Author's Notes: Ah, Sym-Bionic Titan, it left us too soon. Though it was released in 2010, it is still my personal favorite television series. It just gets to me more than any other. Even though it came out so long ago and the fandom is mostly dead, I've put this up.

The good part about this fanfiction is that you can skip ahead, because you already know what's going to happen! If you want to see what Solomon was doing in a particular episode, feel free to ignore my other chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sym-Bionic Titan. Cover image is not mine.

Sym-Bionic Titan: Moments of Solomon

Episode 1: Escape to Sherman High

Solomon's men arrived on the site later than he would have liked. The location where the encounter had happened had been seized by General Steel, and now it was difficult to trespass there legally. The Galactic Guardian Group had jurisdiction to all alien involvement and extraterrestrial activity, but this was the first time they did something truly important. The first confirmed alien contact—and Steel was doing everything he could to keep them away.

G3 was good at using the law to its advantage, however. In less than an hour, they had a warrant to the quarantined area and everything there belonged to them. Solomon had a few of his men scan the perimeter, while he flew in on one of the hovercraft-jets. He wanted to exchange a few words with Steel and be sure he understood the General's stance on this matter. Steel was supposed to give G3 whatever it wanted…but Steel had never taken G3 seriously. Steel was likely to try and take matters into his own hands, and that would be problematic. If he would attempt to do so, Solomon wanted to know it now.

The hovercraft lurched in the air, coming to a stop above the site. Solomon jumped out from the craft and landed behind Steel. Before them was the ship; the alien ship that had appeared out of nowhere above earth and crashed here. Solomon had many questions—how had it gotten here undetected? How fast could it travel? Was it meant for long-term habitation? What was it made out of? Had it crashed here accidentally, or meant to come? And where was it from?

Solomon watched it, keeping his expression eternally indifferent as his hovercraft positioned itself above the blue rocket.

He drew his mind away from it, for now. He had detoured here to speak to Steel. "What are you doing here, General?"

The General knew, or should know, that the military was supposed to stay away from alien activity and leave it to G3. Steel was breaking contract and law.

"Solomon," Steel's voice was hateful as he said the name. Solomon was used to it. The General had never liked him; Steel enjoyed power. And he did not like anyone who ordered him around and was superior to him, as Solomon was.

Steel continued. "First confirmed extraterrestrial contact, and you miss it!"

Solomon did not bother with the man's insults, and ignored the implication that G3 was incapable. G3 had gotten here as quickly as it could. The ship had appeared out of nowhere, right in earth's atmosphere. Steel had been lucky enough to be underneath, and had knowingly locked down the area in an attempt to keep G3 out.

Solomon would not lower himself to make such accusations, though. It had merely delayed him a few minutes, and he would waste no more time. "Pull your men back, General."

The G3 agents who had come from the edge of the locked zone closed in towards the ship. They moved in perfect formation and were completely indistinguishable from one another. One of them knelt a few feet from Solomon and Steel, holding a scanner over his shoulder. It lit up as it took its scans, and then the agent moved elsewhere to get a different angle.

"'Galactic Guardian Group,'" Steel's tone was mocking. "You guys are a joke."

Steel knew nothing of G3's advanced technology, weaponry, training, and everything else that had been done for this moment. G3 was a powerful force, but not to be used against other humans. No; for humans. There was life out there, and it had revealed itself today. Now it was time to see if that other life was a threat or an ally.

The hovercraft locked on to the rocket and began to lift it up into its belly. It was time to go; G3 hardly left a footprint behind wherever it went. They would leave quickly and without a trace.

Solomon leapt onto the alien craft, already several feet into the air. He held onto one of the ropes that carried it, being lifted along with the alien ship into his own hovercraft.

He watched Steel glare after him. "They're still out there, you know!"

Oh, he knew. But Steel would know nothing more about it. "That's no longer your concern."

And with that, the alien ship was tucked safely into the hovercraft. In moments, any sign that G3 or aliens had ever been in that forest would be completely gone.

Solomon stepped off the blue rocket, absentmindedly tracing its blue surface with his gloved hand as he looked out the one-way window of his hovercraft. The searchlight of the G3 ship was trained on Steel. The general was still glaring upwards after them. Solomon hoped the General wouldn't be a problem, but even if he would be, Solomon had no time to deal with him now.

He turned back to alien ship, feeling the smooth, flawless surface through the fabric of his glove. His agents were moving in to inspect it themselves. There was so much to learn.

Aliens were finally here.

OOO

Solomon had not slept. He hadn't so much as sat down since the aliens had arrived on earth. He stood rigid, unmoving, watching as his scientists examined the alien ship. Every new bit of information was insistently reported to him. He knew how long the ship was, its dimensions, its weight, that it was made of unknown material; he even knew its aerodynamics. It had been almost ten hours but he did not show a hint of exhaustion. In truth, he felt none.

He wanted his superior to take a look at the ship—he was sure the man could find things out no one else could—but his superior insisted on waiting.

Most of G3 didn't even know there was someone above Solomon, someone even further up the chain of command. And Solomon's superior liked to keep it that way; so he would wait until the regular G3 scientists were done before he would look at the ship himself. It irked Solomon, but he knew better than to question it.

An agent came up to Solomon and stood at attention. "Sir, an unidentified object has just entered the earth's atmosphere."

Solomon turned; more alien activity. Steel wouldn't hold them back this time. If there were dangerous aliens in this incoming ship too, G3 would be prepared for a confrontation. They wouldn't let these aliens escape like the military had with the first ones.

"Assemble Team Delta."

OOO

The Motherbird was Solomon's personal ship, the G3 flagship, and held the most powerful weapon G3 had. One could argue it was the most powerful ship yet to be created on earth, not including G3 HQ, which was in a rank of its own.

The robots at the crash site last night had easily taken on the best of America's military, so Solomon was coming with a trick up his sleeve. Bringing in the entire G3 army would not do; that would be too obvious to the public, and it was too soon. These aliens might still prove allies. Yet from what G3 could tell from the crashed ship, the aliens had far more advanced technology and weaponry. It would be foolish to come to see them unarmed.

The Motherbird was traveling at top speeds but would take some time to get there. Solomon examined the situation of the latest alien crash through reports. The new object that had fallen to earth at first appeared to be a meteor, violently landing and setting fire to a forest outside of Sherman. Many news channels were documenting the fire, trying to find out what had happened and pestering firemen who were trying to do their job. But then the flames roared upwards, and the cameraman followed them. Solomon's eyes widened, glued to the screen.

"What is that?!" The reporter yelled, as two red eyes and a gaping mouth appeared out of the fire. Smoke and sulfur came off it like a volcano as the flames, reaching thousands of feet into the air, began to take form. A bulky, burning figure lifted itself out of the forest fire and began moving—towards the city of Sherman.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" the reporter yelped as the angle changed to a helicopter camera. The beast, step by step, heavily treaded forward. It seemed to be made purely of fire. How was that possible? Was it a living chemical reaction, a gas, was it truly alive if it was only flames?

Solomon's jaw tightened as he watched. The creature was leaving fiery destruction in its wake and heading straight for a very populated city. It was Solomon's duty to protect humanity, and this creature was now threatening lives.

"Start charging the Wave-Motion Canon," Solomon said. His agents swiftly moved through the computers, beginning to activate the strongest weapon G3 had.

The Motherbird was still quite a distance from Sherman. Solomon watched the fire monster from his screens the whole way. It reached the city, and Steel's men engaged. Solomon was irritated by that, but he supposed someone had to do something, even if their attacks were completely ineffective. The missiles did nothing to the fire monster, and it swung its arms and slapped away fighter jets like flies. It stomped on the tanks, and more attacks from other military divisions simply drew its attention. People were losing their lives to this creature; Solomon could not hesitate. The Wave-Motion Cannon was to be used as soon as they arrived.

As the military units were destroyed, a new force came into the fray. Solomon's eyes locked onto it; a small golden robot, barely bigger than a human, flew at the monster and released a laser beam to strike it. But this too proved useless against the beast.

Solomon watched the golden robot—it matched the descriptions of last night's encounter. Its form was feminine, with a jagged heart on its chest and a design that was vaguely Egyptian. The robot sped circles around the fire monster, refusing to give up her attack. The fire monster focused on her, and tried to stomp her with its burning leg. She avoided, but the monster tore apart a nearby building and threw the remains on top of her.

The camera blurred as it moved to focus on her; she had fallen beneath the wreckage and was trapped. The monster reached for her with a flaming hand—

A new robot appeared with a sword and swatted the hand back. It moved quickly, but Solomon caught a good glimpse of it; bigger, masculine in form, deep purple, and appeared to have far more weapons than the golden one. Bombs or missiles or other alien technology could be seen stored within its legs.

Solomon watched, rapt, as the purple robot tried to take on the fire monster and, like the other, was slapped aside. Before the fire monster could move in on it, more of Steel's missiles fired at the monster. The creature roared in fury.

Solomon wanted to know what was happening to the robots—was the gold one still trapped? Was the purple one unharmed? Why were they fighting exactly? Were they also a threat to humanity?

But the camera did not turn to look at them, and Solomon cursed it. The fire monster turned around and opened its red mouth, breathing flame across the city streets. Smoke went everywhere, and for a moment the screens showed nothing but grey.

Solomon waited. He waited for what seemed like a long time, but couldn't have been more than a minute. Finally, the smoke began to clear.

And what he saw stunned him.

A new, colossal robot had entered the field, from where, Solomon didn't have a clue. He hadn't seen it arrive; it was as if it had appeared from the smoke. The smaller robots forgotten, he stared at this new phenomenon. The camera picked up the gasps of awe from bystanders as the new robot stood like a knight in the city, smoke from the fire trailing off its body.

It was just as big as the fire monster. It seemed to be encased in glass, but a purple-and-gold mechanical skeleton was visible through its transparent armor. It was smooth and majestic, radiating power with its firm stance as it faced the fire monster. Its eyes, peering out from within its helmet, glowed golden, and showed no emotion.

The fire monster only paused a moment, watching this new enemy, before it attacked. It struck the new robot, crashing it to the ground. As the fire monster advanced, the new robot wrenched itself up and lunged forward. It blocked the monster's hit with one arm and punched it back with the other.

The beast charged again at the robot, and the robot lifted its arms to guard itself. A shield appeared in its palms to block the attack. The fire monster struck again and again, but the robot continued to block. After the third strike, the robot shoved forward, pushing the monster back.

The fire monster growled in anger and then roared to the skies, turning yellow like the sun and releasing fire everywhere. Fire spread out in a massive explosion. The camera zoomed out and shook as the impact hit, and Solomon saw that all around the monster, the city had been wiped away. Skyscrapers, roads, people…all gone. A mere ditch was left, where the fire monster and the robot still stood.

Solomon showed no emotion, but his heart beat against his chest. So many lives lost in such short time. The Motherbird was nearing Sherman now…

The fire monster hissed and leapt at the robot, engulfing it in flame. The robot looked like it was on fire as it struggled against the hold. But then, it turned and leapt into the water outside Sherman. Both the creature and the robot disappeared from view, hidden under the waves. Solomon had to admit that was smart—but would it be enough? What effect would this have on the monster? Would it go out like normal fire?

The city was close; close enough Solomon could see it on the horizon outside the Motherbird's window. Solomon flicked off the view screens—the city was getting nearer by the second.

"Wave-Motion Cannon at eighty percent, sir," informed one of his agents.

Excellent. "Prepare to fire." Perhaps the fire monster was defeated, but Solomon couldn't risk it. The robot could also be a threat, and Solomon had to be ready.

The robot emerged from the water. It was alone for a moment, and looked side to side to be sure the monster had been defeated. Solomon waited; the robot wasn't attacking the city. Perhaps it wasn't a threat after all. If the monster had been defeated and humans were no longer in danger, then there was no need for the Wave-Motion Cannon. Solomon was about to order it be held off when a rocky creature splashed out from behind the robot, grabbing it in a tight hold.

It was the fire monster—the outer part of its body had hardened into stone. Bits of magma and fire trailed through its body, yet it was still alive. The robot struggled against it but the monster held firm.

"Wave-Motion Cannon charged, sir!"

This was the perfect opportunity—while holding the robot, the monster was stuck in the same spot. It couldn't move to dodge an attack, and the Motherbird was in perfect position. It was a straight shot. The robot might be harmed, too, but Solomon had to make the sacrifice. The monster was certainly a threat to earth, and the robot might be too.

Solomon leaned out of his seat; now was the moment, they could not be a second late! "Fire!"

The Wave-Motion Cannon, a huge blue jet of light, blasted out of the Motherbird and went straight for the two giants. But the angle—the robot was shielded from the beam by the monster's body, who took the brunt of the attack. As the monster stumbled back, the robot escaped its grip and whirled on it. It reached out with its arm and, out of nowhere, a sword appeared in its hand. The robot swung the blade in an arc, right through the magma monster. The rocks of its skin crumbled and plunged into the ocean. The robot swung the blade overhead, slicing the beast's arms off, and finally cut the creature in half. The monster was vanquished.

Solomon watched, frozen, as the titan stood victorious. The sword disappeared from its hand, vanishing into nothing.

The robot no longer wanted the sword…it wasn't going to attack now that the monster had been defeated. In which case, it was not a threat to Sherman or any other humans.

Very well. Solomon would wait and see. If the robot had defeated a threat to the earth, and did not wish to harm humans, Solomon had no qualms…for now.

"Return to base."

And the Motherbird dove into the water.

Episode Two: Neighbors in Disguise

Solomon oversaw the retrieval of what was left of the fire monster. G3 submarines searched below the shore of Sherman for every rock it could find of the creature. G3 now owned all of it. And they had much work to do.

He soaked up all information his scientists discovered. One fact of which was quite important; even now, the creature was still alive. While the outer rocky skin of each piece was dead, and the smaller pieces were lifeless all the way through, the larger pieces were still active in the center. Dormant, the scientists described. And weak; it was like a plant, or heartbeat, or gentle flame. Still alive, but slowly fading. Like the last struggles of a body that didn't realize it was dead yet.

Good. Solomon wanted the creature fully dead. But while it still lived, they might as well learn what they could from it. At this rate, the scientists estimated that every last bit, even the largest chunks of rock, would be lifeless in a few weeks.

A single week after the battle, G3 stopped its activity of searching for the rocks. Solomon knew there had to be some pieces of the creature still down there, but the monster had been the size of a skyscraper. There was no way to get every last bit, and he didn't want to risk G3 being noticed while it searched. The remains would all just be dead rock in a few weeks anyway.

The life that remained in some of the rocks was powerful and harmful. The scientists warned Solomon that this energy should not be tampered with and released or awoken. It was some kind of chemical that expanded, they said, and would consume all in its path if freed.

How incredibly fascinating. A living chemical. He had many questions, but he couldn't ask the rocks. If only Solomon could get his hands on those two robots, or better yet, Titan.

Speaking of which, the people of earth had fallen in love with the robotic hero. The knight-like giant had made quite the impression. People had named it 'Titan' and the name was sticking. Even G3 agents were calling it that. Citizens praised Titan as epic, heroic, the defender of earth.

Solomon wasn't so easily convinced. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" did not always apply. Titan had made no contact with humans and had shown no solid proof that it meant no harm to mankind. People were wrapped up in awe about the giant robot, completely ignoring G3's Cannon blast. Which Solomon was grateful for; G3 remained in the shadows, as it should.

Some things needed to be decided. G3 held responsibility for the earth and for these aliens. The two small robots had attacked the military, although reports varied of who shot first. Were they allies or foes?

And Titan—if it was a threat, could G3 defeat it? Solomon already had strategists and scientists looking into weaknesses of the robot, but the design and making of weapons powerful enough to use against Titan would take time to create. Did earth have that luxury?

He needed to speak to his superior. Despite being the founder of G3 and creator of most of its technology, Solomon's superior did very little nowadays. It was partly because of his injuries. Solomon had never asked how his superior had first been injured, but the wounds had grown steadily worse over time. Once, his superior had been able to walk around on his cybernetic limbs like any other person. Now he was much slower, and it took much more energy for him to do any physical activity. The man's lungs had been damaged and weakened over time. Because of this, Solomon's superior rarely spoke and his sentences were always short and to the point. Oftentimes he simply didn't respond; Solomon had grown used to this.

Solomon's superior spent almost all of his time in a dark room, watching G3 and the outside world through informative screens. He would stay in this room for weeks at a time, meals delivered to him like clockwork but no one ever saw him.

No one except Solomon, but even his glimpses were limited. As the room was always dark, often his superior was hidden by shadows. And Solomon tended to avoid looking at what he could see. Though Solomon never admitted it aloud, he knew his superior was fading. Whether it be because of age (no one knew how old the man was) or his mysterious injuries, the true leader of G3 was living on borrowed time. And Solomon wasn't sure what G3 would be like without him.

Solomon climbed down the hidden ladder and entered the darkness of his superior's chambers. He kept his hands in his pockets, making himself as small as possible, keeping his head low and eyes looking downwards. His footsteps were quiet, and he stopped when he reached the chair that his superior always sat in. Darkness hid the man well, but one of his metal arms caught and reflected what little light was in the room.

"Sir," Solomon began, always considering his words very carefully when in this presence, "The information we've learned about the remains of the fire monster has been delivered to your computer."

Solomon paused, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement. He wanted to hear his superior's thoughts on the monster. All he heard was the faint sound of breathing. So he continued. "I believe you should take a look at it."

The raspy voice seemed to crawl its way to Solomon's ears. "I will look at it when I want to." That was a firm reminder that Solomon's couldn't force his superior into doing anything he didn't want to do. Despite being loyal to his superior, Solomon still liked to know what he was up to and where he was.

Solomon knew his superior left this room without telling him. It irritated him, not knowing where such an important person was all the time. He had once placed a trigger on his superior's door that should have alerted him to whenever it was opened. His superior never mentioned it, but the trigger mysteriously deactivated before it had worked even once. The cameras he had placed outside his superior's door had similar results. Almost every inch of G3 HQ was monitored, watched, and recorded. The only internal blind spot was this room and the hallways around it. Solomon didn't know how, but his superior was never caught on the cameras. When he left this room, it was like he turned invisible.

Solomon considered pushing his superior to take a look at the alien rocks immediately, but decided it was pointless. There was another subject to discus, one that wasn't on the report to his superior. "The main populace of earth has grown fond of the giant robot that fought the fire monster. They call it 'Titan.'"

Pause. Faint, struggled breaths. Then; "I see."

Solomon pressed forward, trying to get his point across. "Titan defeated the fire monster and saved the city, Sherman. It disappeared after the battle and there has been no sign of it or any other alien activity since. We must consider whether or not it is a threat to the earth."

There was an even longer pause. Solomon stayed patient and waited for his superior to speak. "If this…Titan, appears again…leave it be."

Solomon lifted his head slightly, looking to the patch of darkness where his superior was. "Sir?"

"Leave it be. Watch it, for now."

This was an order, Solomon recognized. He always obeyed his superior's commands. Solomon had many questions, many objections. But he knew when he was being dismissed.

"Yes, sir."

OOO

Solomon was examining Sherman's recovery. There was still a gaping hole in the center of the city, but reconstruction was beginning. Roads were being built across the damage, a few of which were even available for public use. Currently, it was believed rebuilding would cost fourteen billion dollars.

Steel practically had the city on lockdown. Tanks and troops buzzed around Sherman like camouflage green-and-brown flies. If any robot surfaced, the military would pounce on it. Any information about the Titan or other aliens was to be reported to authorities, which would be immediately passed up to G3. Solomon doubted he would receive any useful information from those citizen reports, but it was good to be alert.

He browsed through building plans when an agent approached him. "Sir; our satellites have just detected a new object falling to earth."

Solomon turned, mind instantly more aware. "Where will it land?"

"Egypt, sir."

Solomon felt a slight confliction. His instincts told him this was another monster, like the fire one. There was no guarantee that Titan would make an appearance to fight in, in which case G3 had to do all it could to protect earth. If Titan did show up, however, Solomon's superior had ordered him to leave it alone.

Better safe than dead, Solomon believed. He had to prepare for the worst, for if he underestimated this situation, there could be disastrous consequences. "Assemble Team Delta; now."

OOO

Speeding into action again on the Motherbird, Solomon yet again examined the situation on the way. His assumptions had been correct; it was a monster like the fire beast. This time, the creature was mechanical, with five dog-like heads but two legs, and it was slightly smaller than the fire monster. It was a robot, which meant it had been built by someone. Why would a robot be sent to attack earth? Its design style was different from Titan's; perhaps made by different aliens?

They were halfway to Egypt when the dog-monster left the city it had been jeopardizing. Blasting off on rocket feet, it reentered earth's atmosphere. And it began heading in the direction of Sherman City.

Solomon was frustratingly sent in circles, having to turn the Motherbird around to pursue the creature that passed them, far above their heads, and left them in its figurative dust.

Why was it attracted to Sherman? Why were all the aliens so interested in that city?

Very tense about the unexpected way this situation had developed, Solomon pulled up Sherman's local news. He had expected alerts of evacuation, but was caught off guard when he saw the first two robots had appeared at the local mall.

He was astonished. A mall? A place that public and populated? Why on earth would they be there?

The reporters told him next to nothing. They couldn't get into the mall due to citizens fleeing from it, and then the army arrived and cut off the area. Solomon gritted his teeth, furious at how in the dark he was.

He still had work to do, even if he knew nothing. The people of Sherman were too focused on the robots to realize a bigger problem was coming for them. With a swipe of his hand Solomon sent an order for the city to begin evacuating. He hoped this new alien monster wouldn't cause as much damage as the last one.

Once that was done, he returned to Sherman's news. He was eager when he found they had some information; the two robots had broken down a wall and were now outside, according to second-hand military reports.

"Sir," one of his agents spoke up, voice soft. "…the creature has just reached Sherman City."

Solomon tensed but did not take his eyes away from the news channel on his screen. A mechanical scream came through its speakers, and the reporter turned in confusion.

The camera turned to the sound, right as the two robots, gold and purple, flew around the corner. The five-headed monster was chasing after them.

The reporter cried out in alarm. The beast snapped at the robots, so small when compared to it. The two of them turned and tried to attack, using laser beams and what might be bullets to shoot at one of the monster's heads. But the beast didn't even seem to notice.

The robots, their attack ineffective, gained altitude and flew out of sight. The beast roared again and charged off, stomping through the city.

Solomon's grip tightened on his chair. Would Titan show up? Would they reach Sherman in time?

The camera switched to a helicopter angle and pursued the beast. It was leaving the city on foot now, and charging through suburbs. Its steps were full of purpose; it was heading for something, but what? Where had the two small robots gone?

Then, directly on screen, only a short distance before the monster, there was a bright flash of light. Solomon watched, stunned, as Titan had appeared out of nowhere.

Where had it come from? How did that thing just appear? Could it simply pop into existence wherever it wanted? How did something so unbelievably huge travel so discreetly?

The dog-monster opened one of its mouths and shot a laser. Titan clapped its hands together and an orbital shield surrounded it. The monster's attack deflected off the shield and harmlessly onto a road.

The monster neared and Titan tried to punch its heads, but the creature was quick as a snake. One head lunged and bit Titan's arm. Titan got free and hit back, only to be grabbed again, by both arms this time. Titan struggled before kicking the monster in the stomach. The creature roared and threw Titan into the air.

Solomon couldn't breathe as he watched the huge robot swing over the city. That huge, huge body would crush houses, roads, and people. So many bystanders would be killed.

Titan swung out a hand to the road, nearly crushing a woman and child beneath its very palm but carefully avoiding doing so. Its foot hit a road and it tried to find its balance and not fall over onto all the people below it. Its other hand crushed a tree and its knee also thumped into a road. The land was decimated—but no one was harmed.

Solomon let out a breath of relief, followed by a joyous inhale of revelation. Titan didn't want to hurt anyone—it had just obviously gone to great effort not to crush anyone. Titan was an ally.

But the monster wasn't. It stamped towards Titan, crushing homes underneath its feet. Solomon gnawed the inside of his cheek, wishing the monsters could fight elsewhere.

As if hearing his silent plea (or perhaps Titan too saw the crushed homes), Titan rushed forward and tackled the monster. With a mighty jump, Titan carried the creature over the suburbs and into a nearby park, away from everyone. More signs that Titan wished to avoid harming humans.

The helicopter moved to pursue them and keep them in sight but the two giants were far away. Solomon leaned forward, trying to make out the image. It was difficult; Titan's landing had stirred up dirt that was in the way of the camera's view. He couldn't see what was happening—until it was too late.

The dog-monster seemed to bulge. It shook and then exploded, heads and other body parts sprinkled through the park. Titan was nowhere to be seen.

Solomon slowly leaned back into his seat and steepled his fingers. The threat had passed. Titan had rescued humanity yet again. Now, there was something for Solomon to look into…

OOO

Late at night at Sherman Mall, a pudgy security guard was using the surveillance camera recordings as entertainment. He didn't hear the door open, for the person who entered made no sound. The guard simply continued to watch the black-haired boy on his video screen jump into the air and turn into an incredible giant purple robot.

He pressed rewind again and again, watching the flash of light and appearance of the robot. He didn't notice the other person in the room until a hand was placed on his shoulder.

Solomon did not take his gaze from the screen for one second as he gripped the guard's shoulder. Again and again, what appeared to be a human turned into one of the alien robots.

"I'm going to need all of these tapes."

OOO

Solomon was very tense as he watched his superior view the footage he had taken from Sherman's Mall. He himself had viewed it more times than he could count, awed, excited, and fully ready for action. They had a lead—a real lead. This wasn't just the remains of an alien. These were two living aliens. Aliens to study, to question, to use. He had already had his informants look up everything they could of these two human-looking people.

Lance and Ilana Lunis. Recently enrolled in Sherman High, the public high school. They had just bought a house but information about that was limited as they had apparently paid for it entirely in cash. Any information on them was minimal. There were birth certificates, both of which recorded that they had been born in Sherman but didn't have any information as to where the Lunises had lived until they had moved into their new home.

If someone glanced at their background information, it would seem normal. But when one dug deep enough, it appeared anything but. It was amazing the aliens had conjured up government history records without notice—their technology must be good to hack in so well. Solomon was eager to get his hands on it and study it.

Finally, things were beginning to get back in his control. Extraterrestrials would no longer come and go as they please, without warning. He would find out all he could once he captured these two aliens. They had to know why the monsters were coming, and had to know about Titan, too. This information would belong to G3, soon.

Solomon had run into some trouble keeping these recordings to himself. Steel had been about to storm into the mall himself. But G3 had jurisdiction, and all the security tapes were now in their hands, not a trace of the aliens left behind, as if they had never been there. The damage to the mall would be repaired in time.

Steel had been furious. But Solomon knew that if the general had gotten these tapes, he would have sent an army after the Lunis aliens. That would have never worked; the aliens had already shown that bullets and missiles had no effect on their metal skins, apparently their armor. They would have escaped easily.

Catching them would require a more careful hand. Solomon would subdue them before they could transform. It would be best to sneak into their home at night, once they were asleep…

Perhaps his superior would have ideas. But the man was still watching the tapes. Solomon waited. And then his superior watched them again. And again. Solomon had also watched them over and over and still wanted more, but he was itching to get out and see it all for himself, in person.

His superior paused the tapes right before the boy, Lance, transformed. Solomon didn't fully understand why—at this point, the alien looked like a normal human. He preferred to examine the robotic form.

Solomon's patience ran out; he was yearning to get on the move. "I think it best to retrieve them at dark," he said. "We can knock them out before they transform. Perhaps you could find a way to keep them in this human form, when they can't attack."

Solomon waited for a reply. He listened, and oddly couldn't hear his superior's breathing even in the silence. Yet he felt a tensed and shocked energy in the air and knew the old man was still alive.

"…What?" he superior finally said.

"When we capture them," Solomon explained. "We already know where they live—they have bought a house outside Sherman. They blend in like normal teenagers, even attend a high school. If we do this carefully, I'm sure we can easily catch them. Keeping them, however, could prove difficult unless we find a way to subdue their robotic forms."

"No."

Solomon blinked. "What?"

"No," his superior rasped again. "We will not capture them."

Solomon stared straight ahead in the darkness, wishing he could see some sign of what was going on in his superior's head. "G3 is to guard earth from aliens. These are aliens. It is our job—"

"They are not a threat."

Solomon blinked. "How are you sure?"

"Do not question me."

Solomon's jaw tightened. He always obeyed his superior but he was the face of G3. He called almost all of the shots. He at least had the right to know what was going on. "I do not understand."

"You will watch them," his superior said. "You will not allow them to notice you. Report everything you learn to me."

"Who knows what they're planning," Solomon argued. "We can't risk it—we have to find out. We need to get them under control, capture them, force the information out of them if necessary—"

"No. You will only watch them. That is an order."

Little note: Solomon's flagship is actually called "robo-tanker," but I found that…impersonal. I decided to steal the name of G3 HQ and name Solomon's ship Motherbird. It's the black one that fires the Wave-Motion Cannon.