zen agreed and then said, "I need everyone here to never
speak a word about me or my identity to anyone else."
"Why," Ace asked, "afraid those big meanies will hunt you down?"
Captain Zen met Ace's nonchalant gaze with a glare. "Because we'll
all die if the other shifters find out I'm here."
Everyone stood in silence as the seriousness of the situation fell upon
them. Then one by one, everyone agreed to never speak a word of
Captain Zen to anyone outside of the room. Captain Zen shapeshifted

into everyone in the room to prove his skill. Then he went back to his
small form.
"Wow," Mark said. "That really is so cool. I wish I could do that."
"So how about it?" Captain Zen asked. "Are you guys ready to
train?"
Under Captain Zen's instruction, the team became stronger and more
cohesive. As they worked one on one with him, the ESUs developed
a different fighting style. They honed their individual abilities, then
brought their strengths together. In time they realized just how effective
they were when they worked as a team.
Distracted by their training, time seemed to move much faster. It
seemed like in no time at all, they'd reached their destination.
Spark and his team got together in a spacecraft with Kizaru and
Clomox to meet their new friends. As they descended through the sky
though, they were met by a red wasteland that didn't look like it could
sustain any life at all.
As they got closer, they realized it was an illusion. The planet was
actually a futuristic utopia that unfolded around them, one layer at a
time. A paradise most couldn't even imagine.
"This place is stunning," said Mark, marveling at all the bright,
beautiful planets in the solar system. He'd never witnessed any place so
beautiful.
"I may never want to leave," Diana added wistfully.
Sleek, white alien ships made up a flourishing, colorful city. The
trees were taller than any on Earth, covered in flowers. Every color was
brighter than any the team had ever seen. Life was more intense than
humans could ever experience on Earth.

Everyone was mesmerized by the new planet. As soon as the ship
stopped, they rushed to the door, eager to be let out.
Kizaru and Clomox descended first and bowed to the leader.
Everyone followed them up a silver, stone pathway in the middle of the
city to a gold-and-diamond palace, surrounded by a stunning garden.
A man ran out from the palace arches and floated down in front of
them. He was round and yellow, with a big smile on his face, and long,
lanky arms and legs. He approached Kizaru and Clomox immediately
and hugged them.
"My name is King Zella," he said. "Please, come inside. We have
a feast waiting for you." He led them inside to a room with blue, plush
chairs and a gorgeous fountain of a fairy with silver water dripping from
her wings. As everyone got acquainted, the king proposed a great party
for everyone.
"I know just the place we can throw a celebration," he said. "Follow
me!"
They walked into a gold ballroom with a giant, round, white marble
table at the front. It was decked out with tons of different kinds of foods
and exotic drinks. Strange, foreign, soothing music serenaded the room.
They sat, ate, and enjoyed their time on this new planet. Kizaru
reminisced with his old friend King Zella as they laughed at memories.
The king was also interested to hear the story about how the humans
became the next galaxy to be crowned Rank 95.
"So, Spark, how did you do it?" King Zella asked.
"Well, it wasn't just me," he said as he looked at his team. He'd
learned a lot about becoming a better leader from Captain Zen, an
improvement his team appreciated. "We all worked together. No one
could defeat that many aliens alone. We fought with everything we had
within us to save our planet and we always will."

"I may need your help," the king said in a trembling voice. "There
seems to be a problem with Rank 90, or the Overtakers as they're
called. They control all the lower levels. Even the previous Rank 95,
the Reptonians, were under their rule. And to make matters worse, we
have another problem. We also have to worry about Rank 80. Rank 80
is known as the phantom people, a planet of ghosts. King Phantom Star
is the worst of all, and he must be taken down. They have terrorized our
planets for centuries. It's time to rid them of this power."
"I've never seen a phantom before," Spark said. "What do they look
like?"
"Well, they look like humans actually," the king explained. "But
they can transform into phantoms that can float through the air and
move through walls."
"How do we stop them?"
"I know how to break into their main city from the north gate.
There is a weakness to the defensive wall wrapped around their main
city. If we can breach that, then we can get to the heart of the phantoms."
"What else do we know about them?" Spark asked.
"We know their top warrior's name is Grim. We must be careful
with him. Grim is very strong; he has taken down a whole planet alone
in the past. Even in a group of warriors, he's always the first one on the
scene. He is the king's right-hand man."
"If we can separate them, they'll be weaker."
Everyone looked impressed. "That will be perfect for our battle!"
"Now is not the time to face King Phantom Star or invade his city.
For now, we must train and integrate our troops. Then we'll launch the
invasion."

"Okay, okay," Spark said, anxious to learn everything he could
about all their enemies. What do we know about Rank 90?" Spark
asked. "Why are they so power hungry? Aren't there eighty-nine other
ranks ahead of them who are more powerful? Shouldn't we be worrying
about ranks one through ten? What's so dangerous about Rank 90?"
"That's an excellent question," the king said. "If all the planets were
happy with their rank, we would have peaceful universes. But some
planets, like Rank 90 want to control everything and everyone. And
that's what makes them dangerous. Instead of having peaceful trade
routes among all the planets, Rank 90 wants to control a dictatorship
and tell all the other planets what to do. Life as we know it will be over
if they gain total control.
"Now that you're the new galaxy Rank 95, the Overtakers will be
coming after you in due time. But I strongly believe that together we
can take over Rank 90. We can then protect everyone and make sure
that no one species become dictators ever again."
Spark agreed and the whole team listened as King Zella continued
to speak. Yet it became a bit difficult for Spark to focus, as he locked
eyes with the king's daughter, Karina. They smiled at each other and she
blushed. He was captivated by her charming demeanor. Mesmerized by
her blue-and-pink eyes, hidden by pink hair.
"Hey, Spark," Ace snapped. "Wake up and pay attention."
Spark snapped out of it and finished eating his food. It wouldn't be
the last time he became enchanted by Karina.