Time over time again, Mollika, or Molly for short, had been a constant menace to Titan Face. Her four arms, fiery strength and destructive nature made her a long-standing threat in every operation Amalthea and her team undertook. 

The Titans believed that Helen, codename Helios, had defeated Molly in a decisive battle on a distant planet. But her presence now proved Amalthea otherwise. 

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong, what’s wrong?” cackled Molly, grinding Amalthea through the pavement and tossing her through a building. “Where’s the fierce Titan of Strength!? Where did she go?” 

Amalthea crashed through walls, plastering her red suit with dust and roos. She hit the ground several times before coming to a stop beneath the coloured stone statue the citizens built in her honour. 

“You used to be so strong, so fierce, Atlas. Helios could never compare to your prime.” Molly strutted left and right and swung her hips like she was preparing for a dance. 

Amalthea punched the ground to force herself up. Viscious blood dropped from her lower lip and through her gritted teeth. Her fists trembled, her suit barely holding together. 

“Even so, Helios defeated you before,” she spat out the viscous blood.

Molly laughed, cracking her hands as her third eye glowed. “But Helios is dead. Just like you’ll soon be.” 

The destructive beam she shot from her forehead eye was far stronger than Polyphem’s. Amalthea barely raised her shield in time, but the brunt of the attack broke through and hit her. The statue fissured from the force and collapsed above her.

“Hahahahaha,” Molly's laughter echoed as she floated above the ground, holding her belly. “Run, Atlas, hahaha, run!” She launched herself at Amalthea, delivering swift, devastating strikes that devastated the pavement and forced Amalthea to dodge and retreat. “Show me how weak you’ve become!”

“Thea!” Ajax’s tearing voice cut through the chaos when he finally caught up with them. “Hold up, I’ll—” 

“Stop it!” Kane yanked him back. “Are you insane!? You will die if you get between them!” 

“But can’t fight alone! We defeated the Cyclops together. If we team up—” 

“Stop trying to get yourself killed!” Kane’s shout pierced Ajax’s ears. His hands clamped down on Ajax’s shoulders, fingers digging painfully into his skin. “I am trying to protect you! Why can’t you see that?” Tears streamed down Kane’s face as he dropped to his knees, pleading. “Please, don’t do it. You’ll regret it.” 

Ajax has never seen a grown person weep in front of him like that. Not even his mother did when his father never returned home. This raw pain struck him deeper than anything he’d seen at the procession. In just a few weeks, Ajax had experienced more painful emotions than he ever thought possible—Amalthea fighting through pain as struggled to stand up against her adversaries over and over and over again, no matter how battered or in pain she was. The loss of loved ones. And now Kane’s desperate plea to stop Ajax from walking into the unknown. 

“I have to do this,” Ajax said softly, gently placing his hands over Kane’s. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, brother, but I appreciate it. But she needs me. Abandoning someone isn’t the Guardian’s way.” 

Ajax turned his back on Kane and sprinted to Amalthea’s aid, not noticing the brewing chaos in Kane’s expression. 

“You know nothing, boy.” Kane’s face twisted with raging hatred. His dark face crackled with contained fury and almost burst with the hate of a nova. “Guardians destroy us. You will realise it… just like I did.” 

‧. .ᯓ★. .‧

“Pummel, pummel, pummel, pummel—” 

Molly’s smoke-laden fists hammered relentlessly at Amalthea. Forced on the defence, Amalthea barely had time to react to all the blows as they landed all over her body, giving her no breathing room.

The acrid smoke swirling around Molly made Amalthea light-headed. She could barely hold her arms up before her face as Molly’s fists hit her all across the body, giving Amalthea no time or breathing room.

Molly’s movements were that of a dancer who decided to pursue boxing on the side. The acrid smell of the smoke Molly produced made Amalthea light-headed. Her eyes lost focus, and Molly finished with a two-fisted uppercut, sending Amalthea flying. 

“Wooooooo!” Molly floated above with all four arms raised in triumph. “The indomitable Mollika is back! Feel my power! Cha-Cha-Cha!” 

She descended with a brutal axe kick—Helios’ refined move— but Amalthea nearly collapsed when she rolled out of the way just in time, clutching her side. 

“Oh honey, need a brake?” Molly asked concerned, bending down before Amalthea. She rested her hands on her knees, leaning in close. “What should I do? What should I do?” her other pair hands of hands rested on her cheeks. When they tilted her face, she had a wicked idea. “How about I take one of the citizens here? Should I tear them limb from limb? Would that help you—”

“HAH!” Amalthea threw an uppercut, but Molly dodged, laughing. 

Amalthea swung her fists at Molly, but she gracefully avoided each punch with minimal effort. With precise footwork and hypnotic movements, she wore Amalthea out. Her strength was fading, her body growing sluggish, and Molly was getting bored. 

She caught Amalthea’s wrists. “Let’s end this, honey. Do not embarrass your friends more than—” 

*THUD*

Amalthea headbutted Molly. The charcoal-black woman staggered for a moment but quickly regained her composure, snatching Amalthea’s face with her other hands. 

“Yes, that’s the spirit, honey,” Molly grinned, flashing her blood-soaked teeth from her broken nose. “Us b*tches deserve the worst, don’t we!?” 

Molly returned the headbutt with gusto. Amalthea’s head swayed, her consciousness hung by a thread.

“Oh, no… broken already?” Molly cooed and wrapped her arms around Amalthea to hold her close. “Don’t worry. It will all be over sooooon—”

*thud* 

“Ooooowwww?!” Molly turned to the sudden assailant. “Rude, kid, just rude!” She dropped Amalthea and faced Ajax. “Who taught you manners!? Your dead parents?” 

Ajax, fists smoking from his punch, glared at her. He felt like he put his hands inside a boiling pot of rotten stew. “They did,” he growled, voice trembling. “They also taught me to stand up for my friends!” 

He punched her again, but Molly caught his fist and lifted him off the ground like she would plug weed from the ground.

“Seriously? Who let this cocky kid in!?” she yelled, in the empty square, no one daring to make a sound from their hiding spots. “He yours?” She nodded to Amalthea. “Work on your parenting, sis.” 

“Y-urh, le-urgh g-or—” 

The words came out like garbled choking when Molly picked Amalthea up by her throat. Molly tightened her grip around her throat. 

Her consciousness was slipping from the lack of oxygen flowing in her brain. But with one glance at Ajax in Molly’s hold, Amalthea found her remaining strength. 

Firm hands wrangled around Molly’s arm and twisted.

*Crrrrr— SNAP*

“FHHAHAHWWHFFAAA!!!” Molly screamed when her skin, sinews, and bone snapped like a twig. She released them both, Ajax landing with a roll while Amalthea dropped like lead. 

“Thea, Thea!” Ajax shook her, but Amalthea’s eyes were rolled back. He put a hand over her pale lips, noticing she was barely breathing. “I’ll get you out of here. Hang ON-ERGH GODS YOU’RE HEAVY!” 

Ajax dragged Amalthea away as best he could all while Molly screeched like an unleashed demon of terror. Smoke gathered around her, dissolving grit and stone. 

“I WILL SINGE THIS CITY FROM THE FACE OF THIS PLANET!” Molly screamed. Grey smoke and black flames sprung from her stump like a web of cotton and regenerated sinews, bones, and skin. Baring her teeth at Ajax and Amalthea, Molly puffed out with a bang. She reappeared before them with her clawed hands tearing into the ground. “I care little why Antares cares for a brat like you, but know that I’ll tear you apart and dissolve your remains!” 

Her hands extended toward them like a tree of horror—grabbing and pulling at their bodies. Ajax was immediately overwhelmed when Molly was upon him, wrenching his limbs.

“You should have stayed away, kid,” Molly breathed into his face, filling his lungs with acrid smoke. “This isn’t a playground for wannabe heroes. Should I teach you both by removing your useless feeler? That ought to teach you and your Guardian.” 

Ajax choked on his screams when Molly covered his mouth with her charcoal hand, pulled on his arms and hair, and burned his skin.

With watering eyes, Ajax tried to summon whatever wind he could to push her away, but Molly’s grip tightened. Her third eye glowed as it bore inside him, conflagorating his soul.

She was far worse than Polyphem. 

At least against him, they stood a chance. But Molly? She was in a league of her own. Doubt crept in; a seed of lingering regret overtook him. Ajax wondered if he’d made the right choice by staying with Amalthea. 

“You’d make a terrible mother,” a lecturing voice cut in. Bob appeared, gripping Molly’s wrist. 

*CRACK*

Another sickening crunch followed. Similarly to Amalthea’s attempt, the pain overtook the three-eyed alien woman when her bone was fractured yet again. 

“F-F-F-F-FUUUUUUCKKKKK!” Molly howled, clutching her stump when Bob tore it and threw it to the ground to dissolve.

Ajax, coughing and wheezing, held himself in a rolled position. He stared wordlessly at the old man holding his palm before him. A bright purple light enveloped Ajax, and he felt like his agony was vanishing. 

“Can you stand?” asked Bob. Ajax nodded. “Good, take Atlas and go.” 

“Go? Where?” 

“West,” Bob instructed. He turned to face Molly, whose body smouldered with black flames licking at her body. 

“Whhhrroooooo are yhhwwwooouuuu?” Molly spat, grinding her teeth and drawling, “What old man are yoooooouuuuu?”

“I am the Western Lord, forerunner of the antecedent Titan Force,” Bob declared, revealing a Chrono Driver with three circling disks. The orb glowed red as his true velvet and star-speckled form unravelled. “Iapetus the Piercer, I am the Red Titan of Mortality. Transform.”