The next day, the air inside the base was tense. Tim was pacing back and forth - or at least trying to - before Heatsun shot him a glare.
"One more step, Tim, and I'll chain you to that bed."
Tim groaned, flopping dramatically onto the bed. "I'm fine! I can fight!"
Heatsun didn't even blink. "No, you can't."
Marie and Henry exchanged an amused glance as Tim muttered something under his breath.
Just then, Jim's communicator buzzed. He pulled it out and checked the signal - a city not far from their location was under attack. Another monster, no doubt sent by Rei's forces.
Jim sighed. "Guess I'm up again."
Tim instantly shot up. "I'm coming too."
Heatsun stepped in front of Tim. "No, you're not."
Jim smirked. "Don't worry, big bro, I've got this."
Tim clenched his fists. "I'm not just going to sit here and let you have all the fun!"
Jim walked past him, patting Tim's shoulder. "Heal first, fight later."
Before Tim could protest again, Heatsun shot him a warning look, and Jim vanished out of the base.
At the city -
Smoke clouded the sky, and screams echoed in the streets as a massive creature tore through buildings with a swipe of its clawed hand.
This monster was different - larger, more armored, with glowing marks across its obsidian skin.
Unlike the previous ones, this one seemed faster, more calculated.
Jim arrived, standing on a rooftop as his green hair flowed with the wind. His hand hovered over his Solar Saber and Lunar Cresent Hatchets, ready for action.
The monster snarled, baring sharp teeth. "So, you are the so called Grey warrior who had made a mockery of Rei by being an annoyance over her ideal plans... you're no Solar or Lunar. What are you?"
Jim smiled coolly. "Your worst nightmare."
In a flash, Jim transformed into the Grey Warrior.
With a dramatic flourish, he dual-wielded his Solar Saber and Lunar Crescent Hatchets, the crowd below staring in awe.
"Let's dance."
He charged, clashing weapons with the monster.
Sparks flew as they exchanged blows - but this time, Jim wasn't having an easy fight.
The monster was faster than Draxon, matching Jim's speed and even landing a few hits.
Jim skidded back, a trail of rubble behind him.
"You are tougher than you look," Jim muttered, wiping blood from his lip.
The monster grinned. "Stronger than you think."
Jim combined his weapons into the Solun Lance, the air crackling with its energy. "Let's see if you can handle this."
He dashed forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes - but the monster blocked most of them, countering with a powerful swing that sent Jim flying into a wall.
Dust clouded the area. Jim groaned, feeling the sting in his ribs.
"Okay... this one's gonna be a problem."
The monster loomed over him, raising a fist glowing with dark energy. "Any last words?"
Jim smirked, gripping his Solun Lance. "Yeah... I'm just getting started."
Jim braced himself, gripping the Solun Lance tightly as the monster's glowing fist came crashing down.
At the last second, he rolled to the side, the ground shattering where he once stood.
"Fast reflexes, huh?" Jim muttered to himself, then smirked. "Good thing I'm faster."
The monster roared and lunged again, but this time, Jim leapt high into the air, flipping dramatically before landing behind the beast.
With a swift motion, he split the Solun Lance back into the Solar Saber and Lunar Crescent Hatchets, dual-wielding them with style.
"Alright, let's turn up the heat."
He activated the Solar Flare Slash - his saber glowing a brilliant gold - and swung it, sending a blazing arc of energy toward the monster. The beast roared as the attack struck its armored side, scorching a deep mark into its black skin.
But the monster didn't go down.
Instead, it retaliated with a burst of dark energy from its mouth, forcing Jim to dodge and block with his hatchets, the force pushing him back.
"Man... you're not just muscle, are you?" Jim muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
The crowd of Solar and Lunar citizens still watched from the distance, murmuring to each other.
"He's incredible...as always"
"He's holding his own against that thing!"
"Who is this guy?"
"He is the Grey Warrior who has become like our celebrity! Come on, how can you not know him?"
"I will definitely get his autograph this time."
Jim couldn't help but flash a grin. "For some weird reason, I've unintentionally gathered an entire audience over such a little time. Anyways, I can't bother to ruin my image in front of them. So, you must understand I have to win."
The monster charged again in fury. "You trying to mock me?", but this time, Jim swiftly combined his weapons into the Solun Lance once more, the golden and dark blue energy swirling together in harmony.
"Time to finish this."
He spun the lance rapidly, creating a blinding spiral of Solar and Lunar energy.
"Solun Strike!"
The combined energy burst forward in a massive wave, striking the monster head-on. The beast howled in pain as cracks of glowing light spread across its body - then, with one final roar, it exploded into dark particles, vanishing into the air.
Silence.
Then - cheers erupted from the crowd.
"He did it!"
"The Grey Warrior saved us!"
"He's stronger than the Solar warrior!"
Jim sheathed his weapons and dusted off his suit. "All in a day's work."
But as the crowd rushed toward him, asking for autographs and praising his strength, Jim raised a hand.
"Look, I'm not a celebrity." He chuckled. "I'm just a guy doing his job."
The people didn't seem to care, though - he was a hero in their eyes.
Meanwhile, back in the base, Tim was sulking with his arms crossed as Heatsun sat firmly in front of him, blocking the exit.
"He's stealing all my glory..." Tim muttered.
Heatsun didn't even look at him. "You'll get your chance, but only if you survive long enough."
Marie and Henry exchanged glances again, laughing quietly.
Jim, back in the city, sighed as he activated his communicator.
"Another one down," he said. "But something tells me they're only getting stronger."
From then on, Jim took the responsibility to fight against the monsters until Tim got fully healed.
_ _ _
It took Tim days to get fully healed as Heatsun constantly kept him from sneaking in the battle.
While Henry was acting like a strict teacher out of nowhere supporting Heatsun while Marie was doing the bandaging part.
_ _ _
Then Finally...
On the fifth day, the sun blazed high over Soluna as Jim leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Tim stretch and move around with ease.
"Looks like you're back in action, big bro," Jim said with a smirk.
Tim grinned. "Of course. You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun forever, did you?"
Just as their banter started, Jim's communicator buzzed again. A frantic voice crackled through:
"Two monsters - repeat - TWO monsters attacking the western city! They're stronger than the previous ones!"
Jim's smile faded into a serious expression. "I'm on it."
Tim grabbed his arm. "Not without me."
Jim opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Tim cut him off.
"Listen, little bro - we haven't battled together yet. Don't you think we need at least one real team-up?"
Jim blinked in surprise. For the first time, Tim wasn't just being his usual goofy self - there was sincerity in his voice.
After a moment, Jim nodded not able to shake that foreign feeling.
"Alright... let's show them what two brothers can do."
They both transformed - Tim's fiery Solar Warrior form flaring gold, while Jim's Grey Warrior suit gleamed, a blend of solar and lunar energies swirling around him.
In the city, chaos reigned. Two monstrous creatures rampaged through the streets - one a hulking, armored beast with spiked limbs glowing with red cracks, the other a shadowy, serpent-like creature with glowing blue eyes. Solar and Lunar citizens fled for their lives.
Tim and Jim arrived in synchronized leaps, landing heroically in front of the monsters.
"I got the spiky one," Tim said.
"Serpent's mine," Jim replied.
Without hesitation, they launched into action.
Tim, wielding his Solar Saber, clashed with the armored beast, slashing through its defenses with burning arcs of light as he transformed at the same time.
He ducked under a massive punch and countered with a Solar Flare Burst, sending a blast of golden energy into the monster's chest.
Jim, meanwhile, moved like a shadow, dual-wielding his Solar Saber and Lunar Crescent Hatchets.
He gracefully dodged the serpent's strikes, slicing at its tendrils with precision.
As the creature lunged at him, Jim combined his weapons into the Solun Lance, spinning it and blasting the monster with a beam of blended Solar and Lunar energy.
"Not bad, big bro!" Jim shouted.
Tim laughed. "Try to keep up, little bro!"
They fought side by side, striking their enemies with synchronized attacks -
Tim's fiery aggression balanced by Jim's fluid, calculated movements.
It was a perfect contrast of styles - one hot and blazing, the other cool and precise.
Then, without warning, the monsters roared in unison. Their bodies shimmered with dark energy as they drew closer together.
"Uh... what's happening?" Tim asked.
Jim's eyes widened. "They're... fusing!"
The monsters merged into one terrifying creature - a massive, two-headed beast with molten spikes on one side and swirling dark tendrils on the other. It radiated a combination of raw power and sinister energy.
Tim smirked. "Looks like we're gonna have some real fun now."
Jim readied his lance. "Let's finish this together."
The fused monster attacked, sending a barrage of molten spikes and shadowy blasts at them.
Tim charged head-on, slashing away the spikes with his blade, while Jim deflected the dark energy with swift, precise movements of his lance.
"Cover me!" Tim shouted.
Jim leapt behind Tim, spinning his Solun Lance to form a protective barrier of Solar and Lunar energy.
Tim gathered all his power into his blade. "Solar Saber Final Slash!"
Jim, simultaneously, channeled his own attack. "Solun Explosion!"
Their attacks combined into a massive explosion of light - a swirling blast of gold and silver energy that struck the fused monster head-on.
The beast howled, cracks forming along its body, until it finally erupted into a dazzling explosion of light and shadow.
Silence.
Then, the crowd roared in applause.
Tim, panting, gave Jim a playful punch on the shoulder. "Not bad, little bro."
Jim smirked. "We make a good team, big bro."
As the dust settled, their bond as brothers - forged in battle - grew even stronger.
As Tim and Jim walked back to the base, their battle still fresh in their minds, they laughed and teased each other about their moves.
"Did you see how I dodged that last attack?" Jim boasted.
"Yeah, yeah, but did you see how I finished it?" Tim shot back.
Henry and Marie watched them from a distance, amused. Meanwhile,
Heatsun stood nearby, arms crossed, observing their interaction with an unreadable expression.
However, as they reached the base, Jim's smile faded slightly. He seemed distracted.
Tim, ever perceptive, nudged him. "Alright, little bro, spill it. What's on your mind?"
Jim hesitated before sighing. "It's my... mission."
Tim frowned. "What about it?"
Jim glanced around, making sure no one else was listening. He leaned in. "I lied before. I do know who my parents are."
Tim's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
Jim exhaled deeply. "Commander Edward found out. He matched my DNA with every known person from Soluna... and he identified my parents."
Tim was getting impatient. "Then who are they?"
Jim hesitated again. "I can't reveal my mother's identity. It could cause serious problems."
Tim crossed his arms. "Come on, Jim. I promise I won't tell anyone."
Jim studied Tim's face for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright. But don't freak out... my father... is Heatsun."
Tim's jaw nearly hit the ground. "WHAT?!"
At that moment, Heatsun, who had been secretly eavesdropping, suddenly stiffened.
His usual cold demeanor cracked just a little as shock crossed his face.
Tim turned to look at Heatsun, then back at Jim. "You mean my mentor Heatsun? The guy who trained me? The one who's always so strict?!"
Jim nodded. "Yeah. That's why I didn't want to say it. But I trust you."
Tim was still trying to process it. "That means... Heatsun had a hybrid son? A Solar-Lunar child? With some Lunar woman?"
Jim's expression darkened. "I need to find her. Edward told me that she might be in danger."
Tim, still shocked, asked, "Do I know her?"
Jim hesitated again. "You've already seen her."
Tim's mind raced, but before he could ask more, Jim turned and walked toward his spaceship.
"I need to go. This is something I have to do."
Tim sighed. "You're really stubborn, huh?"
Jim smirked. "I guess it runs in the family."
As Jim prepared for departure, Heatsun, still in shock, made a silent decision. Without anyone noticing, he sneaked onto Jim's spaceship.
Back at the base, Tim returned to find Henry and Marie holding a note.
"It's from Heatsun," Marie said, handing it over.
Tim read it aloud. "I have something urgent to do. Don't look for me."
Tim rolled his eyes and tossed the note aside. "Good riddance."
Henry chuckled. "Not even a little curious?"
Tim smirked. "Nope. Let him deal with whatever he just got himself into."