Inspired Partnership

   Kirk sat on his beach towel, a pen and journal in hand. The sky was crystal clear, the ocean waters were a beautiful blue, and other beachgoers in their swimsuits complimented the natural scenery. A pleasant breeze and the warm sun felt good on the skin not covered by his swimming trunks, and the smells of saltwater, sand and freshly grilled barbecue were all pleasant to experience. Despite all of the fine sensory he was getting from his time at the beach, the 26 year old still suffered from writer's block. He wanted to commemorate his trip to the beach with a written piece, but he didn't know what to write on this day. A poem? A religious journal? A adventurous short story? He was about to put his writing tools down and settle for a dip in the water, when he looked behind him and saw a sight that the other beach goers were oblivious to.

A beautiful girl that looked to be about his age was dancing around her beach towel. He couldn't tell what kind of dance she was doing, but it appeared to have elements of ballet, modern, and jazz incorporated into the technique. She wore a one piece swimsuit that perfectly complimented her figure. Her eyes were closed, and her bright smile filled his spirit with joy. Kirk quickly opened his journal and words quickly flowed from his mind to the paper. Once finished, he set his journal and pen down, and his world felt right once again. He then looked up, and noticed the muse for his latest work standing before him.

"Hello sir." The girl said in a voice that was as sweet and pure as the smile on her face while she was dancing. "I noticed a infectious smile on your face while you were writing, and it touched my soul. Would it be ok if I read your work?"

"Sure!" Kirk said with a smile, making room on his beach towel for the girl to sit by him. "I'm Kirk, by the way."

"I'm Serenity." She smiled as she accepted the journal from Kirk.

"A beautiful place, made even better.

All because of her.

Her dance flows effortlessly, her skills are evident.

The best part of it all?

Her smile as she moves.

Her eyes are closed, but I hope she can see

how inspiring she is.

How the art she creates brightens my world.

Her dancing and her smile....

Warms my heart."

Happy tears filled Serenity's eyes as she handed the journal back to Kirk.

"You wrote that... about me?"

"Yes, I sure did." Kirk said with a smile. "Your dancing back there was truly magnificent. You probably didn't know if anyone would even be watching, but you went all out with your technique, not worrying about the audience, or what anyone would think of a impromptu performance on the beach. My favorite part of all of it was your smile. You looked so joyful, so happy to just be dancing. You embraced your art, and appreciated what you created. That's what art is all about, what you just did with your dance."

"That's how I felt about seeing you write!" Serenity gushed. "I had no idea what you were writing about, or what kind of audience you were writing for, if any. But you had a wonderful smile on your face, one of not just pride, but pleasure from being able to write. So you may not have realized it, but you showed me what true art is all about as well."

Kirk and Serenity looked into each other's eyes, becoming lost in a different kind of art. The passion each held for their craft, and how it connected them in this very moment made their respective hearts flutter. Not daring to close their eyes and miss a thing, Kirk and Serenity began leaning closer to each other.

Screams and scattering of their fellow beachgoers broke them from the moment they were sharing. In the distance ominous figures were approaching.

"Serenity, there's something dangerous coming! Please stay back, I am going to protect everyone, especially you. I'll be back soon, I promise!"

"That's fine Kirk, but I'm coming too!" Serenity insisted. "I also want to protect everyone, especially you. Let's defend the beach together!"

Kirk felt uneasy about Serenity putting herself in danger, but he reluctantly agreed. He hoped that she wouldn't be afraid of him once she learned about his power. He grabbed his journal and pen, and ran towards the figures, Serenity following close behind. Once he had a better view of the figures, he recognized them right away. The figures were long haired zombies that wore long sleeved shirts and jeans with wallet chains coming out of their pockets. If their bodies weren't decaying, they could have potentially been handsome.

"This is going to sound crazy, but these things have attacked me before." Kirk told Serenity. "Usually they show up when I'm alone, like when I'm walking home late at night from a cafe. This is the first time I have ever seen them in a populated place. Please go hide somewhere Serenity, I have powers that can stop them."

"No need to hide, these things have gone after me when I'm alone too." Serenity said with a smile. "And I've got powers too."

Serenity began dancing again, keeping her eyes open this time. Kirk wasn't sure why she was dancing when dangerous forces were approaching, but he decided to put his trust in her. Before the zombies could get too close, Serenity stopped dancing and struck a pose, pointing in the direction of the zombies. The zombies fell into the sand as if knocked down by a strong rush of wind, disappearing shortly afterwards.

"Your dancing is a weapon?" Kirk asked in amazement.

"Yes, the first time those zombies attacked me, a voice in my head told me that as long as I kept dancing, the monsters wouldn't be able to touch me. And if I end the dance with a pose that points at them, I can strike them down with a invisible force."

"Wait, were you dancing earlier because you sensed those monsters coming?"

"No, I genuinely love to dance. I had no idea they would show up here."

More of the zombies began approaching, now coming in from all angles. Serenity started dancing again.

"I can still dance and avoid attacks, but I won't be able to strike more finishing poses at the speed they are coming in." Serenity said anxiously. "You said you have a power Kirk?"

"I sure do, and it should help!" Kirk said enthusiastically. He opened his journal to a blank page, and wrote the words "protect" and "Serenity." Two sets of metal letters that respectively combined into the words "protect" and "Serenity" appeared in each hand. Kirk raced towards two of the zombies approaching Serenity, and slashed them with his melee words. Both zombies fell into the sand, disappearing shortly afterwards. Serenity smiled as she continued dancing.

"So you have a power based on your passion for writing, and I have one based on my passion for dancing. So we not only have the ability to create art, but we can protect each other and others with art too!"

"That sums it up well." Kirk smiled. "I had a similar experience with my first encounter with these guys, with a voice telling me writing words would form melee weapons I could fight with. So it would seem your power is best suited for defense and long distance attacks, and my power is optimal for close range encounters. Protecting this beach would be tough alone, but together we can do this!"

"I agree Kirk, let's work together and share this dance floor!"

Serenity danced with her beautiful smile on her face, which gave Kirk all the motivation he needed to fight alongside her. Any zombies that got too close to her were struck down with his melee words. Serenity stopped to strike a pose whenever she had an opening, taking down the zombies in the distance. The zombies kept coming for ten minutes, but Kirk and Serenity's teamwork ultimately cleared the beach of the threat.

Once the coast was clear (no pun intended), Kirk and Serenity high fived, shared a quick kiss, then held each other in a embrace.

"That was amazing Serenity, we made such a great team!" Kirk said excitedly. "You are the best dance partner ever!"

"Thank you Kirk, right back at you!" Serenity said joyfully. Her expression then darkened.

"As great as it was to meet you, share our art, and defeat monsters using our skills, something isn't right about all of this Kirk. We both previously encountered the same zombies. We both were given superpowers based on our artistic passions. We both were guided by a unknown entity on how to use these powers. Then we met here today, made a connection, and fought the monsters together. This can't be a coincidence."

"Now that you mention it, I think you're right Serenity. Someone set up this opportunity to bring us here. And their intentions likely aren't good."

"Nonsense, my intentions are perfect!" A friendly voice nearby stated. Still holding each other, Kirk and Serenity turned towards the voice, and saw a familiar looking figure approach. The figure had the same look and clothes as the monsters, except he was not a zombie, but very much alive. He actually did look quite handsome due to not being a decaying member of the undead, but despite his good looks and pleasant voice, an evil aura emanated from his presence.

"Hello Kirk and Serenity, it is nice to finally meet you in person. My name is Lone, and I am a warlock. Until now those zombies were the only companions I had. And as you witnessed, they don't have much staying power."

Kirk and Serenity now recognized the voice. It was the same voice that had guided them on how to use their powers back when they had fought zombies alone.

"I plan to rule this world, and I could easily do it alone. But that would be rather lonely. That is why I gave you two powers based on your artistic talents, and trained you on how to use them. I brought you together, and made you powerful as well. Join me, and you can not only continue to develop your relationship and enjoy your art, but we can do whatever we want with this planet. What do you say?"

Kirk and Serenity looked deep into each other's eyes, then shared a passionate kiss. They then let go of each other and faced Lone, standing side by side.

"Lone, even though you gave me powers and introduced me to the most amazing girl I have ever met, I would never join you for nefarious purposes. I refuse your offer."

"I stand with Kirk." Serenity added. "This is a beautiful world that is meant to be enjoyed, and our responsibility is to make it a better place, not conquer it. I will also never work with you unless you change your ways."

"Well that's unfortunate." Lone said with a hint of sadness. "The good news is, you aren't the only two I gave powers to. The bad news is, I have to get rid of you both. At least you can die together!"

A sharp pain surged through Kirk and Serenity's bodies, causing them to slump down into the sand. As their vision went black and the pain grew unbearable, they joined hands in an effort to comfort each other during their last moments together. Suddenly, the pain abruptly stopped, and they could see once again.

Kirk and Serenity looked up and saw Lone's face covered up by a long T-Shirt that was coming out of the sand. Other T-Shirts generating from the sand bound Lone's arms and legs. Before he could break free, a laser blast shot into his side. Lone fell into the sand and disintegrated away.

A muscular man in a sleeveless shirt and jeans approached Kirk and Serenity. Still weak from Lone's attack, they looked at the man with some apprehension.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend." The man reassured the pair. "My name is Nostrel, and I am from Hugh's hero network. My friend Jirk just blasted that warlock into the Reflection Dimension, a place Hugh created to hold dangerous people and beings. He could return if he vowed to change his ways, but it doesn't appear that he is coming back. I know all of this because I once needed to reform through a personal trip there myself."

A figure wearing a dark helmet and full body armor approached the group. He shook Nostrel's hand upon arrival.

"It wasn't Glicko, was it?" The figure asked.

"Afraid not." Nostrel replied. "Apparently his name was Lone. However, these lovebirds did a great job stopping his minions, and giving me the opening I needed to bind him. Can you use one of your blue grenades and heal them Jirk?"

Jirk summoned a blue grenade into his hand, and tossed it in front of Kirk and Serenity. Blue smoke enveloped the pair, and once it cleared, Kirk and Serenity rose to their feet, completely restored.

"I'm sorry that you two were put through this." Jirk said sympathetically. "For what it's worth, you were both very brave, and you stood by your convictions without wavering. The powers that Lone gave you were for dark intentions, but you used them for the good of this world. We could use heroes like both of you in Hugh's network, and you are needed more than ever."

"We would love to have you both, but you should get fair warning about the road ahead." Nostrel began to explain. "The king of the country of Prosperity, a literal shadow of his former self, has declared war on us. He now goes by the name Leftover, and he murdered one of our own, a fine hero whose name was Mirk. His brother Tam, who was one of our best technological resources, angrily quit our network in his grief. We've been looking for him, but we don't know where he is."

"Dark days are ahead, and the danger would be far greater than what you faced today." Jirk continued. "But you two have a lot of heart, especially when you fight together. We understand if you want to stay out of harm's way, but at the same time, we truly think your love and passion for each other, art, and the good of this planet would be invaluable resources towards Hugh's vision of a peaceful planet."

Kirk and Serenity looked at each other and smiled.

"I know this was probably not a ideal date, but I think we would do great together." Serenity said sweetly to Kirk. "Will you follow me into danger, and work with me to help make the world a more beautiful place?"

Kirk embraced Serenity and shared one more kiss before giving his answer.

"My dear, my life is now intertwined with yours. Let's bring more art, justice, and peace into the world, together!"

*****

Tam stood in the wilderness of Prosperity, observing the castle in the far distance. He wore a bright gold helmet that gave him emerald green body armor. He summoned a urn into his hand that matched the gold of his helmet.

"We're here my brother. I am going to make Leftover and his followers pay for your death by killing them all. And when I'm done with them, Hugh and his network will be next to go."