Return of the Legion: Metamorphs, #1, page 1
Metamorphs: Return of the Legion
Metamorphs, Volume 1
Yuri Jean-Baptiste
Published by Yuri Jean-Baptiste, 2019.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
METAMORPHS: RETURN OF THE LEGION
First edition. January 7, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 Yuri Jean-Baptiste.
ISBN: 978-1386435389
Written by Yuri Jean-Baptiste.
Also by Yuri Jean-Baptiste
Lightforge
Lightforge: A Light in the Darkness
Metamorphs
Metamorphs: Return of the Legion
Metamorphs 2: Ripple Effect
Metamorphs 3: Fallout
Metamorphs Four: War of the Deus
WarloX
WarloX: Child of Destiny
WarloX: Child of Darkness
WarloX: Child of Madness
Standalone
WarloX: Child of Madness
Watch for more at Yuri Jean-Baptiste’s site.
This book wouldn't be possible without the help of many, God above all else. I'd like to thank my wonderful wife, my #1 supporter, who convinced me to turn my dream into a reality. To my amazing parents and siblings, for your love, and my trusted beta readers, for your support. To my mother, who taught me to read and instilled her love of books within me. Lastly, to Janet Kreeger, who taught a young boy how to use his imagination. Sorry it took so long to keep my promise.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Metamorphs: Return of the Legion, the first in my four-part series! I hope you enjoy the adventure and are looking forward to entering this fantastic new world! Please make sure that you check out the other books in the series and leave a review as it will help bring more fans to the world of Metamorphs! Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter to get access to your FREE copy of the prequel! Thank you all again, and see you at the finish line!
-Yuri Jean-Baptiste
Newsletter link: YJBLiterary
Ebook retailer link: Review
Table of Contents
Part One: Origin
Prologue
Chapter 1: Ordinary
Chapter 2: The Party
Chapter 3: Self-Reflection
Chapter 4: Revelations
Chapter 5: The Council
Chapter 6: Saying Goodbye
Chapter 7: New Beginnings
Part Two: Hero in Training
Chapter 8: The Academy
Chapter 9: Recruiting
Chapter 10: A Team Assembled
Chapter 11: Classes Begin
Chapter 12: Enter the Battledome
Chapter 13: Raging Sands
Chapter 14: Helping Hand
Chapter 15: Fallout
Chapter 16: Put Your Trust in Me
Chapter 17: Within the Criminal Mind
Chapter 18: The Mole
Chapter 19: Climbing the Ladder
Part Three: To Be a Hero
Chapter 20: The Legion
Chapter 21: Midterms
Chapter 22: The Fight of the Year
Chapter 23: All Falls Down
Chapter 24: Invasion
Chapter 25: An Enemy Revealed
Chapter 26: Electro
Part One: Origin
Prologue
They told him that when you died, your life flashed before your eyes, allowing you to relive all of your most treasured memories, so Lieutenant Paul Logan was understandably confused at why he was still staring at the cold, dead face of his best friend beside him. He and Private Bill Hurley had served several tours of Iraq together, surviving some of the worst that humanity had thrown their way. However, this evening out in their remote desert outpost, they hadn’t stood a chance against the intruders that were now calmly stepping over stray bullet casings and the lifeless bodies of soldiers they had murdered only moments ago. The assault had taken mere seconds, the soldiers caught completely off guard, and by the time they had reacted, it was entirely too late.
Lieutenant Logan felt a burning along his side from where the massive gash was spilling his blood throughout his already soaked pants, the hole revealing his exposed ribs. His entire right side was numb, the burns so severe that his nerve endings had completely fried. He tried to muffle a cough, afraid that they would notice his still breathing body lying in the corner amongst the ruin. The taste of iron stung on his tongue as dark, red fluid dribbled down his chin.
The floor felt slick, covered in the fluid and body parts of the men who had tried to stand their ground against the intruders. The sound of boots reverberated throughout the still room, where only moments ago the air had been filled with the echoes of automatic gunfire and sirens. There were five of them, four males and one female, and from what he could tell, they were all freaks. “Genetically empowered individuals” was the politically correct term for their kind, but Lieutenant Logan knew a monster when he saw one.
He tried his best to lift up his head and listen to what they were saying, turning his one remaining eye toward the cloaked figures before him, and could just barely make out their words over the persistent ringing in his ears.
“Finally...after all these years, we’ve found him.”
“About damn time! After everything we’ve been through, all the comrades we’ve lost...it’ll all be worth it once we wake him up. I still can’t believe he was here all this time! The humans were foolish to think we wouldn’t get to him.”
“They should have killed him when they had the chance. Lucky for us, their oversight will be our victory over this world and its inhabitants. Once we have the key, he will rise again, and nothing will stand in our way!”
“Still...all of our plans lie in the hands of the boy. Are you sure we can trust him?”
“Of course we can. He’s been our most loyal soldier, as ruthless as he is efficient. He’s undergoing the application process as we speak. Once he’s on the island, he’ll get us the information we need to infiltrate it and retrieve the key.”
The island? The key? What the hell were these lunatics talking about?! And what were they about to do with the vessel he and his men had been guarding? Lieutenant Logan knew he needed to get a message out to the president and inform them of what had just happened. He needed to warn them of the impending danger. Reaching into his pockets, Lieutenant Logan slowly drew out the emergency pager with his only functioning hand, but as he did, another wave of pain surged through his body causing him to convulse and drop the device.
The five figures quickly turned around, surprised by the noise. Through the bloody haze of his vision, Lieutenant Logan could identify the faces of his attackers, their appearances ranging from the breathtakingly beautiful to the monstrously hideous. His heart pounded in his collapsed chest in what was to be the last time, as the central figure, a man made entirely of shadows, revealed a pearly white grin. Long, black tendrils seemed to emanate from his body before surging toward the military man at an alarming rate.
They said that your entire life flashed before you when you died, but all Lieutenant Logan could see was darkness.
Chapter 1: Ordinary
Tristan Davids slowly opened his eyes to the sounds of screaming alarm sirens. The clock on his phone read 6:30 AM, and his alarm was on full blast, ensuring that the young man would eventually get up.
“Tristan! Shut that thing off already and get up! You’re going to be late!” he heard from beyond his bedroom door. Tristan closed his eyes and tried his best to ignore both the cries of his mother and the sounds of ringing next to his ears. Just another couple minutes, he thought to himself. Then I’ll be ready to go.
“Tristan! Did you not hear your mom?! Shut that off and let’s get going! I’m not dropping you off! I don’t care if you have to walk there this early! Move it, mister!” Tristan’s father joined in the cacophony. Groaning in response, Tristan reluctantly got himself out of the warm, cozy bed and shuffled into his bathroom shower.
Scrambling to get ready, Tristan couldn’t help but stare at the image reflected back at him from the mirror. Here he was, two days away from his 16th birthday, and he still looked like a twelve-year-old. He was short for his age and undersized. His medium length hair was usually tousled all over the place, but he tried to gel it up to look cool like the other boys in school. Yeah, like that’s ever helped. Tristan had never been very good at making friends throughout his life, and high school was no different. He was fast approaching the end of his sophomore year at South Miami High, yet the most engagement he had was joining the JV soccer squad, and only at the request of Coach Nibian, who had also coached Tristan’s older brother, Allen.
Snapping himself from his pity party, Tristan snatched his school bag beside his bed and made his way downstairs to breakfast. His father was already seated at the table, drinking his coffee and poring over the daily news on his tablet. Despite the heavy-rimmed glasses he wore on his face and salt-and-pepper hair along the top of his curled hair and beard, Oliver Davids looked fantastic for his fifty years. He was powerfully built, his broad, rounded shoulders complimenting his six-foot frame. He was a successful lawyer who had worked hard to free himself from his rough upbringing down in the slums of Liberty City. He made sure to instill the same values in his children and wa
Tristan’s mother set a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast on the table. “Make sure you eat before heading to the bus.”
“Isn’t he a little old for you to still be making him breakfast?” Oliver asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I know, I know. I just figured it would help slowpoke here get to school on time,” she replied.
Gwendella Davids was the definition of a super-mom: sweet, caring, thoughtful, and one heck of a chef. She was actually the head chef and owner of an upscale, downtown brunch café called Eden, where she served some of the best plant-based meals in the city. Tristan had taken more after his mother in looks; while he had his father’s jet black hair, he had his mother’s kindly brown eyes and soft features. She was on the taller side, and as she brushed her golden-brown hair aside to kiss Tristan’s father before leaving for work, Tristan couldn’t help but wonder when he would finally get his growth spurt.
“So, anything good on the agenda today? Don’t you have a soccer game this afternoon?” Tristan’s father asked as he finished up his coffee and began to close down his tablet. Tristan nearly choked on a piece of bacon. He had almost forgotten about the game!
“Uh, yeah,” he sheepishly replied. “We play St. Francis High right after school.”
“Well, that sounds fun! I’ve heard they haven’t been doing very well this year. You should be able to get some quality minutes in there!” his father said.
“Yeah, I don’t think so, Dad. I’m still probably gonna wind up on the bench today,” Tristan mumbled, looking down at his plate.
“Hey, don’t sell yourself short. You’re a lot better than you give yourself credit for. Don’t be afraid to ask for a little bit more playing time. Your brother was never shy about wanting more time on the field. You have his shot, don’t be afraid to use it,” he advised. Tristan rolled his eyes but grudgingly acknowledged his father.
Tristan hated being compared to his siblings. Allen had been the popular jock at SMH during his time, a dual-sport athlete and class stud. Although twelve years younger, Tristan had looked up to his brother growing up, but once Allen left for boarding school when he was sixteen, Tristan rarely saw him. Elaina, his older sister, was no different, although she was known more for being the brains of the family. An intellectually gifted individual, Elaina left for the same boarding school as Allen, but graduated early, top of her class. Tristan was definitely the runt of the three, despite whatever encouraging lies his parents fed him.
After he finished wolfing down his breakfast, Tristan grabbed his backpack to head out the door. Before he could leave, his father handed him an envelope marked ‘Mr. Don Peters’. “If you stop by the comic book shop today, could you hand this to Mr. Peters for me?” he asked.
Tristan nodded to his father, who smiled and patted him on the back before Tristan made his way to the bus stop. Briskly walking the two blocks, he managed to make it to the stop just before the bus started to pull away. He smiled apologetically to the bus driver before spotting Marco and Johnathan toward the back of the bus.
The best part about having friends like Marco Alvarez and Johnathan Woo was that, after seven years of friendship, neither of them had to pretend. They understood that they were all socially awkward and nowhere near the status of their peers when it came to school hierarchy. Marco and his five siblings were all first-generation Americans whose family came from Cuba. Slightly taller than Tristan, he was also overweight, his diabetes and exercise-induced asthma often making him a target for the school bullies. Johnathan, on the other hand, was a string bean. Tall and lanky, he was an only child, whose acne and glasses led to many stereotypical ‘nerdy Asian’ jokes. For the most part, the boys kept to themselves while in school, avoiding the dumb jocks and planning out their next League of Warriors campaign.
“Dude, did you see the new expansion pack for LOW comes out tonight?” John exclaimed the minute Tristan sat down next to them.
“Seriously?! Already?!” Tristan replied. “I thought it wasn’t coming out for another few weeks?”
“Naw, homie,” Marco said smiling. “They decided to spring a surprise release tonight to test out the beta. It’s only the demo, but we can buy the full version after midnight!”
Tristan smiled at the thought of playing the new expansion pack for his favorite game. Maybe I can skip out on tonight’s game and head home early, he thought before shaking that idea out of his head. His father would be so disappointed if he pulled that stunt. Besides, he needed to swing by the comic book shop later anyway.
The boys chatted a few more minutes regarding their plans for the night before the bus pulled up to their school. As Tristan exited the bus and stared at the sign reading “South Miami High School”, he couldn’t help but feel the usual sense of dread. Making their way through the hallways, the three friends headed straight to homeroom, where only a handful of students were present. Once inside, Tristan started toward his locker to grab his textbooks. As he walked, a large, blue Converse sneaker shot out from behind and clipped his foot, sending the poor boy face first to the floor. A chorus of laughter followed as Austin Chatman, the school’s star quarterback, and his goons surrounded Tristan.
“Aww, looks like Tiny took a fall this morning, fellas! That’s too bad. He should be more careful when he’s running beneath people’s feet!” Austin teased. Tristan’s face burned red with rage as he slowly gathered himself off the floor. Austin held out his hand in front of him, offering assistance. “Need some help?” he asked with a smile. Tristan looked at him, hesitant. “Here, take it,” Austin insisted, his green eyes staring mischievously. As Tristan slowly reached for his hand, Austin quickly moved it, slapping Tristan upside the head in one swift motion. “Oops! Guess you need to work on those reflexes, Short Stack,” Austin said, nudging Johnathan aside. The boys laughed as they exited the room, each one pushing Marco into the wall when they passed. Alone, the three boys stared at one another in silence.
Sighing, Tristan released his balled up fists, disappointed at himself. He wanted to defend himself, but what could he do against those five jerks? Who are you kidding? You would’ve just gotten yourself pummeled. Austin was a grade-A tool, and he seemed to just get worse each year, especially after his parents’ divorce. Tristan had known Austin since the sixth grade, and the stocky blond had been decent enough when they were younger, never anywhere near this cruel. However, between his tumultuous home life and rising popularity, Austin had become a constant source of ridicule toward the three friends. Rubbing his stinging head, Tristan eventually retrieved his books from his locker, while Marco and John debated the merits of impaling Austin and his friends on a broadsword.
The rest of the school day was fairly typical, with Tristan going through the motions as he completed his daily assignments and tried to avoid saying anything to draw attention to himself. Once school was over, Tristan packed up his bag and walked over to the locker room, where he got dressed along with his teammates in preparation for the upcoming soccer match. After listening to a typically uninspiring speech from Coach Nibian, the boys trudged out to the field to play their next opponent. Tristan immediately made his way down to the end of the bench, his usual spot awaiting him. The other boys made sure there was some space between them, not wanting to associate with arguably the worst player on the field.
Tristan knew that the only reason he was even on the stupid squad was because his older brother had convinced Coach Nibian to allow him to join. Despite his numerous pep talks, Coach just didn’t understand why Tristan didn’t give as much effort into the sport as Allen had. The sad truth was, Tristan rarely gave hard effort because he knew he would never be as good as everyone hoped. In his mind, he was saving them the heartbreak of letting them down.
While Tristan sat on the bench, the game flew by with both sides locked in a scoreless battle. In fact, Tristan had nearly dozed off when he heard his name being called.
