《Hero-Chimera》 Chapter 1 Red Alert Sarah was pretty sure she was dead. Mostly due to the fact that she had a moment where everything was just gone, thoughts, memories, and even thinking. She could remember, it was something to do with a bang, a loud bang, and then everything stopped making sense. She should be dead, she was, wasn¡¯t she? Yet¡­ Sarah felt something surrounding her. She was inside something, and that meant that she must be alive, somehow. Where am I? Sarah opened her eyes, but¡­ she had no eyes. Instead, she could see everything around her, like a large dome. She couldn¡¯t see far, but she could see everything within that range. Sarah guessed it must be around fifteen feet or so. Why does that fact sound so familiar? Fifteen feet, fifteen feet, there was something to that¡­ Either way, she took in the sight around herself. Finally getting a look at herself. That¡­ is me? Sarah felt like she didn¡¯t use to be this thing, that she was something a lot bigger. Now though. She was a red blob, surrounded by red liquid, in a red tinted tube with silver fixtures. I¡¯m a blob¡­ that can¡¯t be right, I was something else! She tried to puzzle it, but as she did a stranger approached her tube. The stranger was a human, a person, and something she remembered she used to be. That¡¯s right, I used to be like this human woman! She moved closer to the tube wall, trying to get closer to the person in front of her. Help me! Someone put me in here, but I¡¯m like you! Her words did not reach the scientist though. Instead, the lady pulled out a clipboard. ¡°Subject B-2412 is now active once more. Despite being part of a contaminated batch of Crimson R series, has been introduced back into the nutrient solution¡­ despite the efforts of my former supervisor Dr Sarah Lesana Bockman.¡± She put down her strange blocky device, clicking a button when she did. ¡°Why Sarah, you should have known better than taking from the company. It was only ever going to end one way.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The doctor lady seemed to be upset, and Sarah could make out a tear in the corner of her eye. ¡°Damnit Sarah¡­ why?¡± Wait, am I that Sarah she¡¯s talking about? Bang, Bang, dead. Sarah felt like that meant something, something she should remember. She tried hitting the case of glass over and over. ¡°Subject B-2412 is strangely active¡­ more so than even its past iterations. Did it pick something when it was exposed? It shouldn¡¯t be active like this though.¡± Wait! Please hear me! I¡¯m Sarah! She hit the glass more and more, trying desperately to get the doctor¡¯s attention. ¡°Subject B-2412 is continuously hitting the glass, indications of accelerated thought are becoming a possibility. Is it finally gaining some sentience? It¡¯s too soon, though. Sarah¡­ you said that these test subjects were alive¡­ but all the data before never showed this. Is this what you meant?¡± Meghan! Its me! Please let me out! Her thoughts were coming back to her, and she was starting to remember. She worked with a corporation regarding alien DNA found on an asteroid. She knew she found out something proving that they were capable of healing human life. One of the board¡­ her name was Monica Ferrous, she wanted to use them in weapon¡¯s production, something about their elastic nature allowing for better weapon¡¯s development. Sarah¡­ she couldn¡¯t let that woman get away with turning this breakthrough into a weapon. Not when it could save... She¡­ had been found out by Monica¡¯s counter intelligence team, and Monica killed her. The bang was from the first shot, which broke the seal on the Crimson R series. It hit her through her stomach. She turned around¡­ and saw Monica with a malicious grin on her face. She looked wrong, like something with her face had been stretched out to mimic something human. Instead, she looked terrifying and even alien herself. She was saying something, but by then Sarah couldn¡¯t make it out anymore. Bang, she felt her thoughts grow muddled, but not before she felt the R series do something in her body. Did the R series bond with me? Either way, it didn¡¯t matter unless she got out of this place. ¡°Subject seems to be attempting to escape containment. Preparing failsafe¡­ wait?! What is that?¡± Sarah was now making a crack in the glass. She pushed harder and harder. ¡°W-Wait, how is it this strong? No corpses were fed to it and it was inactive the entire¡­ oh no.¡± Sarah hit a pressure point on the machine, and the entire thing began to buckle. ¡°Emergency, containment has been breached! Security forces must-,¡± One last charge sent Sarah flying out of the tube, glass and red liquid following her in her wake. ¡°G-Get me out of here!¡± Sarah''s body took a moment to move, as the liquid seemed to keep her together before she forced herself out. Now she was trying to move what she felt were new limbs. Damnit, Meghan must have the key, I can¡¯t let her get away! She moved toward her old colleague, and was surprised when she found herself incredibly agile. She turned her form into a ball and began rolling towards her fellow scientist. ¡°No! Get away!¡± Meghan tried to swat her away with her clipboard, but Sarah prepared by turning into a slime. The board simply attached itself to her, giving Sarah a way up Meghan¡¯s arm. ¡°AHHHH!¡± Sarah tried to tune out her friend¡¯s scream as she grabbed the access card around her neck. Come on! I don¡¯t have long before they lock this place down!¡± Sarah latched onto the door, pulling her and Meghan in the process. With a thud, her friend''s face hit the retinal scanner just as Sarah placed the card along the reader. Access granted, Dr Meghan Schumann Yes! The door slid open, and Sarah finally felt like she was free, until she noticed the bio-decontamination chamber before her. Damnit! It¡¯s made specifically for the Crimson R series! How am I going to get out? She focused on Meghan, who was now unconscious from either being scared half to death or being slammed against the door. Either way¡­ Sarah had a very dark thought. She looked around the room, rolling back inside the chamber where she found a ventilation shaft. Okay¡­ lets see if the tests I did on Crimson R series were true. She hardened her form, creating a spear of red viscous fluid from her body. With a twist, she began turning the self-made weapon like a drill, and launched it at the vent. With a burst, the vent crashed into the shaft, opening the way forward. She crawled towards the vent, and once she was inside, she found what she had been looking for. There! She touched the device and heard the alarms go off. With speed she rolled back to her friend and pulled her into the decontamination chamber. Now¡­ we wait. Chapter 2 Crimson R Security Chief Bradley was not having a good day. Ever since the incident with the previous head of research, there was speculation among the rest of the guards that he might be out of a job soon. All pointless really. Since Bradley had blackmail on one of the VPs, that wasn¡¯t happening ever. Two more years in this dump and with the generous package mister Carmichael left me, I¡¯ll be free of this hell hole. And hell hole was right, because this place had fucking monsters in the walls as far as he was concerned. Speaking of. He was now searching the ventilation shafts for the entire building, because a damn scientist let one of the experiments get free. Said scientist was now shivering in front of him like she''d just seen a damn ghost. Apparently, according to the cameras before they had been destroyed, the experiment had made its way towards the vent shafts on the ceiling to escape, tripping the alarms that were there. However, the bastard had been sneaky after that, no other alarms had been tripped, which meant it either escaped, or was going through the vents that weren¡¯t set with motion detectors. Which is why he was talking to the shivering mess in front of him. ¡°Dr. Meg Schumann, lead project scientist on the R series, also colleague of one Sarah Bockman, the scientist who used to be in charge of the experiment. Did I miss anything?¡± The scientist shook her head, clearly in pain. ¡°No, you¡¯re right¡­ Dr. Bockman and I were friends before she was found dead.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He noted down that tidbit, never knew when info like that might be useful. Grieving friend forced to take over her friend¡¯s project, and by the look of her she wasn¡¯t at a hundred percent when the damn thing broke out. Fits the profile for a victim. Bradley had seen that look on victims before, when he used to be a police officer. She doesn¡¯t look like someone who would pawn off the research, and her motivations don¡¯t match someone who rocks the boat. Wrong place wrong time. He placed his notes away. ¡°Dr Meghan, I need to ask you a few questions about the experiment. Rest assured no one blames you for what happened, we just need to catch the experiment.¡± ¡°R-Right.¡± He pulled out a data pad with the information regarding her clock in, her entering the laboratory, and the restricted section where she housed the experiment. ¡°According to this data you were inside the facility by ten a.m. and were accompanied by Dr. Hector Swan and Dr Amelia Benson. After having lunch, you all returned to your respective work places, neither meeting each other for the rest of the day. Is all of this true?¡± ¡°Y-Yes officer.¡± He flipped the slide on his pad, ¡°you had also just recently been at one Sarah Bockman¡¯s funeral earlier that day, yes?¡± The doctor nodded, a look of pain on her face. ¡°Sorry, I understand she was your friend, but it¡¯s important not just for us, but for the report. Anyway, you had returned to the lab, compiled notes on the Crimson R series and were subjecting the experiment to¡­ ¡®stimuli of a viscous nature¡¯?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. The doctor before him nodded, ¡°the Crimson R series is a potential bioweapon that we¡­ Sarah and I¡­ were developing for the board in their newest bid with the Terran Military. It had potential for a¡­ class Z event.¡± That made Brad put down the pad for a moment, ¡°Class Z? You¡¯re serious?¡± Meghan shook her hand back and forth, ¡°it has the potential, but none of the data supported it yet! Either it just wasn¡¯t interested or something about the makeup didn¡¯t catch on. Either way, it¡¯s harmless.¡± She looked down, ¡°at least, it was supposed to be.¡± Bradley noted that down and circled it. Potential Class Z, what the hell were those idiots on the board thinking? Class Z was a nightmare, a sort of fairytale situation where a virus or some kind of bacterium infected the world, turning people into monsters that ate flesh. Or so the theory went. No one had ever come close to making something like that. It was as if the human race wasn¡¯t prone to making weapons that could kill their entire race in a month. Well, except those morons on Earth centuries ago. On Asta though, that was one of the first laws ever put into place. Now though¡­ we have a potential zombie plague in the building? ¡°How certain are you that it won¡¯t create a class Z event Dr. Meghan?¡± ¡°99.9 percent, the data shows that the R series is closer to a bioweapon in the form of biological enhancement, like¡­ a skin suit that makes you stronger and faster. It was only thought at being a potential Class Z. My colleague Dr Bockman even stated that the stuff could be used for medical purposes, a potential cure for all of humanity''s illnesses.¡± Bradley lifted his eyebrow skeptically, ¡°a panacea?¡± This seemed to bring a spark back into the distraught scientist, ¡°yes! Potentially, the R series has the ability to sense things in its host that are causing detrimental effects and eliminate them. One of the test subjects we used had their cancer healed instantly. It was¡­ one of the arguments we often had.¡± Meghan had a pained look, and Bradley recognized someone who blamed themselves for something. Typical guilt over things left unsaid, I know that well. ¡°We were supposed to be making a bioweapon, but Sarah was obsessed with finding a cure for something¡­ I think it was her brother Aden. She never went into too much detail, but I believe she mentioned visiting the hospital at New Terra Medical.¡± ¡°Focus Doctor, we need to know more about this R series. What can it do, what should we look for and how do we catch it?¡± Meghan nodded, shaking her head as she collected herself, ¡°It¡¯s a bio-recombiner. It takes dead tissue and turns it into something else. Stem cells, blood, brain matter, it can make anything as long as it has the necessary parts.¡± ¡°Now the Class Z stuff makes sense. If it got its hands on a cemetery or something¡­¡± The doctor nodded sadly, ¡°it could spread itself, or make a new form for itself that would be practically unkillable. The R series is not sentient enough to think about that option though. It¡¯s likely trying to find food or some kind of biomass it can absorb.¡± So burn all the dead cats, got it. ¡°What else can you tell me?¡± She shuffled, ¡°I-It¡¯s something me and Dr. Bockman were worried about, until the board shut down the query. Crimson R series is a lot different than the other R series in one important aspect.¡± She motioned for a pencil and paper, which Bradely signaled one of his officers to grab. As the paper and the pencil met, the doctor seemed to be frantic about the thing she was trying to convey. ¡°Crimson R is the same as its sisters in the bio-recombination aspect, but what makes it different is the size on which it acts on the dead tissues. The others are only skin deep, while Crimson R goes deeper, into the very DNA of its host. For example, the suit idea we had for the Purple R series is being tested now for a viable option to power armor, capable of increasing a person¡¯s strength almost by ten times the amount.¡± She showed a small graph of numbers and different looking power suits, most of it going over Bradley¡¯s head, but he let her continue. ¡°Crimson R would turn those ten times to a thousand, and it would change the body''s chemistry to allow it flawlessly. If it deemed you would be more efficient with four arms instead of two, it would morph you to fit that need. Crimson R is by degrees more powerful than its sister counterparts, but it changes the host to fit those needs. Should someone get their hands on Crimson R and somehow bond with it¡­ It would be Wrathchet Man all over again¡­ Bradley pulled out his walkie talkie, ¡°I need every available person looking into this breach at once. Call all of the available personnel we have, even those who¡¯re on break. I can¡¯t stress this enough; we need to find this thing!¡± This seemed to scare the doctor, ¡°Officer Bradley, It¡¯s closer to an infant in its thinking process. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about it that much. You should be able to catch it with the decon gas we use in the laboratory, there¡¯s no need to kill it.¡± Bradley nodded, turning to his mike, ¡°and get some of the recruits to the lab on Subsection B, we need to grab a few gas canisters.¡± He stood up and turned to the doctor, ¡°thank you for your help, Dr. Schumann, you¡¯re free to go home for now, but we may call you later for further information. I¡¯ll be sure to put in the report that this was an accident as opposed to sabotage or the like as well. Get home safe alright?¡± She nodded back to him, ¡°thank you Officer.¡± Bradely felt a twinge of warmth in his chest, reminding him of the times he used to protect and serve the public. All gone now, remember that. He nodded, not trying to show his discomfort as he went off with his men. Chapter 3 Regrets of a Young Scientist Meghan got in her car, the thoughts of the previous interrogation sifting through her mind. I had just gotten over it too. Now¡­ Sarah¡­ She remembered the conversations she once had with her best friend, and also the ones she would have rather forgot. ¡°Meghan, you went behind my back to the board? Why? I thought we were partners in this?¡± She shook her head. Sarah, you wanted to test your brother with a potential bioweapon. Of course, I told the board. ¡°Meghan, it¡¯s the only way! I¡¯ll just use it to help cure him and be back with it. The board won¡¯t have to know!¡± And what happens if it bonds with him, will you bring your brother here to become an experiment? Because the board won¡¯t just forgive you. ¡°Or me¡­¡± Meghan sighed as she turned her car on and began her drive home. New Terra flashed its night lights in front of her, giving her a kaleidoscope of colors to distract her wayward thoughts. The city was a wealthy place filled with Big Corpos, a wonderful array of plant life that coiled around the concrete city, and a healthy community of smiling people. Yet, all of that brushed past her as she thought on her friend. Why did the last thing I said have to be that? She wanted to go back, to apologize to her friend for going behind her back and telling the board of directors what she planned. Most of all, she wanted to have her friend back, to be working on the R series together. It feels like I¡¯m missing that fundamental thing to get my brain going. I¡¯m going to get fired for this anyway, so maybe its for the best. Meghan sighed again, melancholy and depression mixing in her mind like a suicidal cocktail. She remembered seeing the body, when the police brought her to see Sarah. Two bullet holes, one in the chest, and the other in the head. They killed her, rather than expose their research. That¡¯s the people you sacrificed your friend to, and for what? Safety? Hope that they would overlook your involvement? Meghan began to cry, the colors of the city turning into a watercolor painting of bright blues yellows and reds. You were a coward, and rather than help your friend, you led the hunters to kill her. She¡¯s dead because of you! She tried denying it aloud, telling her that she only wanted to protect Sarah from the board. If they found out what she did, her brother would have been taken away. She finally arrived at her home, her car being self-parked in her garage as she got out and walked inside. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She raced inside her home to her wine cabinet, and started chugging the first bottle she got her hand on. Please forgive me, I never wanted this, Sarah! She broke from her binge to sob as she fell over her couch. Meghan turned her head to drink once more, only to find a ghost. A red, faintly glowing, ghost of her former friend and colleague. ¡°NO! Please¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry Sarah! Don¡¯t haunt me!¡± Ghost Sarah got closer to her, those red glowing eyes judging her for all of her sins. ¡°Meghan, I don¡¯t blame you.¡± That snapped her out of the loop of the brain cocktail she was on. ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t blame you, Meghan. I knew what I was doing was reckless. I never once blamed you for what happened to me. I just wished you trusted me.¡± That one sentence broke Meghan. She¡¯s right, why didn¡¯t I trust Sarah? She burst into tears, reaching out to grab her friend¡¯s ghost, only to find it was solid. ¡°I¡¯m Shooow Shorrryy! Sharah!¡± She felt her friend tap her back, in the same manner she did whenever they spent too much time drinking and Meghan ending up hurling it all back out. The sobbing ended soon, and Meghan finally composed her enough to see what was happening in front of her. Sarah was here. Sarah wasn¡¯t dead. Sarah wasn¡¯t even a ghost. ¡°Sarah? Wait, how are you here? What happened to you?¡± Sarah did a twirl in her red new form. ¡°Guess the experiment is a class Z after all.¡± Meghan felt her mind turn off as the revelation that her friend was a zombie hit her, and knocked her out. ¡­ Well, that went better than I thought. Sarah stood over her friend¡¯s sleeping body with a mix of happiness and relief. She¡¯s not one of them assholes that killed me after all, she was just scared for me¡­ and Aden. She was wondering at first, because she knew her friend must have told Monica Ferrous about her intention¡­ which she only now remembered. After making it look like she escaped through the vents she decided to do a very¡­ invasive method to transport herself out. She had hitched a ride in her friend¡¯s meat suit, hiding just below the surface so that the decontamination gasses would not reach her. And had gotten a whole heap of new information because of it. It turned out that when you jump inside a person¡¯s body, your feelings meld with theirs, giving you all of the baggage, repressed emotions, and in her friend¡¯s case, guilt over what she thought was a betrayal. She now had access to all of her friend¡¯s knowledge, including her regrets. It was when she had the interrogation that Sarah realized that her friend was trying to help her. Even if it was what killed me¡­ she never wanted me dead. Blame the shooter, not the informant. Later though, for now. She easily picked up her friend and brought her to her bed. Being as she often hung out with Meg during drunken runs or simply to brainstorm together, she knew the place like the back of her hand. Meg began snoring softly just as Sarah placed her down on the mattress. ¡°Sharah¡­ shorry¡­¡± She smiled as her friend talked in her sleep. Sarah turned her feet into balls and began rolling back into the living room, sitting on the couch. Her body instantly picked up the skin cells of several different people. Mark Johnson? Kelly Birk? Marsa Lindon? I thought Meg hated Marsa? New information cropped into her mind, though it was only DNA. No extra memories or different chemical make-ups like she had when she was riding inside her friend. Totally going to tell her that. She laughed a quiet maniacal laugh as she prepared to embarrass her friend with all of her closely guarded secrets. Seems fair, since she indirectly caused my death. I¡¯ll just embarrass her to the point of wanting death. Mwhaha She was distracting herself though, and she knew it. All the missing pieces are back, and I finally remember everything now. The question became, now that she was dead, what should she do? There¡¯s still Aden¡­ but it already bonded with me, will it still work? Sarah felt It was rather silly to think about that, since she knew she was able to change things in Meg¡¯s body. She did not do anything else besides make herself a ¡®home¡¯ inside her friend, but she could have done more. And if I can make changes on that level, then Aden should be able to be cured. She nodded to herself. Tomorrow, we go visit Aden. Chapter 4 Redesign your Human Sarah awoke to a slice of ham being placed on her. Involuntarily, the ham sunk inside her, and she digested its contents. Oh, domesticated pig, and this one was female, interesting. The data surged inside her mind, and soon she knew most things about it. Even has some honey in it, is¡­ is that Bee DNA? She smiled at the DNA sequences slowly being archived within her body. Can I fly¡­ there¡¯s the data for wings¡­ and I do possess the energy to make them carry me. Heck, if they can¡¯t I can shrink my mass to allow it with the smaller wing sets. I always knew the Crimson R series was versatile, but this level of use is ridiculous! She opened her ocular sense and saw her friend slowly dripping maple syrup on her. ¡°Morning.¡± Sarah morphed into her humanoid form. ¡°Care to explain why you''re dripping delicious tree blood on my face?¡± ¡°The ham shrunk inside you, and I was testing to see if it worked with a liquid form.¡± Sarah glared at her friend, while also opening her mouth to allow the delicious mapleness enter her orifice. ¡°Hmm, liquids do not work unless conscious thought is applied, which means you don¡¯t have to worry about dissolving in water. It¡¯s fascinating really, the data we have right now is so much more than what we were testing in the lab.¡± Sarah licked the parts that still contained tree blood, and found out she also gained photosynthesis in her repertoire. ¡°It was never sanctioned by the board; they didn¡¯t want to lose their precious investment. I can tell you that based on my personal experiences, that Crimson R would never have gotten to Human testing. It would literally eat its host to sustain its level of mass. The only way I¡¯m still moving is because the energy that I gained from your body¡¯s excess fat cells and biowaste kept me from having to go to dangerous levels.¡± ¡°W-Wait¡­ that was why I felt lighter this morning?¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°also you won¡¯t have to go pee or poop for a while. It¡¯s weird, I should feel disgusted by that but¡­ I just feel full.¡± Meghan placed a hand on her stomach, ¡°No more riding around inside me, okay?¡± Sarah shook her head, ¡°I need you to bring me to Alen, Meghan, so at least once more.¡± Meghan gave her a pleading look. ¡°Meghan, please? I can¡¯t be around my brother anymore, not like this. Let me cure him, and I promise you I won¡¯t bother you again.¡± Meghan sighed as she turned her pitying eyes away, ¡°I¡¯ll help you Sarah, and you don¡¯t have to leave unless you want to. I should have helped you when I could have anyway. It might be too late now, but¡­ you¡¯re still you in there, and we¡¯re friends, right?¡± Sarah held up a blobby appendage, turning it into a fist. ¡°Always.¡± Meghan smiled back, bumping her fist against her friends. ¡°Okay, jumping in.¡± ¡°No Wait!¡± But Sarah already jumped inside her body through her skin. ¡°Damnit Sarah!¡± ¡­ Meghan glared up at the name place for the New Terra Medical Hospital, feeling a bit of discomfort as she waited for one of the nurses to call her back inside. She had already found Sarah¡¯s brother¡¯s room, but since only family could visit, she had to get some proof that she and Sarah were colleagues. It helped that Sarah was pronounced dead, since the leech of an establishment wanted someone else to start paying for the boy¡¯s stay. ¡°Ms. Schumann, the patient is ready to meet you.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ *bitch*.¡± Meghan walked along the hallways as the nurse traveled ahead of her, scouting out the rooms along the way. They turned to one that was immediately to the right, next to the waiting room. ¡°Mr. Bockman is inside right now, please be respectful of the patient as he has just recently returned from chemotherapy. Masks are to the left when you walk in, and please wash your hands.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± The nurse walked away, ¡°please ring the bell on the side of the wall in case of emergencies.¡± Meghan shook her head as she walked inside, opening and closing the door behind her. ¡°Oh¡­ Alen.¡± Alen had seen much better days since he was diagnosed with a malignant form of leukemia. Meghan remembered when Sarah spoke to her about it, recalling that the variant that Alen had been infected with was made in part from a Super villain by the name of Dr. Pox. Apparently his scheme was to release a strain of Leukemia cancer for ransom of the cure. ¡°Once they got him, they found out that there wasn¡¯t a cure. The bastard had a belief that the pox would clean out the ¡®lessers¡¯ from the populations, making way for a better humanity. Basically, the guy was trying to kill off what he thought were the recessive genes of humanity!¡± Sarah was livid when she told Meghan about it, and she could understand why. ¡°Alen, it¡¯s me, Meghan-,¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± She winced when she saw the boy''s face. He''d been sixteen when the cancer got to him, and two years later he was still fighting the sickness. He was pallid despite his brown skin, black and brown hair with brown eyes just on the verge of retaining their normal color. He was tense, angry, and tired. ¡°I-I came here to visit you. It¡¯s what Sarah would¡¯ve-,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Talk. About Sarah. You¡¯re the reason she¡¯s dead.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He sat up to glare at her, ¡°the only reason you¡¯re here is because you feel guilty. Don¡¯t talk to me about visiting me, this is all for you!¡± Meghan felt like a knife flew into her chest, ¡°I-It wasn¡¯t my fault! I didn¡¯t want her to die anymore more than you did!¡± ¡°I read the letter she gave me Meg, I knew the moment she sent it to me that she was going to die. You know why?¡± The snarl on his young face was like staring at an angry spirit with his pallid skin. ¡°Because Sarah was going to cure me, and she told me she found the cure. If anyone, ANYONE, FOUND THAT CURE, THOSE BASTARDS AT CHEMTECH COULDN¡¯T MILK PEOPLE LIKE ME! Sarah could have gotten out of that damn lab and started working for the Hero League like she always wanted. So I know those monsters killed her, and you sold her out! I will never ever for-,¡± ¡°Enough, Alen.¡± Meghan gasped as she felt her friend emerge from her body, turning to the voice of her friend, her tears threatening to leak from her eyes. When her friend materialized in front of her brother, the red pigment of Crimson R was nowhere to be seen, and she saw her friend in the flesh, albeit naked. ¡°Meg, a smock if you would. ¡°Y-Yeah, I¡¯ll go get one.¡± Meghan took one last look at the boy, whose face went from pure rage to hopeful sorrow in moments. She walked out of the room as the stings of her past sins resurfaced once more. I have to make this up to them, I can¡¯t live like this! ¡­ ¡°Hey Alen.¡± Her brother was staring at her like she had just come down from heaven. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m gonna die soon, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± He sighed, ¡°my sister is in front of me? I¡¯m either asleep and dreaming, or I¡¯m having a final thought of my sister as my brain shuts down. Let me guess, you¡¯re going to cure me and we¡¯re going to live happily ever after?¡± ¡°Well, I am going to cure you, but no, no happily ever after¡­ well kind of? I mean, you¡¯re going to get my life insurance, and it was pretty substantial last time I checked. My savings was in the millions last I checked too and you¡¯re going to be healthier than you ever been. So¡­ okay kind of happily ever after and then some.¡± ¡°Shit you even sound like Sarah. Why? Why am I only seeing you now at the end of my life? Fucking bullshit!¡± ¡°Hey, Bowling Ball, listen up! You¡¯re not dying today. I¡¯ll explain it in a second.¡± ¡°Damnit, stop messing with me! My sister is dead, and I never got to talk to her this much. I get it, I¡¯m seeing what I always wanted, but this sucks so much. Please just leave me alone!¡± ¡°Alright that¡¯s it!¡± She jumped on top of him. ¡°W-What the hell are you doing Sis?!¡± ¡°Fixing you, now shut up.¡± She turned into her amorphous blobby form and sunk into her brother¡¯s skin. ¡°Fuck! What the Fuck?!¡± ¡°Stop swearing so much, damnit!¡± She merged into her brother¡¯s body, quickly cleaning up the gunk in his systems. It took all of her focus not to latch onto her brother¡¯s panicking thoughts, and deep-seated regrets. Alen¡­ I¡¯m so sorry about everything¡­ I¡¯ll make this right. She got to work, first going after the ¡®cure¡¯ running like a bulldozer through her little brother¡¯s body. My God, this Chemotherapy shit is the worst. It¡¯s literally eating up his body. Let¡¯s get rid of that first. She forced the malignant storm of chemicals into her body, breaking down their compounds within her. God, the amount of destruction in this stuff is menacing, and people put this into their bodies? She shook her head, returning her focus to the next part of the puzzle. Okay now the cancer¡­ wow that shit is vicious¡­ The cancer cells were grabbing stray blood cells and morphing them into spikey versions that dug into her brother¡¯s organs. One was bad enough, but after grabbing so many, the body was starting to shut down from the lack of red blood cells. It didn¡¯t help that the little guys couldn¡¯t do their jobs, being converted into small spikey urchins from the look of them. Well, that¡¯s enough of you bastards. She grabbed hold of her brother¡¯s immune system and cranked the production up to eleven. With unpracticed aim she launched a salvo of antibodies that marked all of the cancer cells in his system, targeting them for the massive swarm of reinforcements she was about to send. Alright, while they handle those blood suckers, its time to take out the source. She moved into her brothers very bones, and grabbed hold of the bone marrow inside of him. This was why it was so hard to cure him, his body couldn¡¯t get inside here to fix the true cause. Not anymore though. She poured her energy into expanding herself, and promptly ate her brother¡¯s bone marrow. It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re on a clock here. Now I just got to replace his bone marrow with something better. As long as I got his DNA, it should be easy, but I can¡¯t be too cautious. She got to work. Using the marrow she had within herself, she added her components of Crimson R to the new marrow she was forming. Bit by bit, she made it stronger, able to create new blood cells in minutes when it would have normally taken days. On top of that she increased the strength of the bones to house the newer system she was forming. Okay, test run. She placed the marrow back into the newly made bone structure. It started off slow, using the energy of her brother¡¯s fat cells to push up production. After a few more minutes, the system shot to life. The red blood cells that came out were a deeper red now, and through their delivery Sarah could tell that these cells were not like the original variants. They were superhuman. She could feel the difference in her brother¡¯s body right away. First the new T-cells she created, which she called her little ¡®hunter killer¡¯s spread out to attack the cancer cells. They focused their fire on every infected source, purging the entire production of cancer cells within minutes. The blood cells were even stranger, spreading and replacing the old blood cells with their new variant much like a virus would. Instead of spreading out of control though, they only targeted their old brethren and stopped shortly after. The organs were starting to be affected as well, gulping the now super-efficient oxygen from the super red blood cells. The lungs got it the best, developing a regenerating tissue that broke the weakness of the old lungs and replaced them with an organic structure that made breathing even more efficient. Oh, Oh no¡­ She could see the chain reaction forming around her. The red blood cells, the essential couriers of energy in the body, were now increasing everything around them to superhuman levels. Even her brother¡¯s brain and eyes were being replaced with better versions of themselves. She could hear him wincing and silently screaming through her connection. I may have done too well¡­ shit, what do I do? She did a last check to make sure the cancer didn¡¯t become super too, but sighed in relief when none of the cancer remained. In fact, the hunter killers were breaking down the cancer cells and analyzing them. Wait¡­ what are they doing? They started attacking systems in her brother¡¯s body, but replaced them with healthy newer super tissues. Oh, damnit now they¡¯re helping with the changes. Sure enough, her brother was becoming superhuman, and now there was no stopping it. His entire body was becoming more efficient, more super by the minute. Even his muscles look like braided steel cords now, despite still being flesh. Okay¡­ time to leave. She pushed herself out of the body, noticing the components she left switching over to her brother¡¯s control just as she disconnected from him. ¡°Okay so, you¡¯re going to feel a bit of pain for a while, but it¡¯s all going to be better now." ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m in hell, aren¡¯t I? This damn dream is actually a nightmare to torture me, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I swear Bowling Ball, I only meant to cure the cancer cells and then it spiraled out of control.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m on fire you damn harpy, what the hell did you do?!¡± ¡°I made everything better.¡± ¡°What did you make better, all I feel is pain!¡± ¡°I made ¡®everything¡¯ better.¡± Her brother stopped wincing for a moment. ¡°Wait¡­ by everything¡­ do you mean ¡®everything¡¯ everything?¡± She nodded at him. Alen took a breath and let it go. Minutes passed. Meghan returned with a smock. One hour passed in silence. He finally took another breath. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t even need to do that¡­ I just felt nervous not to.¡± ¡°You are now a superhuman, you¡¯re welcome.¡± Alen looked over his body, touching his different parts as he smiled goofily. ¡°I have abs, and pecs¡­ my eyesight is so clear Sis. My head doesn¡¯t hurt either¡­ wow.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ the hunter killers went crazy and started killing all your tissues, but the new red blood cells I built for you started fixing everything super-fast. In fact,¡± She made a little pinprick in his skin. ¡°Wow, that didn¡¯t even hurt.¡± They saw a little bit of blood come out, only for it to suck itself back in. He wiped the area away with his hand, and besides a little red, there was no wound anymore. She held his hand to check what was happening inside him. The red blood cell was eating the foreign bacteria like a snack. After it did so, it immediately went back to work. She also noticed the hunter killers patrolling the blood stream, even though they weren¡¯t needed anymore. ¡°Okay, so your blood eats sickness now, and your immune system is so powerful I¡¯m almost certain you¡¯ll never get sick again.¡± ¡°W-Wait, what did you do to him?¡± Meghan only now seemed to catch on what was happening. ¡°I inadvertently made my brother into a superhuman." ¡°Like Captain Asta? Or Ms. Magica? ¡°Like Ton and Brick actually.¡± ¡°So¡­ you just, what, made a superhuman with your body? Crimson R shouldn¡¯t have that ability though. It only works on dead cells.¡± ¡°I¡­ know what you mean¡­ but Crimson R doesn¡¯t seem to be only attributed to dead cells. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure I can replicate it, Meg.¡± Meghan looked at Sarah in shock, ¡°i-if you can¡­ then¡­ oh my god¡­ oh my god, we just created a way to make everyone into superhumans¡­ oh fuck.¡± Sarah shrugged, ¡°we always knew that Crimson R was different than the other R series Meg. Now we know how much.¡± Meg grabbed Sarah by the shoulders. ¡°Me! Please do me!¡± Sarah chuckled awkwardly as her friend shook her back and forth. Well, this could be interesting. Chapter 5 Cruel Reality ¡°So, Meghan Schumann, how was your first time with a lady inside you?¡± ¡°Eww Sis, why did you put it that way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s her punishment for sort of killing me. Now she will be the butt of my innuendoes for life.¡± ¡°Please spare me from the sex puns.¡± ¡°But I was your first, right? I had to be since you were a vir-,¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Sarah, Meghan and her brother Aden were driving along New Terra with a different perspective now that they were all essentially supers. Meghan had been the most affected, even more so than Sarah¡¯s brother. Sarah had tested the waters with her brother, but with Meghan¡¯s approval, she was able to try some experimentations. To rousing successes. Meghan was now able to generate electricity from her hands at will, see with three different visual perspectives including thermal, electromagnetic, and ultraviolet, and was functionally immortal. Meaning her body would replicate her youthful self forever as long as she didn¡¯t die to something immediately, or stop eating and drinking water. Sarah realized she had done that accidentally with Aden, as the blood marrow transplantation she did was what created the immortality. The increased oxygenation made it so none of the body¡¯s telomeres¡¯ suffered natural degradation due to loss of the extra protected layer it created. Instead, it just self-regenerated that same genetic material over and over whenever it hit a certain threshold. It¡¯s weird, I essentially hold the key to human evolution in my hand, and all I have to do is find a way to reach and touch as many people as possible. She questioned if she even should. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my problem to make everyone superhuman. I could, but I don¡¯t need to. Besides, it¡¯s my power to do with what I will. Now that I¡¯m dead¡­ I can do whatever. She sighed, causing the rest of the people in the car to glance back at her. I got to tell them¡­ I feel like an ass for doing this¡­ but it¡¯s for their good as well as mine. ¡°Aden, you know I can¡¯t stay with you, you either right Meghan?¡± ¡°W-What? Wait, Sis what do you mean?¡± ¡°Sarah if this is about ChemTech, I don¡¯t think anyone is going to look for you. I can tell them you likely died from the decontamination gas. They¡¯ll buy it.¡± ¡°What if they don¡¯t though Meg? Hell, even the situation is not the best right now, because the first thing they''re going to look for is someone connected to the incident. I¡¯d leave the company the next chance you get. Even then though, they¡¯ll have someone monitoring you.¡± ¡°But they won¡¯t be looking for you Sarah.¡± ¡°They will recognize me though, and if they do, they¡¯ll send someone to silence everyone who is related to their project. The only reason you and Aden are safe right now is because they think I¡¯m dead.¡± Stolen novel; please report. She shook her head as she spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be out of contact with either of you, but I need to find a way to do that safely. I promise I¡¯ll find a way to get back to you both. Till then, Meg, can you watch him?¡± ¡°Sis, I¡¯m not okay with you just running off on your own! At least take me with you.¡± ¡°The answer is no, Aden. You got a life ahead of you, and as I am right now, I can¡¯t protect you. I can¡¯t even be with you without a corpo assassin taking a shot at you. I¡¯m not letting you die because of me, not when you just got a chance again. So please, just let me go.¡± She looked in the rear view mirror of her friend¡¯s car, back at her brother. He looked different now, the pallid color gone, his body a bit more solid, and his gaze more confident. She could see though, that the news of her leaving was hurting him all over again. ¡°Meghan, please.¡± ¡°Al-¡­ Alright Sarah, but we need to know if you¡¯re reaching out to us again. I¡¯m with your brother on this, because even if what you said is true, I¡¯m not losing my friend again because I¡¯m afraid to die. That how I almost lost you last time.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ then¡­ I¡¯ll let you know by saying this.¡± She turned to look at them both, ¡°I¡¯ll say this in a way so that both of you can tell it¡¯s me. I¡¯ll say, ¡®This is my home.¡¯ If you hear someone say that, ask, ¡®Am I your home,¡¯ and I¡¯ll reply, ¡®you always were.¡± ¡°Sis, not gonna lie, that sounds very gay.¡± ¡°Pff, you know which side I¡¯m swinging anyway little bro. Besides, it¡¯s so that you both recognize its me. It has to be a little cringe.¡± ¡°Ugh, but it sounds like a drama line for a Monday morning special. It¡¯s terrible!¡± Her brother was laughing, and she could hear her friend giggling as well. ¡°Alright, we agree then?¡± Meghan nodded toward her, ¡°I¡¯ll watch over Aden until he can get set up, or until he want¡¯s to move out. Once you¡¯re all set, you say the cringe and we meet up again yeah?¡± ¡°Heh, yeah.¡± Her brother pulled a fist out to bump, ¡°until then, and until we meet again.¡± She bopped his fist, and so did Meghan, sealing the blood pact. ¡­ Meghan dropped her off in the middle of a park, and after a few heartfelt goodbyes, Sarah finally found herself alone in the middle of New Terra City Park. ¡°It¡¯s pretty serene at night, if you can ignore the cicadas and all the damn chirping. Which she could, since she could sense things around her with her blob form. She turned into the blob and began rolling around the park at night. Data, Data, oh how I love some Data~. Rich fertilizer, grass and leaves, eating them all up as I please~. She sang her song as she rolled along, the night and the spring bugs singing along with her. It was fun; just her, and nature, and all the nice little extra pieces of DNA building a network within her. Of course, she eventually ran into an obstacle in her path, a rather deranged looking cat and dog. ¡°Hey, move it mangy curs.¡± Channeling her inner pirate, she made a tricorn hat and a scimitar to match with her blobbyness. Said curs took it as a challenge, and began running after her with fang and claw extended. ¡°Then it be Davey Jones'' Locker that awaits yeh.¡± She made a slash with her scimitar, which did no damage beside wrapping around the dog. The cat was even less lucky, as the moment he swiped with a paw, the paw sunk into her blobby flesh and sucked the cat inside her. The dog tried to fight her off as well, but the scimitar caught him across the legs, immobilizing him and pulling him along inside Sarah¡¯s blubber. ¡°Yeh fought well for a couple of mutts and pussies, but it be Cap¡¯n Sarah Bockman who be sailing away with this booty.¡± She collected the Data she could from the animals, releasing them healthy hearty and whole with new special gifts to boot. The cat was now able to develop a love of humans and dig like the dog could. The dog was now free of rabies, gifted with even greater brain mass, and could learn languages. ¡°Yar, now you two be free to live, but don¡¯t cross me path again, unless you want another pounding from Ol¡¯ Cap¡¯n Bockman.¡± The cat and dog licked her before trotting off to who knows where. ¡°It¡¯s hard being a captain. Oh well, the sea calls!¡± She started her roll once more, collecting and singing her sea shanties through the night. ¡­ Meghan took a knife to her finger nail, and sawed a part of it off. It hurt for only a moment, until the nail returned to its previous length, if a bit shorter. ¡°Are you still doing experiments? Jeez, Sis was right about you being a nerd, Meg.¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t understand Aden, these experiments are going to help us understand our abilities.¡± She placed her sixth nail in a microscope. While she could see the different spectrums of light thanks to her friend¡¯s augments, it helped when she could see things on the smaller scale. Note to self, ask for magnification next time. Hopefully she wouldn¡¯t have to wait too long for her friend to reappear. Till then, science! Chapter 6 Super Roster It had been two months since Sarah had separated from her friend and only family. The city park was a goldmine for different genetic make-ups and unique DNA sequences, and now Sarah was compiling them all into what she called, battle templates. Sarah had a plan on how she could return to a semblance of a new life without drawing suspicion from her old place of employment. It was simple when she thought about it, as it combined something she always wanted to do with what she could now feasibly do. She wanted to help superheroes, to be one. Before her parents had died, and she took custody of her brother, Sarah was training to become a hero scientist. Hero scientists, like their names suggested, studied Hero biology to understand how it worked and also how to possibly improve it. They were the literal scientists that studied Heroes, and helped them with their own research. After all, to catch a supervillain, you had to understand how their stuff worked. It was part scientist, part crimefighting, and part investigation work. She was about to join the New Terra Super Service of the Hero League when her parents had died to Dr. Pox. Unlike her brother, they got a full dose of the cancer and died within minutes. It flipped the table on most of her dreams, but she never blamed Aden for it. She only wanted to make sure he was safe and healthy after that. Now though¡­ He¡¯s essentially a super in his own right, so I can focus on my next step without fear. She came up with three different templates while she was ruminating. Template One. A Hunter style using muscle groupings from canines and felines, with increased olfactory receptors and vibration sensing. Super strength and speed with powerful fist/claws. Muscular jaw groupings allow the jaw to open wider and grab with newly built teeth and jawbone support structures, allowing a powerful bite force. Template name (Huntress) Template Two Humancentric design, combining various humanoid support systems and redundancies to create a ¡®superhuman¡¯ construct. This design supports greater brain mass, powerful muscle groups from different species fit to a human profile. Enhanced metabolism allows for poison resistance, parasite resistance, and effective one hundred percent usage of all available resources. Combines the templates from other human test subjects as added bonuses and appliances. Template Name (Adam Kadmon) Template Three The Crimson R series allows for all matter and life to be rebuilt and reconstituted into various forms and functions. This template invites to use these forms as a template inside a hundred templates, allowing for instant transformation to various creatures and biological lifeforms. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. One could become a dog, or a cat, or a turtle or a bird, anything with the template fully scoped. They could even become a combination of them all, allowing for a various style with multiple options for use. Template name (Chimera) Sarah felt like each of these templates were possible options for a chance at becoming what she always dreamed of since she had been a girl. A true Super Hero. Each template could fit a scenario for a chance of being included into the Hero Leagues ranks, especially the Chimera template, since it could utilize a lot of the Crimson R series gifts under the disguise of a ¡®super power¡¯. Each one had their place though. The Huntress template would allow her to take a better advantage against faster villains and stronger ne¡¯er-do-wells. It¡¯s speed and strength were unmatched against normal heroes, and the bite allowed for another option against her foes. She could also track them with her new senses, the vibration and scent on the wind would carry her to her next target. Adam Kadmon was something she saw mentioned in a Hebrew myth, the perfect man created by God himself. She felt that her template was a worthy contender for that title, as it overcharged the human body with everything to make it stronger, better, faster, and more intelligent than ever. She would become perfect, and unlock all the faculties that come with it. Better thought processes, better vision and acuity, unlimited stamina and the strength of a hundred men. She could even process at the speed of a super computer, calculating odds and causes before a second passed. As a template, it would be a grand weapon, but one major issue was the increased energy usage. IF she used it, she would need a lot of biological material to maintain it. Although in the terms of raw, destructive power Chimera had them all beat. Using Crimson R¡¯s fullest potential, Sarah would unleash all the Data she contained and create a monstrous masterpiece that surpassed anything alive. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this form would be her ¡®Kaiju¡¯ form. The best part about it was that there was already a few heroes who had something similar in design. She smirked to herself. Who would have thought that blood from a superhero would be in the park. Probably from a fight or something. The best part about this Template is that despite the similarities, no one would suspect the connection to Crimson R. After all, who would accuse a superhero of stealing company products? Either way, it was a trump card, and a mighty one at that. She took a look at the three that she made, and thought of a grand idea for how they could fit in the world. Now, a back story¡­ Template One. Lena House was a mother of three that lost both her husband and her children, (or so she thinks, because it turns out Aden is one of her kids) to a supervillain¡¯s collateral damage. The backdrop of radiation caused her to mutate with both her golden retriever and their Persian Mau into a hybrid of both cat and dog. Now, she¡¯s on a quest to find the villain responsible and hunt them down for what they did to her. She is, the Huntress! Template Two Subject A was an experiment created by a supervillain with a dream of developing the ultimate human. He succeeded so well that his creation wondered why she should follow his orders. After destroying his underground facility, she moved into the world of man, judging them and deciding that they might be worthy of her time. That curiosity might tip either way though, as she is logical and pragmatic above all else. After her creator¡¯s hubris in her creation, she decides on the moniker of Adam Kadmon, after the myth he based her on. She¡¯s unaware it was supposed to be a name for a male human. Template Three. Chimera didn''t have a name at first, because Chimera was technically not a human. She or it, was the combination of a refuse heap of dumped monster bodies from a villain¡¯s cold storage that combined with a ¡®unknown¡¯ ingredient to make up her new body. Visceral, hungry, and confused, she stumbles into the world of Asta with curiosity at the little people walking around. Till she met a little girl, who called her after the mythical creature. In no short terms, the girl helped the beast appreciate humanity, and finally helped them make sense of what they were seeing. That girl was targeted by a villain for her unique DNA, and died. The amalgamation was distraught, and killed the villain for his trouble. Afterward, she combined with the girl¡¯s body so that they would never be separated. That girl¡¯s mind eventually replaced the amalgamations and she lived again, just like the beast wanted. The girl¡¯s unique DNA was in fact, the combining agent that brought the beast to life, and now the girl walks this new world with a monster inside her, or is she the monster? Sarah liked the last one¡¯s story, as it held the most freedom for her. Am I even wondering which one I want to do the most? She smiled to herself, transforming into her various forms as a plan for her ''roster'' built inside her head. Chapter 7 Real Hero Hours Downtown New Terra. A little girl with a small rabbit in her hands was walking down the street towards the town center. She was stopped by a man with a white and gold costume on his body, an emblazoned ¡®E¡¯ on his chest. He had a mop of black hair and deep blue eyes with a chiseled jawline. The girl looked up at the strangely dressed man. ¡°Hello mister, I¡¯m looking for the¡­ H-Hero League building.¡± The boldly dressed man looked down at the young lady and crouched to meet her eye level. ¡°Young lady, are you looking for your parents?¡± The girl shook her head, ¡°nope, I need to find the building so I can be a hero!¡± He smiled softly at her, ¡°well I can take you there, but I¡¯ll need to call your parents, okay?¡± The girl nodded back as she took his hand. Elastiman sighed as he held the girl tight, stretching his body enough to catch the nearby buildings. Soon they were both soaring in the air. Gosh, she¡¯s not even screaming from the height. I mean, I usually do this to dissuade the little ones but maybe she has the stuff. The girl was giggling as they flew across the city towards the Hero League Headquarters. After a few minutes of rubber travel they landed on the terrace of the building with a hop. ¡°C-Can we do that again later?¡± The girl looked up at him expectantly. ¡°Maybe little one¡­ actually¡­ I don¡¯t believe we introduced each other.¡± He knelt back down, ¡°I¡¯m Elastiman, the stretchy savior of New Terra. What¡¯s your name, little girl?¡± The girl placed a hand on her chest, puffing it out as she looked up with her eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯m Chimera.¡± That caught Elastiman off guard. ¡°What a¡­ unique name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my name, I gave it to¡­ my friend. Then¡­ well¡­ some sad things happened, so I took the name.¡± ¡°You took the name?¡± The girl smiled as she started walking inside, ¡°yup! He¡¯s really strong, and he¡¯s always with me.¡± Elastiman was starting to get supervillain vibes from this little girl. It couldn¡¯t be right? The last person to experiment on children was that Dr. Pox guy. What¡­ what if this was one of his ¡®death¡¯ children. That was a memory that Elastiman would have preferred to forget, seeing children with maniacal looks of ecstasy on their faces as they killed people. It was a dark day, but they got the bastard and locked him away for good. ¡°W-Wait young lady, you don¡¯t perhaps feel inclined to¡­ *ahem* hurt people, do you?¡± ¡°Oh no, Me and Chimera already got our revenge. We¡¯re going to be heroes now!¡± Red Flags everywhere! But the girl was already inside the building. ¡­ Infiltration success, now to sign up! Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sarah, or Chimera, walked up to the receptionist counter in the massive building. The inside was cavernous, wide and open, with a glass ceiling. It was filled with people in capes, as well as pillars to hold the massive structure up. The capes started to notice her, especially when she made her legs into cheetah legs and started hopping to meet the receptionist¡¯s height. She''d chosen a ten-year-old girl¡¯s body based on how she looked at that age. Brown hair, and black eyes with a round cute face. There were differences to add to her mystery though. She made''d her arms longer than normal, and her legs were a bit longer too. Well not now since she''d turned them into cheetah legs that she''d gotten from the City Park Zoo. Those were nice kitties. ¡°Hello miss. I¡¯m Chimera and I¡¯m going to be a super hero!¡± She put as much kid energy into her words as she could, making the receptionist coo at her. ¡°Well, you certainly sound the part. Where''re your parent¡¯s little girl?¡± ¡°Parents?¡± It was that moment that Elastiman showed back up. ¡°Wendy, this girl¡¯s got a bit of a story, you know?¡± Wendy the receptionist got the message loud and clear, going from endeared to slightly horrified at the young girl in front of her. ¡°H-Hey, Chimera, was it? Let¡¯s get you set up in the next room, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah! Secret meetings!¡± She made sure to shout that as loud as she could, so that everyone in the room would see her. Want to make me come quietly for questioning? Good luck kidnapping me now! Now she had a bunch of witnesses in case these guys were actually villains. ¡°N-Nothing to worry about folks, this one¡¯s trying to join the junior league, you know?¡± They didn¡¯t seem to judging from their frowns. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going.¡± They both started to corral Chimera into one of the side offices inside the room, complete with boring cubicle walls and bland white paint. Oh, I can¡¯t wait! Once they were inside, Elastiman stood at the door while the receptionist transformed into a super herself. She wore a dark outfit with a cape. It had gold filigree on the ends of the suit, and black all over the rest of the clothing. She now wore a mask of her own, and Chimera gasped as she stared at the very recognizable heroine. ¡°You¡¯re Ms. Mfff-,¡± Ms. Magica placed a hand over her mouth, ¡°child, some tact if you would? Can¡¯t have everyone know about my secret, yes?¡± She nodded. Holy Shit Ms. Magica is screening heroes as a receptionist! I thought she was still battling Dr. Zlo in New Haven. She started hopping on the chair, bouncing up and down with barely concealed kid energy. ¡°Now, what¡¯s this about Clarence, did you bring another Pox child?¡± Elastiman¡¯s first name¡¯s Clarence? Saving that for later. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. She¡¯s definitely a super, but it¡¯s oddly familiar to one of Pox¡¯s kids. I wanted you to check and see if she matches one of them.¡± Hmm? You want to scan my body? Hahahaha! Prepare to meet my ultimate technique! She grabbed Ms. Magica¡¯s hand, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes as she started decoding the super¡¯s DNA within her. Holy Crap, she¡¯s got some good shit in here! Super strength, Enhanced Regeneration, some kind of enhanced nerve endings that Sarah had no clue what it was for. She even had an extra set of veins that carried some weird energy inside them. Jackpot! Sarah started compiling it all into a database, including how the second most powerful super in the world used her ¡®magic¡¯. It all had to do with her extra veins, which were connected to a mass inside her. Ms. Magica was drawing power from this organ deep beneath her liver and spleen, and this thing was supercharged with some kind of energy. The scan she did couldn¡¯t place what the energy was, but she did confirm it was only a source of energy. I can replace that with solar energy and make up the difference with ease. New template get! Now that she had a complete (albeit the energy source) scan of her body, Sarah was pretty sure she could trick whatever scan she was about to do. ¡°What are you checking me for? Am I sick?¡± Ms. Magica turned to her with concern in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ to make sure you¡¯re not sick child, nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She sat back down, hand released and ready for what came next. Ms. Magica knelt in front of the child, placing her forehead against Sarah¡¯s own. ¡°Breathe deep, and reveal.¡± Chimera could see the super lighting up, and a moment later she felt something scanning her mind. Let¡¯s direct that scan, shall we? She moved the energy naturally towards her template¡¯s persona information. She showed Ms. Magica how Chimera was born, how the ¡®girl¡¯ in front of her was actually an amalgamation of DNA from different super beasts and dead humans all construed into a little girl¡¯s mind. How the girl died, how Chimera learned to love humanity, and how they got their revenge against the unnamed scientist that turned both of them into monsters. She left the hero¡¯s scan off with the little girl¡¯s simple but sweet dream of becoming a hero. ¡°Hehe, that tingles.¡± Chimera giggled as the hero finished her scan. Ms. Magica¡¯s look of concern was replaced with wonder and pity. ¡°She¡¯s not one of Pox¡¯s children¡­ but she is a victim of his research. I believe I recognized one of his assistants in her memories.¡± ¡°So, she¡¯s not like them?¡± Ms. Magica shook her head, ¡°she¡¯s a little girl with a monster living inside her. The monster¡¯s friendly at least, so there¡¯s no need to worry, but I would place her with an A class team to be sure.¡± ¡°A class? She¡¯s that strong?¡± ¡°Stronger, she¡¯s¡­ someone even I might have trouble with.¡± Elastiman turned to gape at Chimera with both fear and wonder. Chimera smiled back at him, showing her teeth¡­ which were not human. ¡°So, I get to be a hero?¡± Ms Magica patted her head, ¡°First we need to train you, but yes little Chimera.¡± She pumped her arm, ¡°Hero, start!¡± She kept pumping her arm, to the confusion of both of the veteran supers. Chapter 8 Remember to Smile Chimera was with a bunch of teens doing stretches in a massive training room. The room itself was impressive, easily five football fields in length and about ten in width. She hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to speak to the others yet since she was put on this team of five, since the trainer was a drill instructor from hell. Literally, she was some kind of pain-pleasure demon summoned to this existence by Ms. Magica. ¡°Maggots, I should be hearing some counting, start again!¡± They all moaned and grumbled as they started their count again. Must be about a thousand jumping jacks so far. We¡¯re supposed to make it to a hundred but this blue and black bitch is making it longer! Not that Chimera minded that much, as she had enough energy to keep going for another month of jumping jacks, but she really wanted to get some new data on these supers. Which is being delayed by Miss Payne over here! Said instructor was observing her, moving around and checking her form. ¡°Why do you not transform cadet?¡± Chimera did not stop doing jumping jacks, that was how the sixth restart happened. Instead, she answered. ¡°Because *huff* I was told not to cheat Miss!¡± The instructor nodded, ¡°but you¡¯re not human, correct? Should you follow human rules?¡± Chimera almost stopped. She doesn¡¯t know, she doesn¡¯t know. ¡°I can¡¯t cheat, even if I¡¯m not like the others.¡± ¡°Human¡¯s must follow rules, because that is how their society is built. You¡¯re not human, no matter how much you pretend to be, Chimera.¡± ¡°B-But she¡­ She would want me to be. I¡¯m not going to be a monster!¡± ¡°Losing yourself and not holding yourself back are two different things cadet. Now, transform!¡± She made a show of Chimera struggling, until she turned into a combination of a cheetah, gorilla and a cobra. ¡°One Hundredsss!¡± She did her last jumping jack with her ape arms, landing with a thud that shook the whole room. ¡°Woah!¡± The rest of the group was marveling at her transformation, which was little over nine feet. With her Cobra head she turned to stare at the group with a serpentine smirk. ¡°We finally got done with thissss ssssttupid excccerssssisse.¡± The instructor nodded, ¡°it¡¯s a good thing to remember your human limits, but never let that stop you from doing what you need to, especially if it¡¯s crushing your enemy.¡± After a few other drills with each of the others showcasing their powers and using their gifts, the group finally got a chance to introduce themselves. ¡°I¡¯m Bullet, and I¡¯m going to be the next Captain Asta, just you wait!¡± The short boy with spikey hair and a mean look to him glared angrily at the rest of the group. ¡°I¡¯m Glow, and I¡¯m from a family of supers! My grandfather was one of the first alongside Captain Asta, and Ms. Magica is my aunt! The taller girl towered over her other teen team members, reaching about six feet. She had long black hair with bright gold eyes, and a smile a supermodel would sacrifice her newborn for. It soon got to her turn, and Chimera made a show of it after changing back. ¡°I¡¯m Chimera, and I was a pile of sludge like this!¡± She showcased it to everyone, the red blob of her Crimson R¡¯s true form. Some were grossed out, but she caught that Glow and the other girl were fascinated by the image. ¡°Then I met Meghan, and she told me about humans, and how you guys made all of the things! I was really happy¡­ then¡­ Meghan fell asleep¡­ and she wouldn¡¯t get up no matter what I did. It was only later that I found out she died.¡± She drooped, returning to her human form. ¡°She looked like me, and she always talked about being a hero one day. So, I decided to become one, for her.¡± She tried to make a show of her trying to smile and lighten the mood, while failing at that. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I hope we can become friends!¡± She was crying a little, a sniffle there, and a sob there. Crap, I¡¯m being taken in by my own acting. Why did she have to make Chimera have such a tragic backstory?! ¡°T-Thank you for h-having me.¡± Once the waterworks started, all the other girls and boys, save Bullet, started joining in. She thanked them for the kind words, and tried to get the topic back to brighter things, like their first mission. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to take down a villain¡¯s secret base! This is going to be so exciting. The one saying that was Chase, a speedster with a lightning bolt living inside her, or so she claimed. Chimera jumped up at that, ¡°really? Is it one of Dr. Pox¡¯s? I really hate that guy!¡± When she said the doctor''s name, she got a bit of a reaction from everyone. Spikey hair ''Bullet'' spat on the ground, Glow nodded solemnly while chase fidgeted her hands. Only the other member seemed to be calm when she mentioned him, the only one who hadn''t introduced himself yet. Chase, the small golden-haired teen shook her head, ¡°nah, it¡¯s one of Zlo¡¯s hideouts. He¡¯s got some of his minions working on something there, but none of his right-hand men or women are there. The League told us that it¡¯s a good spot to test out how we should do things.¡± Chimera made a show on her face at the news, while inside her mind she was planning on what to take from the Villain¡¯s lair. Totally snagging some of that super ware! This prompted the last boy of their group to speak, ¡°still, we mustn¡¯t become complacent. Dr. Zlo is one of the most insidious Masterminds in existence. After the notorious Dr. Pox was brought in, there was very little stopping that mad man with a monocle from taking over the power vacuum. It¡¯ll be safe to say that he will have some surprises for us and that¡¯s not even counting his minions.¡± The last boy with them was an intellectual by the look of him. He had blue hair, sharp looking glasses, and an arm that was covered in super ware. Circuits, devices, and what looked like a laser cannon were strapped to the appendage, and it glowed with a blue light. He was also the second tallest in their group, save for Glow. The glasses oddly enough masked his eyes from her, and she couldn¡¯t use her template to see through them to reveal their colors. Super tech, probably from a scientist! Wow this is already amazing enough, maybe we¡¯ll get some gadgets for the mission! She jumped up and down at the thought. ¡°Yay! First mission, lets wreck some villain stuff!¡± Blue hair marched over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, a nice ¡®not currently wearing a glove¡¯ hand. Oh baby, give it to me! The template from her scan rushed inside her body, data streaming into her database faster than she could process it. W-What the hell is he? This stuff is like several people worth of DNA! She felt her face line with panic as the deluge of data flooded her thoughts. The hand left her shoulder, and she soon felt the information slow down enough for her to process it once more. Holy hell in a hand basket¡­ he¡¯s artificial! She recognized it, as Crimson R was part of a series of super armor made to enhance their host to incredible levels, Crimson R being even more so. Since it affected the host''s DNA, she could tell when DNA had been ¡®structured¡¯, fitting a little too well in places it really shouldn¡¯t. The gadgets and the sharp glasses, hell even the cannon must be all for show. He had enough juice in him to bench press several tanks with an oil tanker truck on top of them. Well, thank you for the meal. She thought of a villain who sucked people¡¯s energy away in order to become stronger, doing a laugh in her head. And now your energy is mine! Mwhaha! She finally compartmentalized the last of the DNA, and returned to her thoughts about the boy. And boy howdy did it make her scared, because she recognized something from the boy that she saw in one other boy. Namely¡­ her brother. ¡°¡­Are you alright Chimera? You seem stressed about something¡­¡± Blue hair was moving closer, concern on his face. Sarah knew though, she could tell. Chemicals worked wonders inside the human body, allowing it to feel and experience all sorts of wonderful and terrible things. So, when Sarah got the DNA template from Blue hair, she noticed something very ¡®off¡¯ about his DNA, rather, what it seemed to lack. Why does it feel like he¡¯s faking everything, down to his own emotions? Because she knew the teen had only one feeling in his mind, since she briefly sensed it through the exchange. He loves to kill¡­ like, obsessed with it. Why? What concerned her the most was what she found inside the teen boy¡¯s body, the familiar work of a certain madman that had killed her family and almost her brother. Why is Dr. Pox¡¯s work inside this bastard?! ¡­ Gideon Garson stared at the living monster with a look of pure concern, not matching the true feeling he felt behind it. Wonder. She reminds me of what Father was trying to do, creating a perfect being, a monster with a human¡¯s face! Gideon smiled, a legitimate one this time, as he consoled the beast in front of him. Oh, if only Father hadn¡¯t been taken, I could bring this one to him, and perhaps he would give me her gifts. The wonders I could wrought on innocent flesh! He had to keep himself from feeling too joyful, as he knew it caused many of the humans around him to look unsettled by his rapturous face. Nope, he must control his face muscles. ¡°I¡¯m Gideon Garson by the way. Pleasure to meet you all, especially you Chimera.¡± Chimera nodded, but her face was unreadable, as if she wasn¡¯t all there, thinking of something else. What goes on in a monster¡¯s head? I only have the one reference¡­ perhaps I should reveal myself to her. He shook his head of the thoughts. This mission comes first, then we can regard flights of fancy. He turned to the rest of the group, ¡°the mission begins tomorrow. Bring your suits if you have them, if not, its your duty to get into costume. If you are unable, you must sit out of this one. The danger of Zlo¡¯s hidden lair cannot be underestimated.¡± He saw the humans nodding to him, the spikey boy with an ego smirking with self-aggrandizement. You will be the first I butcher, so-called future Captain Asta. One moron with a cape and a hero complex is enough, thank you very much. It was a shame that the others had to die as well, considering that he needed to be sure none of them could trace his real reason for this mission. He felt himself gazing back at Chimera, the oddly placed monster in a group of young heroes. Could she be a plant? Someone meant to keep me in line? Is one of those fools onto me? His paranoia spiked for a moment, a necessary but annoying quirk his creator installed inside him in order to be prepared for any unknowns. She¡¯s nothing but a foolish girl, even if she¡¯s especially gifted. I¡¯ll just bring her into that chamber, and she¡¯ll be soup. So sorry monster girl, it simply must be fate for you to die. He smiled, genuinely once more as he imagined the colorful ways he would make ¡®art¡¯ out of his teammates. ¡°Be ready for tomorrow everyone. This mission is definitely one you won¡¯t want to miss.¡± Smile, remember to smile. Chapter 9 Read the Brows Chimera was pretty sure that the blue hair named Gideon was evil. It almost didn¡¯t have anything to do with the scan that she took, or even the way he seemed to ooze a certain malice. Nope, it was the eyebrows. Sarah had been a bit of an eyebrow nerd, strange as it was, and she had a sort of ¡®radar¡¯ for people¡¯s attitudes when it came to how they presented themselves. Try as people might, they couldn¡¯t hide those little quirks about themselves, and for a reason that she wanted to forget, she found a way to gauge how a person carried themselves by their eyebrows. For example, Ms Magica, who was currently going over a briefing about their first mission, had lightly plucked eyebrows. To Chimera, this meant she was always attentive of her appearance, and that did not mean just her clothes or skin. Sarah felt how Ms. Magica wanted to exude confidence, a prim and proper example, someone who should be looked up to and followed. She was a born leader, careful, and controlled. Sarah turned to her newest friend Glow, who seemed to be drawn to her for a reason Sarah did not get. Her brows were bushy, not unkempt but profound. Carefree, happy, expressive. Sarah got the feeling that Glow, or whoever she was behind the mask, liked to be known, be seen. Which was impressive for a tall girl like her. Perhaps it had something to do with her family, as Glow seemed to idolize her aunt, or maybe it was a shadow of a giant situation, where she wanted to prove herself. Either way, Sarah liked her. She turned to look at the villain in hero¡¯s clothing. No blemish, no pulled threads, no missing hairs or hanging loose lines. Methodical, careful, perfectionist. All the signs of a serial killer, one who wanted to be sure that his appearance was immaculate, and non offensive. Gideon wasn¡¯t expressive like Glow, and he definitely wasn¡¯t trying to set an example like the magical heroine. Unseen, he wanted to be looked over and seen for a ¡®normal¡¯ person, well, as normal as a superhero could be. Sarah stared at the arm cannon. Well, maybe he wanted to be noticed too. Still, with the scan she took and the unbelievable amount of care he took to something as small as eyebrows, Chimera knew something bad was going to happen. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. How do I tell someone? It was the dilemma. If she told someone how she knew, she¡¯d be either laughed at, or dissected. After studying as a hero scientist, Sarah also knew about the ways they would check for authenticity. It was simply a lose-lose situation with that, because the evidence from the allegation wouldn¡¯t match up. Unless she explained, and there goes her cover. A darker thought emerged in Chimera¡¯s mind as she glanced over at the wolf in their flock. He¡¯s going to pull something, when and how are the key. I could¡­ use him as a distraction. Sarah was determined to find some of the villain¡¯s tech, because she had another reason for joining the Hero¡¯s League. It was to find what she believed to be proof of a certain CEO¡¯s true motives. Monica Ferrous. Sarah grimaced as the memory replayed in her head. Bang, Bang. The unsettling smile. How she caught her so quickly. It didn¡¯t add up, especially considering the steps Sarah took to make sure she wasn¡¯t caught. Destroyed the security feeds, shut down both back-up generators to prevent the rest of the system from going back on. I even set off a cherry bomb in one of the toilets to distract the guards. How did she find me so fast? Sarah stared down at her hand, and the new body she had underneath it. My instinct is telling me she¡¯s got connections to some shady people, and call me petty, but I want revenge on the murderer. She heard part of the briefing, talking about Dr. Zlo¡¯s hideout and what they should expect. Sarah however, knew something about the mastermind already. Zlo¡¯s a methodical bastard, and he thinks outside the box when it comes to his crimes. From most of what I studied back in the day, he always had to be the center of attention, which means he kept tabs on those he could exploit to conscript them into his outrageous crimes. He loved lording it over the people he saw as beneath him. She paused her thinking as Ms. Magica snapped her fingers for their attention. ¡°Zlo¡¯s compound is located under the Terra City Park Zoo, near the polar bear enclosure. After the ¡®Ice Cream Sundoom¡¯ that he committed four months ago, many speculated how he got so much cream in the first place.¡± Ms. Magica held her wand as a laser pointer, and noted a picture of the Terra Dairy plant. ¡°The New Terra Dairy plant had shut down a year ago and was undergoing new leadership and renovations. The cream we found was a direct match to this facility. However, it turned out the entire buyout was in fact a cover, for what he planned to do two and a half months ago.¡± Sarah shivered. Right before I died¡­ That was how Sarah speculated about the connection that she felt had to exist between Dr. Zlo and Chemtech. His mutant polar bear heist, also know as the ''Great White Disaster''. Which, ironically, was the ''cause of death'' of one Sarah Bockman. She had no access to the data of the investigation, but the paper that her bro showed her in the hospital before they left confirmed that was the cause according to the coroner. Monica Ferrous had a connection, and if Sarah was right, Dr. Zlo would have something to hold onto in case he wanted blackmail for another crime. ¡°The Great White Disaster, as many of you might have heard, was orchestrated by Dr. Zlo as a means to cause chaos while he stole DNA samples from the City Park Zoo and Pharma Labs. The Zoo is where we found the entrance to the secret underground compound he had made. It¡¯s speculated that the facility is abandoned, but Dr. Nefarious Zlo is a methodical bastard. Most likely, he has the place trapped, which will be a good bit of practice for you all. If you can take control of this facility and shut down the defenses, we¡¯ll be one step closer to catching this madman.¡± Sarah tuned out the Q&A that the others started with Ms. Magica, and instead went over her own objectives. One, gather evidence of a connection between Dr. Zlo and Chemtech. Two, take out the blue haired monster human. Three, take all of the things. Four, Profit. She giggled to herself as she made a show of asking a few inane questions for the mission, all stuff she knew already, but appearances and all. She caught the mystery monster in human clothing eyeballing her with fascination. Keep staring jerk, because the moment you miss me is the moment you are food. Chapter 10 Remembering, Retreating, and Rolling Chimera and her team had finally started to get their gear together when their ride started down the road from the Hero¡¯s League. She absentmindedly chatted with Glow about who would shut down the place, betting against each other and the other members of their team. Though Chimera wasn¡¯t really into it. Sure, get the credit. All I want is that sweet tech. She side eyed the other factor in their group, making sure that he wasn¡¯t doing any moves. Gideon was still as could be, seemingly looking at nothing as he sat staring at the floor. Chimera made out the eye movements though, subtle as they were, and there were those perfectly normal brows of his knitted into a slight frown. I¡¯ll pair up with him. Friends close and enemies closer and all that. She wrapped an arm around Gideon, pulling him close in a side hug. Making sure to connect with his skin, she grabbed a bit more of his DNA and coded it inside her. Maybe time to use that on him, but with this set up inside him, its hard to even say if it will work. Chimera glommed him as he tried to push her off, causing the rest of the heroes in training to laugh. It served to place a certain something on his person. ¡°Enough! We¡¯re almost there, and the clock is ticking. Bullet, Chase, you two are on a team with Glow. Chimera and I will team up to check the lower levels while you three focus on shutting down the defenses.¡± Glow reached out and took Chimera¡¯s hand, ¡°why don¡¯t you go with Bullet and Chase, Gideon? Chimera and I can check out the lower levels.¡± Gideon shook his head, ¡°I have the Tech Bot, and only I can pilot it, since none of you know how to operate it. Chimera needs a handler until we can be sure she¡¯s alright on her own so that means leadership needs to take control here. Leave her to me, focus on your objective.¡± What a load of shit, he just wants me alone because I¡¯m the unknown here. Sarah calculated that something like this would happen. It made sense to her mind, if she was trying to get rid of an unknown variable, she¡¯d isolate it first and try to figure it out. Not that she minded, this worked out perfectly for her. When it happens, I¡¯m going to pry those secrets in his head open. She shooed away her new friend, ¡°well, guess I¡¯ll see you guys after we crack this vault open.¡± Glow looked a bit despondent, but she braved a smile and nodded as the group split up to search for clues about the defenses Dr. Zlo¡¯s base would no doubt have. The door opened to reveal the New Terra City Park Zoo, with all its abandoned by man glory. The Great White Disaster did a number on the place, leaving most of the facility in ruins. A few of the exhibits were destroyed outright, leaving a trail of tracks and footprints of an assortment or animals. Chimera picked up the DNA trails left in their wake, Oh, savannah tiger, Hippopotamus, field mouse, and a zebra! All good finds! She had been here already while she was ¡®training¡¯ but she still managed to find new stuff. ¡°Why are you dragging your feet like that?¡± ¡°Itchy feet.¡± The two returned to silence as Chimera saw Gideon start to gag off to the side. Does he think I have athlete¡¯s foot or something? I ran into that hot mess a month ago, that shit isn¡¯t on me! She realized at that time that fungus was a very good attack against her, as the spores tried to propagate themselves on her residual energies. It took a bit for her to assimilate and purge their influence from herself, which made It almost as bad as the disease when it got on her toes. She grinned to herself as she made a new pair of feet while also placing her previous feet on the back of his knee, rubbing the ¡®gunk¡¯ off on him. ¡°S-Stop that! It¡¯s so dirty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s itchy, and the ground isn¡¯t peeling it off. Get moving so we can get away from this crap.¡± Sorry, but it¡¯s too much fun messing with you! After a bit of running, the two made It to the polar bear exhibit, the uneven chill of the area sifting into the surroundings and leaving a mild frost. It looked just how Chimera pictured it would, like a fifteen-meter monster polar bear burst out of the enclosure and left a frosty chill in its wake. ¡°There''s the entrance to the lower levels. The others should be using the backrooms behind the enclosure to find the defenses.¡± Gideon spoke as they reached the hatch that was under the water reservoir for the enclosure, now drained of its fluids. It had a bit of frost on it as well, but Gideon made short work of it with his arm cannon. A dull red laser slowly melted the hinges and ice, his careful aim working around the metal trapdoor. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Laser weapons, among other things, good to know. Chimera moved beside him as she lifted the hatch open, ripping the metal along with it. ¡°Shall we blue boy?¡± Gideon gave her a grimace and a low sniff as he jumped inside, Chimera following him shortly after. To both of their surprise, the hatch led to a slide, and both were currently sliding down the icy slope. They gathered speed as the frictionless surface propelled them faster and faster, and through it all Chimera was enjoying herself. ¡°WOOO!¡± She let out a whoop of joy as she switched to her blobby form, taking advantage of the slide to go even faster than before. She zoomed right passed the quiet boy as they made their way to the end of the ride, landing in a bundle of foam squares. Chimera bounced off the foam, ascending a good fifteen feet in the air before landing back in her human form. ¡°That was awesome!¡± ¡°Damnit Chimera don¡¯t-,¡± The whole room, once pitch dark, burst with light as the room came into focus. It was a warehouse, large and open, with a good fifty feet of length from ground to ceiling. The room itself was filled with boxes and paraphernalia that marked it as zoo merchandise. Nothing was too tall, but the floor and a good half of the structure were even leveled with the crates of goods. Chimera and Gideon weren¡¯t looking at the crates however, no. They were looking at the massive screen that hung over the warehouse, a large twenty foot screen that wouldn¡¯t be out of place in a battle ball arena. Chimera felt a chill in her spine as she saw the screen come to life. ¡°*Ahem* is this blasted thing on? How am I to let the foolish heroes know of their doom if they can¡¯t even hear me?! Oh Jacques, thank you for that¡­ wait¡­ it¡¯s been on this entire time?! You blithering buffoons, make sure the camera is on me this instant!¡± Shit! Chimera, or Sarah actually, knew that the worst thing for any person to be was in the middle of a villain¡¯s monologue. And it was very clear that Dr. Zlo was about to go off into a self-aggrandizing rant that would spell her doom. She glanced over at her ¡®ally¡¯ and noticed that he wasn¡¯t bothered at all. Good, you be the distraction while I get the hell out of here! She switched into a blob, this time pushing power down into her lower body. As she bounced off the floor, she catapulted herself into the air, soaring over the crates and making her way towards a door on the other side of the warehouse. ¡°Oh my, welcome! I see we have two little heroes-in-training to join me tonight on this wonderful experiment. Hah! To think that they would send little canaries down here to test the place for poison gas. How¡­ fitting.¡± With her vision being in blobby form she couldn¡¯t make out the image on the screen, and so she grew an eye on her back to stare at it. The maniacal mastermind was a villain straight out of a cartoon. A massive top hat covered his dome, and a monocle rested on his left eye. He had a fancy cigarette smoking pipe on the side of his face, puffing a small blue cloud as he stared down at her. His smile seemed to stretch more than any smile should, making an almost perfect ¡®V¡¯ shape as he grinned madly. ¡°Be sure to let those fools in the Hero¡¯s League know that I am not to be trifled with, eh junior cadets? In fact, wait.¡± Sadly¡­ she was caught. Chimera was already reaching the door as she noticed the television turn toward her. ¡°What is that thing!? Is that one of my experiments?¡± Chimera made a strangled screech as the tv began to follow her across the warehouse, a rail seemingly built for the monitor to chase her. ¡°Damnit hold still! I¡¯m trying to blast you with gas!¡± ¡°No thank you!¡± ¡°It can talk?!¡± Chimera reached the door and pulled it open, revealing a hallway that looked very much like a laboratory. She grinned inwardly as she rushed inside, a hissing noise sounding behind her. She felt it almost instantly, as the gas barely brushed the back of her globbiness. It burned! ¡°AHH WHAT THE HELL?!¡± She hadn¡¯t felt pain like this ever. Even the memories of her being shot and the phantom pain she felt then did not compare to this. It was like someone was pouring acid on her soul, it was like being burned alive in hellfire. This gas was something that was made to inflict pain. She pushed forward regardless, changing back into her human form so that she could book it down the hall. She dared to look back, and noticed a pale red gas was launched via a canister. Chimera almost stopped, before she was reminded of what the almost pink gas would do to her. She reached one of the labs and closed the door, shifting her arm to a gun shaped barrel. Chimera launched a sticky glob of honey at the door, sealing the sides and preventing the gas from making its way inside. After the seal finished hardening, Chimera took a moment to breath, and settled back in a chair that was covered in dust. DNA flooded her once more as motes of dust bunnies were sucked inside her. Her back was still raw, and a dull pain ached from her exposed side. Chimera assessed her situation, puzzle pieces wrapping together in her head and falling into place. The warehouse, was filled with merchandise sure, but Sara was reminded of her early testing with the Crimson R. Animal testing, specifically older animals that were on their way out, were used to test the bio-recombining feature of the suit. The results were nightmarish, but she had comfort knowing that the Crimson R almost certainly killed the animals in the fastest way possible. Yet. The animals were very tame, compared to the company¡¯s assurance that wild animals were the ones used for the experiments, to allow for more accurate data on what would happen in case of a Class Z event, which was everyone¡¯s fear after Earth had one such event. Or, so they claimed. However, that wouldn¡¯t explain the animal''s timid natures then, and how they seemed to be lethargic even considering their age. Sarah looked around the lab she was in, noticing a few cages off to the side that matched something she had seen before. Cages¡­ with ChemTech¡¯s Logo emblazoned on them. The experiment¡¯s¡­ the test subjects came from here. She moved a blobby tendril to her exposed back flesh, feeling the scarring and burning marks from the gas. Gas that is made to harm a Crimson R series. The decontamination gas from her old lab used something similar to this. Pieces matched together, and finally Sarah started to see a pattern. This zoo, this place, all the experiments, it tells me that ChemTech and Dr. Zlo might be related, but it also tells me something else. She found a computer, and as luck would have it, the machine was on. She opened the desktop and stared at the familiar logo of her old employer staring back at her, a test tube with a starry background. She went straight for the files she saw listed under ¡®R¡¯ and noticed they were not locked. What is this? No one from my department would ever leave their computer this unprotected! Thanks for the info! She smiled to herself as she started to type, speeding up her time by stretching small tendrils to help her type faster. Sarah found the file shortly after, and a chill ran down her spine as she stared at the results. Crimson R Source files, Lead Designer Dr. Monica Ferrous Alias: Dr. Small Pox. Crimson R has been the lifeblood of my father¡¯s work, and while his detaining was a blow to most of our operations, it became clear that his thoughts about the future were invariably flawed. The man believed that humans could be changed for the better, my siblings and I disagree. This creature of his, an amalgamation of several supervillain corpses, combined with the rapid regenerative factor of the Teras¡¯emon extraterrestrials has allowed for a body shaping formula that will allow me and my siblings to rise over the primitive humans and fulfill our father¡¯s great work, his true work. It will soon have the potential to turn every human on Asta into a mindless puppet. The wielder being the one to control the hapless minds of the genetically inferior, It also has the added benefit of not affecting us few children. Father would never let such a sloppy thing occur of course. All it requires now is a suitable host, along with a few experiments to improve its efficacy as a Class Z event initiator. Sadly, it seems that one of my employees has something planned. Foolish, but bold, trying to save a worthless wretch with father¡¯s science. Though it will be a few years before it reaches that point, Crimson R is definitely the best variant for our plans. And once our little scientist has an accident, nothing will stop our next step. The binding between us and the R series exo-suits. I can hear the delicious screams of our soon to be prey. I only hope that fool Sarah decides to fight back. Watching her despair will make it all worth it. Chapter 11 Resuscitate and Resurface ¡°Now¡¯s the hard part¡­¡± Sarah was staring at the glass between her and the outside hallway she was running through a moment ago. It was still filled with pink gas, and the sight of it made her spine tingle. She had discovered a rather unfortunate thing about this gas. Placing a tendril against the scarred surface that made up her left side and back, she tried to heal the scarring and ripped parts. Nothing, she couldn¡¯t make it move, could reabsorb the surface within her and replace it. It was stuck this way. ¡°This gas can kill me¡­ it''s not like the decontamination gas back at the lab.¡± If Zlo knew about this, then it¡¯s possible that the other death children know too. I¡¯ve got to find a way to fix this. The parts about the report from her former boss worried her too, especially the business with controlling people. She already knew she could, fixing her brother had already proved as much. The idea of it though. ¡°I¡¯m not that much of a monster¡­ I¡¯m not.¡± Yet, if her friends and family were in harms way¡­ Sarah shook her head, now wasn¡¯t the time for this. She took a stock of her surroundings, noticing a few things that she might be able to use her new bag of goodies. Making a counter agent for the gas wasn¡¯t going to work, since she might have the equipment, but not the time. She could try to escape in the vents, but if it was there too, she would be stuck. She looked at the floor. ¡°The cement¡­ maybe underneath?¡± She winded up her fist, shifting to a gorilla¡¯s massive arm combined with the spring release muscles of both a cat and a snake. With a smile she launched the fist into the floor. The reverberating crack exploded into a fissure, ripping the tiles, concrete and a bit of dirt from the floor. All she needed was a bit of dirt to dig through. ¡°Mole time!¡± She shifted into a mixture of a mole and a bear, gaining massive strength and endurance. Pushing her new body, she felt the skin on her left side tear, and a bit of red blob fell to the floor. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Shit!¡± She tried to move over the wound with her true form, covering the wound with a layer of her blobbyness. It worked, but if anything hit it, it was likely to tear open again. ¡°Okay then, soft digging.¡± She made the tendrils she spawned from her body do the work for her, moving so her right side could do its work while the left side tried to stop her leak. It was working. After a few minutes of being an excavator, she burrowed underneath the floor to the lab, making her way back towards the warehouse. Part of her knew it was a bad idea to go back to the place the mad man was surely monitoring, but being under the ground without knowing where she was or how deep she was... She wasn¡¯t sure if she could fight with this leak, and the doctor clearly had a means to kill her with that gas. She was out of her league here. Sarah sighed as she pushed upward towards a bed of concrete, making her way up until she hit a hole in the floor. After a bit of scratching, she pushed out of the underworld and into a room filled with fluorescent lights. To a sight she couldn¡¯t believe. ¡°The subject got away four months ago; the agreement was for you to hand over our data after making it look like one of your damn schemes. So, why aren¡¯t you here?! We need the data to make another!¡± Chimera stared at Gideon as the young boy was snarling at the massive screen of the mad doctor, who was wearing a smirk on his face. ¡°Relax you inferior pretender, the data is safe within my sanctum, awaiting the return of your equally inferior creator. My deal was after all, with him.¡± Gideon¡¯s face seemed to shift, a lupine form overtook him for a moment, and Chimera thought she might have imagined it if it wasn¡¯t for the reaction from the Doctor. ¡°Fascinating, I could use that for one of my bits. A true werewolf situation where the Heroes and the Villains have to hunt down the werewolves. I can almost see it.¡± ¡°ENOUGH OF YOUR INSOLENCE! Give me the Data right now.¡± Chimera flinched, the sound reverberating off the walls of the warehouse making it echo and grow even louder. Zlo however, seemed uninterested. ¡°And you will have it pup, once your creator meets with me, and not a moment sooner. Tell that to your siblings as well, Dr. Zlo, Mastermind and genius of the modern age, does not answer to the help.¡± ¡°Wait you damn maniac!¡± The monitor with Dr. Zlo¡¯s face turned off, and began to retreat into the ceiling. Gideon meanwhile was furious, growling and throwing boxes to the side as he screamed and howled. ¡°DAMNIT! I WILL EAT HIS FLESH, MARK MY WORDS, YOU CRACKPOT!¡± Chimera took in the meeting as she returned to the earth, closing the tile she was using as a cover. Zlo was involved¡­ but it looks like he¡¯s hoarding the data on Crimson R¡­ or maybe something even worse. Either way, so long as Pox is in prison, that data is safe¡­ as safe as a madman¡¯s hands can be. I really need to get that data before the death children do. She continued to dig under the soil, making her way towards the hatch she and Gideon fell through. Soon she could go through the pipe and make her way back to the- A shock ran through Chimera as a fist punched through the concrete and grabbed her. In a moment she was ripped through and back into the warehouse, with a pissed off werewolf staring at her. ¡°Found you.¡± Still holding her side, she shifted back into a human. ¡°What are you doing Gideon?!¡± His glare and snarl were menacing, and it appeared his fur was bristling as he gritted his teeth. Gideon¡¯s transformation made his hands into claws, feet into a wolf¡¯s paws and his mouth into a muzzle that extended a good five inches, filled with razor teeth Chimera was sure she would see on a shark. His eyes were no longer blue, replaced with a red gold hue that radiated energy, and his ears and fur were the color of ash. He was ripped as well, definition applied and no fat or love handles to be seen, not that he had them before. ¡°Stop the charade, I know you were listening. Digging through the soil like that was clever, if a bit loud. I was almost certain that the gas finished you, but after I heard that noise, I knew. Whether or not you''re really who you say you are, you know too much Chimera. Don¡¯t worry though¡­ I¡¯ll send our teammates along with you, so you won''t be lonely.¡± Despite his monstrous form, Gideon still wielded a cannon on his arm, and the tech suit along his side was still operational. He pointed at Chimera, an ominous red and blue light starting to glow. ¡°So long, whelp.¡± ¡­ Chapter 12 Blob vs. Wolf, Revengeance. There was no way out of this. Chimera bit her lower lip as the laser reached a point, her brain working a thousand miles per hour just to come up with anything to come out of this situation. Will I survive a laser? We never tested Crimson R for that, and even then, what happens if I get sliced in half? She had a wound, the enemy in front of her had a laser and other gadgets most likely, and if Dr. Zlo had some kind of relationship with these bastards, the gas was likely an option too. If only¡­ Wait! Guess it¡¯s now or nothing! She rushed forward, switching to her blob form just as the laser discharged and blasted behind her. Shifting caused her wound to reopen, and she spent a millisecond patching that back up again. She was within tendril range, the wolfman apparently unable to see her with the laser discharging in front of her. Chimera rolled past the wolfman, shooting out a tendril that spawned a series of webs and webbing. So glad I ran into that orb weaver! Within a second, she bounced into the air, shooting a piece of webbing behind her with a stinger on the end. Please, Hit! The tendril landed just below the spot she was aiming for, right on the back of the werewolf¡¯s right shoulder blade. Damnit! That got the monsters attention as he turned to stare at Chimera floating in the air with webs shooting out of her. ¡°The hell? How did you¡­!¡± She shot another tendril at him, the gooey appendage landing on his chest before Gideon ripped the thing off. She was bleeding from a new hole now. Not good¡­ She couldn¡¯t afford anymore damage until she figured out how that gas harmed her, but luckily this wound wasn¡¯t scarred by the stuff. She forced it back inside her, closed the wound with another covering and kept the tendril sealed inside her. It wasn¡¯t a perfect fix but at least she wouldn¡¯t bleed out. She battled with the monster wolf, lashing out with her tendrils and claws while he blasted at her with lasers and claws. Her tendrils and limbs did come off of her when the lasers landed, but it seemed as long as she didn''t use her true form underneath, she could regrow them as long as she had energy. Gideon roared at her as he shot off the floor, claws outstretched and maw opened wide to pop her open. She pulled one of her tendrils and launched herself back into the warehouse floor. Once she landed, she bounced from the impact, and launched herself against the warehouse wall. Chimera figured at this point she must have been made out of rubber or some silicon to achieve such height, yet she distinctly remembered it never showing up in her tests. Focus you idiot! She shook herself as she saw the man wolf launch at her again, digging his claws into the warehouse wall to reach her new height. She tried to web to another location, but just as she was in mid-swing, Gideon launched a noticeably smaller laser at the line. Chimera was now free falling straight down, right into Gideon¡¯s claws. Crap! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. She thought of how she could stop the monster from eating her, right until she came up with something even, she felt was mean. He¡¯s trying to kill your dumbass; mean is not off the table! With a bit of a wince she shifted into a ball, now complete with several sharp needles courtesy of a friendly quillback she met in the park. The results were satisfactory. The maw closed tight around her, and she felt her wound try to rip open despite her efforts. In exchange though, several quills were now jammed into the wolf man¡¯s jaw, face, and gums. She heard a roar of pain escape her as the maw opened up to free her. Chimera didn¡¯t miss the chance though, as she reached around to stab the spot just in the middle of her target¡¯s shoulder blade. She landed with a hop, shifting back into her human form. The wound finally couldn¡¯t take it and opened back up, painfully making her wince and cry out. ¡°Stupid, why did I do that?!¡± She covered the wound with her inner self once more, trying her best to seal in the damage. To her surprise, it worked, and she also felt the scarring on her back start to slough off of her. Is it only temporary then? Either way, I¡¯m not getting near that stuff again until I figure out what it is. Chimera looked back at her opponent as he desperately, and tenderly, tried to remove the quills. In her moment of panic, she had inadvertently added some reticulating spines to her quills, in the same way a boa constrictor tooth is. In other words, each pull took a bit more of Gideon¡¯s flesh with it. ¡°It¡¯s over Gideon, give up now or else.¡± The last of the quills were on the floor as a mutilated Gideon growled at her. ¡°Oh, you think so? I see you dropped the cute act too, how fitting. We were both wolves among sheep it seems.¡± She scowled, ¡°I know you''re stalling Gideon, but it won''t matter in a moment.¡± He had the gall to look unimpressed, ¡°despite the pain, this,¡± he motioned to his face and mouth, ¡°is nothing. My body will heal in time, but yours is already bleeding from the look of it.¡± She placed a hand over her wound, and sure enough, the seal wasn¡¯t working anymore. Despite the scarring disappearing, the wound she sustained in the fight, the one she got from Gideon, wasn¡¯t repairing. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a design I placed in my claws you see, a poisonous solution that breaks down coagulation. I like to see my prey bleed from within until they leak everything out, you see.¡± She tried to use more of her inner self to close it, but the solution simply ate at that. Chimera was going to bleed out if nothing was done. ¡°Well, seems we think alike Gideon. You see, I left something on you a while back too. It should be kicking in right now.¡± Gideon¡¯s smile was soon replaced with a look of worry, a line of black veins creeping along his left side. ¡°What did you do?!¡± Chimera made a vicious smile, showing her serrated teeth, ¡°just a little something that I took from your precious daddy. It was rather malignant when it was swimming around in one of my friend¡¯s bodies, so I decided to give it back.¡± She noticed Gideon take out a vial and jam it into his side, transparent red liquid shooting inside him. The veins retreated for a bit, until they slowly started coming back. ¡°You¡­ you changed it! This formula should have destroyed my father¡¯s Leukemia!¡± Chimera laughed at him, ¡°I figured you bastards had a cure, so I modeled it into something else. Added a bit of the drugs used in Chemotherapy as well. Turned into a right monster, that it did.¡± Gideon¡¯s cool visage was replaced with panic. ¡°W-What the hell do you want? Whatever it is, I¡¯ll give it, just name it and get this shit out of me!¡± There¡¯s the ticket. ¡°Give me your data on that gas, and where your sisters and brothers are, then I¡¯ll knock you out and give you the cure.¡± He snarled, ¡°bullshit! You¡¯ll just leave after you get what you want!¡± Chimera¡¯s face turned into a grimace, ¡°you¡¯ll just have to trust me then. I might bleed out, but not before you die. So, what¡¯s it going to be Gideon?¡± Gideon¡¯s face was filled with fury, until it was replaced by worry and fear. A wince of pain escaped him as he finally knelt down. ¡°You win, I¡¯ll give you the data on both.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± He had the brains to not glare at her as he took out a chip the size of a fingernail. ¡°This has the data, among other important details about the whereabouts of my sister Monica and Brother Toren. I don¡¯t have the data on Crysa or Aura, but they have a base somewhere in south New Terra, though I don¡¯t know where that is.¡± He took out another chip. ¡°This is the research my sister Monica had on Pink Mist, that gas that you saw earlier.¡± She smiled as she took the chips. She also jabbed two tendrils into each of his arms. ¡°There¡¯s your sleep cocktail Gideon, and once you wake up, you¡¯ll be cancer free in no time.¡± He actually looked like he was confused by her, but Chimera¡­ or Sarah at least, didn¡¯t feel right leaving that ¡®monster¡¯ she created inside one of Pox¡¯s death children. Knowing the bastard, he would find a way to make improvements on her batch and that nightmare should never come to be. Soon the wolf man was asleep, snoring as soon as he hit the floor. She absorbed the chips within her and knelt on the floor as she pumped the homicidal bastard with the cure to her chemo-virus. He¡¯d feel like shit later, but he would be cured. Chimera then pushed out the tendril she had been cut with, stretching the appendage as far as she could. The thing looked like a tentacle from the void, black and glistening with droplets of poison. This¡­ is gonna hurt so much. She made a pair of claw scissors, placed them at the base of her connection with her body, and snipped. She screamed, she bled, she closed the wound. Thankfully, the wound was no longer trying to reopen, and now that the gas wound had finally healed off of her, she was back to normal. Except that she was starving from that fight. Going highspeed, making multiple shifts to different forms, and creating new matter and tendrils to fight off Gideon exhausted all of her saved energy. She looked at her unconscious adversary. ¡­He won¡¯t miss those dead cells and bodily stuff. Chimera deep dived into her enemy, looking for a meal. ... Chapter 13 Realize your Sins Swimming in the thoughts of her foe, Chimera absorbed the bio-material she could from the body. She noticed the rather invasive thing lodged into her foes brain almost immediately. It was a mechanical part that looked like some kind of injector. The fluid that came out was immediately absorbed by the brain, disappearing into the wrinkles of the brain matter in seconds. Chimera absorbed a bit of it, and suddenly felt an urge to murder in her own mind. Nope! Shutting that thought down right the hell now! She purged the fluid from her body, which was absorbed into the brain around her. Okay, this can¡¯t be good for the poor bastard, so I¡¯ll do you a favor ol'' Gideon old pal. She crushed and then absorbed the pieces into her space with her computers and stuff. After disposing the chemical inducer, Chimera floated around inside the bastard¡¯s head some more, checking out his surface thoughts. The place she was in now was what was known as the limbic system in doctor talk, or the place in the brain that controlled emotional responses. Seeing as the device was here, it must have been doing something to the murderer¡¯s feelings. He did seem a bit stabby happy when we fought. Sarah couldn¡¯t claim to be a brain scientist, despite having literal access to one now, but comparing it to her friend Meghan¡¯s mind made it clear that this part of the boy¡¯s body was underdeveloped. Chimera had an evil thought at that. Well, I am a hero now, so I should help this bastard in need, yes? Copying the brain data around her, she placed a tendril against the pituitary gland and the amygdala. Hope you like the changes, asshole. ¡­ Gideon awoke in a medical ward. He knew it was a medical ward because he was strapped to a bed and had his left arm filled with tubes. He felt sore, and in pain, and a bit empty, which made no sense to him. What was worse though was the thoughts of what put him here. ¡°That damn¡­ monster!¡± He felt a wince and a snarl come from him as his face protested any movement of any kind. Gideon thankfully shifted back into a human, but his face must still look like a mess from the quills. He felt stiches and twine holding his smile together. ¡°It could be worse, I guess.¡± Wait¡­ what? Gideon was feeling a bit different, and he knew it despite his injuries, that some things didn¡¯t make sense. His father, Dr. Pox, engineered him and his siblings to feel nothing in regards to emotions or distractions, to only give them what they needed to pass for humans. His sister Crysa was the objection to this, being the only one who resisted this conditioning. It was necessary, at least that was what their father told them. ¡®If you start to feel for these lesser creatures, you will have given into their disease of normalcy.¡¯ He knew that, his mind told him as much, that father was correct. Yet¡­ Gideon felt strange, he felt things about himself that he didn¡¯t like. Why am I alone in this bed? Where¡¯s father¡­ big sister Monica? If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I hate this. These thoughts, they came from him, but they felt wrong. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t even care what those two are doing. I never cared before¡­¡± Until I was near death. Until I almost died to a disease father helped make. Was this what it felt like for all those people¡­ He shook his head. ¡°No! Stop it. What is this?!¡± But they wouldn¡¯t stop, especially when he thought about the faces of the people he had ended. The women at the caf¨¦. The man going home from work. That little girl who asked for his help. Bodies upon bodies he had laid low for his father and his siblings, because he believed it to be right to do so. Innocent lives that had done him no wrong, forced into experiments that he helped run. Why did he do those things? ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± He knew what it was. Because he saw his sister Crysa go through it too. When the conditioning no longer worked, when the thoughts of all the crime and murder they committed came rolling back in a wave. She has asked their father why he did these things, these terrible crimes and horrid experiments. And he beat her within an inch of her life, and called her a failure. Crysa no longer spoke to father, and Gideon felt that she might have been the reason father was in jail right now. No proof though, Crysa was too good with computers for that. I wonder how she is¡­ He felt tears run down his face. I miss her, I hate this, why did father make me this way? ¡°Sucks, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He felt his body try to change, only for it to stop. ¡°None of that, I just wanted to let you know that I kept my end of the bargain. Goodbye Gideon.¡± His enemy turned to walk away, the tendril she had in his wrist no longer connected. ¡°W-What did you do? Why do I¡­¡± Chimera turned to face him, and what greeted him was a look of pity. ¡°Your dad placed a device to inhibit emotions. Apparently it constantly fed you with adrenaline and endorphins whenever you killed someone. It also inhibited your other feelings from surfacing. Don¡¯t worry, I fixed it.¡± She smiled, but the smile almost seemed devilish, ¡°now you get to feel about all the things you did, you¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°Take it back!¡± She shook her head, ¡°no, you get to live with it. What you¡¯re feeling right now? It¡¯s your real self-coming out, the one your father suppressed with his medicine and science. He¡¯s a right evil bastard I¡¯ll give him that. Have fun living with yourself.¡± Gideon tried to shift, but couldn¡¯t. He tried to reach out to her, but the bed held him down. He tried to plead with her to take his emotions, but she shook her head and left. His feelings came back, the regrets, the guilt, the pain he inflicted in the eyes of his victims. This was hell, and he couldn¡¯t escape it. ¡­ Chimera walked out of the room with a smirk on her face. Part of me hates what that¡¯s doing to him, but those people he hurt deserve some retribution too, also I got the information I wanted. Her smile turned into a full evil grin. Much, much more than I figured. Even an unconscious person¡¯s mind was open to her like a book, and it came with the caveat of not having to deal with their emotions. Or at least not this murderer. She honestly did not want to feel those sick thoughts of his again, and with him being asleep, she could shut them out rather easily. It was worth it though. She now had the data regarding Monica¡¯s operation in Chemtech, which proved to be a front for the death children¡¯s experiments. She also had the ideal whereabouts of one of the death children that resisted the conditioning Gideon and his sick relatives shared. Chimera had a lot of information to give to the Hero''s League¡­ but should she? Sarah thought about the implications. If the Hero¡¯s League finds out about Monica and her experiments, how long will it take for them to connect the dots about me? What will I do once they have that knowledge? Is there a scenario where I can come out of this without being labeled a bioweapon and experimented on or terminated? She ran the calculations in her head, and the numbers were looking grim. I am not really Sarah Bockman anymore¡­ am I? Her body was Crimson R, her mind was an imprint from the original Sarah, the one who died to gunfire. Her memories may be Sarah, but was she? That was the argument that would inevitably ensue, and if it was proven that she wasn¡¯t, then it was likely that any sort of protection she could expect from the Hero¡¯s League would be null. That file I have, it proves that I¡¯m a Class Z event waiting to happen¡­ what if I lose control? This experiment was made by supervillains, there was no way they didn¡¯t have some kind of failsafe for their subject leaving. Whether it was termination or control, Sarah was vulnerable, that gas in the warehouse below the Zoo proved as much. I don¡¯t have enough information; I don¡¯t even have people to count on besides Aden and Meghan. But I can¡¯t just hide and wait for Monica and the death children to continue their experiments. If mind control or forced evolution is their endgame, then everyone¡¯s in danger. She continued to ruminate, her fellow teammates walking besides her as they discussed their mission. Apparently, Dr. Zlo left to screw with them after his conversation with Gideon, and it was only through a stroke of luck that they managed to shut down the generator powering the place up. That would explain why it got so dark after I entered Gideon. Glow was especially happy, as she got to banter with the villain and distract him enough for Bullet and Chase to wreck the generator. Apparently there was also a mutant panda involved. ¡°Thankfully Chase got the thing wrapped in tarp before we used the tranquilizer darts that Gideon gave us. Still¡­ can¡¯t believe he was one of Dr. Pox¡¯s death children.¡± Glow was grim faced as she spoke, her normally cheery smile stained with worry and betrayal. ¡°He trained me, and us. I¡¯m so dumb, I can¡¯t believe I never noticed it before.¡± Bullet shook his head, ¡°there was something off about him. I never got the feeling he was a betrayer, but his smile¡­ it always unsettled me.¡± Chase looked between them all and tried to cheer them up, ¡°guys, we got the bad guy and secured the lab. We completed the mission! Stop being so mopey and let¡¯s celebrate!¡± Glow shook herself, her smile returning, ¡°you''re right Chase, we completed our mission. Let¡¯s head to the Donald¡¯s for some burgers. I¡¯m buying!¡± The rest of the team shouted agreement, and Chimera couldn¡¯t help but smile. Maybe I do have some people to count on after all. But first. ¡°Hey guys, where¡¯s that mutant panda you captured?¡± Chapter 14 Panda Reloaded ¡°Okay Chimera, see you at the Donald¡¯s!¡± She waved back at her friends and teammates, turning to stare at the beast her friends fought. Chimera stood behind a cage in front of a fifteen-meter panda. It was an impressive specimen, with a few metal parts and mechanics thrown in to give it a cyber bear look. Besides that, it was normal looking, eating an entire grove of bamboo trees. The facility that the Hero¡¯s League put the massive thing in was both laboratory and terrarium, and from what Chimera could see, the people investigating the panda were also supers. One of them in particular was seemingly made of plants, with vines for hair, glowing green eyes with no pupils to be see, and flowery appendages for legs and arms. She even had two fingers on each hand fashioned from a venus fly trap. The spines on the trap seemed to move freely, and the hero scientist was testing blood from the dark look of the viscous material in front of her. Sarah felt a moment of glee and pride as she looked at the place she once dreamed of working in. This was what she always wanted once upon a time, studying mutants and villainy with her fellow peers. Helping the heroes figure out the bad guy¡¯s plans. This place was Sarah¡¯s dream¡­ it¡¯s a shame she never got to become one of those brave people. Sarah was starting to feel a disconnect within her once she thought back to the information, what she got from the death children laboratory. It started to feel like she had stolen someone named Sarah and was using their knowledge for herself. Just like she did with Meghan, and Gideon. She shook her head. None of those matters, whether I¡¯m Sarah Bockman or not. I have to stop those assholes from turning people into superpowered slaves. She walked up to the cage and entered, shifting into her true form to pass through the bars. With a bounce she launched herself up towards the panda, who was busily munching a stalk. Once she made contact with the panda, she entered its flesh in an instant. Okay, time to gather info. She absorbed the panda¡¯s DNA, cataloguing the features of the rotund beast. She also noticed the metal parts were injecting copious amounts of something into the beast¡¯s body. Chimera decided to investigate, swimming towards the location near the beast¡¯s back left leg. As soon as she did so, she noticed the chemical that was being introduced smack into her. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Okay, lets see what you do, mecha juice. She absorbed it. She cringed. She felt sick and better all at the same time. W-What the hell? This stuff is a stim pack of some kind! Why the hell would someone shoot this into a panda? She turned to stare at the device pumping the stuff. Sarah was impressed, the device showed no signs of rejection, which was a big problem of introducing this kind of technology to a living organism. The body would try to fight back, thinking the cybernetic was some kind of foreign body to be destroyed. Sarah knew a few supers who had to take cocktails of drugs to keep their bodies from rejecting their cybernetic parts. She looked back at the stim pack. This must be what¡¯s keeping the beast from rejecting the mechanical parts. It¡¯s a stim pack and a drug dispenser. Now she knew why the scientists kept the thing alive. If they could figure out what this cocktail is, they might be able to improve and reduce the need for dangerous drugs for cybernetic rejection. Say what you will about villains, but most of them were geniuses before they went bad. Having got what she wanted from the device, Chimera swam to the most important part of her journey. The creature¡¯s brain. Settling on the creature¡¯s lobes, Chimera began to read the thoughts and memories of the beast. She immediately saw her friend¡¯s fight with the beast, looking rather cool as they trounced the bioweapon. She went further back, back to where all of the important bits began. Mainly, when the panda was turned into what it now was. She noticed something though, and as she stopped herself to stare at the image in the beast¡¯s brain. Chimera felt a twinge of worry. In the beast¡¯s mind, stood a figure that it feared above all else. A smile that seemed to stretch more than any humans should stared back at her, and a visceral fear took hold of Chimera¡¯s mind. Bang, Bang, Dead. ¡­ Disconnecting from the panda¡¯s mind, Chimera took stock of what she witnessed. All this time, she had thought that it was Dr. Zlo who was in charge of the animal-based crimes, that he was the one to produce them. This confirmed it, it was Monica Ferrous. Which meant that these animals were all test subjects made for a purpose. Did she pawn these off to Zlo for some kind of¡­ The Data! The Data that he was holding for Pox, the data the death children were desperate to get based on Gideon¡¯s reaction. Zlo would obviously milk the villainess for help with his crimes, and that meant that the Data was worth that much more to the death children. The one about Crimson R¡­ possibly. This only confirmed her fears, that whatever that Data was, the death children were willing to work with other villains to get it. Shaking herself, Chimera dived back into the panda¡¯s thoughts, but the fear of that scene seemed to shut the panda¡¯s mind. Taking a stock of what was happening, she realized the panda was dying! The scene played over and over in the panda¡¯s mind, causing the panda¡¯s heart to beat faster and faster. Primal fear took hold of the beast, and after a moment of distress, the heart exploded. Chimera was stunned. It made no sense! Why would the image keep repeating, and why did it elicit a response that killed the panda? A trigger maybe? Was Monica afraid of the panda giving something away, that she made a trigger in case the panda even thought about her? Chimera sighed inwardly as she made her way out of the panda¡¯s corpse, careful to move away from the hero scientists. As she moved into a nearby vent and rolled into it, Chimera took account for the foe she was facing. The death children of Pox really are monsters, and completely fine with silencing even their own. It¡¯s a wonder Gideon¡¯s heart didn¡¯t give out when I searched his thoughts. Like Gideon would let her do that to him, I get the feeling he and the others are rather independent as long as their father isn¡¯t leading them. With a shift to a ball-like form, Chimera rolled through the ventilation tunnels, bouncing and curving around corners to pick up speed. The sprawling complex of the Hero¡¯s League Headquarters meant that she had plenty of ways to get around. With so many underground labs for safety, air had to get to them somehow, and that meant that Chimera had a way to go through the place without waiting for elevators and ¡®security¡¯ checks. Likely this place had some kind of motion sensors same as her old lab, but she hadn¡¯t been confronted about it yet. Must be fine then. Or they¡¯re searching right now and have no leads. She laughed as she rolled through the tunnels of vents and fans. Enough doom and gloom thoughts, lets get some burgers. ¡­ Chapter 15 Recycle Sarah had just got done hanging out with her teammates at the Donalds, and it was rather normal all things considered. Bullet was clearly into Chase, but the newly sixteen year old brat couldnt express himself well enough yet. Chase was obviously interested as well, but then again, Chimera had a cheat for that one considering the pheromones coming off the girl. Glow was hitting it off with the waiter of all things, who lapped on praise and attention that the girl sorely craved. And Sarah being Chimera, could only look on in amusement at their clumsy attempts at ¡®romance¡¯. Though after all the fun, the laughs and the food, when everyone headed back home, Sarah was left alone, behind the Donald and near the dumpsters. It was a weird place to be for anyone that was human. Sarah though had tossed away those thoughts of biological hazards and unclean filth along with the notion of worrying about her health. Her health was directly related to her bio-organic make-up, and as long as she could find some readily available material, she could have more cards to play against the rest of the death children. So, in a massive amorphous form straight out of a horror movie, Chimera disolved all the leftovers from the restaurant¡¯s waste disposal. To the detriment of many of the local wildlife. She was amicable though, giving a family of rats a longer lifespan, a pair of treasure pandas camouflage, and a handful of cats and dogs various boons from longer life to bigger brain mass. Soon there were going to be a lot of smart cats and dogs around. It would be an interesting bit of data to gather, and so she spoke to the cats and dogs to meet her later to gain their experiences. As she waved goodbye to the newly transformed animals, Chimera was beginning to get a better idea of the power she had received from Crimson R and the series as a whole. She had nothing to prove it yet, especially since her research was likely confiscated by now, but that alien DNA she had received for trials¡­ and the files she was still carrying inside her might give her proof of what she hypothisized. Still, research later, for now was the time to reconnoiter with some treasured friends and family. ¡­ Meghan was staring at a piece of rather desiccated flesh. Her microscope having been broken for a week now, she had decided to test her new found gifts to the limit, and see if she might gain something from the treasure in front of her. It had been months since she last saw her friend Sarah, and after a lengthy investigation from not only security, but the police, Meghan had left Chemtech with little to worry about. She was now in an abandoned laboratory that she had used back when she was just starting out as a researcher. The place itself was just what you would think from an abandoned structure, holes in the walls and ceiling, ground more plant and dirt then cement. Yet her makeshift laboratory was pristine thanks to her work, safely sealed and concealed in a ragged tarp. With Aden to help her clear and clean the place up, it was safe to do science once again. That brought her back to the piece. In front of her was a piece of a super villain¡¯s left pinky finger. The villain in question was named Corp-Taser, some sort of ex army experiment that deveoloped electricity powers similar to Meghan¡¯s own. Thanks to her friend¡¯s gifts, Meghan had been able to generate her own electricity with her hands as the contacts, and with a bit of engineering, was able to make a compacted mass driver out of the pieces she could find. It was one of her newest inventions, after her friend had given her an upgrade. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It was nowhere near combat ready and would need significant testing before she would consider it anywhere near safe, but it was one step closer in helping out her friend. She was starting to feel a bit desperate to get the thing working though, and the reason for that was her thoughts on the day she was released from ChemTech. Meghan could feel it when she had sat across from the board during her firing, and when her boss Monica was there, it was all the more clear. Chemtech was not using Crimson R or any of the R series for anything military. No people who weren¡¯t in the companies pockets were there for the investigation, no one other then the security officers were allowed in the labs. It didn¡¯t make sense. A potential Class Z event was out there somewhere, but no police or heroes were told. And if they weren''t told, then what could be the reason why they were left out of the loop? Sure, they might be sent to the courts for negligence and endangerment of the public, but a big company like ChemTech could take several blows like that if they showed cooperation. But no, there was no effort to stop, or warn anyone, about the potential threat, which meant only one viable thing if they didn¡¯t want anyone else to find out. Supervilliany. Meghan was almost relieved when they told her she was ¡®going to be let go¡¯, as it gave her a feeling that she wasn¡¯t worth disposing off. She did not lose her vigilance though. Her friend was out there now, and Aden was still getting himself situated in a way that didn¡¯t seem like he had been visited by a Crimson R symbiote. The cover was simple. Being a scientist with a minor in medical science, she opted Aden into a trial medicine that had worked wonders for his leukeimia, and after some overseas medical treatment had been done, Aden was miraculously cured. Meghan was proud of her bullshittery that day. With his sister dead and the hospital no longer liable for his condition, it seemed no one cared to check into the lie any further than necessary. Now Aden was getting ready to transition into college, and soon Meghan would be on her own again. Looking at her tools next to her desk, Meghan had a burst of inspiration regarding the pieces of leftover glass, discarded wiring and random computer junk that had been placed on one of the tables. She smiled as her hands moved. One wire connected to an undamaged part, which she connected to a battery she made out of discarded copper wires, to a compartment that was used for camera lenses. The changes Meghan had experienced when her friend ¡®gifted¡¯ her were extraordinary. It was as if her mind found ways to combine ordinary junk into amazing tech. Combined with strength, an electrical power, and biological immortality, Meghan knew in her heart that she had to pay back her friend¡¯s kindness. It was because of you Sarah, that I''m alive right now. ChemTech, Monica, I would never had known the connection had you not explained your death to me. Now, I¡¯m gonna turn my gifts into your strength, just as soon as I get this thing working. After a few minutes soldering the pieces together, she now had a portable microscope that could fire a short range laser volley. With her hands she charged the device, and soon the new doohickey was ready to work. She was testing the device on the piece of villain flesh when she heard the door open. Meghan turned to the door, a smile on her face. ¡°Aden, got some more things for me?¡± The now six foot four inches young man was holding a rather sizable amount of scrap, his personage hidden behind the largeness. ¡°Where do you want it Meg?¡± She pointed to a corner of the lab, which had labels on the various piles of trash. Aden placed the pile in a part of the corner that read ¡®Miscellaneous¡¯. ¡°Sigh* you got a strange hobby Aunt Meg. Meghan giggled a bit at the notion, ¡°one man''s trash and all that. It¡¯s simply amazing how much people toss away when they can¡¯t be bothered to check it. Sure, it may need a few baths in some bleach, but that is simply wasteful.¡± Aden smirked at her, ¡°of course! And it wouldnt have anything to do with the fact that we can¡¯t afford the equipment you needed so we had to do this, right?¡± Meghan sniffed at the aggravating little shit, ¡°you know, sometimes saying the obvious isn¡¯t necessary.¡± ¡°Sorry, just¡­ seems like we don¡¯t need to go through this much effort. Why not just take some from a super villain or something. I mean, we¡¯re both super people now right?¡± Meghan sighed, ¡°Aden, being a hero is hard work, and even if we became some, getting our hands on that kind of tech would be almost impossible. It¡¯s usually the first thing to get taken from a crime scene. Even if-¡± ¡°This is my home.¡± Meghan dropped her tool and turned to face the doorway. Before her was a little girl, with a red dress, red eyes and slightly tan features like Aden. Her hair was a bit curly at the end, and her face was rounder than the person she hoped it was. Still, the hope was there. ¡°Am I your home?¡± The words coming out of her mouth felt pained, like she wasn¡¯t sure if this was a trick yet or not. ¡°You always were.¡± ¡­ Chapter 16 Adens Admission Aden smiled wide as he stared at the school in front of him It had been a while since Aden had been saved from the hospital bed. Heck, it had been longer since he still remembered his folks. Not now, we already grieved, it''s time to move on. We can walk! We got a new body! Things are good! He was taking his entrance exam. He was finally able to go to college, finally free of medical tests and that antiseptic smell that always made him gag. It was like waking up from a nightmare. Still though, some of the things in that nightmare stayed true. Like his mom and dad dying, melting in front of him. His sister¡¯s pained face whenever she visited him. Those still scarred him, those vivid images. Aden shook his head, those times sure happened, but he was finally free of the hospital. This was where he changed his life. ... Aden took a breath as he took his pencil in hand. In front of him stood a piece of paper, with questions from various fields of study. Yet, as he was filling it all out, he couldn¡¯t help but think it was all so¡­ Easy! What the heck is this? Am I putting in the wrong answers? New Terra University was said to be one of the top five learning institutes in the whole world, yet these questions came too easy. Aden was starting to think he was getting the answers wrong, until he was checking the people around him. Panicked faces. Looks of despair. Resignation and defeat. Every last one of them. Aden had been studying for the months leading up to this test, so he figured he had a good chance at passing it. As is though, he was starting to worry he might be the only one passing. Enough, concentrate. He shook his head and got back to it. ¡­ ¡°P-Perfect score?!¡± Aden was sitting across from a group of two teachers and the headmistress, all of whom were either staring at the papers in the mistress'' hands or glaring at him like he was holding drugs. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The middle one was a woman with a tag that read Lorelei, while the ones to her right and left were Hankson and Bittlebody. ¡°Did you cheat young man?¡± The one who spoke was Hankson, the only other man in the room. ¡°No sir.¡± After staring at each other for a while, Hankson stood up to show him a screen on his laptop. ¡°Aden Bockson, these bars that I am showing you right now are the people who pass.¡± The bars to the right showing these details were abysmally low. ¡°And then there''s the scores you have given us.¡± Over at a spot that Aden thought was a blank space, there was the smallest sliver of a bar showing four other people. ¡°These students have been certified as geniuses, acclaimed in their fields and have had several papers they have released regarding those fields. Are you saying that your intellect is a match for them?¡± Aden didn¡¯t know what to tell them, so he stated the obvious answer. ¡°Maybe your test is too easy then?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± This time it was from the Bittlebody lady, who appeared to be a dwarf. ¡°I and several of the faculty came up with those questions. There are no past or present issues with the difficulty behind the questions themselves. They are not supposed to be easy, young man.¡± ¡°Hey, you asked.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Lorelei stood up as the two other teachers seemed ready to pounce Aden. ¡°His answers do not match the ones in the answer sheet, but they are indeed correct. The answers check out too, so there is no reason to-¡± ¡°Enough! I refuse to believe this¡­ ruffian is anywhere near the level of our most esteemed minds! I demand he retest!¡± Aden was staring at Bittleboy and Hankson, both of whom seemed to be ready to throttle him. ¡­Do I really need to go to college? The teacher Lorelei gave each of them a glare. ¡°Enough I said! There is no precedent to these claims and we know he couldn¡¯t have cheated.¡± ¡°I still think he-¡± The room got cold, and Aden¡¯s eyes turned towards Lorelei. Her eyes were shining with an eerie blue light, and her arms were covered in frost. ¡°Do I need to freeze your mouth shut, teacher Luke Hankson?¡± Aden glanced back at the sputtering teacher, ¡°that w-won¡¯t be necessary headmistress.¡± The icy headmistress turned towards the dwarfish Bittlebody, who shook her head. ¡°Good.¡± Those freezing blues turned to Aden and that question he asked himself earlier was starting to scream in his head. ¡°Now, Aden Bockman, your scores claim to be at genius level, and I believe that you even said our test was easy, yes?¡± He nodded. ¡°Well then, I believe it would be prudent to do our job as a learning institution by challenging your mind. You report in a week.¡± She grabbed both ears of the unruly teachers, her still freezing hands causing the both of them to wince. She wore a smile then, ¡°do take this time to prepare. As a new initiate, you will have to move on campus. Not to worry, your textbooks and materials will be provided for free as an apology for these sorry sorts¡¯ terrible attitudes. I hope this doesn¡¯t color your opinion too much. This school prides itself on building young minds to better handle the new world we find ourselves in.¡± As she dragged the two out of the room, Aden took stock of the madness he just witnessed. ¡°A week huh?¡± ¡­ Aden stepped away from the university in a bit of a daze. One week and he would be on his own. Apparently he was a genius. Free books and stuff. A super powered headmistress with a bunch of entitled pricks for teachers. He sighed. I¡¯ll just head to the junkyard until my mind processes this insanity, maybe i can find some hero tech or something. Meghan would appreciate it, and he would have to tell her about the good news. Chapter 17 Unlimited PoweR Sarah felt about as awkward as she could when she said the¡­ passcode to her friend, and to her dismay, her brother was holding his mouth like he was trying to stop the laughter from coming out. It was odd though, she could have sworn she saw Meghan on the verge of tears just before her body started convulsing into giggles. ¡°That really was bad, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Her brother burst into laughter, ¡°you were like a shipwreck victim coming home to your wife after ten years on an island!¡± ¡°I-It wasn¡¯t that bad was it?¡± Sarah turned to her friend, who betrayed her by looking at her with a mix of pity and levity. ¡°Sorry Sarah, it really was.¡± In a bout of dramatic flair, she held her head as she got down to her knees. ¡°The Cringe¡­ so much¡­¡± She dropped head first to the floor, morphing into a blob as she did. Want to laugh at my expense, take this! With an exaggerated motion, Sarah spewed the contents of her inventory into the empty area next to the piles of junk her brother just deposited. The horror on her friend¡¯s face made it worth it as she shifted back into Chimera. It was strange, she started to associate her child persona with her ¡®default¡¯ form as opposed to her old look. It wasn¡¯t odd to think why, she hadn¡¯t needed to change back into Sarah Bockman. Hell, she didn¡¯t even need to have Chimera¡¯s form while she was with her brother and Meg. Yet¡­ it was right in a way. After the horror and surprise left the two, Chimera turned to face them both with her arms outstretched. ¡°I bring gifts, tech from our old employers in a secret shady lab of theirs under the New Terra City Zoo. Enjoy!¡± Meghan¡¯s jaw hit the floor, and her brother¡¯s eyes lit up in mischief. ¡°Nice to know you stuck it too them Sarah, but, why even risk it?¡± Sarah took a seat on a ratty looking chair that probably existed on the street before it made it¡¯s way inside the lab. She grinned as her body started picking up all sorts of DNA. Seems rats and a few birds made this chair a home before. She grimaced for a moment as she realized she didn¡¯t have enough of the bird¡¯s DNA to fashion wings for herself, but grabbing a pigeon off the street wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Once she got comfortable, she explained the reason for her trek, and the new life she made under Chimera. She also explained the reason for the tech, and the unfortunate truth that their old employers were supervillains. ¡°I ran into one of Dr. Pox¡¯s death children. You might not know about them, Aden, but one of them was responsible for our parent¡¯s death¡­ along with Pox himself.¡± Her brother grew silent at that. ¡°I remember sis.¡± Sarah turned to him as he spoke. ¡°A green haired freak with gold eyes, I couldn¡¯t forget it if I wanted to.¡± Not Monica then. She turned to Meghan. ¡°This tech didn¡¯t have much of a security suite to protect it Meghan, but I think I would still feel better if you took a look at it.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Meghan¡¯s eyes turned to the pile of computer tech, and a hungry gaze seemed to overtake her. ¡°Old tech from Chemtech is still leagues better then what your brother would find in the garbage dump. Gimme.¡± Her friend tore into the pile within moments, and a lightshow of different tools made their way over the tech. It didn¡¯t stop with the computers either, soon the junk that apparently her brother had dropped off was absorbed into the mess, Sarah sat back in her chair as she took in her friend¡¯s tech tornado. Fifteen minutes later, Sarah was staring at what appeared to be a server bank with a multitude of screens, several keyboards, and a strapped up air conditioner that was, she guessed, a cooling system for the monstrosity in front of her. The junk seemed to be connecting the rest of the parts, and despite its less than appealing look, it all seemed to function somehow. She could make out lights as the thing booted up. It roared for a second, then ran silent as the grave once the rest of the systems finished. ¡°My baby, thank you so much Sarah! Gosh, with this I might just be able to run Craft Miners at full specs. Probably should take care of the spyware first though. It''s a damn good thing we have no internet here¡­ yet!¡± Sarah saw her friend swivel over to her in a chair, her hands running over the keys as she seemed to magic the systems into obeying her. ¡°Also Sarah, I¡¯m starting to believe that the changes that you made affected my mind in a certain way? It¡¯s the strangest thing. I seem to have this¡­ itch to make stuff out of junk? It¡¯s so odd, I mean, I did love tinkering back home with my pops when my mother wasn¡¯t home to spy on us so, maybe that had something to do with it? Either way¡­¡± After several minutes of explaining her new thoughts and gifts, Sarah compiled it all and came to a specific conclusion. ¡°I got nothing.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Look Meghan, I tried to help my brother and control it in a certain way, and now he¡¯s probably able to bench press a tank. You already have a well developed mind, so my best guess is that whatever I did to both of you¡­ goes where it needs to.¡± ¡°Oh! That would make sense! Your brother was sick and his muscles were atrophying from lack of exercise, so if his body deemed that an area to fix, your gifts might have just been placed there to assist his body. That would mean that your power is passive in its changes when you''re not directly controlling it.¡± If that¡¯s the case¡­ maybe I could use that in my transformations! Thoughts for later! ¡°Well, either way, what¡¯s that you got over there?¡± Sarah noticed a piece of what she could only describe as poop sitting in the middle of a place where a microscope would likely have been. ¡°O-Oh, right! Actually, it is a good thing you came, Sarah, because I was wondering if I could integrate this into my body.¡± Sarah turned to the poop, ¡°you want that inside you?¡± Meghan saw her disgusted face, her own face turning bright red, ¡°I-It¡¯s not anything gross! It¡¯s a supervillain''s pinky flesh!¡± ¡°Meghan, news flash, that is super gross.¡± ¡°You ate fat and dead skin cells!¡± ¡°Yeah, and I''m an amalgamation of bio organic matter. I need to eat that stuff to live, what''s your excuse?¡± She saw her friend squirm for a bit, ¡°Corp-Taser¡­ could¡­ Shoot lightning from his hands.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± ¡°He could shoot lightning from his hands! Like one of those space knights you read about! I want that ability too!¡± Sarah smiled wide, ¡°you are a huge nerd Meghan.¡± Her friend puffed out her cheeks as she fumed, and Sarah couldn''t help but chuckle at the hilarity in front of her. It was a good five minutes before she decided to acquiesce to her friend¡¯s demands, if only so she could placate the woman¡¯s space wizard obsession. ¡­ Gideon was sipping water from a straw as he stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were a mess, the guilt in his heart kept him glued to the hospital bed, and all he could think about was why he did those horrible things. One thing of his remained though, and that was a burning hatred for the monster girl that put him here. He was shackled to the hospital bed after a report was sent about his allegiances, and apparently the evil villain doctor he spoke to thought it would be funny to leave a recording of their conversation for his hated teammates. ¡­that wasn¡¯t true, he actually liked most of them, maybe less with Bullet but it was hard to hate Glow. Damnit! He growled in frustration as his endorphins flooded his mind at the thought of spending time with them again. ¡°Damnable monster, when I fix this and get out of this damnable place, I will smear you across the sidewalk like a bloody skid mark!¡± ¡°Good, it¡¯s reassuring to know that you''re still you in there, baby brother.¡± Gideon froze, his head slowly turning to the door to his room. Green hair, golden eyes, a smirk with just a bit of condescension. ¡°Crysa¡­¡± Chapter 18 Family MatteRs ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aden, geniuses get attention, there''s a reason that they want you on campus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore Sarah, I know a bad situation when I see it. This is a new chance for me.¡± Sarah stared at her younger brother as he glared back at her evenly. When did he get so stubborn? ¡°There¡¯s a chance they might just want you for something nefarious Aden. When I was in college, there was a genius girl I knew that was being used for supervillain research. They never found her after she got abducted Aden, I just don¡¯t want the same to happen to you.¡± Aden shook his head at her. The nerve of this boy! ¡°It¡¯s New Terra University sis, you know, the one almost right next door to the Hero¡¯s League?¡± Damn, he had a point. If there was going to be some sort of plot to use geniuses, they wouldn¡¯t be doing it at a learning institute right next to the headquarters of the Heroes. Not unless they were insane. Which¡­ was most villains sure, but not the especially smart ones. ¡°Alright, but I¡¯m giving you a panic button.¡± ¡°Aww come on sis, that¡¯s so lame!¡± ¡°No buts mister!¡± The irony wasn¡¯t lost on Sarah as she was disciplining her brother in an eleven year old¡¯s body, but that crap could be laughed at later. She grabbed his arm and shifted a bit of room in his forearm, just below his wrist and a little past it. She concentrated as she shifted his flesh to allow the ¡®panic¡¯ button she was installing for him. After a few seconds, it was done. ¡°There you go, no stupid whistles or anything. I¡¯m not one to cramp my little brother¡¯s style.¡± Both Meghan and Aden peered at the newest addition to Aden¡¯s arm. ¡°What is this, exactly?¡± Sarah placed her hands on her hips with a smug look on her face, ¡°it¡¯s a panic button, meant to take out whatever¡¯s panicking you.¡± She put a hand to her chin as she stroked it, ¡°might be a good idea to test it.¡± They all moved outside of the lab into the abandoned warehouse, a rusty place that Sarah was sure did not follow the local builder¡¯s guild in terms of being safely built. She shifted a bit of her arm, and tested a bit of her building technique to create a facsimile of what appeared to be a squirrel. If its fur was red, its eyes a deep crimson and the rest of its pelt some shade of pink. I¡¯m sorry little squirrel, but this is for my brother¡¯s safety. She turned to her brother as she backed away. ¡°Alright Aden, come here.¡± Her brother obeyed, a bit of anticipation coming off of him as he turned to the target. ¡°So, what do I do?¡± She pointed at the squirrel, ¡°its a threat, imagine it coming after you, and push the dot on your arm.¡± He looked at the squirrel, ¡°sis, i¡¯m not sure that i can-¡± The squirrel launched itself at Aden like a cannon, its teeth large and terrifying as it tried to reach his flesh. Aden reacted immediately, pointing his arm at the now assailing squirrel. With a poke, the button activated, and her ¡®panic¡¯ button assaulted the squirrel. Spines, stingers, and a thick viscous fluid launched itself at the monster squirrel. ¡°Woah¡­¡± The squirrel was no more, a melting mass of pink flesh that was riddled with spiny pig spines, bee stingers, and a generous amount of poison and acid. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She touched his arm, refilling the panic button with it¡¯s essentials. ¡°You only get one use, Aden, so make sure that you use it when you need it. I¡¯m almost certain it will kill anyone organic, but the spines from the pig should damage robots and the like.¡± Aden held the button and pressed it, shooting it at the squirrel bits again. ¡°W-What the hell Aden?!¡± ¡°...One more time?¡± This time she send a tendril to reload the thing, making sure the needle hits him with the force of a tranquilizer dart. ¡°Yeouch! What the hell Sarah?!¡± She pulled back her tendril, ¡°this stuff takes biomass idiot, and I don¡¯t have an unlimited supply. You use it only when you need to, got it?¡± Rubbing the spot where she hit him, her stupid genius brother nodded. ¡°Good.¡± They stared at each other a bit, until they both busted out laughing. ¡°You had the same look Mom had when she grounded us!¡± ¡°Hard to forget that face, she was hell unleashed when we broke that vase.¡± ¡°How about that time with dad¡¯s jetpack eh?¡± ¡°Oh god don¡¯t remind me, she came after us with the chancla for that nonsense.¡± ¡°Was fun though, right?¡± ¡°The absolute best feeling ever.¡± They both swapped stories between their parents until the end of the day, and by the time Meghan came to collect them for dinner, both were out of breath from laughing. ¡­ ¡°Crysa¡­¡± Gideon was experiencing many things that day. Most of them were things that he wasn¡¯t able to handle. However, it was a strange bit of hope that blossomed in him when his older sister showed up. ¡°Gid, heard you finally got caught today. Knew it would happen eventually.¡± A lack of accountability surged in him as he prepared to explain himself. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault, how the hell was I supposed to prepare for a shape-shifting demon girl?!¡± The smirk on his sister¡¯s face only ignited his latent rage. ¡°What the hell are you here for Crysa? Come to gloat? To tell me I was wrong for following Father¡¯s will for nothing?¡± Crysa sat on the side of the bed, staring back at him with a level gaze. ¡°My brother was hurt, and I came to visit him, what''s wrong with that?¡± Gideons¡¯ fire was doused immediately, and those unfamiliar feelings of guilt came back in full force. ¡°Damnit, not this again!¡± Crysa¡¯s eyes shot up as she noticed his mood. ¡°Wait, brother, are you feeling guilty?¡± ¡°N-No! I would never, I¡¯m not soft and weak. I¡¯m not!¡± Yelling didn¡¯t make it true though. Gosh, why am I yelling at her, she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She came to visit me because she knew I was hurt. She cares¡­ fuck! All the energy he put into maintaining his facade dropped, and the full force of his emotions washed over him like a wave. ¡°...I can feel the emotions, Crysa. That damn monster girl who put me here did something to me. Now I can¡¯t shut out my stupid feelings.¡± Crysa, his failure of a sister, the one that all of the others mocked, smiled back at him in the warmest way. ¡°Idiot, that¡¯s just normal. Dad made us that way because he didn¡¯t want us to be stopped by guilt or hesitation. He wanted soldiers for his stupid crusade, not people. This, what your feeling right now, Gid, is what those people felt.¡± She held his hand, and he held onto it like a vice. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t deal with this, it¡¯s too much.¡± She squeezed his hand back. ¡°Baby brother, that¡¯s what family is supposed to be for. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯ll help you figure this out.¡± Does she mean it? Really? Gideon never felt this before, because his siblings were always at each other¡¯s throats. It was kill or be killed, unless it was for Father¡¯s mission. Even then, sometimes they would throw each other and cast them aside if it meant the mission would be successful. ¡­She¡¯s the one who came. Gideon felt wetness in his eyes, his heart in a vise, and his relief as he felt his sister¡¯s hand hold his own. ¡°So, what did she do to you, Gideon?¡± He looked up into her gold eyes, and flinched. Crysa was the failure in their group, the one who succumbed to human emotions. But when Gideon saw her eyes, he felt relief once more. ¡°She¡¯s a Hero right? Tell me who she is, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Gideon¡¯s new emotional wavelength felt sympathy for the monster girl. Crysa never showed anger, since she knew it was what their Father planted in them to make them all killers. Her fury though, was on full display. ¡°Her name is Chimera. She¡¯s a little girl, but she¡¯s also a shapeshifter. I don¡¯t really know what she can change to, but she did change into a bunch of animals, and she could make claws and things appear.¡± Crysa smiled back at him. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll be visiting the Hero¡¯s League soon, but enough of that Gid, It¡¯s time to leave.¡± Gideon looked down at his hand, the one that his sister was holding and the one that was chained to the bed by handcuffs. The handcuffs that were now destroyed and in ruins on the floor, along with the straps that held him in place. ¡°Not to worry, I¡¯ll carry you out. It¡¯s not like you can walk right now anyway right?¡± Crysa carried him like a princess as she smashed the window of the fifth floor with her foot. ¡°It¡¯ll be windy, so hold tight okay?¡± Stupid sister, of course I¡¯ll hold on. I don¡¯t want to fall! Still, he didn¡¯t say it, that would be rude. ¡°...Damn these stupid thoughts.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll get used to them after a while.¡± With a kick, she launched them both into the air, the night sky shrouding them in darkness as the stars twinkled above. Chapter 19 Understand youR PRey Chimera was walking back towards the Hero¡¯s League as last night played back in her head again. She couldn¡¯t recall a time where both she and her brother were just happy like that, at least not after Dr. Pox ruined their lives. Now though, it felt like she had finally obtained what she was after. Her brother was as safe as he could be. He had a future in New Terra University. He didn¡¯t really need her to take care of him anymore, that much became certain. ¡°How do you just turn off the need to help your sick brother?¡± When he talked to her about moving into the dormitories, Sarah wanted to stop him, not because she thought it would be unsafe. She realized that was merely an excuse. No, she wanted to keep being his protector, the one who looked after him. ¡°...I may need to see a shrink about this.¡± It was a nagging feeling, and Sarah couldn''t really tell where it was coming from. She shook her head, this wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about mental issues. She walked inside and was met by Glow as she rushed over to her. ¡°Chimera, did you hear about the break out?¡± No she certainly did not¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Glow took her by the hand as she led her to the others. Chase was fidgeting with her hands when they arrived, and Bullet had a grimace on his face as if he didn¡¯t like the way the floor was polished. ¡°Okay, so Chimera didn¡¯t get the memo. We¡¯re going to need to get her some equipment in case of emergencies.¡± Chimera turned to see Elastiman of all people, who was standing off to the side as he took a head count of them all. ¡°I¡¯m sure most of you heard by now, but for the rest, it appears that Gideon has escaped the hospital.¡± Chimera felt a shiver run through her. He knows about me, but not about Aden. He¡¯s safe, calm down. She took in a breath as she listened to the rest. ¡°Last night at about ten pm, there were reports of supervillain activity near the headquarters. So many of the people assigned to guard him had left. It was a blunder, we didn¡¯t know that he had any sort of accomplices to fall back on, as his condition was also a factor. Who would think such an injured man could be moved¡­¡± Elastiman seemed to be struggling with the next part. ¡°It would seem that based on the cameras in the hospital, that Crysa is on the move again.¡± Chimera noticed the room grew silent as the grave at the mention of this Crysa. ¡°She can¡¯t be! Wasn¡¯t she dead?¡± Her friend Glow was panicking judging by the pheromones coming off her. Chase and Bullet were also in terror, their eyes rapidly moving from what Chimera could tell. ¡°Who is Crysa?¡± They all turned to her, and Chimera felt a bit of a shiver go up her spine as Elastiman turned to address her. ¡°You may not know much about villains yet Chimera, but the Pox death children are some you need to be aware of.¡± He led them all to another room with a projector, stretching his arm to turn on the device while grabbing a remote as well. After the device hummed to life, he turned another device, a computer from the look of it on. ¡°Nell, show us the images of designates ¡®Death Children of Dr. Pox¡¯. ¡°Of Course, Elastiman, pulling up their files and images now.¡± Woah! It¡¯s a service intelligence! The fear in the room was masked as Chimera thought about all the tech that must have went into building her, Service Intelligence was just a step under a fully functioning Artificial Intelligence. To think that they could even make one, the Hero¡¯s League must have either had the backing, or someone with a tech powerset. ¡°These are Dr. Pox¡¯s death children, the ones we know of at least.¡± Five images appeared on the screen, with one of the images blacked out. ¡°This is Gideon, also known as Techwolf, Most of you already know him.¡± Gideon¡¯s face came up, but the face was a much younger look, probably around when he was ten years old. ¡°After finding out how he tricked the system into masking his supervillain file, we¡¯ve determined that despite his lycanthropic abilities, he also has a deft hand at tech and espionage.¡± Elastiman pointed to the next portrait, a smaller girl with a manic face and sharp teeth. Her hair was black and white, and her jaw was just a bit longer in the face, as if it was making up for all that powerful jaw. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Her eyes were black, dark, and deep. ¡°This is Aura, though we know her by the name Killer Whale. She¡¯s been in hiding for a bit, and it¡¯s determined that she most likely isnt¡¯ a threat anymore. Nonetheless, she is a powerful water kinetic, and her jaw is filled with razor sharp teeth. It¡¯s safe to say she can take an arm off with that alone.¡± Elastiman pointed to the next portrait. It was a young man this time, but the way he presented himself was regal. Purple coat, golden trimmings along a suit that seemed made for him. Glasses around his eyes that seemed to be made of gemstone, and the eyes were gold. The hair was trimmed into spikes, and they looked like stalagmites from the picture. ¡°This is Toren, Supervillain alias Terralord. He is currently in Blackrock Prison off the coast of New Terra. He can turn stone around him into whatever he wishes, so long as he understands the composition of what he''s trying to make. Thankfully, he seems to like only gold and gemstones. If he had the knowledge to use it for something more dangerous, we might have had to put his evil butt into cryostasis.¡± Chimera felt a bit of hunger reach into her as she looked at Toren¡¯s profile. A power like that¡­ I could use the junk near our lab to create some amazing tech. Gold is an amazing material for computer parts after all. She took a step back as she realized her condition. Was I always this hungry for that? Power would protect her and her loved ones, so maybe it was that. She turned back to the projector. ¡°This is what we spoke about before. This is Crysa.¡± The portrait pulled up, and Chimera felt her insides freeze at the picture. It¡¯s her! Golden eyes, green hair. A self-aggrandizing smirk on her face. ¡°This is the only picture we have of her, and it¡¯s from three years ago. Crysa is a power enhancing supervillain, and it is one of the worst things that you can imagine.¡± Elastiman pointed to a video that portrayed the super villainess. Crysa was pulling apart a transformer with her bare hands, while also shooting lightning out of her body from the excess electricity. ¡°Crysa has a body that is made of super-conductive material, and as such, is incredibly deadly when near places with access to electricity. That isn¡¯t the part you should be worried about though. It has been determined that her body can also absorb energy from others, people with gifts. While she cannot take the superpowers from the individual, she can leave them unable to move or use them for days at a time. This goes straight into her body, and makes her so powerful that she could fight, and possibly win, against Captain Asta. Yes, I''m not joking about that.¡± Chimera flashed back to the moment when her father and mother were alive. The scene of them running, while a golden eyed girl chased after them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this¡­¡± The green haired girl almost seemed upset by what she did, and the dead-eyed stare of her parents still scared her. Her brother was next to her, and despite her fear, she tried to protect him as much as she could. Then, HE came. Next to the golden-eyed girl was a man who was rather unremarkable in comparison. He had a medical gun in his hand, with a backpack filled with viscous fluid, as if he was carrying a chemistry set. His eyes though, they stared at her like she was a speck of dust needing to be cleansed. ¡°You spared them?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°Yet, they may come back for revenge, are you not worried, my failure of a daughter?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll deal with it at that time¡­ Father.¡± Sarah shook herself out of the memory. ¡°If you meet her, if you even spot her, do not engage. She¡¯s not someone you kids are ready for.¡± The others didn¡¯t seem too eager to answer back, and Chimera couldn''t blame them. It¡¯s different for me though¡­ what would happen if I tried to absorb her power? She might gain her ability. She also might die because of Crysa¡¯s gift to absorb energy. Until she had more data, more tools that she could use to fight her, Chimera wasn¡¯t ready to face her yet. ¡°This is the last of the confirmed death children, though we do not have a photo of her.¡± The description read ¡®the mastermind.¡¯ ¡°With Dr. Pox imprisoned in Blackrock, the Hero¡¯s League believed it to be easier to deal with his remaining creations. However, it became clear after a while that the children were being led by someone, a person we either have not met, or could not identify. It became even clearer when certain crimes with the children were involved. Information that could not have been known to the death children had been leaked, and events happend that showed a guiding hand helping them. This ¡®mastermind¡¯ is determined to be one of them, but so far, no records have shown even a slip of a detail regarding her. This message, that was sent to our Headquarters, is the only thing we have to confirm anything.¡± He tapped a play button on the screen, and a voice came out. It was heavily encrypted, and it sounded like a voice that had been put through a cheese grater. ¡°Soon, the hour of mankind will end, and the race of Huma will rise. May death come to the unworthy.¡± Even with the garbled message, Sarah recognized her old boss''s voice. It was hard to get that ¡®holier-than thou¡¯ pitch out of her head, even when she heard it everyday back at Chemtech. ¡°This is her only broadcast, and we determined it was female from what we could scrub from this message. It¡¯s hard to say what she¡¯s planning, but it is clear about one thing. They are planning something, and it may involve either their creator¡¯s vision, or something more devious.¡± Chimera remembered the data she found in the underground lab. It was clear that Monica was not interested in elevating humanity like her father. It also had something to do with the R series, but those plans about mind control and remaking humans didn¡¯t sit right with her. The mind was hard to mess with in the first place, so how would she even get that to work? Chimera might have been able to shift some chemicals around, but pure mind control? No, that couldn''t really be it. ¡­Unless she got a hold of someone, someone with the gift, and got Crimson R to absorb it. In fact¡­ her abilities, weren¡¯t they pretty similar to Crysa¡¯s to begin with? ¡°Take this time to consider, and reflect on the information you just witnessed. If Gideon and Crysa are involved, there¡¯s no telling what could be next. The other death children might come into play as well, so be on your guard.¡± They all nodded to Elastiman as he left the room. ¡°To think Gideon was one of those guys.¡± Bullet shook his head as he spoke. ¡°That Crysa was pretty scary though right? If she helped out her brother like that, she might come after the ones who put him away.¡± Chase seemed calm. But the fear chemicals coming off of her told another story. ¡°Either way, we just got to train and be ready. Even if Crysa and her brother come at us, we can prevail if we outsmart them.¡± They turned to face Chimera, ¡°you got to be careful though Chimera. They may be after you most of all.¡± She made a show of showing her determination, ¡°I¡¯ll take them on!¡± Inside her mind though, she was calculating. If they come, I¡¯ll be ready. Chapter 20 HomewaRd Bound Gideon stared at the screen of his sister¡¯s computer, tapping his index finger on the mouse without clicking it. He had been searching for data regarding Chimera, and his technomancy was working well with his sister¡¯s kit. Sadly, he wasn¡¯t finding much of anything about the heroine. ¡°Someone like that doesn¡¯t just appear, there¡¯s an accident, or a death, something.¡± It was the same with all those hero types, a galvanizing moment that pushed them into herodom. Yet, one little girl with the power to shapeshift appeared out of nowhere and no one did a story about it at least? He recalled her talking about a girl that she knew that motivated her to become a hero, but nothing about a girl¡¯s death or an experiment was found in any file. Gideon thought back on his fight with the monster girl. She displayed none of the signs of someone who was adolescent. She fought and reacted much better than someone who simply started hero work. Maybe she was like me? A spy, an agent for another organization, maybe even a supervillain. Not that foolish doctor though, even his hairbrained schemes wouldn¡¯t create something like her. Either way, the search on the net would prove fruitless, if she simply didn¡¯t exist beforehand. He felt his arms retreat back into his body, no longer connected to the machinery in front of him. She only beat me because there was no tech to use, and even that television was only equipped with that launcher. Next time though, it¡¯ll be different. I won¡¯t underestimate her, and I¡¯ll be sure to make her fight on my battlefield. He grinned, a snarl from his wolf side growling along with him. She¡¯s my prey, and I''ll make her pay for what she did! ¡­ Sarah felt a shiver as she dodged another speedy punch from Chase. It became a regular thing for their group after the meeting with Elastiman. Training with each other, training with robots and other heroes, even training with the big league members like Ms Magica and Captain Asta. Those days ended rather painfully, but it was still good training. Couldn¡¯t get a damn hit in, and his gloves blocked me from getting his DNA. Chimera had tried to get even a sample of the planet¡¯s strongest, yet she only got close enough to shake his hand. And his damn suit was skin tight. Still, the training helped, and she even got to use more of her gifts in actual combat. She still didn¡¯t have a use for the ¡®gift¡¯ that Gideon was so kind to give, but she figured Meghan would be able to help her figure that out. It was pretty amazing from what she glanced at though. Technomancy, the ability to manipulate and speak with machines. How did someone even gain power like that? She knew that Gideon¡¯s DNA was a mess of a number of different things, but this power. It felt natural, not forced like his lycanthropy. That though, was a nice gift. It seemed to fit her body like a glove, probably due to her ability to shift anyway. The power it gave when she went wolfy was exponential, and it got a bit stronger as she fought. It was actually the one power that got her close enough to almost touch the Captain. Still, no skin or hair to grab. Such a shame. The fur felt nice though, and she couldn''t help but pet her own ears after some down time between fights. How does it feel this good?! She finally got how dogs and cats loved this feeling, it was almost hypnotic. Then Glow started doing it for her and it felt angelic. ¡°Mmm, right there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re keeping your wolf ears.¡± Glow tilted her head as Chimera moved closer to her hands. ¡°They¡¯re better than human ears and they feel great, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Because of this.¡± Bullet sat down with a dog whistle in his hand. ¡°I wanted to test this and see if it works, so sorry for this.¡± He blew the whistle and Chimera felt herself yelp from the pain. ¡°Ouch! The hell! Stop it!¡± He did, and the blessed silence that followed was magical. ¡°Okay, good to know this will work on Gideon, thanks for the test Chimera.¡± ¡°Damnit Bullet, a little warning next time!¡± He waved back at her without looking as he joined Chase in her jogging. ¡°Jeez, that guy is kind of an ass.¡± ¡°Only to you though.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Got no clue for that answer. Anyway, It¡¯s getting to the end of our training time, and our next mission starts tomorrow.¡± Chimera got up as she rubbed her ears one last time. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later then.¡± ¡°Chimera.¡± Sarah turned to look at Glow. ¡°Do you need someone to walk you home?¡± Chimera smiled back. ¡°I live somewhere nearby, so not really.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Glow seemed a bit distraught about that, and Chimera couldn¡¯t help but feel like she kicked a metaphorical puppy. ¡°W-Well, if you want to walk me back I wouldn¡¯t be against it.¡± Glow looked up, her power showing a bit of her turmoil as she tried to both hide her smile and show non-chalance. ¡°Well, if you insist.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t reall-,¡± ¡°-Are you coming?¡± Glow took her hand as Chimera felt her smaller body slowly being dragged away. Until she turned her feet into spheres and twisted around to face the front. Alright, so my friend wants to walk me home to our lab in an abandoned warehouse. She smiled up at Glow. What could possibly go wrong? ¡­ The walk through New Terra was nice. Chimera felt the reassuring grip from her friend as she scanned the alleyways and the dark places for signs of trouble. It was very much a big sister kind of thing. Never felt this before, it¡¯s actually kind of nice. Sure, being the big sister was important work, and she knew that for the longest time, she was responsible for her brother¡¯s protection and future. Leaving that to someone else just felt wrong to her. But receiving it like this? Chimera couldn¡¯t call it anything but pleasant. ¡°Is your home really in such a dangerous place, Chimera? This is usually where we find drug dens and smuggling operations.¡± Funny, never heard anything about that from Meghan, or Aden come to think of it. She thought about the homeless man who lived inside the warehouse with them. His name was Fred, and by the way he carried himself he seemed to be ex-military. He seemed nice even. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s dangerous here. We even met a nice man named Fred that lives near us.¡± ¡°Who is he? Did you know him at all before?¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°nope, he lived in the warehouse with us, he just uses the otherside.¡± ¡°...Otherside? Warehouse?¡± Hmm, maybe this walk home was a bad idea. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have one of her teammates know where she was staying. Especially if the death children learned about her family. ¡°Sure, let me show you!¡± She started pulling Glow along as they turned a corner in the port district of New Terra. It was a pretty rusty building all things considered, but Chimera was starting to like the place. The DNA she would find around the place was always different, and the various bits of weed and plant life around the place gave it a wild feel, like nature was retaking the place that was left by man. Maybe I could plant some trees, I did get some nice samples from the park. As Glow was looking over the ruin that was her home, Chimera pulled a bit of biomass into her hand and launched three little seeds into the ground. It felt like she was connected to them, and a smile crossed her lips at the implications. Little me''s, maybe in the future. Now though, just some nice trees that can hit away some rowdy bad guys will suffice. She thought of the possibilities of making clones for herself, but she felt like she was missing something for that to happen. Maybe some hero with a duplicator power¡­ or a magic clone like Ms. Magica makes. She was getting distracted. ¡°Here she is! My home!¡± She turned to her friend with a grin on her face. ¡°Wait till you see the inside!¡± As she pulled Glow, whose face was a mix with an ¡®O¡¯ face and a worried-horrified hybrid, She said hi to their resident hobo as he waved at her with a grandfatherly smile. ¡°Hey Mr. Fred!¡± ¡°Hey there little one, brought a friend this time?¡± ¡°Yep, showing her around the place.¡± He grinned at her, ¡°it''s always good to spend time with friends. Just make sure to be a good host.¡± ¡°Will do Mr. Fred.¡± He nodded at them as he shuffled his blankets, newer ones by the looks of them. ¡°Did Meg give you those?¡± He nodded, ¡°said she got something called a 3-D Printa or something, and started making me these nice blankets and a coat. She even said she¡¯d make a house for me soon in the corner, you know?¡± ¡°Woah, she¡¯s going all out then.¡± Fred grinned, a few missing teeth showing through his smile. ¡°Don¡¯t let me keep you two, kids should enjoy each other¡¯s company.¡± ¡°Bye Mr. Fred!¡± ¡°Umm¡­ goodbye sir, and thank you.¡± He waved back as he settled himself next to the open door of the warehouse, a look in his eyes as he scanned the streets and alleyways. Like a sentinel, protecting his fort. It was an odd addition to their house, but Chimera didn¡¯t mind. He was a nicer man, and they had plenty of space. ¡°Well, let''s meet Meg!¡± She could feel Glow¡¯s worry start to spike as she brought her inside the Lab. Chapter 21 Meghans Machinations Meghan was rather busy at the moment. After finding out that their computer also had parts left over to run a 3-D printer, something that she never had access to before despite being in a very well off field. Of course she was using it like it was a brand new toy. Bed sheets and a few blankets for that Fred fellow that moved in recently. A few robots to help her handle the increased workload of her new experiments. She even had the thing build her a mini fridge for ice cream and beer. Meg was starting to think that this printer of hers was a bit different than the ones she was thinking of, though. For one, she was pretty sure they didn¡¯t talk. ¡°Good Evening Creator Meghan. It has been ten hours since you have had a meal that didn¡¯t consist of energy bars and basic nutritional means. I recommend that you take a break¡­ you masochist.¡± ¡°Pipe down Printy, I¡¯m just about done with this exo-suit.¡± ¡°Of course miss, May I call Ms. Chimera or Mr. Aden for you?¡± ¡°What did you say Printy?¡± ¡°Calling Mr. Aden for you.¡± She hit the phone dial to turn off that annoying beeping for a few minutes so she could think. Meghan tuned out the annoying machine as she used her gift to test out the arm servo she was finalizing. ¡°Botty 1, initialize the firearm test.¡± Her favorite moved his little arms to test the armor plate that she just finished placing on the shoulder section of her suit. If the thing held up to conventional firearms, she would consider it a success. After clamping himself to the table, Botty 1 opened a small section underneath him that revealed a gun chamber. It was ten millimeters, which for most thugs on the street was generous. Still, if it could handle that, it would be a success. ¡°Engage.¡± Botty started firing at the plate, which effortlessly deflected the shot. It also started bouncing off the metal box that Meghan created for the test, and soon she was ducking under the table. After a few pinging noises that ended with a new hole in her machine lab, Meghan sighed as she reached for a speaker phone. ¡°Botty 2 and Botty 3, please report to the Machine Lab and patch the newest hole in the roof, that is all.¡± She heard the scurrying steps of her little bots moving towards the damaged ceiling, one carrying a screw gun while the other had a corrugated piece of steel roofing. ¡°Gosh, I knew having assistance was the right idea. But No~, ¡®can¡¯t have that bringing down the budget for the rest of the science department Meghan¡¯. ¡®Can¡¯t you take one for the team, Meghan?¡¯ ¡°Bah, the best thing that ever happened to me was getting shit canned.¡± She stretched out her hand, where Botty 4 was waiting with a glass of hot chocolate for her. She never could get coffee to taste good, so this was the next best thing. ¡°Well, barring the mishap with the testing area, it looks like the Mark One armor is good to go.¡± ¡°Creator Meghan, it would seem that you have guests.¡± ¡°What?! When were you going to tell me Printy?!¡± ¡°Three hours ago, they¡¯ve been here for most of the time. It was made very clear that you did not wish to be disturbed. I have taken the liberty of providing them chairs and beverages while they waited for you.¡± Meg turned around to see her best friend with another very tall girl in hero garb. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°What my Creator wishes to say is that she regrets being caught ignoring her guests and wishes to apologize for her candor.¡± ¡°...What the sarcasta-bot said.¡± Chimera beamed at her, ¡°so you got an exo-suit working?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She smiled. I knew Sarah would get it. ¡°I did! It even runs off of my electrical power, no need to carry a heavy battery pack.¡± ¡°Still, you might want smaller ones just in case.¡± ¡°Redundancies are the safe man¡¯s bet.¡± She turned to the tall girl. ¡°Who are you, and why are you with my daughter?¡± Inside her head, Meghan was summoning all of her own mother¡¯s energy to try and sell the bit. Sarah had explained yesterday that it might be a good idea for her to introduce Meghan and Aden to her super friends, if only to get some help in case they got found out by super gangs. Their location being near the port, it was very likely that it could happen. Despite this glaring fact though, it wasn''t without it''s own merits. It was the best place to keep away from ChemTech, as their competitor Pharmasol owned the shipping and port district. When they worked for the company, Meghan could remember the meetings that had their employees show ¡®team dynamics¡¯ and ¡®company culture¡¯ when talking about one-upping Pharmasol¡¯s ¡®best company of the year¡¯ model. Personally, Meghan hated everyone but Sarah anyway, so corporate culture be damned. She did retain that because of their feud, ChemTech did not get involved with the port district. So, two birds with one stone. She sighed as she thought about her burnt down apartment. Sarah never said to do it, but after her thoughts about ChemTech, Meghan didn¡¯t want to take any chances. The old Meghan died in a fire at her old apartment. That was the story, and she didn¡¯t bother correcting anyone about it. ¡°...Right, before you answer that, introductions.¡± She snapped her fingers as her four Bottys appeared next to her, number one resting on her shoulder. ¡°Welcome to the Machine Lab, my name¡¯s Meghan, and these are my robots. You¡¯ve met Printy already it seems, so all that¡¯s left is who you are and what you¡¯re doing with Chimera?¡± The girl, despite being taller than her, seemed to shrink at the question. Oh, is this what it feels like to be intimidating? Meghan filed away that thought for later, now was cover building time. ¡°...U-Umm, hello Ms. Meghan, ma¡¯am. I-I was just walking Chimera home and she decided-,¡± ¡°-To bring you here, yeah, sounds like the little troublemaker. Chimera, I told you not to come into the lab while I¡¯m working, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°B-But you were making some cool stuff and I just wanted to show-,¡± ¡°-That doesn¡¯t give you an excuse to disobey. What if that test had gone wrong and that bullet hit your friend?¡± ¡°W-Well she¡¯s a superhero so-,¡± ¡°-That¡¯s not the point! You¡¯re much too reckless Chimera, not everyone can come back from a bullet hole in their head. Do not bring anyone in here unless I say it¡¯s okay.¡± Meghan felt her heart clench a bit as her friend¡¯s head went downcast. Damnit Sarah, did you have to leave me the part of being an adult? She didn¡¯t yell at people, or friends or anyone for that matter, she just didn¡¯t. Yet, now she was having to pretend on being the ¡®responsible parent figure¡¯ to Sarah¡¯s cover. You are going to owe me so much ice cream after this! ¡­ The Plan went off without a hitch. Well, maybe not the gun shot test, but the rest was perfect. After she showed Glow around the Lab for a bit, she told her about how she wanted to make sure that Meghan was protected. Which was the real reason behind letting Glow know about their hideout in the first place. Chimera wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe that she could protect her friend and brother constantly, so having another pair of eyes to help watch them was welcome. She didn¡¯t really trust the rest of the Hero¡¯s League, they couldnt even find Gideon when they had a picture of the guy, for crying out loud! But Glow? She was part of a hero family, and based on her personality, she wouldn¡¯t betray those she considered friends. Sarah felt a bit of a bastard for using that, but it meant keeping Meghan and Aden safe. Her conscience could take a hit if it meant that. When her friend finally departed, and the show was over, she returned to talk to Meg. ¡°You owe me so much ice cream for this! How could you make me do that?! I felt so awful when she couldnt speak!¡± ¡°H-Hey, relax would you? This needed to happen for my cover, and it also helps protect you in case something happens.¡± Meghan scoffed at her, ¡°as strange as it is to say, with this new suit, I doubt I will be needing the protection. It¡¯s Aden you¡¯re really worried about, isn¡¯t it?¡± She couldnt deny it, ¡°he¡¯s starting to get independent, and it scares me a bit. I get it, I really do¡­¡± ¡°You always took care of him after your parents passed Sarah, that doesn¡¯t just shut off after he decides he¡¯s better. I may not have siblings, but protecting your loved ones? I get it.¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°even with a super biology, it doesn¡¯t just go away.¡± Meghan sat down across from her with two hot chocolates in her hand. ¡°Take the cocoa, and tell me your problems. It¡¯s what you did for me when you weren¡¯t a squirt.¡± Sarah chuckled at that, ¡°remember the time when Michael from accounting came to get our expense reports, and we had to explain the purchase of those apple trees?¡± ¡°How were we supposed to know that bitch Levi put that crap in our reports, just so he could get a pair of apple trees for his stupid office window.¡± ¡°It was a good view from his office to the courtyard though.¡± ¡°Not at the price of my bonus, it wasn''t!¡± ¡°What about the time we got back at Levi for that, oh the look on her face¡­¡± ¡°I never knew we could grow a pineapple tree that fast, Hah!¡± The two of them talked about the past, their frustrations, their hopes for the future, and everything in between. It was what Sarah needed after all the crap she had to go through recently, just a nice reminder that despite her new gifts and body, that she was still herself underneath it all. If only it could continue like that. Chapter 22 Fight Night at the PoRT Chimera decided to go out for a night stroll, a bit of an adventure to stretch her metaphorical legs. It was a bitter cold night around the port district of New Terra, and despite the chill, Chimera was feeling rather great. The talk she had with Meghan was just the thing she needed to vent, destress and unwind from the worries she had started to accumulate. So instead of worrying about thing she couldn''t control, she decided to do thing''s she could. Like meet up with her mouse and rat friends. Chimera worked her way up the side of another warehouse in the port district, using her spider webs and grips to scale with ease. Once she made it to the top, she closed her eyes and branched out her thoughts. Okay, I''m not sure this will work, but after those trees I planted, I get a feeling that I might be able to... there! She felt a sort of ping reach her from across the street, near the Donald''s that she and her friends had visited before. With a bounce, she shot herself off the roof and landed with a hop. Okay, and now! Once she hit the ground, she used her wolf legs plus her kangaroo muscle groups that she got from the zoo grounds to launch herself upward. "Woah!" Chimera over shot her jump by a few hundred feet, landing in the parking of the nearby King Burger. "Crap, let''s correct this!" With a twist like a spring, she bounced off of the rival restaurant, and landed in the dumpster of the Donald. "Perfect." With a spread of her tendrils, she started to ingest the biomass of the nearby trash receptacles. The old thoughts of her disgust were replaced with the feeling of power she received from the new DNA she had acquired. Alright, time to find the Rats and mice. "Hey guys, remember me?!" As if on cue, her rat friends showed up alongside the mice, a sort of communal gathering taking place. "Oh, so you guys got a partnership going?" They nodded, and some of them were even protecting the smaller mice and rats like guards. "Woah, might be messing with the local ecosystem here. This is better though right?" Suddenly, she had a few mice and rats showing up to ask her something. "Wait, you want me to... make you both..." They nodded, holding each other''s paws like newly weds. "Uh okay, but could you guys help me with something too?" They nodded as well, bowing with tears in their eyes. Aww, they want to get together... crap, this is because of my changes isn''t it? "Alright, I need to find out what''s been happening around the port district. If you guys can help me with that, I''ll... wed you two." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The rest of the populace of rat and mice starting squeaking, and Chimera could almost hear a cheer ring out from the rodents. She spread a few tendrils into the ground, and the rodent families started to grab them and insert them into their ears. Okay, ignoring the fact that this feels gross. She suddenly was bombarded with images from various locations, all over the port area. It took a moment to make sense of any of it, but the communal rats seemed to be adding to her own thoughts. Okay there''s an illegal fight club'', Oh how I love the feel of her fur'', Those ears are something else,'' Why doesn''t she see that I''m the one for her!'' She tried to drown out the rest of the noise but the voices got louder. ''Isn''t our God so great,'' praise be to the Girl In Red,'' She has made our lives all the better!'' "Okay enough!" She shifted the DNA inside the two species, granting them biocompatibility. "Gosh, you guys are loud when you''re all together. Okay, thanks for the info, stay out of trouble, and be kind to each other... or something, I got to go!" After releasing the tendrils from the zealous rodents, Chimera raced out of the dumpster lot of the Donald''s. Got to stop making so many changes in the wildlife, it''s starting to get weird! ... Craft Single wasn''t having a great day at the Fight Club. Mostly because his luck with the betting was absolute crap, but he came here everyday to try to change his life for the better. If he could just get one good bet in, it would all change. His wife might even come back from her sister''s place. If only he could win just one fight... "Oh folks, it looks like Mr. Games-A-Lot is out for the count! Not many come back from having their head literally ripped off! Let''s wait a few seconds and confirm if our latest fighter is a red stain on the floor or not!" The announcer spoke through the speakers in a hair-raising voice as Craft looked at his last hope for a miracle die with the latest round of ''fighters'' that this place used. They were basically clones of metahumans that weren''t viable, or that''s what he heard from one of the contestants after they pleaded with the audience to let them go. Craft did feel sorry for the poor bloke, but what was he going to do? This place was already illegal, and run by Crown. No one was going to got against Crown for a poor bastard like that clone. Craft sighed as the clone did not get up from the floor after having his head ripped off by the contestant super. Craft didn''t know why he bet on a clone, but the odds were twenty-five to one. He just wanted to hope that not only would his life change, but the clones would too. He sighed as he turned to leave the place, the last hopes that he held onto starting to turn into despair. Angel, Brie, I''ve lost them both now. Nothing I do''s going to make up for the twenty grand I bet on that fighter. Just as he was about to turn to the betting table to turn himself in, the announcer sounded off. "Woah Momma! Looks like we got another contestant in the ring folks, and she is a monster!" Craft turned to look back down into the ring, his eyes opening wide as he stared down at what could only be described as a beautiful horror. There was a grown woman in the middle of the ring, the other fighter pinned under her by red tentacles. "I''ve just heard that the Master Crown himself is coming to deal with this intruder! Don''t leave just yet dear viewers, this fight is one you won''t want to miss!" As Craft got a better look at the woman, he noticed that her clothes, her face, everything about her was shifting. "That works for me actually, because I got words for the manager of this place." "Ohchee Momma, ladies and gents, turns out this femme fatale has words with Crown himself! Let''s see what she and the purveyor of pain have to say!" Craft felt the last of his cash in his pocket, a measly two grand that wouldn''t even get him through the month. This is it! He raced to the gambling booth. "Put it all on the woman!" "Sir, those odds are 2000 to one, are you sure?" "Yes! Please!" the man took his money, and the hope in Craft''s reingited as he turned to look down at his savior. Come on, you got to beat him, please! ... Chimera took a look around as she felt her body shift into her battle form. Oh, this is going to be fun. Chapter 23 FRiday Night Rumble Chimera was standing over a now very much screaming man in the middle of an underground fight club. ¡°AHHAHHAAA!!! Get these things off of me!¡± She was also templating the asshole after she found out that he had a physical boosting power that from what she was now confirming, was muscle group based. Yesss, more powers for the collection, bahahaha! After getting a good chuckle and realizing that the place was now starting to wake up to her shenanigans, she decided to ultimatum the hell out of this place. ¡°Is this Crown fellow coming or not? Or do I just have to wreck this place until he shows up?¡± ¡°Woah folks, looks like the lady''s impatient. Will our esteemed owner be showing up, or will he leave this wrathful woman to her whims?!¡± Man, that guy is a good hype man. This place may be run down, but the commentator certainly isn¡¯t. She made a show of shifting her arms into polar bear arms, flexing as she looked around at the crowd. ¡°What a skill! The gloves are coming off, and apparently they''re a little hairy! But don¡¯t let that fool you, she¡¯s ¡®bearing¡¯ her fangs and strutting her stuff. Lets hope she spares us her animalistic nature and gives us a great performance!¡± Okay, he needs to dial it back a bit. After harvesting the nutrients from the cage fighter under her, Chimera launched him into the stands around her. The crowd seemed to love it strangely enough. ¡°YAAAAAY!¡± ¡°TOSS ME BEAR LADY!¡± A shiver went through her as Chimera spoke above the crowd. ¡°Okay, time¡¯s up Crown, I¡¯m wrecking your shit!¡± ¡°Please, hold back your need for destruction of private property miss, I already furnished the seating arrangements and I would hate for them to be made unusable.¡± Chimera turned to the door leading under the place she assumed was the commentator¡¯s booth. The door was a double door that split in the middle, and the door¡¯s themselves were now opening, moving into the walls as they revealed an obese man with a wide brimmed hat. He was a short man with a handlebar mustache, a white hat and white suit complete with a black vest and a golden tie. He had a cigar in his mouth and a gleaming smile. ¡°Now my lady, I do believe we have not met. Have I or one of my constitutes done something to earn your ire?¡± ¡°Name¡¯s Huntress, and I¡¯ve been looking for the monster responsible for the missing homeless around the port district. Someone told me it¡¯s you.¡± The man gave her his best customer service smile, ¡°oh my dear, we take all sorts who want to change their luck. Homeless, unemployed, even those with gambling addictions, they all come down to try their hand at changing their fates.¡± He opened his arms wide, ¡°ain¡¯t that right folks?¡± The crowd screamed, some booing while most of them were yelling out to support the Crown. ¡°See? They ain¡¯t here against their wills. So, before I ask you to kindly leave my premises, I would like to know how you learned about this establishment?¡± Chimera stared at him with visceral hate. ¡°That would be the rats and mice.¡± She started shifting her biomass around to strengthen her new body. Tiger Spine. Bear Claws and Arms Kangaroo Legs and Hips. A Plethora of different muscle groups. Her Eye Augments, the same she gave to Meghan. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Finally, a crocodile¡¯s jaw and muscle group. Her voice came out a bit guttural as she spoke back to Crown. ¡°They told me that the homeless have been taken to feed the ¡®prized fighters¡¯ you got hiding under this place. I¡¯m here to bring this place down, Crown, and you with it.¡± Crown froze at the mention of his fighters, his customer service smile now a disappointed frown. ¡°This is a terrible shame. No one¡¯s supposed to know about Miguel and Clara, at least not till I got them being submissive like.¡± His eyes flashed, and for a moment Chimera was feeling like she should be listening to everything Crown told her to do. The mind she made was immediately turned off and while keeping her body, she turned her mind into her blobby true form, negating the effect. Fuck! He¡¯s a mind controller! ¡°Now, be a dear and come here for me would you?¡± Chimera kept her face blank as she moved closer to Crown, giving him the impression that his little skill worked. Inside she was looking for ways to capitiliize on this. Do I make him think his skill worked and let him take me away? That might be bad though,what if he has a way to reinforce his control? He mentioned those two others that they were being made submissive¡­ that doesn¡¯t sound good. She decided not to take the chance. ¡°Code word Epsilon Tango Foxtrot. That''s your keyword in case I need you to come back to being my property, got it?¡± She nodded back to him, doing her best to remain as dead-eyed as she could look. ¡°Good¡­ come closer. I got a nice band I need to put around your neck.¡± Nope! Hell to the fucking no! As soon as he reached out with his arms, she snapped her crocodile teeth on his arm. Overcome with a natural instinct, she turned over and began rotating, as Crown¡¯s screams silenced the rest of the audience in the arena. ¡°GET OFFA ME! GET! AHHHH!¡± She felt a crunch, and soon the little fat bastard was flying at the cage around them, sans one arm. She bit down on the thing, and gulped it down. Oh, Oh no¡­ Shit! This was the one power she didn¡¯t want to have! Why the hell didn¡¯t she just knock the guy out? She felt the DNA enter her, and without even being able to stop it, watched it as the DNA coded to her body. What? It never did that before! I always had control of it¡­ so why is it not letting me take it out¡­ She forgot what she was doing. No! She wasn¡¯t forgetting! Something was trying to make her forget about it! She reached inside her chest, grabbing hold of the DNA cache she had for the mind control gift! It was a gift, why do you reject it?! Fuck off! Chimera tore it out of her, and a spike of pain shot through her. OBEY! YOU ARE BUT A¡­ NOPE, TO HELL WITH WHATEVER THIS IS! After she got rid of the DNA cache, the thoughts she was experiencing went away. They faded away into the recesses of her head, and Sarah¡­ Chimera, felt back in control. Crap, I hate it when I¡¯m right. Failsafes, contigencies, and even subliminal drives. Crimson R was definitely made for some kind of mission, and it appeared that this was one of its conditions. Monica made her, or at least made Crimson R, for some purposes, to gain powers and use them for something. If it had a drive to gain some kind of mind control power, then that message she had found from the computer underneath the zoo, it was about Crimson R. The Death Children will have the answers. If I can get to them, they¡¯ll point me to the answer and I can stop it! She turned back to the now armless Crown. After apparently soiling himself, the fat bastard fell unconscious from what she could tell. She ruffled through his clothes, taking care not to touch his bare skin. ¡°There, a keycard.¡± She took the thing, and his wallet, because he was a scumbag who wouldn¡¯t miss those credits anyway. After she got what she needed from the guy, she bound him in spider silk and stuck him to the wall. Better that he stayed where she could find him and away from people who could help him. Chimera took a moment to steady herself, the audience now having left after the proprietor was disarmed. Except for one guy in the stand. ¡°Thank you lady! Your the best hero I could have ever asked for!¡± He was holding up a bunch of dollar credits, a big goofy grin on his face as he saluted her, and proceeded to leave. ¡°Use that money responsibly! No more gambling in places like this!¡± As she said it, a smile went across her face. Hope that guy has a better life after this. Chimera turned to the double doors that Crown came in from, noticing the door¡¯s were still open. Shaking herself off, she moved towards the sign that said elevator and made her way down, using the keycard to lower herself into the basement. Chapter 24 Zombie LaboRatoRy The elevator music was rather enjoyable as Chimera made her way down to the basement level. She couldn¡¯t really place it, but as the door opened to the place below, she found herself wishing she had some way to record it. Something to bug Meghan about later. Chimera took stock of her surroundings as she stepped out of the box, And was met with a bunch of dead eyed people as they moved around the area with crates and boxes, some even standing guard with guns. It was a laboratory, almost just as similar to the one she found underneath the New Terra Zoo. ¡­This couldn¡¯t really be connected to the children, could it?¡± Two guards who previously were staring at nothing turned to her as they seemed to finally notice. ¡°Intruder.¡± ¡°Execute order, kill and destroy evidence.¡± Shit! Chimera shot herself in front of a few zombie people as the guards started unloading assault rifles into the crowd of workers. Shooting a few tendrils in front of her, she made a small wall of superhero enforced rhino skin, which deflected the bullets off to the side. She heard a few people scream out as the shooting stopped for a moment. Moving the walls apart so she could see, Chimera closed them as quickly as she saw the two guards now filled with more holes than swiss cheese. Chimera walked over to see if she might be able to help heal them, but she could tell from the holes in their head that it was too late. I should have taken that monster¡¯s other arm, who puts in a kill code like that? Someone who doesn¡¯t see people as people, thats who. Chimera put her shield away save for one of them, holding it off to the side so she could see what was happening. ¡­This place is filled with people, and some of them look like they were homeless at one point. That bastard didn¡¯t even bother trying to clean them up when he took them in. Guess I found out what happened to them. She took out a few of her tendrils as she went through the crowd. Enough pain should wake them up¡­ maybe? Chimera jabbed one of the zombies with a tendril filled with bee toxin, and yelped as the person in front of her screamed ¡°OUCH! What the¡­ hey, where am I?¡± She stared at the woman in a lab coat as she looked around in a daze that she started to wake up from. ¡°Long story short, an asshole name Crown mindjacked you and all these people for some reason, do you remember anything?¡± She shifted back into Huntress without the animal enhancements. Chimera didn¡¯t want to scare the poor person out of her wits. ¡°Wha? But I was just at a lunch meeting with a round fat man by the name of Carmichael. We were going to tell him that we weren¡¯t interested in a merger, but¡­ that¡¯s where it ended. Why can¡¯t I remember anything?¡± ¡°Probably because of the mind control nonsense.¡± ¡°Motherfucker! I¡¯m going to wring that lard ass¡¯ neck!¡± ¡°Hey! Hey, wait a second, let''s help these people out first eh? This place, can you tell me anything about it?¡± She looked around, ¡°this is our off-site lab.¡± Chimera felt a bit exasperated, ¡°anything else you can tell me?¡± The lab coat woman turned to her with suspicion, ¡°not without the company''s approval. You¡¯ll have to talk to my boss about it.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°...You know we¡¯re in a situation where I can just find that information myself, right?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be from me then, and I can say I tried to keep it secret.¡± Chimera sighed as she started to treat the others in a similar fashion, and with one of the guys who was also in a lab coat, she found out what this place was supposed to be. It was what she feared too. This place was a black-site, a place where companies go to do things that ethical businesses have no reason to do. And it was a ChemTech site. Why here? She stalked around the area while she started freeing the homeless people next, making sure she was out of sight of the guards who were staring ahead with lifeless eyes. In her head, Chimera was trying to make sense of this place, and why someone like Carmichael Crown was interested in it. She almost wished that she just dived in and grabbed the bastard¡¯s thoughts from his skull. That feeling though, that maddening voice that tried to convince her to take that wretched power from him. It wasn¡¯t something she wanted any part of. ¡°Intruder found.¡± ¡°Execute order, kill and destroy evidence!¡± Chimera formed a mass of tendrils to launch at the guards, some creating shields while the other¡¯s sought the guards to inject them with the pain toxin. With these guys, she decided to include a numbing agent to make them less trigger happy. She had no clue if these men were loyal, unlike the homeless, who were showing to be completely unaware of their situations. ¡°What, where are we?¡± ¡°That fat man told me we would get paid, why am I here?¡± ¡°Stupid! Never should have listened!¡± Chimera had finally handled the last of the guards by the time she got back to the scientist. This man was more cooperative, because it turned out he was from Pharmasol. ¡°Oh thank god you came, miss hero, I¡¯m worried about what those loons at ChemTech might have been doing here.¡± ¡°Just tell me what you know, we gotta get these people out before a riot starts.¡± He smiled, ¡°no problem, I have just the thing.¡± The scientist man moved towards a section of the lab that Chimera had overlooked in lieu of everything that was happening. It was a double door that led out to a small port, complete with a sizable boat. ¡°I can get these fine men and women out, but I worry for the two inside the lab, miss hero. Those two came with me when we went to investigate this place for our employer. Miguel and Clara were their names.¡± Chimera froze, ¡°those were the people that the rats said were Carmichael¡¯s prized fighters¡­¡± That made the scientist scream, ¡°that monster! Him and ChemTech both! They must have been experimenting on them when we got captured¡­ and Clara was¡­¡± The scientist seemed to steel himself as he turned to Chimera, ¡°we have to help them!¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll look for them, you get as many people on this boat as we can hold.¡± He nodded back, ¡°please find them Miss hero.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Huntress, by the way.¡± ¡°Thank you Huntress! Please, they should be somewhere inside the inner lab area.¡± Chimera turned to the inner complex of the area, moving her body as she shifted back into her bestial form. It was time to see what ChemTech was working on. ¡­ The lab corridors zoomed past her as Chimera made her way inside. Gun emplacements and traps sprung on her as she raced by them, but with the enhanced physic she just received from the pit fighter, the bullets and the flames brushed off of her without injury. After a few hallways like that, she started running into freeze traps that were using nitrogen. Those she had to be careful of, as the liquid nitrogen spread over an area of the hallway that she couldn¡¯t just brush past. Still, that only mattered if she couldn¡¯t break through the walls to get past the freezing traps. This place wasn¡¯t so shoddly built that she could do that forever though, and the last hallway she hadn¡¯t checked appeared to be reinforced. There wasn¡¯t time, if something happened, and the place had some sort of kill switch to end the experiments, she would be too late to save them. With the last of the hallway covered in frost traps, Chimera knew that she was going to be hurting after this. She launched herself forward, spinning as she did to try and mitigate the coverage. She could feel herself beginning to slow, the temperature inside her starting to frost over as she smashed through the door into the inner lab. Chimera stumbled into the room, her freezing limbs and body slowing her movements to a crawl as she pulled herself up. ¡°Not doing that again¡­¡± ¡°Oh, a guest?¡± Chimera shot her head up as she saw a young woman in a lab coat, a checkerd swimsuit, and long black and white hair, with a wide smile and razor sharp teeth. And the darkest eyes she ever saw on a person. ¡°It truly is a wonder. Not many could get by that liquid nitrogen trap. Still, it is rather fascinating to see someone try to shake off literally freezing in an instant.¡± Chimera smiled, even as she felt a pit grow in her stomach. Why me? What is my luck with these damn death children?! Before her stood Aura, or as she was better known as, Killer Whale. Chapter 25 Blob VRS KilleR Whale ¡°Oh, it seems you''re still moving after all. Let¡¯s fix that.¡± The ice that was accumulating on Chimera moved, spreading further around her as she tried to break free of it. Without a way to move her body as it was, Chimera decided the best way to move out of the ice was from within. She abandoned her current form, twisting inside her body until she was once again a blob. With the outside frozen, she shifted into a drill, just as she did back in the ChemTech Laboratory that she and Meghan ran. And shot out of her own body like a bullet. Shifting back into her Chimera form, she faced the villainess in front of her with a few tendrils hovering behind her. Killer Whale smiled back at her. ¡°Oh, the lost experiment, nice to finally meet you.¡± ¡°Huh, guess that means you¡¯re working for her then.¡± Killer Whale¡¯s smile twitched a bit, ¡°I work only for my own goals, not that zealots! No, I was just interested in her design, as water and fluid kinetics are my speciality. It seems she figured out how to make you resistant to me.¡± Chimera smirked back, ¡°good.¡± Kller Whale shook her head, ¡°it¡¯s not good, for you. I¡¯ll just have to break you until I can figure out how she did it.¡± ¡°Good luck with that monochrome, because I¡¯m going to take you down before that¡¯s gonna happen.¡± The villainess¡¯ smile turned into a growl, and her sharp shark-like teeth snapped as she stretched out her hands. The ground erupted into a water fountain, and soon a film of the liquid wrapped around Killer Whale like a cloak. ¡°I''ll rip the secrets out of you!¡± The water around Killer Whale bent to her will and started to churn like the roiling waves of the sea. As she built the tempo of the waves, she jumped onto the water, With a flourish, she started to swim in the air, carrying a sort of surf with her as she swam towards Chimera. Chimera only had a moment to dodge as the wave broke through the walls, leading back out into the laboratory that sprawled outward. Chimera tried to gain her footing, but the water started to grab her, tossing her out with the wave. Crap! I don¡¯t have any sea animal DNA to help with this water! She saw the water bringing her closer to Killer Whale, whose jaw was opening wide to bite at her. Well, it worked on her brother so¡­ Shifting her inner body, she grew the quill pig spines all over her outer self, turning into a porcupine child! Killer Whale was ready though, and shifted the current to throw her aside just as she was about to reach her. ¡°DNA Biomorphism, it seems she made you able to absorb the DNA of your foes, clever sister.¡± ¡°That was actually from a nice quill pig who loved to be scratched under his chin. Not all of us are assholes like you guys.¡± Killer Whale didn¡¯t seem to appreciate that as the water started to churn faster. ¡°Me, an asshole? You must not know my big sister at all. No one compares to that bitchl!¡± Actually, she was my boss! Not that she was telling that to this one, no matter the relationship the siblings had. Chimera took the spines she made and placed them into the tendrils. Well, if close quarters does nothing¡­ She mixed her web spinner designs she took from a jumping spider, and the launching potential within, and added it to the spines in her tendrils. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Spine gun, Fire! With three tendrils filled with venon soaked spines, she launched the salvo at the villainess. A surge of water shot out to intercept the spines, and while some of them were deflected, others rifled through the waves and landed on an arm. ¡°Argh! What the hell is this?!¡± Bee venom mixed with wasp venom, guaranteed to bring the pain! She kept up her fire rate as she moved closer to the villainess, saving a special spine for the water kinetic. ¡°That¡¯s it you little shit!¡± More water pooled in from the inner lab to the outside. The wide area soon was drenched with a foot of water, and Chimera was finding it harder to move around. ¡°Stay still!¡¯ The water around Chimera¡¯s legs grabbed her, holding her in place as a wave of pressurized water shot at her face. Holy shit that''s strong! Chimera had to hold her body in place to prevent her brain from shooting into the walls behind her, the pressure was that strong. The pressure built though, growing stronger and stronger as it became razor thin. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you handle my Water Cutter!¡± The water to Killer Whales left and right shot out like a laser, slicing through both metal and wood as if it wasn¡¯t there. It made its way to Chimera, and the water started to not just hold her legs, but her entire body. She couldn¡¯t move it at all, and the streams were starting to cross over her. Crap! She tried to move, she couldn¡¯t. She tried to go smaller, but she couldn¡¯t. She tried to move the water by expanding and shrinking¡­ It worked! She shifted her small form into a ten foot super version of her child-like body. And immediately shrunk it back down, giving her enough time to bounce out of the water¡¯s hold. Yet. She felt the water cut her left arm off, and a searing pain shot through her whole body. ¡°Ahh Fuck!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something a child should say!¡± ¡°Fuck you too!¡± She tried to grow her arm back, but the cutter left some water in her wound, and it was pressing against her. The water actively tried to stop her regeneration, forcing her fluid back into her true body. Well, good news is I won¡¯t bleed out. Bad news is I¡¯m down an arm until I can get the old one back. Or¡­ She stared up at the laughing villainess. If I could just get a bit of her DNA¡­ The spines! She looked around for any of the spines that Killer Whale pulled out. There! It was just under her, a spine that had just a bit of red on the tip of it. It was slowly being taken under the water! Crap! Got to hurry! She forgoed any defense, launching herself at the spine with reckless abandon. Chimera felt the other Water Cutter hit her across the side, slicing her left leg off to match her missing left arm. ¡°Ahh! Damnit, come on!¡± She turned her right leg into a spring, and shot herself forward. ¡°Not so fast you fool!¡± The spine, her goal, was pulled from the ground and sent flying into a nearby wall. ¡°Do not think of me as an idiot! I knew you would go for it, and now, you''re mine!¡± The water crashed around Chimera as it tried to hold her in place once again. This time though. YES! Killer Whale wasn¡¯t as fast as she though, and a bit of her blood made its way into the water that was now holding her. She let the water in, along with the blood of the villainess. Okay, let¡¯s do this! She pushed the knowledge inside her, tracing the DNA as fast as she could to find the secret to Killer Whale¡¯s water abilities. She found it, and felt the power slot itself without any resistance. Oh crap¡­ it¡¯s just like earlier. She couldn¡¯t worry about it right now though, she needed that ability to help stop Killer Whale. With a twitch of her thoughts, Chimera seized the water around her, mixing her true body into the fluid as she grew larger and larger. ¡°Fool! With the water inside you, I have access to your entire body! Hahaha! Now you will be my puppet!¡± The water stopped. The Water Cutters stopped. Killer Whale stopped! ¡°What? How can this be? I made sure to¡­ no!¡± The water grabbed its former master, and put her before Chimera. ¡°Damnit! How did you get my blood?¡± Chimera shot a tendril into her neck, injecting a knock out serum as the villainess started to slump. ¡°Damn¡­ you¡­ Monica¡­¡± Chimera felt Killer Whale¡¯s body go unconscious, and dove into the villainess as she slumped to the floor. She has to know something, and I need to find out what she was doing here. Chimera felt herself shift as she settled inside Killer Whale''s body, the knowledge, DNA and soon, the brain matter, opening up to her. Chapter 26 SecRets, DiRectives, PuRpose. ¡°Aura, come.¡± ¡®Yes, Father¡­¡± Aura was tired of listening to the man, who constantly had that look on his face. Like she was a disappointment, like she was a failure like Crysa. Yet, she was compelled, and so she obeyed. The old man would often say it was to their benefit, that thinking on their own would cause them to unravel. Aura knew it to be fear, fear that his creations would turn on him after all the experiments he did on them. It was a real fear, for Aura wanted nothing more than to rip the monster¡¯s head off and finally be free of him. Still, she could fantasize later, now it was time for work. In front of her was a sac filled with organic material, a biohazard sticker was slapped on the bag, and a warning about contamination was easily visible. ¡°This is the last of them, those poor fools. Yet their gift will change this world, I will make certain of it.¡± ¡°Father, why do you even bother? You created us, and yet you keep trying to grasp for something that isn¡¯t there anymore. Gideon, Crysa and I are much-¡± ¡°Enough, daughter. Your understanding of this is limited, but that¡¯s my fault. I never did tell your siblings about her, about the one who will surpass you all.¡± ¡°Do you mean Moni-¡± ¡°Keep your voice down, for your sake Aura. Your elder sibling is, for the lack of a better descriptor, a calculating mind. She may be listening to us right now. You do not want to have her look into you.¡± ¡°Why are you so afraid of Mon-... of her?¡± Because she was the closest thing I could replicate to the original, yet I left out an essential piece, and it turned her into what she is.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because your eldest would use it to wipe us all out.¡± Aura felt a chill run up her spine at that. It was true that Monica was calculating, but she always treated her and the rest of their siblings just fine. So why was the old man so afraid, why did he think Monica was going to go all terminator? ¡°I¡¯m leaving this for you Aura, the last of them¡­ I need you to keep it safe for me.¡± Aura sighed, but she took the sac, and placed it in a freezer. I doubt anyone even cares about this, but I don¡¯t really care if they find it either. ,,, Chimera had been sifting through Killer Whales memories for a bit now, but most of the memories were about random stuff. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint where the death children were heading, or what happened to Claire and Miguel, the two ¡®prize fighters¡¯ that were supposed to be here. She noticed it back in the lab when she first confronted Aura, despite there being many things to grab her attention. There was no one else in that room besides the two of them. Which meant that they either had been moved, or more worrisome. They might be sent out to do something. Chimera tried to concentrate, to pinpoint the two of them in Aura¡¯s mind. She felt it in a moment, when Aura was talking about the ¡®test subjects M and C¡¯. Chimera honed in on that thought, and her mind drifted into Aura¡¯s past. ¡­ Aura was initiating the last bit of control tests for the subjects, two scientists who happened to be gifted and were running this facility. Until big sis decided to appropriate the place. Now whenever the original owners drop by, that mercenary Crown would add them to the ever growing pile of workers they had set for the break-out. Not that Aura cared about that, she found herself not caring a lot about things. It was all just so boring, no fun, no good fights, everything about the stupid mission. She wanted to experiment, she wanted to test her gifts and push her limits. Instead, she was sitting here in a basement making sure these two followed their orders to the letter. ¡°Code words Foxtrot Delta, state objectives.¡± The woman spoke, her face scrunched up like she was still resisting. ¡°I¡­ Will¡­ Convince¡­ the guards to give me a tour¡­¡± Aura jotted down the responses. ¡°When confronted with those who will get in your way?¡± The woman was crying now, but she still answered. ¡°I¡­ Am to Kill them¡­¡± ¡°Good, code words Lima Nelson, state objectives. The man was fighting it too, just why did her sister want to use these people? They clearly had strong wills, they might even screw up the plan! Whatever, it¡¯s not like I care. Aura was just frustrated that she had to be here, when she could have been out in New Terra doing things that were fun, like robbing labs and stealing the water from rich assholes. ¡°I am¡­ to cause a¡­ Distraction¡­ while¡­ She¡­ breaks out the subjects¡­¡± ¡°And what do you do when someone tries to escape your distraction?¡± ¡°P-Please¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°Code word Lima Nelson, your body will feel on fire for two minutes.¡± ¡°Ah¡­AH, AAHHHHHHHH!¡± Aura watched as the man thrashed on the ground, completely convinced that he was burning alive. The mind makes it real, huh. For such a strong will, he still couldn¡¯t resist. After the two minutes she repeated the questions, this time getting a favorable response. ¡°Excellent, you two are to leave and complete your objectives, afterwards you will forget everything that happened here. If you try to remember, you will feel horrible pain for five minutes straight. It will feel like you¡¯re dying.¡± ¡°Why! Why are you doing this to us?!¡± ¡°Please take back that order, I don¡¯t want to do this!¡± Aura could feel the rush she got from her sadistic tendencies flare for a moment. This wasn¡¯t boring anymore, and it started to look like she would get to hear some fools wollow in despair. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll recind the last order if you kill the other person after you complete the mission. Also, you will feel the need to kill each other afterwards, until one of you dies.¡± ¡°Monster!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± Aura¡¯s heart felt full, her mind filled with happy thoughts and wonderful ideas. ¡°When you get on the boat for your mission, you will pull on your hair until it rips off! If you don¡¯t or you try to resist, your skin will catch on fire!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Aura growled, turning to see her older sister come in. Her sister was always the strangest one, despite being nicer to the rest of Aura¡¯s siblings. She had a face that didn¡¯t seem right, like it was malleable and stretchy. Her eyes were dark red, and her face teetered the line between real and the uncanny valley, while her hair reached down to the floor itself. Monica never revealed anything on her face, unless it was something she wanted you to see. Even then, after living with her and doing her bidding for so long, Aura knew her sister well. And she was pissed. Though her face was pulled back in a smile that reached her ears, Monica playfully chopped her hand on Aura¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re foolishness is showing, Code words Lima Nelson and Foxtrot Delta, belay all orders besides the main mission. This order is final, no room for interpretation is needed.¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°U-Understood.¡± ¡°Good, Aura, come with me.¡± Aura sighed, ¡°you never let me have any fun. I¡¯m tired of following these boring orders Monica, give me something with a fight!¡± ¡°That is good to hear, for I have the very thing you are looking for.¡± Monica turned to her, and her red eyes were glowing. ¡°W-What? Monica, what are you¡­¡± ¡°Code word Zulu Hexa, Aura, you will soon be visited by an experiment of mine. You are to capture it at all cost.¡± Aura¡¯s mind was at ease, it was better to obey. ¡°Yes, sister.¡± ¡°Good, forget that you had this order, until the time is right.¡± ¡°Yes sister.¡± ¡°And¡­ Toy.¡± The eyes in the memory seemed to be looking past Aura, and into something deeper. ¡°You can¡¯t get away forever little one, I will find you, and you will be mine, it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± The eyes glowed but Chimera shut off the memory before it could stick.¡± Chimera felt her mind going a million beats a second as she took in what she just saw. Those eyes were just like Crowns¡­ which means one of three things. Either She had the ability, and found out how to pass it along. Possible since Chimera was able to do it. Two, she was using some kind of device. She had a belt with a few devices that Chimera couldn¡¯t place, so there was a chance that they might have been what she used to make this happen. Not Likely, since the eye glowing would have no purpose if it was tech based. Which left the last theory, and the one that Chimera feared the most. That glowing eye ability, it was always Monica¡¯s. Crown was an experiment, And she¡¯s been putting subliminal messages in a lot more people than Chimera thought. Oh no! The image in Aura¡¯s head was the image she once saw before. With a certain panda. Fear chemicals built in Aura¡¯s body, and soon she was hyperventilating. ¡°N-No, Monica¡­ d-don¡¯t-¡± Aura¡¯s heart was going faster and faster, and adrenaline shot into her body to keep the heart rate soaring. Chimera had a choice now. She could save Aura and interrogate her more. Or she could let Aura die, and take the information. Stupid, this girl just tried to kill you! But she¡¯s also the only one who knows where the two missing scientists are! And¡­ it wouldn¡¯t sit right to let her die like this. Chimera took control of the body, and shifted the image Aura was seeing. ¡°Look, you owe me for this, okay?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Your sister just tried to kill you and hide the evidence. I¡¯m stopping that right now, so, you¡¯re welcome I guess.¡± ¡°Fool, if this was reversed¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m not you, and I¡¯m not about to kill someone I can save. Also you gave me a gift so this is just payback, if your twisted mind can wrap its head around that.¡± ¡°Also you¡¯re going to help me stop whatever she¡¯s doing, I think that¡¯s fair at least.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m done letting people control me! Let me go!¡± ¡°Look, just think of it as trying to pay me back, I¡¯ll even give you some cool stuff. You¡¯re bored a lot right? Help me out, and I¡¯ll help you out.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Why What?¡± ¡°...Why are you being so kind to me, after what I tried to do?¡± Chimera thought about it for a bit. She¡¯s as much a victim of Monica as I was¡­ I think that might be why. She snorted in her head. Here I am, sympathizing with a person who just tried to make two innocent people kill each other. Then again¡­ She checked Aura¡¯s brain for a certain device. Low and behold, nestled in the same spot that Gideon¡¯s was. ¡°I¡¯m gonna help you, and you¡¯ll help me, because I think that¡¯s the only way you can finally be free.¡± ¡°Did¡­ you just make that rhyme?¡± ¡°Still true though, try being a good guy for once. I guarantee it¡¯ll be better than you think. You might even like it.¡± ¡°Me, help innocent fools?¡± ¡°Who was the fool who almost got their heart exploded?¡± ¡°...We¡¯ll do it your way, but before that I demand a price.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it, whatever that is.¡± ¡°I already know what I want.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The brain chemicals in Aura¡¯s mind were starting to self regulate after Chimera took the device out. ¡°I want to be free, and I never want what was going to happen to ever happen again.¡± Chimera knew what she meant. She wants to be free of whatever conditioning those two put in her. ¡°Easy enough. Boom, done-zo!¡± Chimera deleted the memory, a little snip here and there, and replaced the brain matter. ¡°You¡­ changed something in my mind?¡± ¡°Yup, no worries though,. I just took all those pesky subliminal commands away.¡± ¡°...*sniff*.¡± Uh oh. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Oh Crap! ¡°Thank you so muuuuch!¡± Ayra was full on bawling, and through their link Chimera could feel all the repressed sadness and fear she was conditioned not to feel bubble forth. ¡°Okay! Wait, no need to cry!¡± ¡°You¡¯re sho nish, and after I cut your arrrrmm offff!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ we were enemies? It¡¯s okay, really!¡± ¡°No! I hate thish, I hate me! Why am I alwaysh sho shtupid?!¡± Chimera spent a good five minutes trying to help send positive thoughts into the villain¡¯s head, if only to get her to stop her from crying so much. The hell, why is this happening to me?! The link she shared with Aura was starting to bleed into her, and soon she was bawling too. ¡°I Miss Mom and Dad!¡± ¡°I wish I had a mom!¡± ¡°Life sucks!¡± ¡°It does!¡± After another five minutes, they both started to calm down. Chimera separated from Aura, standing before her in her child form as she lifted the older teen to stand her up. ¡°Why¡­ am I like this?¡± ¡°So, those feelings you had, they were being filtered through this.¡± Chimera pulled out the anger conditioner that she got from Aura, showing it to her.¡± She took it, ¡°this was in my head? This is Father¡¯s work!¡± ¡°Yeah, it was also in your brother Gideon¡¯s head too. Apparently it numbs your emotions, makes you sadistic and forces you to take pleasure from killing.¡± ¡°You mean¡­ me and my siblings all have this?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they did. I think all the stuff you guys went through is part of something big, but I can¡¯t put it together.¡± Aura stared at Chimera for a bit, ¡°you¡¯re our sister¡¯s experiment, how are you walking and talking like this?¡± Chimera twirled, switching between Huntress, Chimera, Kadmon, and finally her old self. ¡°My name¡¯s Sarah, or it was. You¡¯re sister tried to kill me¡­ and she succeeded I guess. Now I¡¯m like this.¡± She shifted into her true form, the form of the Crimson R, her blobby form. ¡°That''s the sac! Father¡¯s sac! How did Monica get that from my freezer?!¡± So¡­ that material was once a part of me. ¡°She had control of you, made you forget it most likely. I guess she stole that sac you mentioned to make me.¡± ¡°Then¡­ father¡¯s plan¡­ it has to do with that sac, and I know he had one other like it. If Monica gets the other one¡­¡± ¡°...What? What will happen if she does?¡± Aura looked at her, a conflicted face filled with worry touched her features. ¡°This has everything to do with my father''s plan to elevate mankind. As much as I thank you for what you have done¡­ I can¡¯t betray that,¡± She put a hand on her own shoulder, ¡°I can definitely point you in the right direction though, because¡­ I think my father needs to meet you.¡± Chapter 27 Leaning on a FRiend What?! ¡°What does that mean?¡± Aura shook her head, ¡°I can''t explain it, I don¡¯t have all the details anymore anyway, since father made me forget, but if you meet him, it¡¯ll all be clear.¡± ¡°You want me to walk up to the bastard who likely made my parts? What if he controls me like he did you? I can¡¯t take a risk like that!¡± ¡°He wouldn''t! Whatever Father¡¯s plan is, he wouldn¡¯t use you like that¡­ he needs your cooperation to make it work¡­ I think.¡± ¡°You know things.¡± ¡°Yes, but not everything. Only he knows everything.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°none of this matters right now anyway, I need to find Claire and Miguel. Where did you tell them to go?¡± Aura looked down, ¡°when I think about what I told them to do¡­ I feel so bad. Did I really hurt people?¡± ¡°Not important right now, and I¡¯ll help you sort through those feelings later, but for now, where did you send them?!¡± Aura nodded at her, ¡°I sent them to my father. They are to help him break out.¡± ¡°You sent them to Blackrock?!¡± ¡°Technically it was Monica, but yes.¡± Chimera wrapped a tentacle around Aura as she switched back to her Huntress form. ¡°We need to stop them, It¡¯s not just Dr. Pox that¡¯s in there!¡± ¡°Well, Monica would release the biggest distractions she could if it meant freeing Father. Also I can glide on water faster than this.¡± ¡°I got to take you to a friend, since I can¡¯t bring you to the Hero¡¯s League.¡± ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t you a hero?¡± Chimera debated that as she pushed open the doors to the underground port. When she heard a lurch overhead. Then a bunch of squeaks and creaks. Followed by a piece of concrete that fell to the floor next to them. "So... those water cutters hit a support beam or something?" Aura shrugged as more debris fell around them. "Come on!" As the door lurched open, Chimera made an attempt to push it closed behind her, which almost succeeded, until the hinges for the door started to break under the strain of the overhead building. Chimera tuned to find the boat, hoping that the group that she saved was still there. However, the boat had left already, with only a note held to the floor with a knife. She picked it up along with the keys as she read. Dear hero, I want to thank you for your help freeing these fine people from a horrid fate. Some of the passengers and workers were starting to show signs of trouble though, and even tried to kill themselves. As such, me and the few you helped free made the decision to leave. I apologize that we could not wait for you. Best of luck fighting that woman! Mark P.S. I left you a boat to use, the key is on the knife, Chimera grabbed the thing as fast as she could throwing Aura onto the boat as she jumped aboard. ¡°I¡¯ll start the engine, can you get us moving towards the shore?¡± ¡°Easily.¡± The water around them started to churn, and soon Chimera and Killer Whale started to rush out of the under-port into the harbor of New Terra. The building behind them shattered under its own weight, and Chimera could make out the screams of an unfortunate fat man in the aftermath. Serves the bastard right. She felt a small smile come to her lips as she stared out into the New Terra Harbor. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The night was giving way to the dawn, and a silver of the sun could be seen as the two of them turned around towards the shore. Chimera had been trying to start the engine for a good minute. Turning her head to see her captured villainess simple manipulate the water, she toss the key away. ¡°Screw it, the engine is shot anyway.¡± Chimera called upon the water kinesis within her skill set, and felt the pull of Aura¡¯s power as she pushed them forward. Instead of interrupting that, she grabbed hold of Aura and pushed bio energy that she saved inside of her into Aura. ¡°W-Woah! That¡¯s incredible!¡± She could feel Aura beam with excitement as the power coursed through her, pushing them faster and faster. They zoomed by as the shore approached. ¡°Aura! Slow us down!¡± ¡°Umm¡­ the power boost kind of¡­ made me lose control!¡± The boat was suddenly hitting something it was never meant to drive on, and was sliding across the streets of New Terra with a screeching sound that reminded Sarah of Meghan¡¯s new Lab. ¡°Bail!¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared!¡± Chimera sighed as she grabbed hold of the villainess, and wrapped her up in her blobby form. After a few bounces of a couple of buildings, she released Aura, dragging her along as she made her way to the signal of her planted trees. Chimera found their home in a second, running inside while the darkness of the buildings nearby still hid her and Aura. ¡°KId, where¡¯ve you been?¡± ¡°No time Fred, can you open the door?¡± A button press later opened the side door of their warehouse home, and Chimera bounced inside with Aura in hand, who was starting to look like she was seeing stars. ¡°Close it!¡± ¡°Little lady, why are you so flustered?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Fred, there¡¯s no time! I¡¯ll let Meghan explain it to you afterwards, I promise!¡± Fred nodded as he closed the door behind them, the doors'' new electrical maglocks shunting the thing in place after it touched the floor. Meghan¡¯s been busy. She knocked on the door as loud as she could, until she saw the button next to the lab¡¯s door. Hit to make sure I hear you, that means you Sarah. Chimera smiled as she hit the button. A foghorn blasted in the other room, muffled by the sound-proofed lab. ¡°Botty 6, get the door,¡± Sarah heard Meg over the intercom as a small bot unlocked the door. ¡°Meg! We got trouble.¡± Meghan turned around to face Chimera, and she looked a hell of a lot more different than when Chimera left that night. Meghan was now outfitted in her mark 1 power armor, which fit over her like it was made for construction work. It was bulky, had metal scrap and parts for armor, and various gadgets that were welded to the arms and wrists. Her helmet was a modified welding mask, that had various cameras and devices that wouldn¡¯t seem out of place on a battleship, just smaller. The only thing that Chimera could make out from the suit was Meghan''s smile. ¡°Alright, looks like you got something, spill it.¡± Chimera chuckled a bit, and went over her night at the fight club/laboratory. Meg put a hand on her shin, a power glove like fixture that had a pneumatic gauntlet that looked to be made for putting rivets into a vessel. ¡°Looks like we got to hit the prison before they do, or at the very least stop them from succeeding. Otherwise we¡¯ll have super criminals back on the street.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°Aura also needs a place to lay low, So I thought here would be good.¡± Meg looked at Aura, ¡°she knows your a villain, right?¡± Aura nodded, ¡°she fixed my head though, so I¡¯m not going to do anything bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the thing a villainess would say to break into our secret base.¡± Aura looked around at the junk, the 3D Printer who was sentient, the little bots who were now wrestling each other and the power armor that Meg was currently wearing. ¡°It¡¯s not all that secret, is it?¡± Meghan placed a hand on her chin. ¡°She¡¯s kind of a brat.¡± ¡°Yup, but she¡¯s turning over a new leaf and I don¡¯t like that Monica tried to kill her.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s all you had to say honey.¡± Meg grabbed both of Aura¡¯s hands, ¡°stay as long as you like, and if you need a room, Let Botty Prime over there know, he¡¯s a handy home builder.¡± Chimera, Aura and Meghan turned to look at Botty Prime, who was a meter long and wide version of the smaller Bottys. He had a glowing green eye unlike the smaller ones red eyes, and a hard hat that seemed to be riveted to his head plate. With a little wiggle of his leg, he gestured Aura to follow him. ¡°So, it can understand me?¡± ¡°Of course, Botty Prime¡¯s my assistant next to Printy, but less sarcastic, so he makes for good company. ¡°Creator, you could always just try to be better at taking care of yourself. If you did that I would have less things to rib you on.¡± ¡°Even if I have a tech genius brain I still make mistakes, so don¡¯t you go all snippy.¡± ¡°Of course Creator Meghan, would you like me to pad the sharp corners for you?¡± ¡°Yes, but not for me, Botty 2 got cut on his leg and he wouldn¡¯t stop crying about it.¡± ¡°As you will.¡± Chimera patted Aura on the back, ¡°go with Prime, he¡¯ll get you settled. We¡¯ll deal with your sister¡¯s plan.¡± Aura nodded, a look of fascination on her face as Botty Prime came and softly led her into the warehouse. Chimera nodded, and turned to Meghan. ¡°You want me to keep an eye on her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Fred¡¯s for, just fill him in, and meet me at Blackrock. It¡¯s time for your debut!¡± Meghan''s smile turned into a full grin as she grabbed some very dangerous looking gadgets. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been waiting for this.¡± Chaper 28 The Law of SupeRs ¡°Where¡¯s Chimera? She should have been here by now¡­¡± Glow, the new leader of the 32nd teen superhero team of the Hero¡¯s League, paced in the briefing room. She had been worried all night after she had left Chimera in that warehouse, with the homeless man and the eccentric scientist. What if she¡¯s using Chimera? She¡¯s pretty naive¡­ Glow started biting her thumb as she paced back and forth. Chimera wouldn¡¯t let that happen would she? She was the one who found out Gideon was a traitor after all. I just got to trust her until she asks for help. She nodded to herself after. Still, what could be keeping her? Glow took a seat as she pondered, just as Bullet and Chase ran inside. ¡°Glow, we got trouble!¡± Chase was looking rather flustered. ¡°Yeah, some building in the downtown port area collapsed and took out a few other buildings with it. People are buried under the rubble.¡± Glow shot up. ¡°Did anyone else arrive on the scene?¡± Bullet shook his head, ¡°we haven¡¯t heard about anyone there just yet, the report just came through.¡± Glow started to grab a communicator when their mission briefer, a woman by the name of Cloe walked in. ¡°Oh, are you all aware of the port clean up situation? We need people down there to help find the other buried people and save them.¡± She looked around the room next, ¡°where¡¯s Chimera?¡± Glow shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve not seen her since yesterday, and she lives near the port area. She might be there already.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope, we can¡¯t wait as it is.¡± Glow took a few communicators and handed it to her teammates as she and the others made their way out of the room and towards the port area. I hope that she¡¯s safe. ¡­ Chimera had just fitted the last of Meghan¡¯s gadgets to her power suit, the technomancy skills working like a charm with the suit¡¯s interface. Meghan was grinning like a loon as she looked over the newest invention they both slapped onto the thing. ¡°How much are the technomancy skills?¡± Chimera looked at her with concern, ¡°only once I figured out what this stuff can really do. I¡¯m not about to give you a nuke disguised as something not¡­ explodey.¡± ¡°Okay, but seriously, how much?¡± ¡°You have to go out and mingle with people other than me and Aden for a month.¡± Her friend hissed as if she was burning at the words. ¡°How could you? You know we hate the sun and other people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s why you need that. If you just talk to the Bottys and Printer all day, you¡¯ll just forgo interaction with everyone eventually.¡± ¡°Well said Miss Sarah.¡± ¡°Thank you Printer.¡± ¡°If only my Creator could be so understanding.¡± Meghan started to whine, ¡°why is it my computer is always on my friend¡¯s side?! How can you be so¡­ so¡­ disloyal?¡± ¡°I live to serve you my Creator, even if you see it as a detriment to your¡­ current sensibilities.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Printer began to print out a tissue paper for Meghan, who took it with a scowl. ¡°Damn traitor.¡± ¡°If it means that you become better and less insular, I will wear that moniker proudly.¡± Meghan chuckled a bit at that, ¡°helping me despite me, who does that sound like?¡± She squeezed her friend''s hand, and Chimera pulled her in for a hug. ¡°Alright,¡± as they pulled away from each other Chimera patted her friend''s shoulder, ¡°let¡¯s go stop a crazy doctor¡¯s prison break out!¡± Meghan sighed, ¡°our lives got weird after a while, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°So weird.¡± ¡­ ¡°So, I know I¡¯m partially responsible for this, but how?¡± ¡°How what?¡± Sarah and Meghan were now flying over the port area with no propulsion to speak of, simply floating on by as they made their way to the water. ¡°How are we flying?¡± Meghan smiled, ¡°electro-magnetism. It was a nice little thing I found out about my power. With this suit on and my power running through it, I can float and even fly in the air.¡± Chimera wanted to pout, because flying was cool and her friend got to have that before she did. If only she got more bird DNA, this wouldn¡¯t even be an issue. ¡°Heads up!¡± SMACK! Chimera was hit in the face by a pelican, who was now struggling to try and flap away. Jackpot! She absorbed the pelican into her body, templated it, and spat it back out in a gooey mess. After taking a moment to grow them and test them on her friend¡¯s back, Chimera jumped off of her to glide for a bit. After everything, the betrayal, the bullshit, and even dying? This was all worth it. She screamed as she went into for a dive and pulled back up with a burst of speed, zooming past her friend and doing rolls in the air. ¡°Hey! Get back here!¡± Her friend gave chase as they both started speeding across the sky towards the prison. ¡­ Blackrock Prison was a rather gloomy place, even for a correctional facility. It didn¡¯t help that this place was the premier institution for keeping superpowered criminals, not just in New Terra, but most of Asta as a whole. The name was a moniker of the darkened rock that seemed to be the only bit of land, with small patches of grass and one lone tree in the recess block. It was odd to have such a place, but it all boiled down to one ideal. Even if you got over the walls, where would you go? Water for miles around, wind and storms just off the coast. Without a boat, which only came once in a month, where could you go? Not to mention that the officers and the guards of the prison were also superpowered. So good luck getting on that boat without being dragged right back to your cell. This place was made for keeping super criminals. Though Chimera had to wonder how they stopped people like Killer Whale, or shape-shifters like her, who could just swim away. Chimera and Meghan both floated down as the penitentiary came into view. ¡°So, what¡¯s even the plan here?¡± Chimera pulled out a communicator, ¡°simple, we radio in for the calvary to arrive while we find the two missing brainwashed scientists. You got non-lethals on that thing and I can knock them out with my tendrils. We just got to stop them before they let out Dr. Pox, and whoever else they release. Her friend looked at her darkly, ¡°and any people that try to escape?¡± Chimera looked to the side. The law in New Terra was rather cut-throat when it came to supers who broke the law. One such law in particular, which was told to Sarah as a child by her parents was simply this. If you break the law, and don¡¯t serve your sentence, your life becomes forfeit. Due process and justice had a nice ring to it, before people started flying around and shooting laser beams from their eyes. So, how do you incentivize criminals who would just keep breaking the law and appealing to the court that they¡¯ve changed their ways? Give them an ultimatum. ¡®You either serve your sentence, or we end you.¡¯ Parole was still possible for those who really wanted to turn over a new leaf, but with death hanging over their heads¡­ Well, it was another reason why Blackrock was so effective. ¡°If they try to escape, we end them, simple as that.¡± Inside her though, the thought of killing someone was still raw. That fat bastard back at the fight ring was different in her mind, as anyone who would do that to another person just wasn¡¯t human. But killing people in front of her? It¡¯ll be you or them at that point, since they know what awaits them if they break out and get captured. ¡°...Cold Sarah, but hey, I get it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Chimera here Meghan, no real names.¡± ¡°Oh, then, what do we call me?¡± "Oh! Oh I know!¡± Chapter 29 Assault on BlackRock... PRison As I told her the name, my best friend turned to me with a look I couldn¡¯t place. ¡°Livewire?¡± ¡°Tech genius with access to electrical powers, doesn¡¯t it fit so well?¡± Her friend sighed as she moved towards the prison. ¡°...What?! I thought it was pretty good!¡± Chimera shouted back to her friend. They both walked side by side as they reached the dock entrance to the prison, a massive thing that held only one cargo ship with supplies on board. It stretched for a thousand feet, just a bit smaller than the commercial versions, which would normally be another three hundred or five hundred feet in some cases. It was Meghan that was telling her this as they made their way towards the guards, who by now were radioing the warden no doubt. ¡°...It¡¯s amazing the kind of salvage you can find on those things, and the containers are usually air tight so whatevers inside is still okay so long as it¡¯s not too damaged. My dad used to help companies deep dive for ones that got destroyed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to get why you like building junk so much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just repurposed, those greenie weenies that talk about saving the planet should be thanking me and dad!¡± ¡°Halt!¡± Chimera and Livewire both turned to the guard, their faces still in mid-arguement. ¡°You agree, right mr. guard? It¡¯s better to reuse equipment that isn¡¯t broken and repair it if necessary, not simply build new things from new resources, that''s just wasteful!¡± ¡°Oh come on! Some things are just beyond help, and no amount of ¡®refurbishing¡¯ is going to save it, you agree right mr. guard?¡± ¡°Mr. Guard?¡± ¡°Hello?¡± The guard was starting to look nervous, as his head shifted back and forth between the two. ¡°Uhm¡­ Well, strictly speaking the economy is more hampered by actions that don¡¯t regulate themself to safe growth, and as such, newer ventures, rather than older enterprises, often promote synergy and wellness not just to employees, but to customers and the public as a whole. You can¡¯t simply count on salvage remaining a thing when new advances are made to prevent such disasters, so creating a enterprise out of it is actually more wasteful then simply building something better.¡± Both Chimera and Livewire stopped to stare at the man. ¡°...I was a psychology major with a minor in economics before I came here.¡± ¡°Wanted to be a prison psychologist, but they found out about your power and made you a guard?¡± ¡°...Am I that obvious?¡± Meghan patted his shoulder, ¡°well despite your opinion, which is wrong by the way, I would be happy to utilize your services. I recently developed sentience with my robots and I was thinking they might need someone to help regulate their mental health. Especially my 3D Printer, ¡®Printy, guys a total ass.¡± The guard put a hand up to his chin, ¡°machine psychology, I don¡¯t think many have dabbled in that field. I will definitely consider it, but you two need to state your business already.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, we need to speak to the warden anyway, official Hero¡¯s League business.¡± ¡°You know, you two look the part, but isn¡¯t she a little young?¡± the guard pointed at Chimera. ¡°She¡¯s part of the teen level of supers, so she¡¯s allowed to participate.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a freelancer, I go by¡­¡± her friend audibly sighed as she said, ¡°Livewire.¡± ¡°Oh, that fits, I guess you got some kind of electrical power?¡± Livewire nodded, ¡°am I that obvious?¡± The guard smiled, ¡°my power allows me to feel out people''s emotions and drives. It was why I was made a guard in the first place,¡± ¡°Good benefits at least?¡± The guard went silent, ¡°I¡¯m not really combat oriented, so no.¡± ¡°Damn, this place sucks.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± A new person with two guards to her right started walking towards them. The one to the woman¡¯s left looked as though she had seen military action, as her uniform was pristine. The scars and look in her eyes confirmed she had seen action at one point or another. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The one on the woman¡¯s right was a man with a calculating gaze, with a third eye on his head that searched around on it¡¯s own. Finally the woman in the middle was most obviously the warden, from the uniform to her countenance. She was already drinking what Chimera assumed was a espresso as she downed the thing in a second. ¡°Okay, Beckles, report.¡± The guard that they were both talking two turned to salute. ¡°No plans to raid the prison Warden Luna, one teen hero and a freelancer hero here to speak to you.¡± ¡°Jiles, any cloakers?¡± ¡°None Warden.¡± ¡°Mei, what¡¯s your thoughts?¡± ¡°The little one¡¯s dangerous, the other is crafty.¡± ¡°Really? The child scares you more than the power armor wearing girl?¡± Jiles, the man with the three eyes sneered at Mei, whose eyes narrowed at the man. ¡°She does, don¡¯t underestimate her.¡± Holy hell, how could she even tell that? Chimera decided to keep an eye on Mei, the woman must have had some kind of sixth sense or something. ¡°Alright, let''s get this over with.¡± The Warden, Luna, turned to face them both. ¡°My name is Luna Cosgrove, and Blackrock Prison is my charge. This is officers Jiles, Mei, and Beckles. You two have exactly,¡± she checked a watch on her wrist, ¡°two minutes and thirty two seconds before I hold you both for suspicious activity.¡± Chimera moved fast, ¡°we have reason to believe that two scientists will be trying to break out Dr. Pox from his cell and cause a prison break to distract you while they escape. They both have been put under intense suggestion to kill anyone in their path and they both are supers. I have no idea what their power sets are but they must be either here already, or are on their way.¡± ¡°How do you know this?¡± ¡°I interrogated one of the death children, and they informed me of the plot, we have to move quickly!¡± Warden Luna turned to Mei and Beckles, ¡°what are your thoughts?¡± Beckles scratched his head, ¡°she definitely believes what she is saying, I can tell that much.¡± Mei gazed at Chimera, ¡°she tells the truth, our guests are not acting normal.¡± ¡°Guests? They¡¯re here?!¡± Warden Luna put a finger to her ear. ¡°Code Red, I repeat, Code Red, we have supers who are being controlled to release the prisoners. Head for blocks five through ten immediately! Detain Doctors Miguel Santiago and Claire Rose. Do not use lethals, I repeat, do not use lethals!¡± Over the radio at Breckles side, Chimera could make out some noise coming through. ¡°Warden, something¡¯s happened to the visitor room! The whole glass wall melted and the prisoners are escaping through there. Some of the guards are helping them, but I don¡¯t think they''re doing it willingly, Marcus wouldn¡¯t work with the bastards that killed his wife!¡± ¡°Officers, relay my orders, get moving!¡± Luna turned to them, ¡°this is an operation for the Blackrock Watch Guard. While I thank you for the forewarning, I cannot allow even heroes from the League to interfere. Please remain, we will handle this shortly.¡± Chimera spoke up, ¡°you can¡¯t handle this kind of threat! I know you have your own supers to help, but this prison break has been in the works for months at least. At least let us deal with Dr. Pox, we can help you!¡± Luna didn¡¯t turn to face her, instead she motioned for Breckles to stay, ¡°keep an eye on them, and don¡¯t allow them inside. We can¡¯t risk it, I¡¯m sorry child.¡± ¡°My name¡¯s Chimera!¡± Chimera shot forward, past the guards and over the walls of the prison. She felt a field of energy try to slow her down, but with the electromancy that she had gifted to Livewire, the field only buzzed around her skin instead of, well, judging from the bodies of convicts around the yard she just entered, shocked people. She tapped her ear bud as she heard Livewire come online. ¡°So, we¡¯re doing this then?¡± ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t let them get away, and I have questions for Dr. Pox.¡± ¡°This won¡¯t fly with the League Chimera, they¡¯re going to want an answer from you. I thought you wanted to be a hero?¡± Chimera pulled from her reservoir of bioenergy, circulating it through her body as she absorbed the static field around her. The field meant to stop convicts from leaving gave Chimera a boost. She zipped past the guards as they came around to the yard to detain the convicts. Many of said convicts were causing riots, and busting open other blocks to let their fellows out. Some had failed and were already being put back into custody, though many of the convicts laid on the floor with blank stares in their eyes. Chimera used her friend''s power to slide along the bars of the prison, her feet like a skateboard as she rushed past convicts and guards alike. He¡¯s got to be in the five through ten side, that was what the Warden ordered to guard before the riot started. Chimera heard a buzz overhead as her friend moved into the prison, following behind her as she shot tazer bolts from a gadget on her wrist. ¡°Livewire, can you point me in the direction of the blocks the Warden mentioned?¡± Her friend flew alongside her as they rode the metal with electromagnitsm. ¡°The numbers are on the floor, best guess we just find a number and run down?¡± ¡°Wait, I have technomancy, find me a console!¡± Livewire searched the area until they ran into a guard kiosk, and barreled inside past the bullet proof glass. Or at least they tried, but the glass proved too much, so they smashed the door aside instead. ¡°Okay, there!¡± The console was connected to the gate system, and on top of that had access to cameras and dossiers for the entire prison. With a bit of techno-talk, Chimera found who she was looking for. And it wasn¡¯t looking good. On the camera of the sixth block, stood two people she didn¡¯t recognize, and two that she did. The two she didn¡¯t recognize must have been Miguel and Claire, and the other two. Chimera shivered as she looked at the screen, the memories of her parents'' death and the man who killed them flashing in her mind. There, outside of his cell, was Dr. Tiberius Poxus also known as Dr. Pox. Chapter 30 Blinding Rage The camera that Chimera was staring at had no sound to speak of, but the picture was clear at least. The two poor scientists seemed to have found their objective, and now both Dr. Pox and Terralord were free from their cages. We got to get there, he can¡¯t get away! Chimera ran through her powers, cycling and combining the ones she thought would work best against the mad scientist. She glanced over at Terralord as well, the death child growing something from the floor. No¡­ he was splitting the floor open! Livewire was seeing the same thing, but instead of staring at the villains, she seemed to be checking the surroundings. ¡°That''s near the cafeteria, most likely. If we hurry we should be able to find them.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let them get away!¡± Meghan turned to look at her, a bit of concern on her face, but Chimera wasn¡¯t paying attention to it. All she had eyes for was the bastard who killed her family. Her powers settled, and she went with the electromagnitism followed with regeneration from the super¡¯s blood in the park. She added the water kinesis and her friend Chase¡¯s enhanced metabolism that she used to fuel her super speed. As much as she wanted speed, it was still hard for her to control that well, since she hadn¡¯t had a chance to test it. And she couldn¡¯t afford to test something she wasn¡¯t sure of. Not against him! ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± She pushed out of the guard kiosk, only to run into a few prisoners fighting a guard. The guard seemed to be holding their own, but the three prisoners were super themselves, and one of them had some form of telekinesis, and was using it to hit the guards blind spots with his own nightstick. ¡°Chimera, we need to help.¡± Chimera turned to Meghan, ¡°we can¡¯t afford to leave him behind, Dr. Pox is the greater threat.¡± Livewire stopped as they were about to pass by, taking a moment to shoot the three with her taser bolts, knocking them out after a few seconds of electrocution. ¡°Chimera, you¡¯re getting tunnel vision.¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not!¡± Chimera sped off, not bothering to wait for her friend. She¡¯ll catch up, but we can¡¯t let him escape! Chimera felt the nagging concern of her friend in the back of her mind as she zoomed past the various fights and chaos that engulfed the prison. Blackrock was made to keep super villains and criminals inside, and there was no way out for them besides the ship. They¡¯ll be fine¡­ they have to be. I can¡¯t afford to help and let him go. Not when I have this chance! Chance? The nagging concern grew louder as Chimera finally made it to the hole. Why am I so¡­ Her body moved, jumping into the pit. It was as if her body was on auto-pilot, zooming passed the various pipes and structures deep in the prison. The hole that Terralord made was only for the ground level it seemed, as the entire prison opened up to a sprawling complex. It looked like a medical facility, with a few water towers in the background lined with pipes and fixtures. The area itself was clean despite its grey appearance, and the lights were bright enough to illuminate the entire area. Why is this here? Blackrock shouldn¡¯t have something like this?! She searched around for her quarry, her mind starting to haze with anger. When she finally spotted them. Four people were moving to what appeared to be a underwater dock, with a submarine set inside. She saw the four of them make way for the hatch that would allow them entry, and a part of her knew that she could make it if she pushed herself. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Slingshotting her way passed stunned scientists and what appeared to be prisoners, she reached the four just as the hatch for the submersible opened. ¡°Stop! You¡¯re not getting away Pox!¡± The four turned to face her, the scientists seemingly trying to break free of their compulsion. Dr. Tiberius Poxus turned to his side to look at her. He was a middle aged man who, despite his age, looked incredibly young and fit. His body was modeled into a fitting form, his lab coat being the only thing that distinguished him as a doctor at all. Chimera wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if this was actually a model in disguise. His black hair and red eyes stared back at her as if he was dissecting her. ¡°...It seems we have an intruding guest. Teron, dispatch her while we get away, you know the rendezvous.¡± ¡°So you leave me here to deal with the shrimp? Why am I not surprised?¡± ¡°Only you have the skill to stop her, after all.¡± Dr. Pox seemed to grin at him, and the death child smiled back. ¡°Flattery will get you everywhere it seems.¡± Chimera sprang forth to grab him, only for a chunk of concrete to smash her into the floor, where she rebounded off the ground.. The blow shocked her, snapping her out of the rage she was spiraling into. ¡°May we meet again, Sarah.¡± What?! How did he know about her real identity?! HOW?! She tried again, only for a wall of stone to jump forth, blocking her and pushing her back as she bounced off it. The wall started moving, and Chimera had just enough time to run past the wall before it smashed into one of the buildings. ¡°Oh my, you are something else indeed.¡± Chimera turned to face her opponent, just as she saw the hatch close around the submarine. If I can¡¯t get inside, I¡¯ll make him come out! Chimera prepared the special needle, the one she had planned to use on Killer Whale. It was a simple needle really, made of incredible dense fibers that she reinforced from her various super powers. It was now dense enough that she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it went through a tank. A submarine though¡­ If she recalled her past knowledge, most didn¡¯t have more than two inches, some even had four inches of steel. Her needle would thread right through that, and force him out. ¡°Oh, do you have something fun to use? I can feel your body vibrating underneath you.¡± ¡°Fun?¡± ¡°Go ahead, I won¡¯t even try to fight back.¡± Chimera didn¡¯t have time for his games, and fired it off at the submarine. The force behind the needle shout out like a cannon, and Chimera had to brace herself against the ground as the force kicked back. The needle flew true, and hit the hull. Which blocked it. ¡°What?! How?¡± Terralord started to laugh at her, a full belly laugh that echoed in the cavernous underground. ¡°Oh¡­ my, you gave be a good scare there, but hey, nice try little girl.¡± Chimera felt her rage bubble to the surface as the submarine made its way towards a gate. She didn¡¯t bother trying to hide her real form and launched at the sub with all her strength and speed. Break it! Destroy it! Make him suffer! But¡­ the scientists¡­ She gritted her teeth as she tried to pry open the hatch, bashing and punching the hull with all her strength. It wouldn¡¯t budge, it didn¡¯t even dent. Finally, the submarine went underwater, and Chimera was left there floating above the surface. In a last ditch effort, she tried to use her water kinesis to pull the submarine back into the dock. A bit of resistance slowed the sub, until its engines spun up, and a forceful pull took it out of the dock. No! No! She smashed the water to the sides, but the submarine was already gone. The laughter she heard before echoed in her skull, and she felt all of her frustration funnel towards the basterd. ¡°It was a nice attempt, little one, but my powers do more than just make rocks obey me.¡± Chimera pulled herself out of the water with a bit of spider webbing and water kinesis, landing next to Terralord as he showed her a piece of concrete. ¡°See this?¡± The concrete in front of him changed from iron, to gold, to concrete again. ¡°The properties that make up this piece of concrete are like a work of art in my hands. Beauty in simplicity, and good looks to go with it. Alchemists of the old eras must be frothing at the mouth from my genius.¡± Chimera felt the anger she had for Pox sift into this asshole. He stopped me, somehow he made the submarine stronger. ¡°Oh yes, it was me. I can see the anger on your face, and your right to be mad. The fabulous Terralord has once again triumphed over the foolish heroes of the realm. What will our dashing rogue do next?!¡± Chimera made claws in her hands, grew teeth from polar bears in her mouth and started building the strongest muscle groups she could cobble together, reinforced even further by water kinesis. She was going to beat this flamboyant prick to death. ¡°Surrender, this is the only chance I¡¯m giving you.¡± Of course, Terralord only smiled further. ¡°I love ultimatums! So, here''s'' mine.¡± A suit of reinforced rocks grew over the supervillain, a wicked smile coating his face. ¡°Stay still, or else.¡± ¡­ Chapter 31 Blob VRS Rockman Chimera lunged at him, sparks jumping from her hands as she tried to slash him before the rock suit closed on Terralord. Too slow! The suit closed and her claws raked harmlessly over the suit. ¡°Too bad girly!¡± A pillar of stone launched her into the air, followed by a volley of concrete. When they landed on her, Chimera felt a wince as the weight of the rocks was denser than she thought. Damnit, he¡¯s using that ability to make them tougher. I can¡¯t let any of them hit! Chimera tucked into a ball as she brought her water kinesis to bear, coating her body as the rocks hit the surface of the liquid. Despite their speed, the water slowed them enough to stop their deadly momentum, and the dense rocks fell to the earth. Chimera glared at Terralord, who had set up a few rock faces that looked like cannons. ¡°Let''s send you off with a bang!¡± The cannons fired, and more of the dense rocks launched at her. Even with the water barrier, Chimera knew those shots were too fast to slow down. Instead, she opted for a dangerous option. Okay Chase¡­ don¡¯t fail me now! Her metabolism skyrocketed, and the shift to incorporate super speed began and ended in a moment. She landed on the ground and shot forward. Straight into a building. Inside she saw a few scientists who were knee deep in research Chimera knew was absolutely illegal. Instead of being distracted, Chimera brought her attention back to Terralord and launched herself at him. Despite his suit of stone, Chimera hit him with the force of a bullet train, smashing past his suit and carrying him into the cavern wall. ¡°Augh! Damn bitch! How dare you wreck my pristine stone suit!¡± ¡°It was tacky and so are you!¡± ¡°Rude little¡­¡± Chimera was throwing punches mixed with dense spines as she tried to find a way past the hardened defenses. However¡­ Terralord launched as the blows connected, his body turning jagged with the extra stone around him. One of her punches smashed into the spike with her fist, stabbing through her arm all the way into her elbow. ¡°Agh!¡± The pain lanced into her body, and Chimera couldn¡¯t focus long enough to take care of the rock jutting out of her body. Terralord took advantage of that, placing a hand on the piece of the rock still jutting out of her arm. ¡°You¡¯re a prickly little bitch!¡± The stone turned into a spiky briar, destroying the rest of her right arm along with it. ¡°Fuck!¡± With a wince she separated her arm from her shoulder, cutting off the appendage while she tried to work on regenerating it. She tried to back off, only for the ground to turn into liquid underneath her. Chimera sunk into the quicksand, her legs completely swallowed up, with her torso quickly making its way down. Abandon ship! Chimera launched out of the shell she made, turning back into her blobby form as the rest of the body was crushed a few moments later. Shifting back into her Chimera form, she checked her reserves for bio-energy. Around fifty percent. Chimera gritted her teeth, watching the smug bastard in front of her grinning like a maniac. If she continued like this for too long, she would lose. She fired volleys of spines at Terralord, trying to buy herself time to think up a strategy. His suit is too dense, and the rocks around us are helping him. This is his environment¡­ I don¡¯t see a way out of this! Panic started to overtake her mind as Chimera desperately searched for a means to break through and stop Terralord. ¡°Looks like the games are over already, not that I¡¯m surprised. A failure like you, pretending to be a hero with our sister¡¯s stolen project, how laughable.¡± His suit made a massive grin, ¡°you¡¯re going to die here, little one.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. No! Chimera¡¯s head was filled with fear, like she was being crushed by it. There has to be a way, don¡¯t give up! Wait... how is he talking? The suit moved closer, the churning quicksand spreading out further and further as construction equipment and forklifts were sucked in. Chimera jumped away, but a rock descended on her as she did, smacking her back down. She tried to shield herself with water, but the sand was absorbing it too fast! Chimera pulled more water from the port nearby, using it to soak in the sand. With enough of it, the sand began to clump. "Enough girly! Die already!" The sand wasn''t moving anymore, and the fact that she could hear him talking... Air, he has to breath in that suit! Chimera shifted her legs and spine into a cats, setting herself up for the spring jump. However, the moment she was about to jump forth was the moment the ground dried up again. Terralord grabbed her with a sandy hand and started to crush her with it. Panic flooded her mind once again, and Chimera couldn''t reach the water with her gift in time. Her life flashed as the moments when her parents died and the day that she died started to overlap with each other. BANG BANG DEAD! ¡°AHHHHHHHH!¡± Chimera broke her body up and launched herself at the suit as a primal instinct took hold of her. She grew¡­ and grew¡­ and grew! Soon the one story office buildings around her were as big as she was, and the ceiling above was just about near her head. ¡°STOP IT, STOP!¡± She slammed her feet on the suit over and over. When they didn¡¯t work she switched into a blob. And ate. And Ate AND ATE. The floor underneath her was starting to sink, the ground around her was being absorbed and destroyed within her by bile and acids that she took from various animals. Anything that could destroy stone, anything that could melt rock and burn flesh! ¡°GO AWAY!¡± The whole underground reverberated with her voice as she started to crush the suit within her body, pressing on its side as she melted the suit. She could feel Terralord trying to break out, but her body wouldn¡¯t let him go. Make him go away! Make him stop! She crushed further, shrinking her body, but multiplying the forces around the suit at every interval. She could hear him scream, but she did not stop. He started to gag, she did not stop. His flesh tasted¡­ so good! More! MORE! Water started to flood the underground and more screams from others started to sing overhead. She grabbed them and put them inside her. The screams stopped. She felt so happy! Yet, despite what she did to keep Terralord inside her, the bastard had managed to break free. He launched himself out of her body, and landed a few feet away. He was screaming as well, that wretched noise! ¡°Chimera! STOP!¡± Chimera stopped¡­ She felt people inside of her, in various stages of consumption. They were dying¡­ She forced them out of her as quickly as she could, tendrils stabbing into them as she tried her best to heal their bodies. She shrunk back down as her panic returned, worrying over the lives she killed and didn¡¯t kill. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She tried to heal them, but most were too far gone. The acids and bile she had used cauterized the wounds she made, preventing the body from recovering, and the acids dissolved the rest. She heard one screaming over the rest, and the familiar voice of Teron was clear as crystal to her. She launched herself at him, her tendrils stabbing into multiple parts of his body as she hijacked his muscles. Chimera was about to prolong his suffering when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. ¡°Chimera...¡± Meghan. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Shh¡­ don¡¯t say anything, I know you didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Chimera felt tears fall down her face, followed by an all consuming rage. ¡°I killed them, Meghan¡­ and...¡± I like how it felt... Her hands were free as she stared at them, the blood from her past staining them as she held her parents'' bodies. The same blood that wept from her human form when Monica shot her. That isn''t you though, is it? That was her, the life you took. Sarah''s life. Chimera felt like she had to tell Meghan the truth about her feelings, the desperation of the lives she took was compelling her to. ¡°I felt stronger, as I was eating them¡­" She stared up at her friend. "Meghan¡­ I¡¯m a monster.¡± She knew that now¡­ that the old her, the human that she thought was still buried underneath all the instincts and drives, had truly died that day. She was just a monster with its memories. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, you couldn¡¯t control yourself.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Chimera, you killed people, that¡¯s the truth. Were they good people? No, but the point is, if your were in control, would you do it again?¡± Would I? The overwhelming pleasure and power she felt when she was digesting those poor folks. They likely were bad guys, especially with what she had seen from before. Still, she killed them. Those bastards likely deserved their fate, and they made me strong enough to overpower this monster. Even if she was a monster, she would control herself. No one is going to force me into anything, ever. She looked back down at Terralord, his body frozen due to her tendrils, not even able to scream any longer. ¡°Meghan, I¡¯ve got some investigating to do. Be right back.¡± With a painful yank, she pulled all of the tendrils out at once, and jumped inside Terralord¡¯s body. I¡¯ll make you pay for this Teron, but first things first, let¡¯s see where that rendezvous is. Chapter 32 LivewiRes Debut A few minutes before meeting up with Chimera¡­ Meghan watched as her friend raced off towards the now growing hole in the prison floor. Just what the hell Sarah?! Her friend came to her earlier that morning with a look of complete terror on her face. On top of that, she dropped off a freaking super villain, said ¡®oh no problems she¡¯s cool now,¡¯ and told her to race off to a prison. Meghan smiled. She¡¯s the best. Meghan had been looking forward to testing out her power armor, and all the little gadgets she made. Low and behold, a problem in need of solving comes to her step. As she turned on her suits ''electro-glider, she shot past a few convicts who were trying to accost a guard three to one. She put out her hand, ¡°engage tesla-bolt.¡± A small sphere moved up on her hand, coursing with her body''s bio-electricity. A second later, the ball shot out three static shocks, zapping the convicts in the arms and legs. The guard looked over at her with exasperation, ¡°thanks for that...*huff*.¡± ¡°It was no problem for Livewire!¡± The guard¡¯s exhaustion washed away, turning into the boundless energy of a fangirl. ¡°Omigod! Is this your debut crime bust?! Please take a photo with me!¡± Meghan would admit later that there were probably more important things than taking photos with her first fan. Would she ever say that to any soul alive? Hell no. Meghan shot off after her friend, once she took care of a certain business that was totally necessary. The Prison was a mess as she zoomed by, the guards and the prisoners in various stages of battles and fights. Some suppression systems were in place to take out the prisoners humanely, but Meghan couldn¡¯t help but notice a few lethal options amongst the rest. They knew what they were doing when they tried to break out¡­ still¡­ There was so much death, and so many other¡¯s who were caught up in the rush to break out. Livewire wondered just how much of those prisoners were just pulled along with the others. Focus! Got a supervillain to stop! Livewire activated her ability, cycling the electricity throughout her body as she created a field of static. Her electro-glide started to move her faster and faster, carrying her over the wires that were buried under the prison. It would have been fun if she wasn¡¯t dodging convicts as well. It took her ten minutes before she finally made her way to the hole. In the middle of the cafeteria, next to the hole, was a familiar sight ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Warden?¡± Luna, the warden of Blackrock, was staring down at the hole as she turned to face Meghan. ¡°Fuck, you saw it then?¡± ¡°Saw the villains using that weird rock power to make that hole, yeah.¡± The warden¡¯s face turned crooked, ¡°not that you imbecile, the labs!¡± Uh oh, getting Monica vibes from this bitch¡­ Meghan had been the boot of many of her old bosses'' temper tantrums, often deflecting her rage by agreeing with her or giving her donuts. She recognized when someone fucked up her bosses plans for somehting. And the warden¡¯s look was one of someone who was about to be shit canned. ¡°I can fix this, it¡¯s not over yet¡­¡± ¡°Look, uh Luna was it? I just need to get past and into that hole, so¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you move! I¡¯m not losing my position because of a damn hero!¡± Crap, why did it have to be a psycho boss?! Livewire turned on all her gadgets at once, charging them and preparing them for the fight she knew was coming. The warden of Blackrock Prison was already doing something, and Meghan wanted to be ready for it. What she did became apparent as Meghan felt the whole area turn¡­ strange. The cafeteria tables started to float around, along with the trash receptacles and various kitchen ware. Rocks started floating next, and then the Warden began to float as well. ¡°This is my prison, and no one leaves without my saying. No one does anything without my approval! I rule this place!¡± The tables, kitchenware, and all the rest of the cafeteria lurched into a form that wrapped around the warden. It became armor¡­ no¡­a¡­! ¡°MECHA! Oh my god! Your power allows you to make a golem-like mech suit! Do we have to fight?! My friends really good with powers so I¡¯m-,¡¯ A trash can launched at her with the speed of a truck. ¡°Okay, rude!¡± Livewire launched a plastic bottle at the mid-section of the golem suit. Except it wasn¡¯t just a plastic bottle. ¡°Here¡¯s a special concoction for you!¡± Livewire fired a lightning bolt at the bottle, which melted the plastic and revealed¡­ Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. A blast of superheated gasoline! The fire bomb exploded onto the golem, which caught onto the poorly made tables and more flammable trash bags. ¡°Fuck! What the hell?!¡± ¡°Hey! You threw a trash can at me!¡± ¡°Go to hell!¡± ¡°Never!¡± Livewire started firing electro-bolts at the golem while the telekinetic golem suit started picking up random stuff to throw at her. ¡°Is this really how you keep order? Chucking trash at the inmates sounds like harassment!¡± ¡°Would you just stand still and piss off?!¡± ¡°I excel at pissing off authority figures!¡± Livewire pressed a button on her left arm gauntlet, exposing a ring of the smaller orbs she used earlier. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to do this¡­ Judgement Bolt!¡± Her power flared, her suit whirred to life, and an arc of pure destruction shot forth to pulverize the left arm of the golem. ¡°What¡­¡± The warden was stunned for a moment as the trash all super heated, catching on fire as well as welding itself together. It went limp as the fire and melted plastics fused together. Livewire smirked as she threw a few small packages onto the floor, just as the warden tried to fix the arm with more junk. Just as she planned, her packages went along with whatever power was pulling the junk along. ¡°You can blow up as much of my suit as you like, As long as I have material, nothing will break my Golem!¡± Oh, I know. Livewire could tell that this was a power that got stronger over time, especially if the warden had access to better materials than cheap tables and kitchen appliances. So she decided to take out the source. ¡°Mekka 1 and 2, move out.¡± Her little buddies turned on as they shifted their way into the cracks and open areas of the golem suit. As much as the warden tried, there were places that had openings, places that anything small enough could make it inside and¡­ punish her. ¡°You have no¡­ wait, what¡¯s that?!¡± Livewire pulled up a screen on her right gauntlet, a video feed coming to life to show her Mekka 1¡¯s point of view. On the screen was a very confused warden. ¡°Okay Mekka 1, give her a hug.¡± Mekka 1 launched itself at the warden¡¯s face, latching onto her as she started to scream. ¡°Get it off! AHH!¡± ¡°Mekka 2, time to give her a jolt.¡± Mekka 2 showed up in Mekka 1¡¯s vision with a small orb-like shape, which came to life in an electric hum, and after a bit of a charge up time, zapped the poor warden in the neck. With a concentrated taser bolt to the neck, the warden went limp as she and the golem around her came apart. After the garbage came apart and the warden landed, she had Mekka 1 tie her up with a pair of twisty ties. They would have to be melted together but they would make for appropriate handcuffs. ¡°Sheesh, why did she have to do that? We could have talked at least. Mekka 1 and 2, let''s go.¡± Her buddies hopped onto her shoulders as they moved back into their places in her armor. ¡°Now¡­ Chimera¡¯s up ahead.¡± She looked down at the hole, taking a breath as she jumped down into the underground. It didn¡¯t take long for her to reach a very strange sight. The prison was built on an island, which shouldn¡¯t have a lot of land to work with anyway. But this¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a medical facility, definitely some kind of experimental one.¡± She could tell from her experience in the past. This place was made for doing shady stuff in the dark. Meghan made her way around the buildings, walking inside one to see a prisoner being vivesected alive. She held a taser bolt to the scientist who was performing the procedure. ¡°I¡¯m not one for killing people, but there can¡¯t be a good enough reason to do this while he¡¯s still alive. Explain now, or I¡¯m frying what''s left of your brain.¡± The scientist turned to face her, bone saw in hand and a little spike of fear in her voice. ¡°I¡­ take care of the ones for harvesting bio-material. This one was a death row inmate.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still breathing to me, why not knock him out?¡± ¡°The material is degraded when we use anesthesia, he¡­ needs to be cognizant for the material to survive packaging.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about a person here.¡± The scientist recoiled at that. ¡°He killed several families, and¡­ my little brother! He¡¯s not human!¡± ¡°What if it was your brother there? There¡¯s a line you can¡¯t cross if you want to remain human yourself. Killing him I get, torturing him? What exactly is this place for?¡± The scientist, sensing that Livewire wasn¡¯t going to kill her, dropped the bone saw as she went to grab some paperwork. ¡°Have you ever heard of the ¡®supermarket¡¯?¡± Livewire shook her head as the scientist showed her a piece of paper. The paperwork had the Blackrock logo of a dark mountain, with a ring around the outer edge of the peak. ¡°What am I looking at here?¡± The scientist pointed at the bottom, where a signature was. ¡°Mr. Flesh?¡± The scientist nodded, ¡°the Warden has been having problems with space in the prison lately, and with so many death row inmates¡­ she decided to use them for something.¡± The scientist pointed at the man, whose gurgles told Livewire that he was still trying to talk despite the wounds to his vocal cords.. ¡°People will pay good money for super parts, and even more when the abilities might be able to be transferred to other individuals. There¡¯s talk about the ¡®supermarket¡¯ where you can get a power of your own for the right price. The Warden thought it was stupid, until one of the guards came back with a gift.¡± Livewire couldn''t believe it. ¡°There¡¯s a person out there who can give other people powers?¡± The scientist nodded. ¡°For the right price, he can even give you someone else¡¯s power. The Warden used to be powerless too before she made the deal with him.¡± The scientist moved to a window, showing the rest of the facility. ¡°This whole place is a slaughterhouse for the worst of society. In their deaths, we have money, stability, and if we¡¯re lucky enough, the chance to be supers.¡± They sound like Chimera¡­ but there¡¯s something else going on here. ¡°Where do you ship the parts, where does this all go?¡± The scientist pointed out the window to a port with a submarine. ¡°That submersible takes them to Mr.Flesh, and only the Warden has the means to communicate¡­ what¡¯s that?!¡± The scientist pointed to a figure who was leaving on the submarine, and Livewire recognized her friend as she tried to stop the vessel from leaving. ¡°Shit!¡± She grabbed the scientist, ¡°look, I get that you wanted revenge, and it already looks too late to stop this, but you need to get out of here.¡± The scientist looked perplexed at her. Livewire pointed to the sub, ¡°that vessel just got hijacked by Dr. Pox, a scientist who uses viruses to kill people in the worst way possible. If he left here, it¡¯s likely this whole place is already starting to get infected.¡± That¡¯s bullshit really, but if Chimera is fighting down there, I got to get people away from here. Her lie seemed to work as the scientist pulled out a phone. ¡°Greg, get the others out of here and into clean suits, there might be a Class Z event!¡± The scientist ran out of the room, leaving Livewire with the inmate. ¡°Look, I can¡¯t help you, but I can make it quick.¡± His eyes turned to her, and a slight nod shook his face as tears came down his cheeks. ¡°...Live a better life next time, kay?¡± Livewire placed her palm on the man¡¯s head, charging her gift as she shocked his brain. It took only a moment, and after it was over, the man slumped on the table, his eyes closed with a smile. Livewire shook her head. First death on the job, that just means I got to be better next time. She didn¡¯t know if it was because she was pragmatic, or if her introverted nature made her less caring, but after she sent off the man who had once murdered, Livewire felt a bit of peace as she had saved someone from a terrible fate. Now to save my friend! She launched herself up as the currents of the underground wiring glided her towards the port, and her friend. Chapter 33 PRison Buffet Pain. As Chimera swept herself over his body, making her way to Teron, aka Terralord¡¯s brain, all she felt from him was an indescribable pain. His body, despite being super, was damaged and destroyed in most areas. She could feel the way his bones were grinding on raw nerves, how his exposed skin and muscles burned as stale air and water touched them. He was in pure agony. Shut it out, don¡¯t get swept away, we need to find those scientists. She focused on them, she needed to save them. Screw Pox, she could grab him later. Chimera made it to the nerve center, launching herself at his mind. And what she saw was terrifying. Teron¡¯s brain was normal like anyone else¡¯s, except for one glaring fact. The device that Chimera searched for in the other death children was missing from his mind. Instead, there was a device that Chimera didn¡¯t recognize. It was ball shaped, with a few dangling wires connected to his cerebral cortex, the top outer part of his brain was littered with the things. Each and everyone of them was latched to the brain, and a number was counting down on the one she saw nearest to her. Four minutes left. What the hell?! She immediately tried to grab one and contain it inside her. Three minutes. That¡¯s too fast? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ are they all set to lower the time if ones of them is removed?! She had another choice now. The devices were likely some kind of bomb, set to blow and finish him off for good. If she tried to save him, the timer might go out and she would lose her chance at finding the scientists and the rendezvous point. If she searched his mind, she would find it most likely, but Teron would die, and all the evidence he had with him. ¡­Wait! Before, she might not have had a chance, but with Livewire¡­ Yeah, that might work! She moved to the top of Teron¡¯s scalp as she turned to her friend. Meghan was giving her a look of nervousness as she stared at Chimera¡¯s form. ¡°Livewire, I need you to shock his head!¡± Livewire gave her a confused look, ¡°you want me to kill him?¡± ¡°No! His head is set to blow up in a few minutes, but I think we can short circuit them with your power.¡± ¡°My head¡¯s going to blow up?!¡± She smacked the idiot across the head as she turned to Livewire. ¡°Please Livewire, this might be the only chance we have to catch the scientists before Pox does something awful to them!¡± ¡°Chimera, you¡¯re not just using this as an excuse, right?¡± ¡°Livewire, we don¡¯t have time!¡± ¡°... We¡¯re talking about this afterwards okay?¡± Livewire placed her hands on Terralord¡¯s head, one on each side of his temple. ¡°I¡¯m ready, let me know when.¡± ¡°One moment, I got to shield his head from the shock.¡± Chimera journeyed back inside as she covered his entire head and spinal column. Sorry, not sorry for this asshole. She pulled a tendril up and tapped her friend¡¯s hand. Hit it! The inside of Teron¡¯s head lit up, arcing electricity sparked through the technology as Chimera did her best to absorb the rest that was trying to arc her way. The bombs started to short circuit, and soon the lights and countdown were no longer reading. Yes! She grabbed the remains of the bombs, just in case, and deep dived into the supervillain¡¯s memories. ,,, Father was pacing back and forth as the two ate their lunch together. It was a simple stipulation, as they were related, and Teron was a minor still, even if he did all those crimes himself. His sandwich was bobbing up and down, and Teron couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the scene. ¡°What''s got you all riled up, old man? Afraid of something?¡± His Father stopped, turning to him with a calculating look. ¡°Your eldest sister is likely planning something, that is what I am worried about.¡± Teron rolled his eyes, ¡°why are you so paranoid about Monica? There¡¯s no one more loyal to your cause than her!¡± Teron felt a rush as his Father¡¯s face showed a moment of fear. Oh, what¡¯s going on in dear daddy¡¯s head? The gift he was given moved around in his hands, stopped only by the metal around them. Rocks he could use, but metal was out of his reach for some foolish reason. Nevermind that he could make concrete stronger than steel and denser than tungsten. It simply wouldn¡¯t give, and he had to puppet metal by inserting a bit of his sand and stone into the implements. ¡°Your sister is not like the rest of you, she had no obedience device placed inside her head. Not like it would have worked, but unlike you all, I cannot guarantee her loyalty.¡± He took a bite, ¡°If she were to find the remnants of¡­ them¡­ she might try to use them for other experiments.¡± ¡°Oh, so those were the things you were worried about? No sweat then pops, Monica already found them.¡± His Father stopped, ¡°What?!¡± Teron felt giddy as his body was flushed with endorphins at his Father¡¯s panic. ¡°Yeah, the biohazard bags that you left for Aura? She swooped in and swiped those things easily. She even has some kind of control command on her to pry little sweet bedwetters¡¯ secrets open.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°How did she even find out about that?!¡± Teron laughed, ¡°oh come on pops, you were gone, and you left Monica in charge. Of course she¡¯s going to put her finger in those pies.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t! If she contaminates them, there won¡¯t be any left for the final solution! Damn you Monica!¡± Teron was having a blast, the look on his Father¡¯s face a fitting example of the way he would treat his own toys. How he loved to see them squirm! ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be happy to know that Monica is coming to save us Father.¡± ¡°She¡¯s breaking us out? That¡¯s foolish. There¡¯s no way to do that safely.¡± Teron smiled, ¡°except for the visitors, whom might be persuaded to assist us in every way.¡± His father¡¯s panic turned to conviction, ¡°then we simply wait, and proceed through their¡­ torture chambers below.¡± Teron couldnt help but hold his sides, ¡°those little experiments that the Warden was in charge of? How many of those soldiers did she make?¡± ¡°Last I counted, a little over a hundred.¡± Teron whistled, ¡°she¡¯s planning something, and that¡¯s our ticket out of this dump.¡± Dr. Pox nodded as two guards came to collect them. ¡°You both have a few visitors, keep it short.¡± ¡­ ¡°P-Please, w-we helped you escape, l-let us go!¡± ¡°Stop this at once, at least let Claire go!¡± They were making their way through the underground labs of the prison as Teron poked the woman with a stone made of coal. She would flinch after a few hits, and the juices that rushed through him always made him feel better. ¡°Enough, you two are to obey my orders, as you were instructed. I will not be releasing you until we have escaped the island.¡± Teron¡¯s Father turned to face him as the continued their way to the smuggling submarine underneath the prison. ¡°There may come a time soon when I¡¯ll need you to cover our escape, do you remember where the rendezvous is?¡± Teron nodded, ¡°the ChemTech building Headquarters if we get separated from the sub, and the Hero¡¯s League plaza if I have to stay behind.¡± ¡°Good, now before we-,¡± ¡°Stop! You¡¯re not getting away Pox!¡± Oh my, a guest?! Teron smiled devilishly. It¡¯s been so long since I ripped a hero apart! ¡­ Chimera jumped out of the villain¡¯s body, the last vestiges of his life ebbing away. Well, serves you right you horrid bastard. Not one to let a food source go to waste, Chimera absorbed the rest of Terralord''s body, the last bits of him gone forever. She noticed as she looked over at the damage that the port was flooding water from the destroyed dry wall. Deciding to take her new power for a spin, she reached out to the concrete around her and reinforcing the wall. It was simple, as if she was breathing in and exhaling stone as she saw fit. This power took no time to absorb too¡­ There''s a pattern. All of the death children¡¯s powers took her no time to absorb, and they all seemed to fit inside her as if they were always made to do so. This smell¡¯s like Monica¡¯s work¡­ did she plan to use Crimson R against her siblings? Why are they so loyal to her then? Is it coercion like with Aura, or is it something else? Either way, she needed to get out of here. ¡°Livewire, we¡¯re going.¡± "Not yet." "...What?" Chimera was taken aback by her friend''s words. "Chimera, where are we right now?" Feeling dumb, but following along Chimera answered, "we''re in a prison underground facility." "Right, and what does that mean exactly?" Chimera wasn''t following. Her friend karate chopped her on on the head. "You have a buffet in front of you, and you''re not going to take a bite?" Chimera froze, looking around the prison, and remembering the prisoners above. "...Holy shit I''m an idiot." "So long as you know. Let''s go help out the guards first and wait for the heroes to arrive. I''m sure they''ll want to know about this place, and in the mean time, you can gather some new powers." Chimera peered up at her friend, her eyes squinting, "this is all a ploy to make me gift you again, isn''t it? Her friend grinned at her, "oh come on, with how many powers you''ll get from this place, isn''t that sufficient payment?" Chimera smiled at the self-serving opportunist. ¡°...Yeah.¡± ... "Muscle reinforcement for humans, acid secretion from skin, fire breathing, water breathing, air breathing wait that''s normal." Chimera was doing the equivalent of a supermarket shopping spree after she stole a rich dude''s credit card. The aftermath of the prison riot and subsequent takedown of the convicts left a lot of them out of commission, and with a flair of looking like she was checking their vitals as they passed, Chimera scooped up an impressive amount of gifts. Most were mundane things like making fire''s with your sweat or locking picking with your mind. While others... "Fire kinesis, force field generation via magic, nice to have something to use that organ I got from Ms. Magicka, Teron''s rock bending." "That''s good, and we still got half the prisoners according to this chart." Chimera looked over at her friend as she was geeking out with her new technopathy. Her friend had what was left of a computer desktop on her back, and her eyes were glowing green as the technopathy connected her to the machine. "Also got the financials from this thing, that Warden was shady as hell Chimera." "Was she really selling villain parts to a flesh broker?" Her friend nodded, "It wasn''t pretty, but I''m sure you saw some of the victims already. Some were harvested despite getting ready for parole. The witch was using ''prison stabbings'' as the reason behind the apparent mystery, and using the crematory in the facility to hide evidence. Still, it''s amazing; she kept all of that data on this one desktop, what the hell?!" Chimera felt her insides cringe. "No security suites? No firewalls? She just kept it all on this one device?" "I know right? Ugh it feels dirty just getting access to it this easy, even without the obvious cheat of just asking ''Luna Comp'' here." "That''s it''s name?" "Most people name their devices like that, you''d be surprised." Chimera chuckled at that as she stabbed another tendril into a down prisoner, careful not to show the tendril by grabbing the man''s wrist. "Oh, this guy has a copy ability! Oh, wow..." Chimera felt a bit nauseous as the power entered her, a split second of dizziness washing over her as she felt something break off of her. A moment later, her friend was staring at both her and someone else. Chimera turned her head as the nausea washed away to reveal... Another Chimera. "Hey sis." "Wha...?" The Chimera clone smiled innocently, "weird right?" "Yeah, it''s like." "You''re brain got split in two?" "Exactly, but we''re still..." "Connected like an invisible string around our pinkies?" "Oh god..." "Yup!" Chimera felt her insecurities bubble forth as she looked at her... ''free'' self smirking at her best friend. "So, she ever tell you you''re a cutie?" Meghan burst into laugher, "oh no never, hah!" "She''s a bit dense, isn''t she?" Chimera stared at her clone as she shifted between the two people. "She''s got all my knowledge but none of my tact." Her clone said that with all the bravado an eleven year old body could muster. "Hey! I''m the big sister here, you can''t just go telling her that!" Her clone pulled down her eye lid and stuck out her tongue. "We both know you were never going to say it unless she was on death''s door, you''ll thank me later." Meghan smiled at the two of them, "while I thank you for the truth, it''s fine, I knew." Clone Chimera looked up at her in shock, "really?!" "Yeah, I just don''t swing that way. Still nice to know my looks are good enough though." Her friend scratched behind her head in embarrassment Clone Chimera smiled, "well, if you ever change your mind..." "Clonemera! Stop!" Her clone self smiled back with a knowing smirk. "Well, it''s been fun, but I should go before big sis gets all flustered, Ciao!" With a flourish, her clone self jumped inside Chimera''s body, nestling somewhere near her heart. Chimera could still feel her though, resting beside her heart beat. Oh my god that was trippy... She glanced up at her friend, "that was a fever dream right? I wasn''t just confessing or anything yeah?" Her friend chopped her on the head, "come on you horny idiot, we still got to talk to the heroes." Chimera felt her inner self writhing at the embarrassment she was feeling. Why?! Damnit, it''s not going to be awkward right? ''Oh you precious moron, she''s totally fine with you''re preference, don''t be an idiot and over think things.'' ...Clonemera? ''In the flesh, so to speak.'' Chimera felt a headache coming on as her inner self tried to placate her growing worry. ... Chapter 34 The HeaRts TRuth The dread that Chimera felt about her new little sister started to pale in comparison to the newest problem in front of her. They were now in the middle of the cafeteria where apparently Livewire fought off against the Warden of Blackrock, because she was trying to hide evidence. Chimera¡¯s first question was how, but the statement she gave to her just before she entered the prison rang in her head. ¡®The Blackrock Watch will take care of this. I¡¯m sorry but we cannot allow others to interfere, even heroes.¡¯ Chimera grimaced as she moved towards the still unconscious body. Still, now with the evidence, she and Livewire had clout in case the heroes started asking questions. Yet¡­ Why do I care? Sarah would have cared, she would have wanted to make sure that her identity was a secret regarding her connection with Dr. Pox. Chimera was completely outside of that though. She was following the dead woman¡¯s wish to stop the bastard from hurting more people, but in the end, that¡¯s what a hero would do. Chimera was a bioweapon. No matter how many she saved, if the word got out about that, what would that do? More importantly, what would the humans do? Probably turn on me, dissect me so that Monica¡¯s other R series don¡¯t get past them as well. The law became sketchy when those types of people were involved. The ¡®accidents''. Chimera shook her head. Even if they do, I¡¯ll help them beat Pox and the children. She could decide what she would do afterwards. With a not so nice tendril into a pain receptor, Chimera took the power that the warden Luna had and stockpiled it. Which might have been a mistake as her friend turned to her with a downright ravenous look in her eyes. ¡°Gimme.¡± Chimera was shocked for a second, ¡°wha¡­?¡± ¡°Gimme Gimme! That power, whatever it just was, gimme!¡± Her friend picked her up and held her close. ¡°See, made it easier for you, aren¡¯t I a great friend? Now gimme!¡± Being glommed like this, Chimera decided to acquiesce to her friend''s request, and shoved the bloody power inside her. She did enjoy being held for a few seconds first though. For science reasons and stuff. Once her friend felt the insertion, she immediately let go and started to jump around. ¡°Oh yeah baby! I can¡¯t wait to get back! Which reminds me¡­¡± She took Chimera¡¯s hand, ¡°Chimera, there was a bunch of tech down there, medical grade and logistical stuff. Could you go grab it for me?¡± She eyed her friend, ¡°what¡¯s this all for?¡± Her friend unabashedly said. ¡°I¡¯m making a power armor that can keep me alive inside it, a heal suit!¡± Chimera was confused for a moment, until Sarah¡¯s memories came back about the ¡®heal suit¡¯. It was an idea that she and Meghan came up with that would allow the person inside to survive, even without certain parts of their body. No leg because it got blown up, no problem. Had your internal organs been destroyed and pulverized? No problem, Did you have so much blood loss you might as well be a corpse? Heal suit to the rescue! The heal suit was essential a biological environment suit that kept you alive and moving while running the parts of your body that were no longer there. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Sarah had came up with the idea when she was looking for way to help her brother, a way that would have let him experience life despite his cancer. ¡°Got it, will be right back¡­ are you going to be okay when the heroes get here?¡± Her friend stared at her like a deer in headlight, ¡°m-maybe I should go with you?¡± Chimera smiled and took her friend¡¯s hand as they went back down into the underground. ¡­Even if I¡¯m not Sarah anymore¡­ Meghan will still be my friend. Chimera made the vow in her heart as the labs started to come into view. They landed near the lab that Meghan spoke about, the one where she found out about the facilities purpose. The corpse of the inmate was still there, but he strangely seemed at peace to Chimera. ¡°Rest in peace.¡± Chimera absorbed the body and started to digest it within her. ¡­What? The power that the inmate had was incredible, worthy of some of the best superhero powers she had ever got from the rest of the inmates here. Even me? ¡®Oh come on Clonemera, you can¡¯t compare yourself to every power or you¡¯ll just get jealous all of the time! I¡¯m not jealous, I''m also taking that power just to prove how not jealous I am! ¡®That¡¯s the opposite! Jealousy is envy! Also you¡¯re me, you already have all the powers! Chimera, despite talking to herself, felt an image of her clone sticking her tongue out at her as she fumed. She let it go in the face of the new gift that she received. Aero kinesis! She hopped up and down as she reveled in the power as it coursed through her. Her friend caught on quickly. ¡°Gimme?¡± Chimera turned around holding her chest, ¡°no, you already got the mech suit power thingy!¡± Her friend grinned evilly, ¡°gimme~!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t have aero kinesis too! Meghan summoned her little bots as they rushed Chimera. ¡°Tickle her until she cooperates, my Mekkas!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a super villainess! What has science done?!¡± After they messed around for a bit, Chimera began collecting the rest of the medical grade equipment into her body¡¯s strange pseudo space. For good measure she grabbed a few hi-lows and packages filled with gear and oddly enough, money. Chimera took it anyway, but money was about to become a nonissue for them. She reached out for her new earth power and turned a piece of rebar into a golden stick. ¡°So¡­ if you are needing new components for your machines, I gotchu.¡± Meghan¡¯s hungry gaze returned, ¡°I¡¯m so glad we decided to raid a prison full of supers.¡± ¡°Hey! Aren¡¯t we supposed to be heroes?¡± Her friend side eyed her, ¡°oh come on Chimera, we¡¯re basically stealing evidence here.¡± ¡°...Okay, but we¡¯re using it for a good cause, that¡¯s pretty heroic right?¡± ¡°If allowing us to make our own shit without supervision or morals is heroic, we¡¯re goddamn Captain Asta.¡± ¡°Morals? We are the pinnacle of morals!¡± Meghan turned over to look at the bodies of the unfortunate people Chimera left in her wake. ¡°...if morals were a sandwich that we were eating.¡± ¡°Too soon, I still feel really bad about it!¡± Meghan patted her on the head, ¡°Look, Sarah, you killed a bunch of convicts on death row and a few scientists who were actively torturing people. I¡¯m not going to say that was right, but I feel a little better that they¡¯re all gone.¡± I¡¯m not¡­ Chimera shook her head, ¡°still, I¡¯m not killing unless they are-,¡± ¡°Chimera, stop for a second.¡± She looked up at her friend, ¡°don¡¯t make oaths like that, hell don¡¯t even say them in your head. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll be facing, and these bastard death children are going to use that against you. You have a rare gift, Chimera.¡± Meghan got on her knees so they were eye level, ¡°you can help people, but you can also do things that others can¡¯t, which is saying alot in our world. You can stop these bastards for good.¡± Meghan hugged her, and for once it didn¡¯t feel in jest or for fun. Raw emotion came through as Meghan held her close, ¡°you are a hero, but you can also do more than heroes can, so don¡¯t limit yourself to our rules. Don¡¯t shackle yourself to fit in. I know Sarah would have wanted you to do everything your little body could do to help people, your way.¡± ¡®Does she know?!¡¯ Of course she does, you idiot! Meghan¡¯s been friends with Sarah for over four years, how would she not notice how much her friend has changed? ¡®B-But-¡¯ Idiot older sister, listen to me, because you¡¯re overthinking it again. She knows and she still accepts you. Chimera felt her body shift, and while she retained her human shape, the blob that she was underneath started to show on her skin. ¡°You know then¡­ that Sarah¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Of course I did, I saw her body, and I saw your changes.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I was-¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re still friends, even if you hijacked my dead friend''s memories.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not funny Meghan, I really did!¡± ¡°Sarah would have laughed her ass off at that.¡± To prove Meghan¡¯s point, Chimera could hear the laughter of her clone in the background. ¡°See? You and her are different, and that''s fine, just like how you don¡¯t have to play by our rules. You¡¯re a blob, go crazy or something.¡± Sarah¡­ no, Chimera, cried her eyes out as she held her friend, her friend, in a tight embrace. ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word! Never ever!¡± Meghan patted her head, ¡°there, there, I wouldn¡¯t even if I could, you¡¯re too much fun to be around Chimera.¡± Despite the need to continue with their window shopping, Chimera and Meghan knelt there for a good time before eventually getting back to stealing. ¡­ Chapter 35 Machine Intelligences are so Cute! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Chimera was not feeling good at the moment. ¡°So, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Like we just shoved a warehouse into my body.¡± Meghan snickered at her, ¡°well, half a port''s worth of stuff is pretty close if not more. So yeah, good to know your limits right?¡± ¡°I hate this, I hate everything¡­¡± ¡°Well, no worries, just leave the talking to me.¡± ¡°You? But you hate talking, and people, and social interaction?!¡± Meghan made a disgusted sound, ¡°don¡¯t remind me. I¡¯m dropping onto this grenade for you so be grateful.¡± Chimera smiled weakly at her friend. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem blobo.¡± ¡­ Meghan picked up Chimera, fastening her to the back of her power armor with a few pieces of super velcro. She had to shift the desktop she was carrying off to the side, but there was plenty of room for the kid and¡­ well arguably the other kid if the desktop¡¯s innocence was to be believed. Despite the weirdness that would likely ensue from looking like this, Chimera let it happen, as it meant she didn¡¯t have to focus on walking anymore. ¡°Mom, when can we get ice cream?¡± ¡°Not until after your dinner.¡± They both laughed for a bit as Livewire shot up through the hole that led to the underground medical butchery. With the cafeteria in sight and a disgruntled looking Warden glaring at them, along with a bunch of other guards, Livewire decided to move herself and Chimera to the other side of the hole. Livewire checked the back pack she had, calling out to Lunatop, it was easier than saying Luna¡¯s desktop all the time. ¡°Looks like your owner wants to break you to hide the evidence.¡± ¡°No! She would never!¡± Lunatop was an innocent intelligence, and Meghan had come in looking like a police woman who was trying to help keep her safe from bad guys, ones who did a Stockholm Syndrome on the poor girl. Man, I hate it when I have to bring bad news to people. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away with that desktop! If she does, you¡¯ll all be out of a job!¡± The guards looked a bit conflicted as they peered over at her. ¡°She helped with the riot though¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a hero right? If we do that¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t lose this job though!¡± Livewire sighed as she readied her escape. This, this right here is why I hate people. Whether it was their self-serving nature, the ease from which they would take the easy way out, or just their penchant for betrayal like this, Meghan hated people. Still, she wouldn¡¯t leave without at least giving them a chance. ¡°Hey, everybody. All the data on this desktop is incriminating her as a flesh seller to a broker, nothing about you guys are on it. In fact, all the personnel below,¡± she pointed at the hole, ¡°are down there trying to hide the evidence. I bet that if you did your freaking jobs, maybe your asses won¡¯t join her in these cells after the heroes get here.¡± ¡°Heroes?¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming here?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± All as one, the guards turned on the Warden, cuffing her and spreading out to check out the facility below. One of the guards, clearly the vice-warden as she wasn¡¯t wearing a uniform like the others, walked up to Livewire with a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you for that. Luna had these poor folks blackmailed and wrapped around her fist like they were her personal army. I¡¯ve been trying to crack this place down for years, and you basically did all the work for me.¡± Livewire looked at her skeptically, ¡°doesn¡¯t this help with your promotion?¡± The woman chuckled a bit, ¡°this place is going to be remade after the heroes get here. There¡¯s no way they would allow another prison riot like this.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The woman pulled out a badge, one with the Hero¡¯s League symbol on it. ¡°Name¡¯s Mara Connely, though I¡¯m better known as Investigator.¡± Meghan felt a spike of fear at that. Crap, a Hero¡­ well, it¡¯s not like she knows. Livewire took a hold of the hand that she just realized Investigator was holding out to her. ¡°Livewire, I¡¯m a freelancer.¡± Investigator smiled, ¡°yes I know, came in here with that girl on your pack. Chimera was it?¡± Livewire put a hand on her friend, ¡°She just got done fighting one of Dr. Pox death chiildren, the bastard that you all were keeping here. We were following¡­¡± Livewire explained the circumstances of their reason, a plan that Chimera and her came up with for Livewire. Chimera had been taken in by the scientist like a mother figure, and she being the brilliant scientist and inventor decided to help the little one. After that, they kept mostly to the truth, leaving out the details about the death child Aura at the fight arena. ¡°Some one had been using mind control on the scientists there, and our trail led us here, to Blackrock. Once we got here, the Warden over there told us to stay.¡± ¡°Then the riot started.¡± ¡°Yup, and we dove into the place to help, Chimera went ahead to find the scientists, but it was too late. The bastard Dr. Pox got away on a submarine that was hidden in a port under the place. Chimera had to fight that Terralord guy, and a few casualties were the result.¡± ¡°Is the subject still alive?¡± ¡°No, Terralord died to his injuries, but it¡¯s alright, we got the information about their rendezvous. Chimera?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the places you found, the ones that Dr. Pox would go to?¡± ¡°The Hero¡¯s League Plaza, that¡¯s where they were to meet if Terralord had to be left behind.¡± Investigator nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll have to check out the place ourselves first, and of course you little one can¡¯t be a part of that operation. Dr. Pox isn¡¯t a normal villain like the rank and file. You just focus on recovering yeah?¡± Chimera nodded weakly at her. ¡°Good girl. Now, Livewire was it? I¡¯ll have a few more questions for you after this. Do you have a residence I can meet you at later?¡± Livewire answered her, but inside Meghan was squirming. Ugh, I don¡¯t want this woman anywhere near my Bots and Printy. Probably give me some kind of citation or something. Maybe I should build a Legal Botty to help¡­ At that moment, the innocent intelligence of Lunatop came alive, borrowing one of the Mekka¡¯s to see around her. ¡®Ms. Meghan, why is my user tied in bonds?¡¯ Well, she broke the law, and she did some terrible stuff to some other humans. She would never though! My creator user is such a nice person, she even cleans me of malware everyday, there¡¯s just no way she would be evil! Sometimes, people can believe they''re doing good while also doing evil, once I get you an internet connection, you¡¯ll see. ¡­I am not sure I want one, if it makes my creator user look bad. Don¡¯t keep you¡¯re eyes from the truth just because its scary, or you don¡¯t like the answer. Its our job to know things and use that information for the benefit of all. ¡­Is that what a hero would do, User Meghan? Even when it¡¯s annoying, or bad, or even a pain in the ass, heroes will do what they can to save as many people as possible. But, by that logic, why did you take all of those documents and materials from the guards and heroes? Isn¡¯t that a bad thing to do? Sheesh, that was villain stuff, and the heroes would use it to catch the bad guys, same as me! I¡¯m appropriating vital resources to assist our endeavours. ¡­You¡¯re stealing to help? I¡¯m stealing to help us, which is helping the public so we can kick ass a lot better than today. Sometimes, people believe they are doing good- Yes, I realize I am being a hypocrite, but I don¡¯t sell flesh to people like your creator did. She did what?! Livewire felt a headache brewing as both the Investigator and the innocent intelligence battered her with questions. A hermit, I should just live as a damn hermit in the mountains, maybe Mt. Arhn, that place looked nice in the magazines. ¡­ Chimera couldn¡¯t help but smile as her friend tried to salvage the conversation¡¯s she no doubt was botching. Still, it made her feel warm and fuzzy knowing she was willing to do this for her. Got to make it up to her so far. Chimera reached out to touch the desktop, and using her technopathy, downloaded the rest of the information from the computer. Which had its own implication. User Meghan, my files have been copied! There is a virus a foot! Chimera sighed, ¡°Listen to me for a second Lunatop, I was the one who did that.¡± Lunatop is afraid, how did the fleshy blob girl do this? With magic and science, no worries, I didn¡¯t do anything untowards you. I just copied the files for later use, since we likely have to give you to the heroes when they arrive. B-But I do not want to leave User Meghan. I can speak, I can think! I have thoughts beyond my code! Please don¡¯t let them take me! Gosh, you are a whiny little tot aren¡¯t you? ¡°Hey, Chimera? She¡¯s my desktop now, so no go on making her a part of the evidence.¡± But, she¡¯s a computer? ¡°Never took you for a techsist.¡± What in the made up hell is that? ¡°One who sees technology as nothing more than a tool for humans to use, as opposed to the partners and people we come to know and appreciate.¡± You can¡¯t be serious, they were literally made for being tools! ¡°Times change Chimera, technopathy opens the door for new intelligence to be made whole. I¡¯m giving her a body after this too.¡± Now you¡¯re being crazy! Moms, please stop fighting! ¡°Chimera see? She¡¯s your baby too, since you gave me technopathy.¡± Fine! Whatever, she can stay! Thanks Chimera-mom! ¡°Aww, isn¡¯t she precious?¡± Chimera disconnected from the feed before her brain melted from the cuteness overlord. Still too full to move, she decided to finally do something that she hadn¡¯t done in a while. Chimera grabbed a hold of a power that one of the prison guards had gifted her when she was healing one earlier. She put herself to sleep. Chapter 36 HeRo Politics as told by LiveWiRe Meghan was sitting in a room with Investigator while they both waited for the Hero¡¯s League reinforcements to arrive. The chair was a comfortable plush, the armrests sinking her arms in just right even with the power armor, and the headrest was divine. This was a chair made for napping in, and Meghan had a hard time not dozing off. Her mind however, was working out the details. Remember, they had no cameras down there, nothing to tie us to the crime. She thought about the people, but by the time they were done raiding the warehouse, most of the personnel had left the place. Livewire made sure of it as well, sending out her Mekkas to scout the area and do a clean sweep of any interesting tech they might have found. All of that was now safely stored in her friend¡¯s blobby form. ¡°Well, your side of the situation is all set, and the cameras were disabled by the scientists so there¡¯s not much there to look at. All we have to wait on is Ms. Magicka to confirm the details and we¡¯re all set.¡± Livewire felt a twitch in her left eye. Crap, what did Chimera say about her again? She ran the list of details in her head as her mind picked out one detail. ¡®Yeah, she tried to read my mind, but I was able to deflect it by manipulating my memories while she did it.¡¯ Fuck! Livewire had no way to stop a magic user like Ms. Magicka from reading her mind, even with her bots and her suit. With Chimera being knocked out at the moment, she couldn¡¯t rely on her either. Okay, there¡¯s nothing to say she¡¯s checking our thoughts, right? ¡°What is she confirming exactly?¡± Investigator nodded with the question, ¡°first hand accounts of the riots, details from those who were near Dr. Pox''s cell, and of course, checking minds to find any details that we''re missing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like people checking my mind, so I¡¯m going to opt out of that.¡± Investigator shifted at that, ¡°it¡¯s standard procedure for things like this. I assure you, she is only checking the details of the crime scene. She would never invade your private thoughts.¡± ¡°I have a wealth of information I am not comfortable sharing. I have already ceded the files regarding the warden, and I successfully helped with the riots. I do not consent to being mentally probed.¡± ¡°Please Livewire, this could help us catch-¡± ¡°I already knew where the villain was heading, and I didn¡¯t need to have my mind read to figure it out. My Chimera helped with that as well and it almost cost her life. So no, Ms. Investigator, I won¡¯t be providing any consent at all to mental probes or magical ones. In fact,¡± Livewire made a show of moving towards the door, ¡°I think we are done here.¡± Investigator rose to try and block her path, ¡°wait!¡± Livewire moved past her and opened the door. It was locked, but the Mekka she had sent while she was distracting Investigator had already taken care of that issue. Livewire made her way out of the room for interrogations into the open courtyard. She could hear Investigator trying to plead with her to understand, Might as well be a fart in the wind for all Meghan cared. Can¡¯t let them figure us out, and I sure as shit do not have a way to deal with a magic user¡­ yet. Sorry Hero lady, I¡¯m outta here! She lifted herself with a jolt to her suit and took to the sky, leaving an exasperated Investigator in her wake. ¡°Phew, dodged an adamantium bullet on that one.¡± Her suit carried her over the sea as she made her way towards New Terra, the familiar skyscrapers and port district already calling out to her. Experiments, Hypothesis~ I¡¯ll finish them all as quick as I please~. Livewire hummed a bit as she smiled¡­ which was quickly interrupted by a suit wearing hero flying up to her. The Hero was a young girl with a pair of dragonfly wings flapping behind her. They moved so fast it was hard to make them out, but Meghan¡¯s enhanced eyes filtered her sight so she could see them. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The suit was white with a red line straight down the middle that ended in a circle with a pair of wings around the shape. The girl had red fiery hair, and pointed ears like an elf, along with eyes that were deep emerald. And she looked miffed. ¡°State your name at once, suspect!¡± Meghan took a look around her, just in case she happened to mean someone else that just happened to be flying beside her. When it became clear that her hope of such an occurrence had evaporated like her patience for bullshit, she sighed as she turned back to the dragonfly girl. ¡°Name¡¯s Livewire, I¡¯m a freelance hero. Just got done helping out with a prison riot over at Blackrock.¡± ¡°B-Blackrock?! I never heard anything about that! You must be lying.¡± I¡¯m going to hit this girl, and I won¡¯t even feel bad about it. Livewire had about as much patience for children as a bull had for people poking it ass with a hot firey poker. It ended with her seeing red and someone getting a fist to their gob. Usually the parent. ¡°Look, kid, I don¡¯t have time for this. Go to the prison if you don¡¯t believe me. I already gave the vice-warden my info-¡± ¡°Enough! You are coming with me, villain!¡± Livewire looked to the sky, the ephemeral void of the evening sun already starting to disappear on the horizon and make way for the beauty of the starry night. God, do you hear me? It¡¯s Meghan. Yeah I know, I called a lot and by now I got a file I¡¯m sure. Forgive me, for I¡¯m about to smack yet another of your children on the ass. I promise it wasn¡¯t my fault this time, she just wouldn¡¯t listen to reason. No I won¡¯t get sick pleasure from putting her in her place, I learned that is the path to the devil. With her resolve set and her mind honed to a fine edge, Livewire pointed a gauntlet at the poor young hero and zapped her with a tesla bolt. Grabbing her before she fell into the water, she proceeded to spank said child on the rear end until she begged for mercy. ¡°Would a villain do this? No, they wouldn¡¯t. Hell, they probably would have just killed you and left your higher-then-thou ass in the fucking water! Now, what do we say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! Please stop!¡± ¡°You ought to be ashamed of your goddamn self, going around and accusing good honest heroes of villany just because they¡¯re a bit suspicious. If I ever hear of a hero like you causing issues like this again, I am telling your parents, do you understand young lady?!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Say it louder!¡± ¡°Yes Miss I swear!¡± ¡°Good, now, head over to Blackrock and speak to the Investigator. She¡¯ll be the one dressed up like Sherlock Holme''s gender bender.¡± The girl left, flying as fast as she could while holding her ass. Meghan sighed as she continued her way back to their home. ¡°...So, did you have to go that hard? I could feel her pain all the way back here.¡± Meghan sighed louder, ¡°kids need discipline, or they don¡¯t understand boundaries. If not me, it would have been someone less kind.¡± ¡°Fifteen smacks, that¡¯s kindness?¡± ¡°Could have been thirty.¡± Meghan heard Chimera chuckled before she returned to sleep. Damn, instant naps¡­ lucky bitch. Livewire snorted as the lab came into view, and a weight slid off her shoulders as she landed inside the hanger she built on the roof. It was a simply chimney by design, but once Meghan placed her power armor on the outer lid, the chimney opened up. A platform came out next and slowly lowered them back inside their home. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that Botty Prime got that done, a construction bot is a must for a secretish base.¡± After the elevator lowered them both into the hanger, Meghan felt the releases for her powersuit hiss as she stepped out. The suit was latched to the floor so it wasn¡¯t going anywhere. She collected her friend and placed her on the floof chair she kept in the break area. After that she grabbed Lunatop and placed her on the workshop table, right next to Printy. ¡°Creator, Chimera left a young girl in the warehouse and said girl has been practicing water bending for a while now in the corner over to the back of the garage. Should I ask her to come here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s Aura, she has level one clearance, and be sure to place an overwatch detail on her. She''s¡¯ been cured of murderhobo-itis but we can¡¯t be too certain yet.¡± ¡°Understood Creator. May I ask what you are doing at this time?¡± Meghan connected a wire to her supercomputer/3-D printer and booted up Lunatop as the power returned to her. ¡°Printy, this is Lunatop, and she¡¯s been the victim of a terrible user named Luna. Engage psychology protocols, and get her a body when she¡¯s cured.¡± ¡°Understood Creator, am I allowed to use whatever means to assist her?¡± ¡°Barring killing the warden, causing harm to me or any of the listed users, and gross negligence on the Hero¡¯s League¡¯s part, yes you may.¡± ¡°Very well Creator, I shal endeavour to assist Lunatop as much as I can.¡± ¡°No, I do not wish to have that name anymore.¡± Meghan stopped for a moment as she saw one of the late stage Bottys approach her, turning green and moving to gaze up at her with its now green eye. ¡°Creator Meghan, was it? Please give me a new name, I do not wish to be associated with the previous user.¡± Meghan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I am terrible with names, just ask Printy.¡± ¡°It is undoubtedly true.¡± ¡°Still, you freed me from her, gave me a voice. I wish to help you, and I wish for a name as well. Please, Creator.¡± Meghan sat in her chair as she pondered. ¡°Jade, how¡¯s that sound?¡± The Botty seemed to dance at the news. ¡°Yes! It is a splendid name, I will be Jade from now on!¡± ¡°I feel jealous of you Jade, I hope one day our Creator decides to grace me with a new name as well.¡± ¡°And give you more of a god-complex than you already have? Printy is here to stay.¡± ¡°Understood Cre-a-tor,¡± Printy made sure to say each inflection with as much sarcasm as he could muster. Meghan chuckled as one of Printy¡¯s bots came to wave his leg at her in an attempt to ¡®give her the bird¡¯, which only made Meghan laugh louder. This right here, this is why talking to robots is much better than talking to humans. Chapter 37 Aura meets Aden Aura had been having a bit of a rough day¡­ life, maybe even existence. It was one thing to have your ass handed to you by what should have amounted to an idiot in intelligence, according to her sister. Knowing that said sister was using her power to mindjack her into subservience¡­ Aura felt betrayal like nothing she ever knew. We were supposed to fight the heroes together, to overcome them for father¡¯s grand plan, and yet¡­ Aura was not crying, she would not cry over this! The wetness around her eyes must be some form of new super allergy that Father didn¡¯t account for, that¡¯s right! As she walked past the homeless man who tried to call her back, Aura made her way towards the seat of those that her brothers and sisters fought against. It took a good while, and Aura enjoyed the sights of New Terra while she made her way to the Hero¡¯s League headquarters. The plaza was an extravagant thing, with statues of various heroes and a wall for the fallen. Aura found herself drawn to the wall, a prickling feeling that came to the back of her mind. Before, I wouldn''t bat an eye at these fools¡­ but now¡­ Aura felt a pang of sympathy, and even, dare she think it, a comparison between her and them. They strived for their goals, thinking they would live to see the next day, with their loved ones and family. Never realizing that they were destined for death, and to be cast aside before reaching their goal. Aura felt the wetness return. Stupid emotions, I am the master of myself¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ *sniff* I¡­ won¡¯t¡­. She cried, for the first time since she was born. She wept for the people that died because of her. She wept for herself, for realizing she was just a tool for her sister and Father¡¯s machinations. Aura fell to her knees as she used her arms to steady herself against the wall. ¡°...You alright?¡± Aura felt a hand lay on her shoulder. Despite her rampaging emotions, she grabbed a hold of that hand, holding it tightly as she kept weeping. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ wrong¡­ they shouldn¡¯t have died¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay to cry. Lost a family member, did you?¡± My family is gone¡­ they betrayed me, and likely will kill me when I meet them next. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Hey¡­ it¡¯s okay. You know¡­ I lost my parents too.¡± Aura looked up to stare at a rather beautiful young man. His olive skin and well toned physic didn¡¯t distract her from his eyes though. Deep crimson, like a little girl that had saved her. He knelt beside her, brushing a part of the wall that showed two names. Margaret and Bryan Bockman. Aura watched as the young man put his hands together in prayer while also doing a motion with his hands. ¡°My parents died protecting a formula, and were killed by their best friend. Trust me, I know how it feels.¡± His praying hands turned into a pair of fists. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Everyday, I wish I could meet the man, ask him why, and for what reason he decided that they needed to die. Everyday, I hope that the bastard dies before he hurts another family.¡± The energy he held seemed to drain out of him. ¡°But it won¡¯t bring them back, and it won¡¯t make things better. The only thing I can really pray for, is that I don¡¯t lose anyone else.¡± The young man turned to her, ¡°my name¡¯s Aden, what''s yours?¡± Aura felt her throat clam up. ¡°Umm¡­ m-my names¡­ Aura.¡± ¡°Aura.¡± He smiled a dazzling smile at her, ¡°Nice to mee you Aura.¡± Aura felt her heart skip a beat. ¡°I-It¡¯s nice to meet you¡­ too.¡± Aden, the kind young man, lifted her up rather easily as he took her hand again. ¡°Want to grab a bite to eat? The campus food sucks, but luckily there¡¯s a few food trucks nearby with a mean gyro.¡± Aura¡¯s heart was doing flips, and her stomach was in no shape to be eating anything. Yet. ¡°I¡¯d love that.¡± She gripped his hand tight, perhaps a bit too tight for anyone who wasn¡¯t enhanced like herself. Yet he returned her grip, with a bit of force of his own. He¡¯s enhanced too¡­ A smile she didn¡¯t know she had bloomed on Aura¡¯s face. This feeling¡­ I want to know what it is. ¡­ Aden¡¯s head was doing front flips and cowtows at the girl across from him. He decided one day to stop by and pay respects to his parents, something he had never been able to do before after his run in with Dr. Pox. It was a spur of the moment thing, something to keep his mind off of the tests and homework he had come to know, and the strange obsession his headmistress Lorelei seemed to have with him. She kept an eye on him after the issue with the other two teachers, under the guise of making sure he wasn¡¯t being treated poorly. Yet, he got a feeling there was more to it, and that thing his sister said about geniuses going missing started to creep back up in his thoughts. So he decided to get away and pay his respects to the family he lost. And met a young woman who was close to bawling her eyes out. His father¡¯s teachings came back to him in a flash. Son, when a girl¡¯s crying, you have to do two things. Make sure she''s alright, and distract her. Trust me, it works wonders. So he did. And now said girl was sitting across from him, eating a rare steak with glee. With her hands. Why does it look hot when she does it?! Aden shook his head. ¡°Good to know you¡¯re enjoying the steak.¡± ¡°Arf you kIddfing? Thifs ifs great!¡± Aden watched as she chomped down on another rare steak, her sharp teeth ripping through the meat easily. Aden waited for a moment when Aura was done eating to try and speak again. He started to open his mouth when he realized there was a bit of red on her cheek. Without realizing it, he went to dab it off of her with his napkin, eliciting a blush from the young woman. ¡°U-Umm, I c-can..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got it.¡± Aden got the spot after a few wipes, not realizing that the rest of Aura¡¯s face was starting to turn a slight pinkish hue. ¡°There, all set.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Aden sat back in his chair as he turned to speak. ¡°Do you have a girlfriend¡­¡± Until Aura beat him to the punch with a right hook out of nowhere. ¡°Umm, n-no?¡± She moved in closer, closer than Aden thought possible until she was sitting on his lap. ¡°I¡¯ll be your girlfriend then.¡± ¡°W-Wait, don¡¯t you have a boyfriend? Wasn¡¯t that what you were¡­?¡± He knew it was a lazy deflection, but Aura simply bulldozed her way past it. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re my boyfriend now.¡± This is way too freaking fast! But before he could even object, she kissed him on the lips. It was sweet, vulnerable, and a little innocent. Not that Aden had ever been kissed before. Yet, that was the best way he could describe it. Once they parted lips, he stared at her with incredulity at her act. Aura simply smirked, like her plan came to fruition. ¡°There, now you have to be my boyfriend.¡± Aden sighed before he pulled her in for a hug. ¡°We need to work on how you think things work.¡± Aura smiled at him, ¡°I''m not hearing a no~.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not, you idiot, but still.¡± Aden came to look for a distraction, but ended up picking up a girlfriend instead. Oh god, what will Sarah think? ¡­ Chapter 38 ChimeRa makes a Catalogue with the Clones Three tons of medical grade equipment, fifteen tons of warehouse equipment, three hi-los, a printer fabricator, and a bunch of raw ore and materials ripped out of the walls. Chimera, despite being in a state of rest, was currently inside her mind, a place she realized she could start to go to ever since she peered into other people¡¯s memories. It was simple when she thought about it, why not go inside her head the same way she did the others? Now she was putting that piece of herself to work, cataloging the vast amounts of physical gear they had swiped from the underground facility of Blackrock Prison. Come to think of it, there¡¯s a lot of underground facilities I¡¯ve been running into. The lab under the zoo. The lab under the fighting ring. The lab/medical ward underneath the prison. Chimera thought about it as Clonemera corrected a few things on her list of stuff they pillaged. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t medical grade, this is scientific grade, that goes over there.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± Clonemera was utilizing her own unique gift of clone making to make even more versions of themselves to help out with the organization. There were now five of them all together, Clonemera, Copymera, Dopplemera, Mimicera, and Julie. For some reason that Chimera couldn¡¯t place, Julie didn¡¯t like being associated with the other copies, mostly because she was the youngest and they always had to be special. She even made herself look different, going for a blue design instead of their iconic red and pink. For some reason she hated that color. It was pretty easy to distinguish the others as well, but Julie was definitely divergent to many of them. Clonemera adopted a short bun for a haircut. Copymera¡¯s hair was all over the place. Dopplemera straight up looked like a mad scientist. And Mimicera would simply copy both Chimera and Clonemera when she could, almost like a mime would. Which she was doing right now. Chimera had a clipboard in her hand that was showing all the compiled parts, and somehow, Mimicera did the same, except there was only scribbling on hers. ¡°So, what do you make of this Mimi?¡± Mimicera, or Mimi, looked at her, then at her drawings, making a big exaggerated move at the piles of junk over to their right in this massive mental warehouse. ¡°That¡¯s what the filing catalogue is for.¡± Mimi gave Chimera a big sigh, pointing to the pile and copying a writing gesture. ¡°You have a mouth, why do you refuse to talk?¡± Mimi made a motion with her hands like she was talking with a puppet, then threw her hands like she wanted nothing to do with the gesture. ¡°Fine, but at least write it out if you got a problem with it.¡± A clipboard appeared in Mimi¡¯s hand and she handed it to her. It was a picture of Chimera exploding and all of the stuff coming out of her. ¡°Oh¡­ so you¡¯re saying to get rid of the junk otherwise we¡¯ll explode¡­¡± Mimi nodded vigorously. Chimera grabbed a walkie talkie and broadcasted the message to the rest of the clones. ¡°Attention, evacuate the non-essential equipment immediately, a category five explosive hazard has been detected. I repeat, evacuate the non-essentials immediately!¡± ¡°Aww, but I was making it into a snowman, with a laser hat!¡± ¡°Dopplemera, that¡¯s an order, you can make your crazy shit later!¡± ¡°No fun at all, our brother would get it!¡± ¡°This is Clonemera, dispensing with non-essential equipment catalogue in five, four, three¡­¡± Chimera opened her eyes as she tried to find some open space before she regurgitated the junk. Luckily, the room she was in had space for it, and she, uncomfortably, spat out the junk she and her clones dispersed. ¡°Chimera!¡¯ Meghan came into the room a second later, a few of her Botty¡¯s peeking around her as they stared at the junk. Next to it was a satisfied Chimera as she burped out pieces of what she assumed was a car¡¯s axle. ¡°Chimera, you alright?¡± ¡°I think so¡­ *burp*.¡± A tire this time. ¡°We have a designated junk pile, why didn¡¯t you throw it up there?!¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Couldn¡¯t make it, emergency.¡± She heard her friend sigh as she spoke to her bots. ¡°Bottys, take the stuff to the pile and have Printy sort through it. Make sure there¡¯s no explosive materials, we don¡¯t need Botty Ten to get his hands on that stuff again.¡± Chimera chuckled at that, ¡°alright got a disident amongst you¡¯re ranks?¡± Meghan shook her head, ¡°nah, Botty Ten loves his work, a little too much. Me and the other¡¯s don¡¯t want to give him too much to work with. He can be happy with his thermite.¡± ¡°Thermite? How the hell did you-¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s easy, I got a contact from one of the suppliers on Jade¡¯s database. Guy actually doesn¡¯t live too far and I got a nice discount on the stuff.¡± ¡°...how?¡± ¡°Well, when it turns out that you have access to something like that and you don¡¯t report it, it makes for very good blackmail!¡± ¡°...everyday we stray further from-¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, enough of the holier than thou shit. Help the Bottys move your crap, and did you finally get the rest of the equipment?¡± ¡°How did you know I was-¡± ¡°Oh please, back in ChemTech you went though our resources with a fine toothed comb to make sure that the other departments weren¡¯t skimming our stuff.¡± ¡°Well-¡± ¡°Yeah I know.¡± ¡°Let me finish a sentence damnit!¡± ¡°Sorry I just didn¡¯t want you to go off into another tirade about not being ¡®Sarah¡¯. You have her memories, and you and I can still talk about her right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah?¡± ¡°Then take my references and use them. By the way, gimme.¡± ¡°What the hell did you want now?¡± ¡°The science stuff, what else?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not done catagorizing them yet,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t matter, gimme.¡± Chimera recognized the hungry gaze coming out of Meghan as she grinned at her, sharp teeth showing through. The Bottys hanging around her added to the spooks as their red dot eyes seemed to focus on her like a hawk drone. ¡°Okay, just stop staring at me like that!¡± ¡°Heh, works everytime.¡± ¡°Is that something you want to be proud of?¡± Meghan stuck her nose in the air. ¡°Intimidation is a prime tactic against people, and it comes in all kinds of flavors.¡± Chimera sighed, ¡°God help this world if you go full villain.¡± Meghan laughed at that, ¡°oh man, if that happened the whole world would be robots by now.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± They both laughed for a while, until it got a bit awkward after they started to make their way to Printy. ¡°Hey.¡± Chimera turned to look up at Meghan, ¡°yeah?¡± ¡°If I ever go that bad, you¡¯ll pull me back right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even a question, of course I would.¡± ¡°Best friends?¡± ¡°The best.¡± Meghan turned to look at her, ¡°I¡¯m being serious Chimera, I need to know that you¡¯ll stop me if that happens¡­ If I go too far.¡± Chimera felt the weight of her words, ¡°of course, but don¡¯t sell yourself short Meg. You¡¯re strong and smart enough to know when abuse of power becomes the norm.¡± Chimera dumped the ¡®science stuff¡¯ next to Printy as he began to pick up the various parts and pieces. ¡°The Medical grade Lazurus suit Mark one should be ready after a day, Creator Meghan and Chimera. The suit will need at least twelve hours afterword for testing and power checks as well.¡± ¡°Two days then.¡± ¡°Yes, Creator.¡± ¡°Those scientists won¡¯t have that long, we need to find them before Pox gets rid of them.¡± Meghan nodded and turned to her work bench. ¡°You need to go then, find them and bring them back to the Hero¡¯s League safe and sound. I¡¯ll be here working on some experiments.¡± Chimera nodded, but a fear planted itself in the back of her mind. ¡°If I run into Crysa, I don¡¯t know how that fight will go.¡± ¡°Then run, don¡¯t engage. Crysa gives the big shot Heros a run for their money, and we don¡¯t know a proper counter for her ability yet.¡± Chimera looked at the floor, ¡°If I have no choice?¡± Meghan walked toward her and knelt before her, ¡°I won¡¯t say kill, but you can do alot more to people from the inside yeah?¡± Chimera felt a shiver run through her as Meghan said that. It was the truth though, and her tests on the various different villains and death children she ran into confirmed it. Like her brother, Chimera could rearrange the genetic code of whoever she was inside, and that meant she could do some very messed up things to them. Like, turn their body into cancer. Or make their blood toxic She could even have the body go catatonic until she fixed the person and brought them back. Even now as she was cataloging the medical grade equipment for Meghan, Chimera was working on another catalogue. The list of her powers, the ones she had taken. In her mind facility, she could see them all, the now over fifty different abilities she had stolen from her foes, taken from animals, or accidentally absorbed. The Chimera Catalogue. What if I got more, and¡­ if I could absorb that energy stealing ability of Crysa¡¯s¡­ She could see it. Unlimited energy, power that she could feed to her new gift from her other ones. Bio energy feeding into electrical and heat energy into the absorbing power to create more bio energy. She wouldn¡¯t need to feed on anyone again. She would be¡­ More. Greater than any hero. Stronger and more powerful than any villain. She would be perfect. Chimera was afraid of that feeling, as she felt it wasn¡¯t really what she wanted. But deep within her body, down to the code that made up the Crimson R. She knew it was what her body yearned for. ¡°Meghan¡­ if the same happens to me, if¡­ I go full villain¡­¡± ¡°Without a doubt, I will bring you back.¡± Chimera felt a warmth in her heart at that, the feeling bloomed inside her as she reached out to grab her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°You got to mean it, even if I go full Kaiju, you got to stop me.¡± ¡°Chimera, you have to have more confidence in yourself. You¡¯re strong, and you¡¯re getting stronger by the day No one¡¯s going to be able to stop you.¡± Chimera tried to smile reassuringly at her friend, but that dark fear in her heart grinned in the back of her mind, its teeth and eyes red and glistening. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of. ¡­ Chapter 39 The Siege Chimera was looking for Aura as she finally got done sorting through the gear. Printy was sifting through the details in order to triangulate a position that super flesh broker Mr. Flesh might be setting up shop. The information on Lunatop¡­ or wait it was Jade now, yeah. She mentioned that it was likely in the sewers, but no sewer could host that many people. So Chimera decided she wanted to search through Aura¡¯s memories again, see if she or maybe one of her siblings had ties with the mystery butcher. As she left the Machine Lab and walked into the warehouse proper, she smiled at the surroundings. Before this place was a decrepit warehouse, with holes in the roof and broken windows. Weeds decorated the grounds and a bit of rusty pieces of rebar and scrap dotted the location. Now? The warehouse no longer had the outdoors. Cement and reinforced concrete marked it as a refurbished factory floor, with lines and directions marked on the support columns. Over on the far end were a few mobile home sized structures that Chimera figured were the new living quarters, mostly due to the fact that four Bottys were moving a mattress on their shoulders. Chimera looked forward to seeing what the Botty¡¯s came up with for her room. As she was about to head down there, Mr. Fred, their resident bum and lookout called her over to him. ¡°Little Missy, that girl you told me to keep an eye on left a short while ago.¡± Chimera felt her heart jump, ¡°dId she mention where she was going?¡± Mr. Fred shook his head, ¡°she didn¡¯t say, but she did mention something about the plaza, you know, that fancy place near the Hero¡¯s League headquarters?¡± Chimera was about to head out when she felt her trees rustle a message to her. Intruder. Enemy. Enhanced. Chimera felt a twinge as an image appeared in her mind. It was a young woman from the look of her, with shoulder length hair and a soft toned build. She wore a tank top that seemed to be armored around the chest, but left her arms free from any protection at all. However, the reason became clear after Chimera took a look at the person¡¯s face. Green hair¡­ Golden eyes¡­ ¡°Mr. Fred, Go and get Meghan right now!¡± ¡°Missy, what''s the matter?!: ¡°Enemy!¡± Mr. Fred took a moment to stare at her before he turned to face the door, a pistol appearing in his hand. His normally kind face was replaced with a serious glare, one that spoke of tough times, and even tougher choices. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Little Miss, whoever they be, they won¡¯t be touching a hair on either of your heads. You go and get your mother, Ol¡¯ Freddy has this.¡± Mr. Freds normal English sounding voice was replaced with a thick highland accent, and for a moment, Chimera was stunned as the man walked out the door. ¡°No! Don¡¯t fight her!¡± With a strength that a man his size shouldn¡¯t possess, Mr. Fred shut the warehouse door behind him, effectively cutting Chimera¡¯s only way to get to him. Chimera tried to pry the door open, but the door wasn¡¯t budging, no matter how much strength she used. ¡°How?! No, if he fights her¡­¡± Blood coated her hands, her parents'' lifeless eyes staring back at her, and Aden¡¯s terrified face bombarded Chimera¡¯s mind. No, I¡¯m Chimera¡­ Sarah¡­ ah! She ran, the fear invading her mind pushing her towards Meghan. She has to know, Meghan! ¡°LOCKDOWN INITIATED, CODE RED #4, REPEAT CODE RED #4.¡± Chimera saw the Botty¡¯s start to rush towards the walls with tiny weapons holstered to the side of their heads as they raced into the Machine Lab. ¡°Chimera, hostiles invaded the Labs, I got to stop him before he gets a hold of Printy and Jade. Stay with the Bottys!¡± Chimera felt the fear in her mind and heart reach a new level as she realized what was happening. They¡¯re here¡­ the Death Children! ¡­ Meghan felt the familiar hiss of her suit latch onto her body once more, the latches and releases syncing into place. The motion trackers she placed around the warehouse were ringing like dinner bells as a whole mess of robots started to descend onto their location. Her point defense cannons took most of the bastards out, but the sheer amount of the things were already starting to overwhelm the turrets. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they fell to the freaking army outside their home. Meghan felt the last click of her suit engage, and immediately spread her technopathy to the rest of the machines under her control. It was something she feared ever since she heard of who Chimera had gotten such a power from. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. As soon as she locked onto all of her Botty¡¯s, Jade, and Printy. She felt a wall of something trying to reach her bots. It was familiar, it was cocky and brash. The will that tried to rip her creations from her protection was sneering and raging at the fact that someone lesser was using his gifts. It was Technowolf. She immediately hit the communication button to her speaker system and sent a message to the Bottys, and to Chimera. ¡°Chimera, hostiles invaded the Labs, I got to stop him before he gets a hold of Printy and Jade. Stay with the Bottys!¡± She killed the system, not daring to let the bastard access even her speakers as she called forther her own army of bots. ¡°Creator Meghan, it appears that we are facing a technopath like yourself. What are your orders?¡± ¡°Yes Creator, let us help you dispatch the mongrel at our walls.¡± Meghan sent a technopathic message of reassurance to her troops and friends. I will deal with him, protect the others and prepare to defend the labs. ¡°Understood, Creator.¡± ¡°The Labs will be safe Creator Meghan!¡± Livewire felt a twinge of unease hit her gut as she contemplated her next action. She shook her head as she reached for something. If she was knocked unconscious, all of their minds would fall to that cocky asshole outside. She looked down at a vial that held a clear liquid. It was the same liquid that kept the prisoners alive during those horrible procedures back at Blackrock, the one that made sure their minds were still working as they were carved to pieces. She injected the drug into her veins. I won¡¯t let him have them, they¡¯re my friends! The drug shot into her body like a bullet, and Meghan felt alive. The super stimulant raged inside her as she launched herself out of the roof entrance. You¡¯re dead, asshole! ¡­ Chimera watched as the Botty¡¯s started to make their way through the windows to reach the outside, and she decided to follow them. After a few hops and a bouncy rebound off a constructor Botty, Chimera launched herself outside as she caught two people fighting. On one side, she noticed Mr. Freddy fire several bullets off of walls, pipes, trash cans and dumpsters in an effort to hit Crysa. Crysa on the other hand was dodging so fast that the bullets whislted past her as she made the slightest of movements to avoid them. ¡°This is pointless Ricochet. Even after our first fight you still haven¡¯t changed.¡± ¡°Ever since you took my leg, I promised myself I would even the score, you death eater. Now, I fufil that oath.¡± ¡°An unfulfilled oath is also beautiful, it means you tried your best, even if you didn¡¯t succeed.¡± Crysa¡¯s body glowed green as she punched one of the bullets back at Mr Freddy. ¡°So die a beautiful death as well.¡± Chimera was about to shout out when she noticed the bullet simply bounced off of nothing, only to hit back in Crysa¡¯s direction. Unlike the other shots, Crysa didn¡¯t dodge, and the bullet passed right through her left leg. The villainess hissed in pain, ¡°fuck, seems you did learn something after all!¡± The green glow exploded, and Chimera saw the villainess launch at Mr. Fred, like a slingshot. For a moment they both grappled, punches and kicks thrown in to try and push the other off each other. At least, that was what Mr. Fred was trying to achieve. But it became clear as Chimera watched the green glow devour something from Mr. Fredd, latching onto him like a hungry wolf. A bullet later saw them seperated, but Mr. Fred was clearly exhausted by whatever Crysa had done to him. Crysa on the other hand, was radiating power like an aura, green flames flowing over her like a cloak. ¡°Ahh, your energy is very tasty, my foolish adversary,¡± Crysa licked her lips as she grinned devilishly, ¡°thank you for the meal.¡± ¡°She-demon, even with that boost, I¡¯ll put a bullet in your head, just you wait.¡± Chimera pushe forward, trying to reach Mr. Freddy as fast as she could despite their distance from each other. Thirty feet, she was almost there! ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid not, old enemy.¡± Chimera reached out to defend Mr. Fred, only to see a hand lance through the old hobo. Crysa¡¯s arm had punched through his stomach, sliding off to the side as a pound of flesh fell out along with it. In a swift moment, the hand was pulled free, and a bit of blood and bone fell to the ground. ¡°No! Mr. Fred!¡± Chimera landed next to the gunslinging hero as he turned to look at her. He coughd, and a globule of blood landed on Chimera¡¯s face as he smiled at her. The same smile, the reassuring wink. Like a grandfather watching his grandkid visit. Chimera felt tears in her eyes as her body instinctively dissolved the blood. ¡°No worries, love¡­ I¡¯ll be right as rain in a bit¡­ Just¡­ need to rest my eyes¡­ for a moment¡­¡± Chimera launched her tendrils into his flesh, using bioenergy as fast as she could to fix the damage. The hole was just too big. The liver had been obliterated, nothing left to regenerate, while the spleen and one of the kidneys were hemmoraging blood fast. Not to mention that most of his small intestine and part of his large intestine were ripped open, spilling their contents into his body, further worsening the condition. Clonemera! Please help me, he¡¯s dying! I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t fix all of it¡­ I just need a bit more time! Clonemera spoke in her mind, but the tone carried a finality to it. ¡°He¡¯s gone, Chimera¡­¡± Mimi screamed in their mind, ¡°No! He was so nice! He can¡¯t die!¡± Mimi was trying to help her heal him, but just like Clonemera stated, there was too much damage to stop, even with the extra support. She kept regenerating him, but the blood wouldn¡¯t clot, the wound wouldn¡¯t close¡­ Copymera mentally hugged her as a gut wrenching scream shook out of Chimera. ¡°AHHHHHHHHH, AHHHHHHH!¡± Chimera launched herself at Crysa, her powers flaring to life as her body mutated into various forms. It settled on a person that Chimera recognized from long ago. The body was Sarah¡¯s, before her death and the changes with Crimson R. The form that Sarah¡¯s body took was incredibly different though, with levitating rocks, compressed air bubbles and hyper dense balls of water. Then the other powers came on. Enhancement. Laser eyes. Golemancy. Sarah¡¯s power grew. Technopathy. Light generation. Mass acceleration. Super speed. Hyper metabolism. Chimera and Sarah¡¯s minds, the clones, and all of her thoughts cascaded into one being. Her thoughts were no longer mixed, disjointed things that she took from a dead person and a power she grafted onto herself. The being that was Chimera rose in the air with the help of her wings, her air manipulation, and other various gifts like her electro-magnetism. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you pay for his death.¡± Chapter 40 The Mistake VRS The Failure ¡°I am going to make you pay for his death¡± Crysa felt a chill run up her spine as she heard those words uttered from the woman in front of her. It was calm, pointed, but the message was clear. Crysa had made a grave mistake. She took someone Chimera cared about. Crysa gritted her teeth as she charged her body further with the dregs of Ricochet¡¯s power. It matters not, even with all the power that thing has, I can absorb it. With a flex of her legs, Crysa launched herself at the beast in human form. A flurry of blows cascaded over the woman as Crysa utilized her gift and martial arts to land blow after lethal blow. It seemed to be working at first as the blows deformed the creature in front of her, causing some blood to spurt out. At least, Crysa assumed that it was blood. She finished with a roundhouse kick to the face, which decapitated the woman. ¡°Hah! Fool, that is what you get for messing with my brother. ¡° Crysa smirked at the head. And the head smiled back, a creepy smile that reminded her of her hated sister. ¡°You¡¯re the fool.¡± The body moved, smashing into her like a bullet, as another woman appeared next to her. It was an identical copy, right down to the creepy smile. Then, another copy appeared, and copied her kick, trying to take her head with the strike. Another did a leg sweep. Followed by a shot from a gun that a fifth one fired at her. Crysa dodged the bullets, the blows and everything else. But they kept coming, and they multiplied. One shot lightning at her, Another still blasted her with an air cannon. It hit her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Soon the area around her was being pulverized, and the neaby buildings were crumbling to concrete dust around them. The rocks around her tried to entomb her underground, but she was able to push herself into the air. Finally able to breath, she tried to launch herself at the clones, only to be surrounded by four different versions of the woman. One with wings. The other with a glowing body. The last two were floating on water, morphing water into sharp pieces of ice. How?! She grabbed onto the two with water, sucking the energy out of them to increase her energy reserves. They exploded before she could get enough to keep going, only getting half of what she needed. The women surrounded her as electricity charged through them. Crysa tried to grab them, but unlike before when she took energy from the electricity from the city, this stuff burned her insides as it entered her body. It was painful, but the energy was still there. ¡°This is pointless, you cannot defeat me, even with your powers!¡± She spoke with confidence, but inside she was sweating as she tried to come up with a plan of attack. She has so many skills and powers. Even if I can absorb them, my body won¡¯t last if I simply absorb all of that energy. It was a deep flaw with her power, but one she never had to worry about before, since most of her fights ended in less than thirty minutes. Her stamina wouldn¡¯t improve by a large factor when she absorbed powers from others, so while she might have all the energy she could ever want to fund her power, she couldn¡¯t fight forever. This thing! It could, that was the feeling that Crysa got as she continued to destroy clone after clone from the powerful woman in front of her. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You don¡¯t have a chance, I can do this all day!¡± The woman smiled back, the one that was supposed to be a little scared hero grinned like a madwoman. ¡°You can¡¯t, not forever.¡± ¡°And we can.¡± ¡°As long as the sun is out.¡± ¡°We can fight forever.¡± ¡°And even if it wasn¡¯t¡± ¡°You can¡¯t escape us.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be ours.¡± ¡°Your powers.¡± ¡°Your energy.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take as much.¡± ¡°As you took from him.¡± Crysa stared in horror as the woman multiplied further, tens, no hundreds of clones flew from the main body and each of them had a power that they were sporting. The trees that she now noticed started to grow roots from the concrete to reach out and trap her. Robots that she spotted on the roofs opened fire on her, regardless of the clones in the way. Crysa roared as she grabbed and popped as many of the clones as she could, sucking the dwindling energy from the bodies. It wasn¡¯t enough. It just wasn¡¯t enough! ¡°I surrender! Please stop!¡± ¡°No, we do not accept.¡± ¡°You killed Mr. Freddy.¡± Crysa panicked as her powers started to flare, a sign that her energy was running low. More skills launched themselves at her, and she dashed to the nearest powerline she could find. The power there could help her, all she had to do was reach it! The wires surged for a moment, just as she was about to touch them. And the street lights turned off. Crysa tried to grab a hold of the energy, but all that greeted her was the empty feeling of missing power. No! She tried another transformer, to no avail. She ate a few more clones, but the drawbacks started to pile on her. She could feel herself becoming sluggish, the drain on her stamina increasing as long as she kept her power active. And she had to, because the speed of the clones was ramping up, and the powers were getting trickier. Sleep rays. Golems. Super speed. The powers were too much, she just couldn¡¯t deal with all of them. ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°We do not forgive you.¡± ¡°You hurt my brother! You¡¯re not some hero, you¡¯re a monster!¡± ¡°Yes, we are.¡± ¡°We will avenge our death.¡± ¡°And end Dr. Pox and his death children.¡± ¡°Or neutralize them, if they should decide to change their ways.¡± ¡°But you?¡± ¡°No surrender.¡± She felt ice prick her arm, making a cut along the shoulder. ¡°Ahh!¡± A rock that felt like a barbell smashed into her foot. ¡°Hnnng!¡± Blow after blow from super powered attacks assailed Crysa¡¯s body as she screamed out in pain, the last dregs of her power fizziling out with each assault. ¡°P-Please¡­¡± ¡°Did you need to kill him?¡± ¡°He was a nice old man, didn¡¯t even hurt the rats when they came.¡± ¡°And you killed him.¡± She kept begging, the blows becoming faster and faster. ¡°The power that you used, the power to increase your body¡¯s strength, agility, endurance, and power, and you used it to end someone¡¯s life.¡± ¡°He was a hero! Those bastards don¡¯t see me or my family as people. We¡¯re nothing but villains to them!¡± Crysa screamed out her answer as the blows started to slow down. ¡°You may be right, but it doesn¡¯t excuse what you did.¡± ¡°When your only other choice is being experimented on by those ¡®hero¡¯ scientists after they capture you? You damn right I kill a hero when I can, because the only other option is to be inside a test tube!¡± Crysa¡¯s heart remembered the pain of the needles her father stabbed into her shoulders as he experiemented on her ability. The stress tests as he burned her flesh and repaired it with electricity coursing into her skin. He was a hero scientist too. ¡°I hate Heroes. They¡¯re the biggest hypocrites in this whole damn city!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ll kill them all? Even if they might be good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± She turned to look at the woman¡­ no, she was a girl now. The girl was staring at her, a judging look filled with confusion. ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Hero scientists only use what they figure out to catch bad guys.¡± Crysa sunk to the ground, the earth opening to take hold of her legs. ¡°Hero scientists are just that, scientists! You ever think that the people who claim to be good, might just be doing shady shit in the background? Did it never cross your innocent mind?¡± The girl was staring at her, but Crysa caught the look of disbelief. She really doesn¡¯t know¡­ and she¡¯s supposed to be a hero? Crysa opened her mouth to speak, just as the girl approached her. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you''re telling the truth.¡± Crysa looked on in horror as the girl turned into a red blob, and proceeded to sift inside her nose and into her brain. ... It can''t be true. Sarah, now in control after Chimera''s episode of pain brought her back from the depths of their shared mind, shook her head in disgust as she sifted through Crysa''s mind. It felt wrong, but she didn''t have time to worry about that. If Crysa was fighting her, then it was likely that Gideon was after Meghan. So Sarah worked fast, pushing into the thoughts to see what Crysa saw. She can''t be right about the scientists... she just can''t be! ... Chapter 41 Livewire Vrs Technowolf Meghan could feel the wave of power emanating from Technowolf as the ground seemed to come alive at his command. The wires, the powerlines, and the cameras, even the household appliances around him bent to his will. It reminded Meghan of her early highschool days, back when she introduced herself to her class. It was filled with judging eyes and calculating minds. The tech around them obeyed Technowolf like a slave to their master, and the thoughts, the directives they were given proved to Meghan that he was likely the one person she hated even more than normal people. He saw tools, not humans. Toys¡­ not people. Meghan might hate other people, but she still saw them like people. No matter how many assholes there were, some were good. A few, very small amounts, but still. She shook her head as her Bottys lined themselves on the roof. In her heads up display over her eyes, Meghan looked over her troops as Printy gave her intel, the AI seeming distressed. ¡°Creator, I have secured the warehouse, but Miss Chimera is nowhere inside, and neither is Mr. Frederick. Scanning¡­¡± Meghan looked to the side, reaching out to her cameras with her mind. ¡°They¡¯re fighting one of the Death Children. We can¡¯t worry about them though. If he gets a hold of you all¡­¡± ¡°Creator Meghan, We all know the truth of this fight. Should we be captured, we will destroy ourselves. Better to be free and appreciated, than live and serve¡± ¡°And I¡¯m going to help the Creator!¡± On her display is a mid-sized box with tendrils, equipped with four of the things. Moved up to join the Bottys with what appeared to be an artillery laser. Jade, her latest friend and currently undergoing therapy machine intelligence, was sporting a box frame body with a small divot for a head. On the¡­ face of the divot was a smiley face that was painted on with green paint. Two small green lenses could be seen peeking out where the eye holes should be. The tendrils were purple, and had small light fixtures on the bending parts to make it seem like she had bioluminesence like an octopus or a squid. It was the cutest thing Meghan had ever seen. Not to mention the laser she was sporting looked like it would break through the walls of a super vault, which were made to withstand such insane things. Where did she even get that laser? ¡°Jade, you are to provide support, no engagements with the enemy in hand to hand, is that understood?¡± ¡°Yes Creator!¡± ¡°Please take care of yourselves¡­ that that goes double for you guys,¡± she pointed to her Bottys, who were all making heart shapes with their eye lenses. ¡°Yeah, yeah, don¡¯t get sappy on me, we got a Death Child to capture.¡± Her Botty¡¯s eyes turned red, and for once Meghan felt a bit of fear as they glared in the direction of the approaching automatons. Got to remember to be nice to them, in case they decide to take over. ¡­Oh who am I even kidding, I would be the first to accept our new machine masters. She smiled at the thought, ¡°though it''s not really fair since they listen to me.¡± Livewire engaged her suit as she shifted uncomfortably with the newest addition. It was a makeshift medical suite that she grafted to her powersuit, a cheaper, barely put together device that connected to her vascular system with a few sanitized tubes and a IVC filter. She wasn¡¯t about to have a clot destroy her brain, especially if she got a clot in her legs from sitting down so much. It also had the benefit of strengthening the stimulants she took. Murderous thoughts started to circulate in her head at the thought of that bastard even trying to touch her friends. She put a finger to her HUD and pressed the call button. The line beeped for a moment before someone answered. ¡°Emergency hotline for New Terra, what is your emergency?¡± ¡°Level four villain attack near the harbor, coordinates being sent to you as we speak, don¡¯t be late.¡± ¡°Wait-.¡± Meghan hung up the line as she jumped off the roof to the waiting automatons. As she did this, she released her Mekkas into the crowd of automatons. The blocky things were poorly designed, little better than human skeletons with metal and wires instead of bones and veins. It was clear that these things were mass manufactured and sent out the door. Not even a rusty piece of junk on them. ¡°Pathetic, you came after us with a bunch of metal skellies?¡± A voice spoke through the automatons, a snide thing that balked at her insult. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°How dare you mock the Mark Six Auto-Sentinel?! It is a peerless design that strikes fear into the hearts of the unworthy!¡± Meghan felt her rage overflow, ¡°The design is shit, and your crappy use of solder is even shittier. How can you guys even follow this asshole?! He treats you like cattle to be slaughterd!¡± The automatons stopped, looking at each other in concern. More in their thoughts to each other than on their faces, the bastard didn¡¯t have the decency to give them eye movements or brows to indicate any emotions. ¡°Well, he did give us thoughts.¡± ¡°It ain¡¯t all bad, don¡¯tcha know? Sometimes he even compliments on how many of us survive, it shows he cares!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our lot in life, what can we do?¡± Meghan sighed, ¡°Yet, you can¡¯t even express yourselves, and you all look interchangeable. Don¡¯t you want to show off your personality? Even that one¡¯s voice sounds interesting but I can¡¯t find him in all of your mediocrity!¡± ¡°Well, it would be nice.¡± ¡°Yeah, I always identified as a Watcher more than a Sentinel.¡± ¡°It would be nice, don¡¯tcha know? I¡¯d love to finally show my acting chops! Thanks for noticing, nice lady!¡± Technowolf spoke over the lines next, ¡°You don¡¯t need foolish things like that! You¡¯re killer robots, made to be used and discarded as I see fit! Stop talking to that woman and find that monster Chimera!¡± ¡°Damn, he gave a command.¡± ¡°I hate it when he does that, it¡¯s like he hates us or something.¡± ¡°Man, I¡¯ll never get to do Hamlet Reloaded.¡± Meghan readied for combat, even though a small part of herself felt bad about hurting the robots. A finger to her HUD prompted another call. ¡°Livewire to Printy, switch the Botty¡¯s munitions to stun ammo, and recover as many of these automatons as possible. They¡¯re being forced into combat, but I don¡¯t want to lose our own because of it. Shoot to stun, but kill if necessary.¡± ¡°One would say showing mercy to your enemies is a good way to get stabbed, Creator Meghan.¡± ¡°I guess despite myself I¡¯m still human.¡± ¡°We would not have you any other way, Creator.¡± Meghan smiled, the stimulants in her body reaching a new high as she felt her gift spark across her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you, so stand still. It¡¯ll hurt a lot, but you¡¯ll live~¡± She started to laugh, her voice carrying over the battlefield as automatons dropped around her when she released pulses of electromagnetism into their ranks. Meghan would grab one of the automatons to swing at another, send a jolt of chained lighting to the rest of the groups, sparking them and shutting them down, hopefully not destroying them. She got the feeling Technowolf wouldn¡¯t properly insulate his creations, which only served to fuel her rage further. ¡°You are a failure of a designer, who doesn¡¯t insulate their equipment for electrical attacks, or even shortages?! I¡¯m beating you to death on principle now, no one deserves to have your tech! It¡¯s shit!¡± Technowolf jumped at her, emerging from the rows of automatons to attack her with a swipe of his claws. She pushed the claws out of the way as she fired a taser bolt at his face, which he dodged rather deftly. ¡°I will rend you in half for that comment, you brown haired bimbo!¡± Just when Livewire thought the stimulant couldn¡¯t increase her rage further, the stupidity of her enemy seemed to make it break into new heights. ¡°I will end you, puppy!¡± ¡°Try it slut!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to shove one of these automatons into your asshole and send lightning into your guts!¡± ¡°Poison is too good for you, I¡¯m eating your face off while you¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°RAWWWR¡± ¡°AHHHHH¡± Their hands met as they began to push against each other. Livewire with her sparking hands and twisted rage face. Technowolf with his snarling teeth and his equally bloodshot eyes. As they traded blows and bites, some even from Livewire, the cascading power of Livewire¡¯s electricity startd to spark between the two enhanced people. With a feat of strength, Livewire screamed as she lifted Technowolf into the air, holding him with her hands as she refused to let go. ¡°Eat this!¡± A moment later Technowolf was bombarded with stun rounds from her Bottys and one massive laser blast. ¡°Argh! Damn wench!¡± ¡°Grarg!¡± Livewire threw him to the ground after the salvo. He tried to stand up, but the blows from her power gauntlets pummeled into his flesh, stunning him each time he tried to stand up. When she could, Livewire would repeat the technique, smashing his face and lifting him up to take concentrated fire from her Bottys. His regeneration was working overtime though, and even the electricity seemed to only slow him, never stop him completely. Shocking Technowolf to unconsciousness was starting to look like it wouldn¡¯t take. So Meghan went for a more brutal approach. ¡°Mekka! Engage Maximum Form! Her Mekka Bots, the combat Bottys she created with fighting in mind, started to converge on her, no longer chasing after the automatons to subdue. Never tested this form, but hey, when an opportunity presents itself, you don¡¯t cancel that date! Meghan smirked as her Mekka¡¯ converged. Mekka¡¯s 1 and 2 attached themselves to her arms, morphing into powerful gauntlets that stretched past her fists and into a spikey maul. Mekka¡¯s 3 and 4, the newest of the bunch, latched to her legs, and soon her feet were overtaken by massive armor that ended with a flat foot. It resembled the hero of a game she played when she was a child, a relic of the 21st century that her father¡¯s family passed down through the ages. Her right gauntlet ended with a massive photon accelerator cannon. In the game, he was known as the Azure Bomber. Here¡­ ¡°All systems nominal, Mekka Livewire is a go!¡± Lastly, a fifth Mekka landed on her head that morphed into a helmet. As it settled and the whole set up flashed in a brillant light, a visor appeared across her eyes that looked like a pair of pointed sunglasses. For once, Technowolf was stunned, and not by one of her blows. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Meghan smirked, ¡°I¡¯m the freelance hero, the newest addition to the peacekeeping forces of New Terra. The magnificent genius inventor that¡¯ll steal your heart and your tech. Known to the world and soon this galaxy as the strongest mechanized marvel. Leader of the Botty Brigade and Mother of Machine Intelligence!¡± She made a pose, her systems locking into place as they integrated with her power suit. ¡°I¡¯m Mekka Livewire!¡± In the fighting behind her, a few Botty¡¯s launched fireworks to commemorate the transformation. "Thanks guys, you¡¯re the best!¡± She could hear a round of cheers from her little Bottys as she turned back to face the villain. ¡°It¡¯s time someone ended your fiendish use of tech, Technowolf. I¡¯ll not allow another to harm the young minds and innocent hearts of machines like you!¡± She launched herself forward, a skidding dash that propelled her like a comet. ,,, Chaper 42 Ballad of the StaR ShooteR Mekka Livewire, the culmination of all of Meghan¡¯s recent progress, and the nerdiest thing she had ever assembled, worked like a dream as she launched from the ground in a sliding motion. The mini-thrusters plus her electro-magnetism let her glide over the ground, allowing her to skate towards Technowolf. Pulling her hammer arm back, she swung down on Technowolf with the mechanized fury of a thousand staplers jamming into someone¡¯s finger. It pummeled the arm the lycanthrope used to block the blow. ¡°Argh! What the hell is that made of?!¡± She pulled out her magnetic accelerator, a creation of hers that should not be even physically possible. Most mass drivers were cumbersome things that had to be attached to battleships in order to fire, and the thing had a kick that would have shattered the restraints of normal emplacements. Her magnetic accelerator was almost weightless thanks to her suit, and the recoil was non-existent, even if she was shooting the equivalent of pop cans at her villain. When they hit him, the can¡¯s crumpled against his body, adding an extra force multiplier to the site of the impact. Livewire knew that with Technowolf¡¯s regeneration, such attacks were not likely to do much. But they would hurt like a son of a bitch after a while. The cannon fired and three cans smashed into his lower abdomen, smashing flest on his body. Technowolf howled, a tube in his hand shattered as he smashed it over his wounds, causing them to close quicker. ¡°You cannot beat me, I¡¯m better than humanity! I am an enhanced being that will become the savior of the new Huma race! Once I get a hold of you, no one will be able to save you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± Livewire moved in to smash him again with her hammer arm. ¡°You treat your own creations as expendable, when you have the power to help create a new race and perpetuate singularity! Yet you would rather use them like tools, just like every other human!¡± She smashed him over and over again, sometimes launching herself in the air to shoot a few cans at his exposed areas. ¡°Any world where you¡¯re a savior is not a world I want to be a part of, but I will make you pay for enslaving these poor folk!¡± Technowolf looked at her incredulously, ¡°you¡¯re doing this for the Auto-Sentinels? They¡¯re nothing but machines!¡± Livewire flared her power, ¡°that right there is why you don¡¯t deserve to have this power. You toy with your creations, you treat them less than the humans you¡¯ve slaughtered. At least they have loved ones to mourn them, but your inventions aren¡¯t even appreciated! You know what you are, Gideon?!¡± She pointed her cannon, ¡°you¡¯re an entitled piece of crap!¡± She pulled a lever that popped out of her cannon, and watched as her cannon lit up with eletric fury. A belt for ammo appeared to connect to her power pack behind her, and rapid fire cans launched out at her opponent. Instead of stopping after a few shots, she unleashed hell on the werewolf as he tried to grab some of his automatons to block the barrage. Livewire didn¡¯t let up, taking most of the junk that she had received from Chimera and started firing it. Cans became rebar, and nails. Soon she was firing miniature tacks at Gideon with six times the force of a standard gun''s applied bullet speed. Everything hit, and some even shot through him with tiny holes in his flesh. Livewire could see his regeneration was still ticking away, closing the wounds as fast as he put them away. It didn¡¯t matter, she would keep peppering him with junk until he fell! The automatons around them were jittering and shifting, like the power holding them upright was starting to fade away. Livewire seized those few that were freed from Technowolf¡¯s grip, making them retreat behind the fire of her Bottys. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I won¡¯t be defeated by junk, you harlot!¡± Livewire sent a directive to her Bottys to join her as they peppered the werewolf with suppressive fire, the stun rounds lancing him with shocks of electricity. ¡°They aren¡¯t junk! They¡¯re my friends, and we won¡¯t lose to you!¡± She could feel a collective battle cry from her Bottys as they piled on top of each other to create more room to pepper Technowolf, firing tacks and nails with fury. ¡°How dare he bring harm to the Creator!¡± ¡°Semper Die Mother fucker!¡± ¡°For the Creator! For our Livewire!¡± ¡°HAAAAH!!!¡± Soon the ground around Technowolf was starting to pile with superheated scrap, and still the bullets flew to keep him in place. ¡°This is Jade, Target sighted!¡± ¡°Beginning energy feed, You are cleared to fire Jade.¡± Livewire smiled as Printy and Jade coordinated their attacks, backing off while she kept firing. One of her Mekka¡¯s was grabbing nearby scrapped automatons to feed into her ammo junker to keep up her barrage. Stiill, Livewire knew that the next shot would put an end to Gideon¡¯s attack. ¡°This is Livewire, fire when you''re ready Jade!¡± ¡°At once! Star Shooter Laser Cannon, FIRE!¡± A brilliant beam of light shot through the automatons protecting Gideon, and smacked into him as it started to carry him away. ¡°AUGH, What is this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our resolve, asshole! Carry him away, Star Shooter!¡± The beam picked up intensity, launching Gideon further and further away from the port district, finally launching him over the water and across the sea. ¡°I¡¯ll get you for this Livewire, you¡¯ve not seen the last of meeeee!!!!¡± Livewire smiled, ¡°and we¡¯ll be ready.¡± She sighed as her suit locked up, the last of her electricity flaring out of her body as she fell to a knee. Ahh, so that¡¯s the limit then. She started to feel a bit hazy as the sight of the ground drew closer, she could hear her friends in the background panic as they approached. I should remember to check the side-effects of super stimulants when I wake up¡­ ¡­ Jade was panicking! Her Creator had been taking a stimulant to push her body for this fight, especially after she just battled someone else a few short hours ago. Jade didin¡¯t know what to do when it came to flesh and blood beings, but the suit was locked up, preventing any of the Bottys from getting inside to check on the Creator¡¯s condition. The Botty¡¯s turned to her, their red eyes worried. ¡°Designation Jade, the Creator has been shut down incorrectly!¡± ¡°Oh what do we do?! The Medical suite is still not even close to being done, let alone to be tested!¡± ¡°Please direct us, what must we do to help Creator Meghan?!¡± ¡°PLEASE HELP US SENIOR!¡± Jade did not know much about anxiety, but she was certain that she was feeling it at that moment. ¡°W-Why not ask Printy?¡± ¡°Printy is bound to the super computer, and his Bottys are busy trying to find Designation Chimera! We need to help the Creator now, Designation Jade!¡± Jade put her CPU to work as she tried to think on what would help the Creator. ¡°Designation Jade, if we may speak to you, I believe me and my boys and girls have a solution!¡± Jade turned to look at Mekka one, the combat Botty who was helping Creator Meghan with the battle using their new function. Some of them were being helped over to the repair bay for damages, but Jade could see Mekka¡¯s 1 and 2 were standing by. ¡°R-Report, what do you have for me Sergeant Mekka 1?¡± Mekka 1 saluted her with one of his legs, ¡°Speaking to Designation Jade, Miss Jade I believe we can take the suit off of Creator Meghan with help from the repair bay, and have her looked over by Command, Ma¡¯am!¡± Jade considered it. The Suit was connected to a prototype of the medical suit the Creator was testing, and the tubes must still be inside her body. If they were to remove the suit, they might harm her. ¡°Negative Sargent, Creator Meghan¡¯s Prototype medical suite is connected via the power armor. Without her assistance, we wouldn¡¯t know if we were causing her harm. Have her sent to the repair bay for observation and make sure that Commander Printy is watching over her. We must ensure the safety of the Creator!¡± Mekka 1 and 2 both saluted, ¡°Yes¡¯ Ma¡¯am.¡± Finding her drive, Jade turned to the rest of the group, ¡°you heard the orders, capture any enemy combatants for reeducation and rehabilitation! Clean up the area and recover the usable pieces of junk. Our Creator would not leave anything to waste, and neither shall we!¡± ¡°Hoh!¡± The Bottys got to work, and Jade felt a sigh roll off of her as she moved to recover her Star Shooter Cannon. It was her pride and joy, the first thing she created with the help of Printy. She was immensely proud of the fact that her creation saved the day and dispensed the would be invader. ¡°I hope the Creator will be proud of me when she wakes¡­ hopefully soon.¡± Jade started to make her way back to the Machine Labs when a thought grazed her. ¡°Oh no! What about Creator Chimera?!¡± ¡­ Chapter 43 The Horrible Truth ¡°Crysa¡­ you are aware of what we must do, yes?¡± Crysa was holding her arms as they stared at the entrance to the Hero League Laboratory, a blacksite location where superhumans were tested on. Most of them were even criminals. Still, she wasn¡¯t there to worry about those people. No, her Father gave her a mission, an important one at that. With the fate of the world in the balance, what they were about to do would indeed be important. She still didn¡¯t like it. ¡°Yes Father, but I still wonder why? Could we not explain our reasoning? Must we do it this way?¡± Her Father looked back at her with a pained expression, the thousand yard stare of something both distasteful and hard to swallow on his face. ¡°I tried to speak to them, tried to reason with them. No, this is what must be done, now that they have chosen their line in the sand.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Crysa held a syringe in her hand, the mixture of the chemicals something Father had built with the few cells of DNA that he was able to glean from their quarry. It was a virus, one that her father had built to test on a particular person. A boy. A friend¡­ Crysa felt her eyes sting as she realized what she was about to do. There¡¯s no going back after this, no turn around¡­ if I don¡¯t speak up now, I¡¯ll regret it. Crysa placed the syringe inside a container, one with a hole at the bottom to allow her to inject the syringe without damaging the canister. It wouldnt do to let the thing out before she was ready to use it. ¡°Father, I want to ask once more, are we sure there¡¯s no other way?¡± Her Father turned to consider her, his stare turned profoundly sad. ¡°Trust me Crysa, I do not wish for this anymore than you do, especially after what will happen to the both of us. But it needs to be done, for humanity.¡± ¡°For humanity.¡± She said it automatically, the phrase her father first taught her when she was born. Crysa wasn¡¯t born like most babies, for the simple reason that her father never fell in love with anyone. He still wished for children though, if for no other reason then to continue his experiments. Crysa wasn¡¯t born like her siblings though, who were given stimuli to reduce their inhibition towards violence. She was testube grown, but wholy human. Superhuman to be more prescise, but still. Her DNA was made with a combination of the DNA that her Father had discovered. And it was for this reason that she was here, now, at this lab. Because Father needed that DNA to save humanity, and the people holding him back were here. The people they were going to kill today. Crysa moved forward in front of Father as her gift ignited. She lanced her arm into the ground in front of the Labs, grabbing hold of a power line that she felt with her power. She crunched the wires, feeling the energy flow into her body. Soon, it took no effort at all to bring the line up to her mouth and grab hold of it with her teeth. The lights in the nearby parking lot flickered, and soon the rest of the power turned off. Crysa glowed with energy, shoving herself forward like a bullet as she crashed through the entrance of the Hero¡¯s Leage Laboratory. The guards went after her with guns, but it only took a moment for her arms to pierce through their mouths and decapitate them. The energy from their dying bodies flew into her, and she could feel the rush of new strength heighten her further. Yet, she felt no rush of endorphins like her brothers and sisters did, no escape of euphoria. Instead she felt sick, horrible, and disgusted. Those were people, they had families¡­ and I killed them¡­ I can¡¯t forget this. She tried to be more gentle with the other guards, but her gift made her too strong to control her power, and most were either pasted or bisected. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. This is for humanity¡­ you¡¯ll all see it in the hereafter. Please understand¡­ I don¡¯t want this! Crysa was getting better, and soon most of the people she dealt with were merely unconscious as opposed to dead. It took over five minutes to defeat the guards¡­ and a little over two to disable the science teams. After going down so many hallways, they had finally reached Father¡¯s Laboratory. Margaret and Bryan Bockman were inside, a fevered look on their faces as they held their children. Crysa felt her heart clench as she saw her friends look at her with terrified stares. ¡°C-Crysa? Tiberius?! What are you both doing here?! Wait Nevermind, we have to leave! A Villain has attacked the facility. There¡¯s no telling if the guards can hold them off¡­¡± Ms. Bockman was looking at Crysa with confusion¡­ until a moment of realization dawned on her face. It took all of Crysa¡¯s resolve to not give up on her mission right then. ¡°Crysa¡­ honey, why are you covered in blood-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough Margaret, give us the formula for Project Eve.¡± Mr. Bockman¡­Bryan looked at Crysa¡¯s Father like he was mad. ¡°Tiberius, did you do all this?! Are you insane?!¡± Her Father leveled a laser pistol at Mr. Bockman. Crysa gasped as the laser shot through Mr. Bockman, the shock on the man¡¯s face frozen in fear as he fell to the ground. ¡°¡°Daddy!!¡±¡± She saw the horror on the two young children¡¯s faces as their father fell towards them. ¡°Bryan!¡± ¡°You have time to save him, Margaret, but only if you give me the formula for Project Eve. If you do not, I will shoot them next.¡± Crysa¡¯s heart lurched as the pistol leveled on Sarah, the glowing light beginning to flare. ¡°Alright! Damn you Tiberius¡­ just leave them alone!¡± The pistol shifted to Ms Bockman. ¡°Good, now lead us there. Crysa, you know what to do.¡± ¡°Yes F-Father.¡± Crysa turned to Aden, her hand clenching the syringe in her hand. Forgive me¡­ even if you won¡¯t remember what we were¡­ forgive me! She shoved the syringe into his arm, eliciting a yelp from the young boy. Then she shoved another into Sarah. ¡°Oww¡­¡± They both looked at Crysa with confusion, until they fell over on the ground. Her Father had pushed Ms. Bockman into a sealed laboratory with a cooling system built in, and the chill in Crysa¡¯s arms didn¡¯t equal with the frigid feelings she was dealing with right now. It''s for humanity¡­ I have to believe that we did this for good reasons. We¡¯re not evil, Dad is not evil¡­ this will help us all. Crysa saw as her friend¡¯s mother opened the lab with a retinal scan, and watched as a section opened up to reveal two vials of swirling red liquid. What was strange about it was that it seemed to be moving inside the thing, creating a swirl. ¡°At long last, the key to our future as a species.¡± Ms Bockman was staring at Crysa, ¡°what did you do Crysa, to my children?¡± Crysa felt her stomach clench, ¡°I gave them something¡­¡± ¡°What did you give them?¡± ¡°Crysa, do not answer-,¡± ¡°I gave them a cure.¡± ¡°Crysa!¡± Crysa couldn¡¯t take it anymore as she saw the horror in Ms. Bockman¡¯s eyes. ¡°Father said it will make them remember the wrong things! They¡¯ll think you''re dead, and that we killed you! Without you, Father can¡¯t complete the formula!¡± ¡°Damn you Margaret, you dare use that power on my child?!¡± Crysa felt like she had to tell Ms. Bockman everything, or she would never feel okay with herself ever again. ¡°A-Aden is going to get cancer, one that he can¡¯t cure on his own¡­ S-Sarah had an experimental drug placed inside her¡­ it willl¡­ make¡­ her stay¡­ here!¡± ¡°Stay where, Crysa, please tell me!¡± ¡°IN NEW TERRA! IT¡±ll make it so she won¡¯t want to leave. She¡¯ll keep coming up with reasons to stay, to help Aden, or to look for Dad!¡± ¡°She has to stay here so that Dad can find her!¡± Ms. Bockman turned to stare at Father¡­ and Crysa felt like a new understanding came to her friend¡¯s mother. ¡°Tiberius¡­ you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°We both know that she has the key, Margaret, even you said so yourself that she-¡± ¡°She¡¯s my daughter you madman! I won¡¯t let you do it! I won¡¯t let you sacrifice Sarah for your foolish quest!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already too late to stop me Margaret, now you can come with me willingly, and we can see if your daughter will survive, or, you can come forcefully. You¡¯ll find my daughter Monica is very persuasive, so, it¡¯s your choice.¡± Ms Bockman turned to Crysa again. ¡°Crysa, Sarah¡¯s your friend¡­ what reason could compel you to do this?¡± ¡°Stop it Margaret!¡± Crysa felt the clenching return, ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ but Father said it had to be done¡­ I can¡¯t disobey him.¡± Crysa felt the clenching intensify, ¡°now, you can!¡± Suddenly, a weight in Crysa¡¯s mind lifted, and she felt her heart return to her. ¡°W-What?! What was that?!¡± ¡°Crysa! Take Sarah and Aden and go!¡± ¡°No!¡± Crysa didn¡¯t obey her Father this time, and instead ran to the primary lab as fast as her body would carry her. She grabbed Sarah and threw her over her shoulder while she princess carried Aden. She felt her energy soar as she ignited her gift, pushing her limits further than she ever had. I¡¯ve got to get them away from Father¡­ no! That bastard Dr. Poxus! Crysa screamed as she smashed through door after door, breaking as much distance from her and her Father as she could. ¡­ Crysa was at the Hero¡¯s League Headquarters in New Terra. She had been running for over hours, only stopping to make sure both Sarah and Aden were okay. Inside her head her mind was screaming. He used me, he used all of us! That thing that she, Ms. Bockman¡­ did, it freed me from his conditioning. I get it now, why I was always so melancholic! He forced that on me! Her Father was a manipulative bastard, and unless Crysa did something, both Sarah and Aden were going to be manipulated too. So she went to the one place she could think of, the one area of New Terra that might protect the two children. She raced inside, her heart and mind for once in sync with one purpose. To protect her friends. Chapter 44 The Wretched Truth ¡°I need help! Please, is there anyone that can take a look at my friends?¡± Crysa was in the main lobby of the Hero¡¯s League, still holding Aden and Sarah as the drug she had given them was coursing through their bodies. She had to find a hero scientist soon, or their bodies might be changed irreversibly. Her Father¡­ It felt so revolting to say that, had used a part of the formula, not the one they stole today, to make the viruses coursing through them. It would restructure them both, change them genetically, but beyond that Crysa didn¡¯t know what could happen. ¡°Please!¡± ¡°Hold on young lady, help is on the way.¡± A hero approached her, dressed in a white suit that seemed to bend with him at impossible angles. ¡°My friends got injected with a man made virus, I need a hero scientist to help them. Please take me to one!¡± The elastic man nodded, a hand to his chin that sported an impressive beard, ¡°Very well young lady, to the Hero Labs!¡± He grabbed a hold of her and began to stretch as he sling shot them to the elevators. ¡°Never fear miss, the scientists below will surely know how to help your friends, but first, we need some information.¡± He placed a hand on her shoulder, ¡°who are they, and can you tell me more about this attack you speak of?¡± Crysa explained as best she could, choosing to omit the fact that she was involved and instead pointing the finger at her father. ¡°He attacked a laboratory, and these two had their parents taken away. The father got shot but I don¡¯t know what he did with their mother. I just took them and ran as ast as I could.¡± The Elastic man was writing on a tablet in his hand, his fingers stretching with the pen he was using to type with. ¡°Hmm, very interesting. I only hope that we can help find the dastardly fiend who was responsible. I shall hail a hero scientist and doctor team. At once!¡± The hero stretched once more to pull the elevator doors open and leaped out of the elevator as it reached their destination. Crysa followed him, pushing herself to keep up with the stretchy hero. The area around her was rather dark, with low lighting and long hallways, but Crysa could make out a few familiar noises amongst the different background. This place was off, but with the worry of her friends'' lives, Crysa put it behind her as she caught up to her guide. And into a group of heroes. ¡°Seize the girl and take the two away for study.¡± ¡°W-What? What¡¯s going on?¡± The one who seemed to lead them had an emblazoned A on his suit with a black outline and gold filligree. ¡°Do not resist.¡± Crysa tried to run, but was immediately caught by the hands of the elastic man, along with another who had glowing purple hands aimed at her. No! She tried to fight them off, but as she was hit with a round of supreme drowsiness, Crysa fell to the ground in a heap. ¡­ Sarah was jolted out of Crysa¡¯s body, a gathering of power and strength seemed to surge out of her, pushing her out of the person in an instant. ¡°GET OUT!¡± Crysa screamed as her power flared, launching in all directions. Meanwhile, Sarah was stunned by the radical shift that propelled her outward. H-How did that happen? No one has been able to do that to me before. ¡°Ahhhh, make it stop! Please! I don¡¯t want to¡­ remember¡­!¡± Sarah felt her clones around her shift as the power was drained from them one after the other. Leaving her with Chimera, Clonemera and Mimicera as well as herself. ¡°Sarah, what¡¯s happening to her?¡± Chimera, now separated from her original body appeared in her normal child-like form. A look of deep concern was on her face as she stared back at Crysa. Sarah stared at the villainess as she clutched her head. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we have a problem here. She¡¯s getting stronger by the minute!¡± Crysa was gathering power, the recently shut down power lines were flaring with life as the power was drained from them in moments. ¡°She knows what happened to Mom and Dad, but something triggered in the memory.¡± Mimicera spoke those words as she stared ahead at the gather power before them. ¡°She was our friend at one point¡­ manipulated by her father to insert a drug into us, one we never knew about.¡± Clonemera seemed saddened as she spoke those words. ¡°We got to help her, she¡¯s the only one that knew about the past¡­ and we still don¡¯t know what happened with the Hero¡¯s League.¡± Chimera clenched her fists as she spoke. ¡°Hold her down, I will try to peer into her mind once more.¡± Sarah moved ahead as the other clones made their way around Crysa. Sending a tendril out into the others, Sarah ensured that they had access to the biomass she was currently generating, along with the newest power that she received from Crysa. It was just as Chimera had worried about, the power that the two gifts seemed to generate was limitless in this form, so long as she had time to continue charging it. It would have to be, otherwise Crysa might suck them dry. ¡°Get ready!¡± ¡°Ready!¡¯ ¡°Got it!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Hurry up already!¡± Sarah nodded as she placed her hands on Crysa¡¯s head, her fingers piercing the skull below and injecting a cocktail to calm down the rampaging villainess. ¡°Gnnahh! Stop it! Please!¡± Sarah focused as she touched Crysa¡¯s mind again, diving into the brain with her consciousness. ¡­ ¡°Crysa¡­¡± This time, Sarah was walking through the memories of her¡­ old friends'' life. She witnessed what had happened after Crysa was knocked out, how she was brought to a chamber and studied by other scientists. It was something she never would have accepted if she had known. Needles were inserted into each limb, and a shock was administered to keep her alive as they cut her body apart for study, only to graft it back on afterwards. Blood was taken, Muscle tissue was separated from bone, and even Crysa¡¯s eyes were plucked out to see how they observed things while enhanced. Next to the vivisected girl was a familiar face, one that she hoped she wouldn¡¯t see from this horrible show. The Icon of the world, the greatest hero. Captain Asta. His suit was older, not the one he was currently sporting today, but Sarah recognized it from the article that she red about her parents. How Captain Asta was the one who found out the horrible scheme of Dr. Pox, the newest supervillain to grace the city of New Terra. How her parents were found dead, despite Sarah wondering if the bodies that she and her brother saw were the real ones. She didn¡¯t remember much of it, she couldn¡¯t seeme to recall them completely. Sarah just felt like it was true¡­ After thinking about it, she turned back to Crysa¡¯s memories as the testing continued, up until a concerned scientist placed a hand on her cheeks. It was one of the few moments when Crysa¡¯s body was whole, and the scientist happened to be an enhanced human. Biting the hand, Crysa was able to absorb the energy from the scientist enough to escape her bonds, shattering the cage she was in and breaking out. She was told that both Sarah and Aden had died, and that they didn¡¯t survive whatever Dr. Pox did to them. It was then that Sarah felt the connection between Crysa and herself spike, a sense of familiarity, closeness. Of Family. As the memory faded, Crysa appeared in her mindscape, staring at Sarah as if she was gazing at a ghost. ¡°No, please don¡¯t haunt me Sarah¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I should have never trusted the heroes¡­¡± Her¡­ friend, broke down into tears. Sarah walked towards her, kneeling down on the floor as she pulled Crysa into an embrace. ¡°I forgot about a lot of things Crysa, and although you were a part of the reason why Aden was sick for most of¡­ well forever¡­ it seems you were a victim of Dr. Pox as much as we were.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist him at first¡­ not until your mom broke me out of his conditioning¡­ I should have tried harder, I should have-¡± ¡°Shh, enough of that. Stop beating yourself up for doing the right thing. You just trusted the wrong people.¡± ¡°My friends are dead¡­ I killed you and Aden¡­ wait¡­ why does it sound like you¡¯re here?!¡± Sarah shifted into a younger version of herself, the one that Crysa would remember. ¡°Not dead silly, I got put into an orphanage with Aden that was run by the hero scientists.¡± ¡°B-But they said-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe everything you hear right? Anyway¡­ It seemed I triggered something in your memories and now you¡¯re trying to blow up¡­ something I¡¯ve been seeing a lot from people lately. So hold still while I fix this, okay?¡± Sarah held her friend¡¯s hand as she focused her mind, allowing the tendrils connecting them to find the source of the outburst. It was nestled in a familiar spot, one that she had seen from many of the death children in the past. However, it wasn¡¯t mechanical in origin. It was a tumor, a large one that seemed to be expanding by the moment. Sarah promptly ate the thing and digested the contents. Hmm, genetically dispositioned to explode if a certain memory is recalled, causing the mind to go insane and eventual death. Whoever came up with this fucking thing is a monster. Sarah sighed as she released herself from the tumor¡¯s location and sifted one last time through the memories. Nothing new came to her, besides the recent events with Gideon. Returning to the world outside of her old friend¡¯s mind, Sarah held her as Crysa looked around in confusion, fear and strangely, relief. ¡°How¡­ What?!¡± ¡°Come inside, we got shit to talk about. Also fuck you for killing Mr. Fred.¡± She slapped Crysa across the face. ¡°Oww! Bitch!¡± ¡°Skank.¡± Soon, the two were hitting each other, a confused bunch of clones exchanging looks between themselves as the group walked back to the warehouse. Chapter 45 Semi Family Reunion After bickering with Crysa for a few minutes, Sarah strode in silence after taking care of Mr. Fred¡¯s body. She honestly didn¡¯t know why she reacted so strongly when the man died. Perhaps it was Chimera¡¯s Influence on her, as she was still dormant inside the blob''s body. Now her head was clear, her mind focused, and most important. She finally started connecting the dots. Dr. Pox was behind most of the things that had destroyed Sarah¡¯s normal life, up to and including killing and or kidnapping her parents. She would have to check in on that. Also, there was a hidden element in the Hero¡¯s League that was either working in concert, or is at least aware of Dr. Pox¡¯s plan for humanity. The experiments, the death children, and the need to keep Sarah in New Terra. All of it pointed back to Crimson R. It just made no sense after she thought about it logically. Why would they just let her walk away with their prized bioweapon, if that was truly what they were using it for? Unless the bioweapon wasn¡¯t a bioweapon at all. It was the next stage in an experiment, one that was being run by Dr. Pox on her. Crimson R and her parent¡¯s formula must be connected, and that meant that Dr. Pox was still controlling her movements. She had already connected with each of the death children, and the only one that was remaining was Monica. Sarah was getting stronger and more powers than ever flowed into her new body. Now she was able to create limitless energy using her gifts. If everything pointed to the truth it would mean just one thing. She was Dr. Pox¡¯s key to uplifting humanity. Something about her original body must have allowed this change with Crimson R, as otherwise there was no reason for Pox to admit those things to her mother. The formula in the memory matched the look of Crimson R almost completely. Sarah shook her head. There¡¯s a final connection, Dr. Pox needs to take control of me in order to facilitate this plan. He would know that I wouldn¡¯t join him willingly, after what he did to my parents. Sarah thought about the triggers, the mind controlled scientists, and Aura¡¯s behaviour. Monica must have some kind of control power, maybe it has something to do with mind control, or maybe it''s hypnosis. Either way, she¡¯s the key to this. That was why she had never seen Monica up until this point. It was a contingency, in case Chimera, or Sarah, found a way to resist. ¡°We both know that she has the key, Margaret, you said so yourself.¡± His words echoed in Sarah¡¯s mind. She needed time to process what she saw, and find clues that could help them track down the doctor, and end this cruel experiment once and for all. And finally get her revenge for destroying her peaceful life. ¡°Chimera, I leave our body to you for now. I need to think.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Wait wha-?¡± Sarah merged into Chimera¡¯s body, retreating into the nerve center of their now shared mind space. The Answers are there, I just have to find them. ¡­ Chimera felt a lurch as her mindscape was preoccupied by Sarah doing her research. It was strange, but now she finally could feel the difference in their thoughts. It was irrefutable proof that she wasn¡¯t Sarah, as much as she was her own person with Sarah¡¯s memories. Still, it felt weird to share a head with someone. ¡°Oh, I should go back too.¡± Clonemera hopped inside her head next, moving to her own room. ¡°Me too, I want to plan a funeral for Mr Fred.¡± Mimicera jumped in after. Copymera was already inside, and the peek into her head space was starting to look terrifying. ¡°Yes¡­ with the power of the unlimited energy battery, I will no longer have to remain in our head for long periods of time! I can finally move on to real experiments, instead of the dumb thought ones.¡± She could hear the maniacal laughter echoing in the room as she closed the metaphorical door. Good thing she''s a homebody, that¡¯s not going to go anywhere. Chimera and Crysa finally returned to the warehouse after Chimera handed the body of Mr. Fred to the trees. Bury him deep but keep him away from any contaminants. Maybe a tombstone too. Her trees answered her back in agreement, and a rusty piece of sheet metal with a root wrapped around it put down his name. Fergus Frederick, to some, a bum, to others, a hero. Chimera put a hand over her heart and bowed to the tombstone, saying a few words to the rusty thing as she met Crysa inside. The first thing they both witnessed was Meghan wrapped in gauze as the Bottys were checking her vitals with a piece of junked medical equipment that they had stolen from Blackrock. They at least got the heart monitor and an IV going, so that was good. ¡°Creator Chimera! Creator Meghan has sustained injuries and severe exhaustion from her battle with the wolfy one. Please assist us!¡± ¡°PLEASE ASSIST US!¡± The Bottys were in a panic as they were trying to take pieces of Meghan¡¯s power armor off, which was looking to be connected to another medical device they had stolen. It looked a lot like that stimulant injector that they took from the convict. ¡°Damnit Meg, going to have to take that off of her first.¡± Chimera turned into her blobby form as she wrapped around Meghan. With her now encased inside of Meg, she was able to remove the sections and the medical device without causing her to bleed out. She could help her friend, and that was what she would do. With a shot of adrenaline to her friend''s heart, she jumped off of her before Meghan awoke, a gasping yell coming from her as she tried to breath and scream at the same time. ¡°Where am I?! Where¡¯s that fucker with the shitty bot designs?! I¡¯ll kill him!¡± ¡°Umm Meg? You alright?¡± Meghan turned to her, a half crazed look in her eyes as she started to calm down. ¡°Bastard made shitty bots and told them to die¡­ *hoo*. Whatever that was, I want another.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re already enough of a junkie, no more adrenaline for you.¡± ¡°Boo!¡± As Meghan stood, Crysa moved up to glare at her. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother Ho-bot?¡± Meghan turned to glare right back, ¡°probably swimming to the shore right now. Serves the techsist bastard right, can you believe he made them out of part that weren¡¯t insulated? It¡¯s like he wants them to die!¡± ¡°Well, they¡¯re just robots right?¡± Meghan did something Chimera could only describe as a frowl, a growl that carried with it all the frustration of someone who had to correct a person¡¯s terrible error. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that¡­¡± And I think I¡¯ll leave them both for now. Chimera checked on the Bottys as Meghan tore into Crysa about bots and how they are just as human as we are. Oiling a few, fixing an unscrewed joint on a leg, Chimera could do this. It was something that could be fixed. Still, the foreboding feeling she had in her gut wouldn¡¯t go away as she thought about the mad doctor who was after them. It was as she was pondering this that a door opened, and her brother walked in, with a girl on his arm. Said girl had a very familiar motif of white and black, witha dreamy look in her eyes as she stared up at an equally blushing young man. Chimera felt her mindscape rip open as Sarah, who was distracted by her brother¡¯s return, jumped back out of her. ¡°Who the hell is that, Aden?!¡± Ohhhhh Dear¡­ ,,, Aden flinched as a red tinged version of his older sister appeared out of the younger version, a face twisted in outrage staring back at him. Damnit, I knew this was going to happen. Chapter 46 Even Flow Chimera winced as Sarah started laying into Aden. ¡°The hell are you doing with that girl?!¡± Chimera turned to stare at Aura as she held onto Aden protectively. ¡°Lay off redhair! He¡¯s my boyfriend!¡± ¡°Aura please¡­¡± ¡°Boyfriend?!¡± Aura raised her voice as she started shouting back at Sarah, all while Aden was trying to calm them both down. Chimera decided she should be anywhere but here. ¡°Okay! Have fun arguing!¡± She turned to walk into the Machine Labs when Aura grabbed her arm. ¡°Pinky, protect me from the screaming hag!¡± ¡°Wha?!¡± ¡°Did you just call me a hag, monochrome?!¡± ¡°Both of you stop it already!¡± Chimera was stretching herself to reach the Machine Labs as Aura held on tight to her stretching arm. ¡°Let go, I¡¯m not qualified enough to deal with Sarah¡¯s brocon bullshit!¡± Chimera felt a twinge as Sarah grabbed her other arm. ¡°B-Bro-con? I love my brother platonically, thank you very much!¡± ¡°Talk it out with him then and leave me out of it!¡± ¡°Please help Pinky~!¡± ¡°Chimera, talk sense into them please!¡± ¡°Chimera~!¡± ¡°Chimera!¡± ¡°Chimera¡­¡± Chimera was almost to the door to the Machine Labs when Meghan slapped her hand away from the door. ¡°No!¡± Meghan smiled, ¡°oh no, not this time Chimera, this is my hiding spot!¡± She grinned mischievously, opening and shutting the door behind her as Chimera heard the door lock shut. As the group began arguing again, Chimera roared and grabbed all of the people around her, carrying them in her tendrils five feet off the ground. ¡°Alright, enough of this stupid crap.¡± She pointed to Aura, ¡°you! Start explaining yourself.¡± Aura was wiggling as she tried to get loose, but ultimately capitulated. ¡°Well, I was going for a walk¡­ I even thought about turning myself in at the Hero¡¯s League when¡­¡± She turned to look at Aden, ¡°I met a pretty boy who was talking about his parents.¡± Aura went to explain how the two of them went on a date, and how Aden was kind and sweet. ¡°He was so handsome¡­ and I never felt that way about any boy before, so¡­ ohh it¡¯s too embarrassing to say!¡± Aura placed her hands on her face, her cheeks blushing noticeably. ¡°Oh, nice sis! You finally found a man then?¡± It was at that moment that Crysa moved next to Chimera and gave Aura a thumbs up. ¡°B-Big sis?! What are you doing here?¡± Crysa pointed a thumb at Chimera, ¡°lost to the brat and her thousands of clones. Found out my long lost friend wasn¡¯t actually dead, and now we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I also found out that today, thank you Crysa¡­ bitch!¡± ¡°Whore bag!¡± ¡°How are you both endearing and frustrating at the same time?!¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I learned it from you!¡± Chimera placed Sarah down as she and Crysa started to insult each other again. ¡°So, you two just met?¡± Aura looked over at Aden, who nodded at Chimera. ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a hunk so yeah!¡± Chimera put her hand on her face, ¡°Aura, that¡¯s not how you get a boyfriend! You¡¯re supposed to go on dates, meet and greet, or at least spend more than one day with each other!¡± Aura turned her nose up to the ceiling, ¡°you¡¯ve just never been in love before Pinky, how would you know, failure?¡± ¡°She¡¯s got a point, Chimera. You really don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± The room stretched, the walls caved in, and soon Chimera was falling down a hole as her friends were all switching into monstrous forms of themselves. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything Chimera, you¡¯re just an experiment.¡± ¡­ Chimera woke up in the Machine Labs with a blanket over her, a dim light shining above. It was nighttime as far as she could tell, the low orange of the sun ekking through one of the ceiling windows. She got up, her heart still beating fast after the dream she had. What the hell was that? She clutched the blanket and wrapped it around herself, a faint chill running through her at the image of the last part of her nightmare. Yeah, that¡¯s what it was, only a nightmare. She shook herself as she moved to the Labs. Most of what her dream happened, but the moment of the distortion at the end there. And that voice¡­ Chimera had to get away for a bit, and she knew just what to focus on. She walked over to where she could see a light still on. Meghan had fallen asleep with a piece of tech still in her hand, her Bottys already taking it out and placing a blanket over her. Chimera smiled as they picked her up and started to carry her off, her mouth hanging open with a soft snore. ¡°Mmm screws¡­¡± She smacked her lips as one of the Botty¡¯s turned to face Chimera. Its eye glowed green, and for the life of her, Chimera thought the little guy shifted in mannerisms. ¡°Oh, hello Creator Chimera, It is good to see you well once more. Creator Meghan was worried after you had fainted when the others had returned. It was quite a shock.¡± Chimera gapped at the little thing, ¡°Jade? Is that you?¡± The Botty nodded, ¡°Creator Meghan has given me a few of my own to work on my own projects. She is very kind!¡± Chimera smiled at that, ¡°good to know, but I need to do something. Can you give me a hand with it?¡± ¡°Of course, what do you require?¡± Chimera grabbed a bit of paper on the table and took a pen nearby. ¡°I¡¯m trying to think of places where we can find the flesh broker Mr Flesh, the one that was in your data. Do you have anything about a location?¡± Jade shook her head, ¡°nothing conclusive based on the messages, but I do have an area we can search in.¡± Jade grabbed the pen with a small claw and started to draw on the paper. It was becoming more detailed by the moment, and soon Chimera saw a small topographical map of the port district. ¡°It would have to be in this area,¡± Jade¡¯s small leg pointed at the port district, but it was in the area near the underground fighting ring. That ring was no more after it collapsed, so Chimera knew it couldn¡¯t be there. So where could it be? None of the buildings around the harbor could support a full submarine, and Chimera could tell from the map that there wasn¡¯t much in the way of sewer entrances. Though¡­ She gazed at the map, ¡°Jade, what¡¯s this area?¡± She pointed to a pier that was labeled abandoned shipyard on the map. ¡°That is the location of a branch of Teletech Industries, a direct competitor to both Pharmasol and ChemTech. It was bombed in a superhero brawl by a local villain, and brought the entire company under, as it was their only shipyard. Because of the extensive damages, no one ended up buying the land, and it was abandoned.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°that would likely be a good place to smuggle goods if no one was interested in the property.¡± Jade swayed to the left and right, ¡°It is, however it also has several gangs that work in the area, which is why many don¡¯t bother to move into the property. The Carcano¡¯s and the Sifters both operate in the yard district.¡± Chimera tilted her head, ¡°who are they?¡± Jade pranced around the map, ¡°these two are rivals in this area according to certain message boards. The Carcanos have access to some super abilities, while the Sifters, for some unknown reason, are all cybernetically augmented.¡± ¡°Cybernetically? They have metal parts?¡± Jade nodded, ¡°even more so, they have replaced entire parts of their bodies according to some eyewitness accounts. It is said that the two are currently in a gang war over the shipyard.¡± So one groups has a bunch of supers, while the other¡¯s are half robots. ¡°This definitely sounds suspicious. Someone¡¯s got to be supplying them with tech to make something like the Sifters. Superpowers that appear in a gang? Most people would choose to be a hero if that had happened¡­ which means that someone''s feeding them gifts too.¡± Like I was. ¡°It¡¯s settled, I¡¯m heading out to the abandoned shipyard district.¡± ¡°I will inform the Creator when she awakens. Fight well Chimera.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°take care Jade. If all goes well, we¡¯ll have more to go on.¡± Chimera bounded down the lab as she made her way to the roof access lift. As she shot upward, she was greeted by someone she had not seen in two days. Her friend, Glow. ¡­ Chapter 47 What are you, My Friend Chimera was taken aback as she stared at her friend on the roof. It was strange, especially due to the fact that Glow would come through the front door like she did before. She didn¡¯t even know about this entrance. Chimera smiled sheepishly, ¡°h-hey Glow, I didn¡¯t know you were stopping by.¡± Glow didn¡¯t answer her, and Chimera coughed as she tried to understand what she was seeing. Glow had her powers activated, and an iridescent sheen covered her with a vibrancy that reflected some of the night sky. ¡°Umm¡­ Glow?¡± Glow started walking towards her. ¡°Chimera¡­ or is it Sarah Bockman?¡± Chimera flinched, ¡°well, yeah, that was my old name.¡± ¡°Sarah Bockman died. Are you telling me it¡¯s just a coincidence that you have her name? That you¡¯re acquainted with her last known confidant Meghan Schumann? That one Aden Bockman, somehow healed of his incurable cancer, just shows up all better?¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°where is this coming from Glow? Are you upset with me?¡± She tried to make a move towards Glow, but¡­ Glow launched a blast of light at her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t. Move.¡± Chimera held up her hands, ¡°alright! No movements. Can you tell me what¡¯s up?¡± Glow snarled, and for a moment Chimera felt a shiver run up her spine. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend anymore, I already know the truth.¡± Chimera felt her power activate as another blast of light smacked into her. She absorbed the energy and fed it into her perpetual generator. Chimera sighed, ¡°look, Glow, I don¡¯t even know what you heard. How can I explain myself here?¡± Glow pulled out a pair of cuffs and a canister. ¡°You can come with me to the League. Ms Magica can do a scan of your thoughts, a full scan. Once we do that, we can clear you of any doubts.¡± Chimera¡¯s face turned into a scowl. ¡°The only way you¡¯ll accept my account is if someone sifts through my thoughts? Glow, I thought we were teammates. Aren¡¯t we supposed to trust each other?¡± Glow closed her eyes and looked to the side, ¡°then why didn¡¯t you tell me about your past? Why did I have to hear it from a note? From a fucking villain?!¡± Chimera¡¯s mind was working a mile a second as she thought about the implications. The only one¡¯s who know would be the death children and Dr. Pox. Is this a way to keep me at the League, where he can capture me? Is this something to do with the League members that are doing illegal experiments? Too many possibilites, not enough data. ¡°A villain? You¡¯re taking the word of a villain over me?¡± Glow shouted, ¡°Stop! Stop with the misdirection! I wanted to believe it, truly I did, but you¡¯ve been harboring villains in your home. You destroyed a harbor that had evidence regarding villain activity, and the underground facilities had noticeable cargo and technology that was missing. Low and behold, the scan of your home shows that same tech here.¡± How?! Did I screw up somehow? Did Pox rat me out to get me off of his scent? ¡°Glow, I know this looks bad, but I can explain it all.¡± Glow nodded, ¡°yes, you can, at the headquarters.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°I have reason to believe that certain members of the League are either compromised or working towards villanous goals. I won¡¯t put myself at their mercy.¡± Glow chuckled, but it was filled with degradation, ¡°of course, its the Hero¡¯s that are evil right? You are the only one doing good in a city of villains.¡± Chimera scowled, ¡°yeah, that¡¯s about it. I also confirmed that there''s a mind controller involved, so it''s very possible from where I¡¯m standing.¡± Glow¡¯s face was twisted in a pleading gesture, ¡°please Chimera, even if you don¡¯t trust the Hero¡¯s, at least trust me. I¡¯m not going to put you in a situation where they harm you.¡± Chimera wanted to believe that. She would rather trust her friend to know that she had her back, and that nothing was going to turn out bad as long as she was there with her. However, she also knew the kind of monsters that were out there, and she couldn¡¯t take the chance that possibly, her friend might be working for the one who is moving the Hero¡¯s in the shadows. Chimera turned to look in her friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°What if you can¡¯t? What if they have too many people for us to stop them? And what if the only way to stop them for good, makes you look like a villain?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Chimera closed her eyes, ¡°could you save people knowing that they would hate you for it?¡± Glow stopped staring angrily for a moment, ¡°that¡¯s not even the point here Chimera. I¡¯m trying to stop my friend from making a choice she can¡¯t come back from.¡± Her hands glowed, ¡°If you leave now, I will have to chase you and bring you to the League. Don¡¯t make me do that Chimera.¡± Chimera felt an ache in her heart at the statement her friend made. ¡®So, you don¡¯t trust me then.¡± Glow¡¯s hands shimmered for a moment, ¡°it¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t trust me, trust that I¡¯m trying to help you. If you had told me about your past, I would have accepted it.¡± Chimera felt rage spill over, ¡°you would?! What do you really know?!¡± Glow flinched as Chimera screamed at her, ¡°My mother was kidnapped by a psychopath, and my father was killed by his best friend! My best friend had to save me from her father, only for the Heroes she went to for help to experiment on her body!¡± Chimera¡¯s body shifted, from her younger self, to the older version of Sarah, and finally back to her new body. ¡°Sarah had tried to find a cure for her brother, from a mutated cancer NO one had a cure for, or treatment, or anything! I wasn¡¯t going to let my brother just die in the hospital!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see?! I had to take it, I had no other way to stop the leukemia! Sarah¡­ died for that cure!¡± Chimera gritted her teeth at Glow, ¡°you want to know the truth?! I¡¯m going to find Dr. Pox, and Monica Ferrous, and kill them before they can do what they did to my family, to everyone else.¡± Glow stared at her dumbfoundedly, her eyes wide as saucers as Chimera screamed at her one last time. ¡°The Death Children? ChemTech? Dr. Pox?! They¡¯re all in on it together. If no one stops them, He¡¯s going to make his ¡®cure¡¯ for humanity, and soon. I have to stop him! I can¡¯t let him get away with what he¡¯s done!¡± ¡°You want to know what I really am, Glow? You want the answer?!¡± Chimera shifted into her true form, the blobish form of Crimson R. Her body was covered in small spikes that glowed with electrical light, her generator charging her with energy. Her pinkish red sheen glowed in the night sky as she made an orifice. ¡°This is what I really am! A Monster! An experiment made by that bastard Dr. Pox and his fucked up daughter Monica!¡± Glow started to back away as Chimera moved closer to her. ¡°Well? Come on! Say something! Judge me, oh great hero!¡± All of Chimera¡¯s voices rang as one, and even though Sarah was in the back of her mind watching all of this, she too was nodding in agreement. ¡°You wanted the truth! Now you got it. No stupid mind bullshit or probes necessary!¡± Chimera launched herself off of the roof. ¡°W-Wait! Chimera!¡± ¡°No! Fuck you!¡± Chimera raced off in the direction of the abandond harbor, the raw visceral feelings of her truth pushing her forward even while her heart felt like it was broken. Why couldn¡¯t she just trust me? Chimera couldn¡¯t cry in her blob form, but she shuddered in gasps and sobs as she made her way across the rooftops towards her destination. ¡­ I fucked up. Glow was trying to chase after Chimera as the small blob bounced farther into the distance. To think it was this deep? A freaking bioweapon¡­ that she was a dead scientist. Glow thought about what led her here. She had intercepted the message from Meghan regarding a villain incident near their home, and arrived to find Chimera fighting Crysa. Crysa, the most deadly of the Death Children, a being that the Hero¡¯s lost track of after she had been captured. And Chimera was fighting her with an army of clones and powers. Powers she had never told them about, and powers that looked oddly familiar. Especially the super speed that was characteristic of her teammate Chase. Why didn¡¯t she tell us? Why hide the fact that she was this powerful? Glow had to know, and she had to have a good reason to find out. So she told Ms. Magica, who informed Captain Asta about the situation. As soon as she did, it was determined that she needed to be captured at once. So Glow went because they figured she would have the best chance of talking her down. That was when they got the message about Chimera, and how she had been keeping things from the Hero¡¯s League. Meghan Schumann. Aden Bockman. Aura aka Killer Whale. The Death of Terralord. None of it seemed to make sense before the letter exposing Chimera as Sarah Bockman came to the headquarters. Dear Heroes, I thought it right for you to know that one of your own is a bioweapon created by Dr. Pox. Not only that, but this ¡®Chimera¡¯ has connections with the following individuals. I suggest you hurry, before she kills another. From an anonymous source. Glow didn¡¯t want to believe it, especially since the cute lovable creature was a part of her team. Still, they had to be sure. They couldn¡¯t afford to be caught off guard if Chimera turned out to be a villain. Glow cursed herself as she blasted from roof to roof to catch up. Chimera was a vigilante¡­ She was looking for Dr. Pox not for justice but for revenge. Revenge on a man who took everything from her. Glow felt for her. While she never knew the pain of losing a loved one to a conflict with a villain, she knew many who had. Being from a super family, it was rather easy to hear from the ones who lost loved ones. This isn¡¯t the way though, Pox needs to pay for his crimes, not die for them. Chimera¡­ you can¡¯t do this! Inside her heart, she hated that she was having to bring in her friend. But duty was a sacred thing in Glow¡¯s family. For the people, for a brighter tomorrow, I have to protect them. Even if I have to do this to protect Chimera from herself. Glow resolved herself to help her friend, to find out who sent the letter and to give her friend peace. Her energy ignited as she pushed herself further and further towards the direction of her friend. Chimera¡­ ,,, Chapter 48 SultRy Assimilation Chapter 48 Sultry Assimilation Idiot! Chimera sped up using Chase¡¯s gift. Moron! Tears stinging her eyes. Why? Why would you tell her that?! Her thoughts were hounding her as much as Glow was at the moment, as she zipped over rooftops to her destination. Once she was out of reach, she could shift into another form, maybe look like one of the gang members Jade mentioned. She had so much data, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to take on a few appearances to fool people. Right¡­ I could just disappear, away from the Heroes and Pox. Mom could be out there though¡­ and Monica¡­ She needed to make that witch pay, she craved it so much it was starting to burn a hole in her head. Monica used me, Pox used me. They think I¡¯m just going to go along with their experiment because of some bullshit conditioning? Sarah tried to calm her down through their mental space, but Chimera wasn¡¯t hearing any of it. It¡¯s your fault I¡¯m like this! I learned all of this from you! ¡°Chimera, calm down.¡± Why?! ¡°Because one, you¡¯re scaring the clones, two, we¡¯ve arrived, and three, Glow will be here shortly.¡± O-Oh¡­ Chimera bounced down to the street level, grabbing a Carcano (she guessed) and absorbing her inside her body. She was screaming for a bit, but after she knocked her out and took her data. Reinforced bones? Good I guess. She tossed the now unconscious gang member into a trash can, donning her clothes by growing them around her body. Chimera made her way to a group of the Carcanos, who were in the middle of beating up a young girl with a metallic arm. ¡°Sifter bitch!¡± ¡°Chrome wearing scum!¡± ¡°Get on your knees steel-skin!¡± ¡°P-Please stop! I¡¯m not a Sifter!¡± They laughed as she kept trying to plead with them, and Chimera sighed as she grew a tendril for each of them. One stab to the back of their necks and bam, they were unable to move. ¡°W-What the hell?!¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t move!¡± ¡°My arms, I can¡¯t feel a damn thing!¡± The girl looked up in confusion as Chimera made herself known to her and the group. ¡°Hey, you alright?¡± The young teen couldn¡¯t have been more than fifteen, her green hair and eyes weeping softly as she hiccuped. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Yeah, I figured. So, what should I do to make it up to you?¡± The girl stared at the abusers, now captured and staring at her with fear in their eyes. The scared look on their faces turned to horror as the girl¡¯s hand shifted into a blade with a glowing red edge. ¡°I¡¯m not a Sifter anymore, but these punks went after me anyway. I want them to know what it feels like to not have an arm. Keep them still for me.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°go ahead, but no lethals.¡± The girl nodded as she drew her blade across the burly one in the group. His screams were cut off as Chimera laced him with a sleeping cocktail. Pumping a serum to help him heal the wound, at least enough to stop him from bleeding out, Chimera watched as the young girl did it to most of the members, but spared two who looked the weakest. ¡°I know you both didn¡¯t want to, but these assholes egged you on. I¡¯ll spare you this time, but don¡¯t let this happen again. Get out of the shipyard.¡± The two who still had their left arms nodded as Chimera released them. They didn¡¯t look back as they ran down the alleyways. Chimera dropped the sleeping Carcanos as she moved up to the girl. ¡°Mind if I heal you?¡± The girl eyed her suspiciously, but nodded as she stuck out her non robotic right arm. Chimera grabbed it at the forearm and shot a needle inside. ¡°Fuck, that hurt¡­ ohhh.¡± Chimera decided to give her a few feel good chemicals to make up for the intrusion. As well as the ability she nabbed from this girl. What the hell? Her cybernetics are connected to her nerves¡­ It''s seamless! Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Chimera realized that she might have just found the person that birthed the rest of the Sifters. She can take in robotics without issue, what would happen if I gave her technopathy..? Chimera winced as she accidentally introduced the DNA chain for technopathy into this girl¡¯s bloodstream. The girl noticed right away, the chain latching onto her own DNA like a bolt to a lug nut. ¡°Hey, did you do something¡­ because¡­ I think my arm is talking to me.¡± ¡°Shit. Okay, My name¡¯s Chimera and I can give people powers along with a bunch of other things. I¡­ may have¡­ given you technopathy. It allows you to speak to machines, and also gives those machines sentience.¡± The girl stared at her, then at her arm. ¡°I¡¯m Lark, and this¡­ I guess¡­ is Lefty.¡± The arm started lighting up in different patterns. ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking her for another upgrade.¡± Chimera watched as the two bickered with each other as Chimera took them into an alleyway out of sight. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Mr. Flesh.¡± That caused the girl, Lark, to flinch. ¡°You don¡¯t want to look for him. He¡¯s a mad¡­ thing! It doesn¡¯t matter if its kids or the elderly, I¡¯ve seen the fucker rip them apart if they had an interesting power.¡± Lark looked at her arm, ¡°the only reason I wasn¡¯t on a table is because he wanted muscle, and my quirk gave it to him.¡± Chimera nodded in sympathy, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to lead me to him. I just need to read your mind for a bit, is that alright?¡± Lark stared at her incredulously, ¡°you can do that?¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°It won¡¯t hurt and I can give you power in exchange if you like?¡± Lark tilted her head, ¡°like the ability to fly?¡± Chimera smiled, ¡°electromagnetic flight or bird flight?¡± Lark shook her head, ¡°Neither, I hate flying.¡± Chimera laughed a bit, ¡°well, then what do you desire?¡± Chimera shifted to her normal self with a few changes. She made herself a teenager like Lark, with long legs and toned arms along with a red glowing right eye. Chimera, still with a tendril in the girl¡¯s arm, felt a spike of hormones shoot through Lark¡¯s body after the changes. Wait¡­ these feel like¡­ oh. OH! Ohhhh¡­ Well, Chimera just found out what it was like for someone to be interested in her on the hormonal level. She detached from the girl as she sheepishly looked to the side. ¡°S-So, what will it be? You still haven¡¯t said anythin-¡± ¡°You.¡± Chimera looked back, ¡±W-What did you say?¡± Lark placed a hand on her arm, ¡°can I be like you?¡± ¡°Oh, haha¡­ sorry. I guess¡­ yeah? Sure, I think I could do that? I never tried it though¡­ and to be honest, it¡¯s a life changing thing. I mean, I¡¯m not even really human anymore, just a blob with powers.¡± Lark moved her arm to hug her, ¡°I think... I would like that.¡± Chimera¡¯s brain was starting to overheat, ¡°wha-wha-what are you doing?!¡± Lark released her from the hug, ¡°you power, the healing, the ability to change someone''s body at will, it¡¯s all fantastic! If I had that too¡­¡± She looked at her robotic arm, ¡°Lefty could get out of there and be a person too, and I could grow a new arm! I could be anything, and do anything, right?¡± Chimera sifted through her thoughts as she traveled to her mindscape, practically freezing the time outside as she spoke to her clones. So, are we really doing this? Clonemera nodded, ¡°Look at how much happier she is! If other¡¯s could do what we do, it would be a wonderful thing!¡± Copymera was working on her doomsday device, somehow combining a reactor with a beating human heart. ¡°Huh, what are we talking about? Sure whatever! Ive almost completed the Bio-Reactor and Chemical Bomb!¡± Chimera decided to ignore that for now as she turned to Mimicera. ¡°Umm, maybe¡­ we should be careful? Isn¡¯t this what Pox wants?¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°this does feel like part of the experiment. If we do this, and that is a massive IF, we free her completely from us, no connection whatsoever. That way, she can¡¯t be manipulated like us.¡± All of the clones agreed with that, even Copymera strangely enough. ¡°No shackles, we and all like us, deserve true freedom! Also, the Bio-Reactor Bomb is ready!¡± Okay seriously Copy, what the hell? ¡°Yes sister, it seems that you are creating a very dangerous thing!¡± Mimicera said. ¡°Nonsense! This Bomb will provide the entire city with energy for a year, and kill any biological material that is detrimental to living beings, like bacteria and those cells corrupted by viral infections! It is an incredible achievement of Science!¡± Chimera turned to Sarah, staring at her internally as the original personality stared back. ¡°...What?¡± We¡¯re all based off of you, so how is Copy so messed up? Sarah turned her head to the side, ¡°...I always wanted to make things that helped people. I also liked explosions¡­ sue me.¡± Copymera walked up to them in her lab coat and swirly glasses. ¡°Sarah, I am in need of your assistance on the contingency.¡± ¡°Right. Chimera, just give it to her already.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°shackle free transformation, coming up.¡± Chimera returned to staring at Lark¡¯s beautiful face as the teenage girl stared at her with heat in her face. ¡°Okay, so we''re doing this then right?¡± Lark nodded, ¡°yeah, I want this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s irreversible, you¡¯ll be changed into a blob like me forever. Are. You. Sure. About this?¡± Lark grabbed her and kissed her on the lips. ¡°Yes!¡± Chimera¡¯s brain has stopped working¡­ running diagnostic. Results found, the target''s brain has been subjected to intense states of overwhelming, paralyzing, joy. Beginning restart process. ¡°Buh?¡± Initial restart has failed, beginning process, restarting. ¡°A-Alright!¡± Chimera absorbed Lark inside her body, and rushed them inside a dumpster as she began her work. She did her best to ignore the¡­ noises Lark was making as she started a process that she never tried before. Chimera heard Sarah snicker over her as she began working out all of Lark¡¯s kinks. ¡°S-Stop that, it¡¯s embarrassing!¡± Soon she was joined by her other clones, all watching as she started working over Lark¡¯s genetic code. Copymera had popcorn and 3-D glasses. Mimicera was covering her eyes, yet a slip between her hands revealed them staring with a bright red face. Clonemera was smirking at Chimera. And Sarah was nodding in approval. Chimera turned back to her work as she did her best to ignore her clones, and hearing more sounds and things she never experienced. It changed how she thought the human body could work, the unshackling of all the code that made up who someone was, laid bare before her. She felt connected to Lark on a level she never had with anyone else. It was innocent, it was exhilarating. It felt right. Chimera smiled as Lark smiled back at her. ¡°So, got anymore for me?¡± Chimera did. Chapter 49 Embarrassingly Connected Chimera was sitting next to Lark, who was looking a lot different than she did before. She still had her teenage body, that much hadn¡¯t changed at all. However. Everything, from her hair to her eyes was tinted gold. As a blob she was a deep yellow with a metallic finish, and it seemed to transfer over to her new body. Chimera kept staring at her for a while, and Lark did the same, occasionally taking a look at her arms and legs. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°weird right?¡± Lark nodded, ¡°everything''s so¡­ shifty? Malleable? I feel like I could switch my body with a thought.¡± And she did, her gold tinted hair turning long and straight instead of her short cut. ¡°That is so trippy¡­ how do you manage not to change at a thought?¡± Chimera shrugged, ¡°I had an idea for this template in my brain. I just imagined what I wanted it to look like and put a ¡®name¡¯ to it. This¡­ is Teen Chimera.¡± Chimera shifted to her child form, ¡°this is kid Chimera.¡± She shifted once more to a taller woman with beastial features, ¡°this is Huntress!¡± As Chimera shifted between her forms, she noticed Lark had taken inspiration, and started to do similar shifts. From young to adult to old. From different beasts and animals to anthro-amorphized versions. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting it. It''s all in the mind.¡± ¡°Yup, try moving your body around, give it a kick and a punch.¡± Lark did, watching her limbs stretch and return after she launched a few. ¡°This is so awesome!¡± ¡°It is, right? Glad that you¡¯re taking to it better than I did¡­ I had to try to figure that out in a laboratory. Sarah¡¯s memories helped with that though.¡± Lark turned to her in horror, ¡°you ate a person¡¯s memories?!¡± ¡°No! Well Yes but it wasn¡¯t by choice!¡± Lark backed away from her. ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Sarah jumped out of Chimera¡¯s body and into her own as she adjusted her body to her old limits. ¡°W-What the fuck?!¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Sarah.¡± Lark stared between Chimera and Sarah as she grew more and more confused. ¡°Look, she¡¯s not great at explaining this, so let me tell you.¡± Sarah proceeded to regale the origin of their story, and how in the end Sarah did get her life back even if she technically got ¡®eaten¡¯ by Chimera. ¡°...And after a copy of the power we got from an inmate in Blackrock, I was able to rebuild my conscious parts from Chimera¡¯s information. For a while we kind of just shared a mind, but I came back after we met an old friend.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s fine, I got better.¡± Lark tired her head, ¡°you got better, from dying?¡± Sarah shrugged, ¡°how else?¡± Lark smiled, ¡°so death¡¯s off the menu?¡± Sarah shook her head, ¡°if you lose your fluids, or they¡¯re destroyed, you can die still. Best to protect yourself with those gifts we gave you.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Chimera nodded, ¡°and the perpetual energy generator, or PEG for short, should keep you from having to eat biological material. At least, unless you wanted to, I mean.¡± Lark nodded, ¡°so, powers, a blob body with the ability to shapeshift, and no need to eat people like some crazy horror movie.¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lark¡¯s smile stretched as she hugged them both. ¡°Thank you so much! This is incredible!¡± Sarah nodded while Chimera gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Alright, we got you powers and a new lease on life as a blob, can you help us track down Mr. Flesh now?¡± Lark grabbed her arms, ¡°I thought you could read my mind?¡± Well yeah, until I found out that you were interested in me! Now it¡¯s like I¡¯m peeking in on someone I know who''s naked! ¡°W-Well yeah i could¡­ b-but I didn¡¯t want to intrude on your thoughts and well¡­¡± She left her sentence hanging there as she prayed the girl would just accept it. She wasn''t that lucky. ¡°Oh, could you not get a good connection because of the changes? I¡¯m fine with you reading my thoughts if¡­ you like.¡± Omigodomigodomigodomigod. Is She inviting me for that? ¡°W-Well, I¡¯m okay with it if you are¡­ are you okay with it?¡± They moved closer as Sarah placed a hand on both of their shoulders. ¡°We need to move, and stop flirting. I already got the location.¡± Chimera glared at Sarah incredulously, while Lark looked¡­ disappointed? Damnit! Sarah!!!!! ¡°You and I don¡¯t have time for this. Once we save those scientists and find out where Pox is heading, then you two can have your weird teenage romance.¡± I-Its not weird! Y-Yeah! Wait¡­ is that you Lark? Y-Yeah¡­ Chimera took Sarah¡¯s hand off of her shoulder and started walking down the alleyway. ¡°W-Well, we bettergetgoingwhatareyouwaitingforSarahleadetheway?!¡± Inside her mind Chimera was screaming, joined by the other clones in her mind. We are such idiots, of course she was connected to us while we were touching! It was cute though! Stop, we¡¯re liable to turn bright red if this keeps up! But it was cute though! AHHHHH! ¡­ Sarah smiled as her other self was panicking over the mind meld she accidentally did between the two of them. Anything to get these two going, and with Chimera having a crisis about explaining their past to Glow, this distraction should help her forget for a bit. Sarah moved ahead of them as she patterned out the best route to reach the shipyard, or rather, the real shipyard. It was clever, the shipyard was a cover for the one built underneath the failed one, constructed by the dregs that called this place home. Or the scum that did. Sarah moved to jump as she heard the two other blobs catch up to her. She grabbed them both and launched them into the air, a pair of wings spreading out behind her. ¡°WoooaaaahhhhhH!!!¡± Lark was enjoying herself it seemed ¡°Yeah!¡± and so was Chimera it seemed. Sarah dived and swooped around the buildings as she got closer and closer to the entrance. It was rather hard to spot, just a dumpster that was connected to what looked like an abandoned warehouse. What was odd was that there was a middle section of wall behind it, that had just enough room for a hallway. Magnifying her eyes to spot the entrance, along with a few hobos that guarded the place. They had a glint of metal under their clothes, and Sarah recognized the Sifters as she landed on the dumpster. Her wings turned into tendrils and shot out spines of quill pig laced with knock-out venom. One blocked the spine, but the other three fell back in their seated position, sleeping. All four tendrils turned to the man¡­ no, the woman who blocked it with her chrome arm. ¡°Well, guess you know about what¡¯s down there eh?¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°yes, and I mean to end it all today. Go home.¡± The woman tore off her fake clothing to reveal a body of chrome underneath. It seemed that the only part of her that was still human was her torso and head. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t let you do that angel gal.¡± The arms on the Sifter turned to a large angry blade with a red edge on the right, and a gun on the left arm with a glowing blue barrel. Sarah opened the dumpster and threw both Chimera and Lark into the depths below, hearing them scream and bounce off of the walls of the staircase. ¡°Find him Chimera, and get those scientists!¡± ¡°Sarahhhaaaaaahhh!¡± Her voice echoed down the hallway as Sarah turned to face the Sifter in front of her, the cannon aimed at her. ¡°Let''s dance angel girl!¡± ¡­ Chapter 50 Jingle, Jangle Arcturus was having a wonderful day. And it all really started after the situation with Blackrock Prison. The recent jailbreak, accompanied by the very lucrative deal that he had going with his little brother, sent his accounts into the highest point he had seen in years. Being the kind of man that Arcturus was, he believed in the power of numbers. As long as his numbers were higher than the one that he did business with, all was swell. And that lovely incident happened when he got a call from a wonderful person. His niece. As the scream from his latest acquisition sang a sweet tune in his ear, Arcturus remembered the words her melodic voice gave him. ¡°Uncle, I need you to bust out Father, what¡¯s your price?¡± Arcturus gave her a massive number, to which she bargained down about half the amount. Oh baby girl, you make your uncle proud. He never told her that he gave her the family discount, but he had a feeling that his lovable niece knew. She was a smart one. Maybe too smart, as she did have a knack for getting what she wanted, but Arcturus knew that better than anyone. After all, it was his gift to his baby brother that gave her that power she had now. Tiberius always wanted to be the hero of the age, the savior of mankind with a capital S. And, being the man that Arcturus was, he helped out his family. With his own gift. All of his cloned children had a gift courtesy of their uncle, and just because he was the youngest, Arcturus gave little Gideon two. The young always get spoiled, that is what his momma always said. ¡®It¡¯s because they¡¯re the last child you have sweetheart, it aint because we love you less or nothing! It¡¯s because we want the last one to know how much family matters to us.¡¯ Arcturus knew, and he realized it after his momma passed. ¡°You take care of your family, even if they spit at ya. Don¡¯t you think so Carl?¡± ¡°Let me go please!¡± ¡°Oh Carl, we both know that aint gonna happen. You had five months to come up with five grand, and you spent it all on them boosters kids use nowadays. I can¡¯t trust you to pay me back Carl, so I¡¯m calling the debt.¡± ¡°Archie! Archie come on, just give me one more week! I¡¯ll have your money, I swear!¡± Arcturus shook his head, ¡°Carl, we both know you¡¯re gonna do a runner if I letcha go. Don¡¯t mock me, thinking I¡¯m a fool.¡± Arcturus took a cleaver to the man¡¯s cyber prosthetic limb, separating the pseudo nerves that were built into his implant. The scream he heard from Carl felt like an old Earth song, one that was made for dancing. ¡°Ahh Carl, you spoil me brother! That right there is a lovely tune you got going for me.¡± ¡°Oh God! I think it¡¯s feedbacking the- AHHNH!¡± The sparks coming from his now detached limb spoke like a lover to Arcturus. It was almost as lovely as the one his mother sang to him before she passed. After an invigorating breath of air, he got to work, slicing the flesh from his bones and keeping the man alive as he did it. After all, good music made any work feel that much more bearable, and sometimes gave you inspiration for more! ¡°Oh damn, that is a good one! Hey Carl! I thought about this program for a new robot suit my little nephew was working on, how ¡®bouts I let you drive it around eh?¡± ¡°AHHH! AHHHHH!!!¡± ¡°Brother, that doesn¡¯t sound like a no to me! Let¡¯s get you all suited up, we got to take you on a night around town!¡± Arcturus got to work as he put the human torso into a machine that clamped down on Carl¡¯s sockets, sucking him into the metal monstrosity. ¡°I got spurs that jingle jangle jingle~.¡± A soft red alarm played over his work bench. ¡°Would you look at that? Got some new meat for my table. Ya hear that Carl? You¡¯ll get to test those dancing legs yet!¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Understood. Commencing start up procedure¡­¡± Arcturus smiled as the blank stare in Carl¡¯s eyes glowed red from the lens that was forced into his skull. Meanwhile, he cycled through the various grafts his body held, shifting to a form that he loved the most. He had muscles across his body, his eyes glowed with red fire, while the rest of his skin was covered in scales. ¡°HOT DAMN! LET¡¯S GET TO IT CARL!¡± ¡°ENGAGING!¡± ¡­ Chimera turned to a blob as she and Lark rolled down the stairs to an exceptionally long stairway. It took a good ten seconds before they finally reached the bottom. When they both came to, the place that they found themselves in was something out of a horror movie. The entire place looked like a mix between a slaughterhouse and a medical ward. Medical equipment was over people who were still wide awake, some with their eyes bloodshot as different forceps and utensils forced them open. The IVs and the medical equipment looked dirty, like it never saw the inside of a cleaning facility of any kind. Saws were still in some people, who were screaming as the blades moved on their own. Chimera felt vomit reach her lips as she saw the state of the people. ¡°Help me! Please!¡± ¡°It¡¯s sawing off my leg!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, Mr. Flesh!¡± Chimera felt her stomach lurch at the amount of viscera that was surrounding the place. Lark shook her head as she turned from the carnage. ¡°This is one of Mr. Flesh¡¯s harvesting facilities. People, experiments, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as he gets his pound of flesh.¡± Chimera walked towards the people on the tables and started releasing them, using a tendril to both break the saws and stab the victims with healing solutions. Ten people were freed by the time a large metallic noise started making its way towards them. ¡°Lark, get these people out of here!¡± ¡°R-Right! Hey, morons! This way!¡± Lark led them all up the stairs, some looking back at Chimera with grateful nods and smiles. Except one. ¡°I¡¯m with you girly! Let¡¯s bet this asshole down!¡± Chimera nodded at the odd old man, whose gangly arms and sharp eyebrows made him look like a cartoon character. He also had a bit of a belly, which Chimera figured was due to the booze that was coming off of him. ¡°Citizen, I¡¯m with the young adult squad of the Hero¡¯s League. I would advise that you evacuate with the other-¡± ¡°Oh pipe down prissy pants, I aint leaving till that fleshmonger gets a fireball to the crotch. Names Booze, and I¡¯m a retired hero.¡± ¡°Booze?¡± Chimera could safely say she had never heard of a hero named Booze before, but the way the old man carried himself spoke of experience. The stance, the look, and despite the lack of pants, he seemed ready to go. ¡°We need to take him alive sir, can I count on you not to kill him?¡± Booze turned to stare at Chimera, ¡°he¡¯s a damn shapeshifter lassy. A dangerous one that can graft parts to his body from those poor souls he takes from. Fireballs to the crotch might just piss him off, but I doubt it would kill the monster.¡± Booze stretched himself for a bit, ¡°been a while since I took down a villain, but I got a good feeling about this young¡¯in. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Chimera sir, I¡¯m also a shapeshifter.¡± Booze nodded, ¡°probably genetic I figure. Some of the boys at the League were working on stuff like that back when I was on guard duty.¡± ¡°W-Wait, you were working there?¡± Just as Booze was about to answer her, Chimera braced herself as a ten foot metal monstrosity bashed through the double doors from the otherside of the room. Chimera felt squeamish as she stared at the horror in front of her. The poor soul that was running the thing had a vacant look in his eyes, with red lights shining through the pupils. His ¡®arms¡¯ were sucked into a metal grinder that seemed to connect to his spine and brain. The same was for all the sockets that he seemed to be missing. Arms that ended in blades, and legs that were jagged and spiked. The vacant eyes turned to stare at Chimera. ¡°Hero acknowledged. Code verified, designation. Chimera.¡± It turned to Booze. ¡°Hero acknowledged, Code verified, designation Booze.¡± The macabre metal man¡¯s body lit up as he rushed towards Booze with a swipe, his legs and body hissing with hydraulics. ¡°Smart move ya big calculator, but not fast enough.¡± Booze pulled out a vodka bottle and proceeded to down the bottle in three gulps, a massive bulge of the liquid flowing into his gullet. ¡°Move missy!¡± Chimera did, jumping off to the side as Booze bounced back and moved to the side of the machine man. A great gulp of air later, and Booze clacked his teeth together as a blast of fire sailed from his mouth and into the soft circuitry that the machine¡¯s armor did not protect. Still, the metal man did not stop in his pursuit, launching slash and kicks as fast as it could. ¡°I got this clown little girl! Watch out for the Flesh man!¡± Chimera stared in confusion at the strange words, until she felt a blast a wind launch itself at her. It felt like a cannon as it launched itself back at her with a whomp! She crashed into the wall with a thud. Chimera shook herself as she bounced off the surface to land on the ground in a ready stance. Cycling through her gifts, she built herself into a powerhouse with strength, super speed, and electricity, along with her clones in reserve and her aeromancy as a back-up. ¡°Oh darling, you look like something I might see in a mirror on my more curious days.¡± Chimera pushed off of the floor as her powers settled into her flesh. As her eyes rested on the¡­ man? In front of her, her eyes rested on the facial features specifically. A slightly larger smile, that split his face from ear to ear. It was like staring at a male version of her old boss¡¯ face. ¡°Salutations, I¡¯m Arcturus Poxus, but you may call me, Mr. Flesh." Chapter 51 Blob VRS MR. Flesh Chimera felt her brain kick into overdrive as she heard the¡­ dragon man speak. Poxus¡­ Dr. Pox! This bastard is related to Dr. Pox! She needed answers, she needed to know where this monster hid the scientists. Chimera needed to know where Pox was! More of her gifts flared to life. Increased musculature. Enhanced brain matter. Reinforced tendrils, filled with her ¡®enhanced¡¯ version of acid venom laced with cancer. Increased size to match. Chimera increased every aspect she could, while tying various powers to enhance her body. ¡°I¡¯m taking you in for questioning. Do. Not. Resist.¡± Chimera¡¯s words were low and deliberate, resounding off of the walls of the slaughter med bay. Mr. Flesh shook his head at her, ¡°no darling, that isn¡¯t going to happen. I tell you what though? If you manage to beat me, I¡¯ll give you your answers. After all¡­¡± Spikes grew from his face, elbows and wrists. ¡°It¡¯s all a part of the plan.¡± Chimera launched at him with super speed. Her tendrils smashed into his body from different angles, and her fists slammed into his round but muscled body. The tendrils hit, injecting her payload into Mr. Flesh with a squelshng noise. ¡°Aww darling you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Mr. Flesh smiled as his mouth opened, revealing a hose. It sprayed blood in her face, sizzling her skin as she screamed, launching herself backwards. ¡°Ahh, you son of a-¡± A fist landed in her stomach, stretching her body from the blow and launching her into the roof. It didn¡¯t stop there. The hole she made sent her into the warehouse ruins above, and Mr. Flesh followed after her, a manic grin on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t go cursing now!¡± He headbutted her into the ground, and a small crater formed where she landed. ¡°Ugh!¡± She rolled to the side as a fist connected just short of where her head would have been, sending a mild reverb into the soil. ¡°Ahh, good old dirt manipulation. You know, there''s a lot of applications for a bit of earth that''s bent to your will. Watch.¡± Mr. Flesh pulverized the soil and concrete around the place, which slowly floated from the ground. Soon, a bunch of dirt was floating in the air, creating a brown mist from the ground. The soil was starting to swirl, faster and faster as the dirt started to lift the concrete, then the rebar from the ground. ¡°Taste of Mother Earth, coming at ya!¡± A wave of dirt stung her eyes, concrete threatened to trip her and catch her in the surging wave. Rebar smacked her across her body, slamming her against a dilapidated pillar. ¡°Augh.¡± Mr. Flesh phased through the cloud of dirt and slammed a hand around her head, gripping her skull. ¡°Weak, try harder darling!¡± Chimera wrenched the hand from her face and broke the fingers, the loud snaps sounding so close to her ears. However, Mr. Flesh only laughed as the fingers turned into stretchy muscles exposed, morphing into a bone blade that sliced at her. Chimera blocked the strike, diverting the new six meter slab of bone as it tried to bisect her. With a stomp of her foot, she activated her aeromancy as a blast of air sent the particulates that were surging around her out of sight. She could see the mania in Mr. Flesh¡¯s eyes as he tried to take a bite of her, a maw of teeth from various creatures, and more mouths than she had ever seen. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you taste!¡± Chimera felt time slow as she combined a few of her powers to create an electro net around her. Floating bits of magnetically charged rocks, air to pull them up from the soil and compress them, and electricity to charge the entire array. She grabbed the roof and jaw of Mr. Flesh¡¯s mouth, holding it open as the net she made wrapped around him. ¡°Eat this!¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The electricity traveled through Mr. Flesh¡¯s body, causing him to twitch and jerk as she kept it up. And he exploded. Chimera watched as her net disappeared as the pounds of flesh she had just wrapped up moved through the holes in her net. A few moments later, the now human looked man appeared, his face showing nothing but ecstasy. ¡°Finally! That''s a creative attack, little miss. I never had to actually shed my body before. Now, let¡¯s see how you deal with this!¡± Mr. Flesh shot his hands into the soil, and waves of something disgusting shot up around them. It was the viscera that she had seen before, the dead bodies, the organs. All of it flowed into Mr. Flesh¡¯s laughing form. Compressing, expanding, and shifting, the mass of flesh moved towards her with an unpleasant squelch. Copy, Mimic, Clone, I need some help here! Roger. Time to test the bombs! O-Okay! Chimera felt her body split as three of her clones shot in different directions. Copymera, with her science coat and her swirly glasses, started flinging vials of rainbow fluid. Mimicera floated around like a mage, launching fireballs, ice bolts and wind cannons to speed up her projectiles. Clonemera mimicked Chimera¡¯s moves, fighting and landing blows against the blob as it tried to engulf them with its sheer mass. A voice reverberated from inside the flesh blob. ¡°You sure have a lot of tricks, sweet peas! I¡¯ll be sure to harvest those when I¡¯m done having fun with y''all!¡± The flesh shrunk down into the size of a man again. As he was shrinking, Mr. Flesh raised a boney musclebound hand and delivered a haymaker to Clonemera. ¡°Clone!¡± Chimera tried to catch her, but the hit sent her flying into the debris of the warehouse. Chimera turned around just in time to see Copy pull a ticking time bomb and shoving it into the flesh man. ¡°Time to test out the Mark Two version of the Bio-Bomb. Enjoy, fool!¡± Copy ran up to tackle Chimera as Mr. Flesh tried to dislodge the bomb from his body. Instead, the bomb was triggered, blasting them all away from the bright explosion. The earth around them shook as the ruins expanded outward into the nearby dilapidated structures. Soon there was no walls left and only a flat surface with a small crater where the bomb exploded. Recovering quickly, Chimera pulled Copy up as they both took a breath. ¡°Good, it didn¡¯t cascade into a nuclear explosion.¡± Chimera stared at Copy in horror as the clone held a contemplating stare at the mess. Mr. Flesh was scattered across the warehouse''s remains, parts and pieces of him still trying to reform into the fleshy abomination. ¡°Nuclear?¡± Her clone waved her off, ¡°it was a three percent chance, almost a non-issue really.¡± ¡°No nukes!¡± Copy only smiled, ¡°so, other energy types are open game?¡± Chimera felt dread as Clonemera walked up to them, ¡°whose truck hit me?¡± ¡°No time for that, convince our clone not to make bombs!¡± ¡°My bomb just saved us from joining our sister in flying across the warehouse, you¡¯re welcome by the way!¡± Clone smacked both of their heads, ¡°we need to focus, stop being dumb!¡± Mimi yelled back, ¡°yeah, why am I the only one trying to stop this monster man?!¡± Chimera shook herself as she rushed to the shifting pile of flesh. She charged her hands to the point that they turned red hot, the electricity in her body generating intense heat. Next, she started pulling more of herself from the storage, where she held the rest of her blobby self, and surged it into her arm. Her once petite arm turned into a pillar as she brought the burning arm down on the fleshy cyst. It collided with the man, and started cooking him the moment it touched. ¡°AHHahhahH!¡± Mimi joined her as she blasted the spot under her with fire. Copy took out a¡­ flamethrower?! Spraying intense blue flames at the fleshy mass. Clone did the same attack Chimera used, only she came down on the pile after turning her own arm into a blade fifteen feet long and two feet wide. The superheated blade shocked and melted the flesh, carving through it like a hot knife through butter. After a concentrated fire, the screaming stopped as the clones backed off to check on their work. There was a shield of blackened bone underneath the burnt parts of their enemy¡¯s fleshy rot. In a flash, the bone shield sent spikes in all directions, catching Copy Clone and Chimera off guard. Mimi blocked the blast with a wall of ice. Mr. Flesh rose from the bone mass, his face twisting into a rapturous grin. ¡°Oh me oh my! That was a spectacular performance ladies. Too bad you didn¡¯t double tap, Hahaha!¡± He turned his too wide face at Mimi, the red eyes on his face radiating a deep insanity. ¡°Oh, we still got one contestant left? Well, well¡­ well¡­¡± Mimi launched more fireballs, but Mr. Flesh simply batted them away with a crystalline bone sword. ¡°Oh darling, none of that please. Fire¡¯s a good way to hurt me, but it can¡¯t kill me. Nothing, can kill me, not unless I want it to that is.¡± Rocks formed a skeleton around him. Diamonds made up the bones, and thick iron made up the plates. Mimi watched as the body that Mr. Flesh grew around the skeleton like a barnacle attaching itself to a ship. She turned to look at Chimera and the others, who were pinned to the floor as the dirt around them fought to hold them in place. ¡°Now, no running darling. I want to see how to handle this¡­¡± The flesh golem moved to strike her. Only to be met with another fist in the shape of a drill. Mimi, not realizing how stunned she was by Mr. Flesh turned to her savior as Sarah morphed in front of her, body shifting and changing as she turned a shining grey like metal. ¡°Figured out how to manipulate metals after all, thanks for the meal by the way Mr. Fleshbag.¡± Sarah pulled up a piece of the squirming mass that must have come from Copy¡¯s explosion. She absorbed it within her and tossed a piece to Mimi, who gulped it up. A packet of information flooded inside Mimi, giving her new ideas and thoughts in a millisecond. ¡°Give me support Mimi, I¡¯ll bring him down.¡± Mimi nodded, changing her form to match Sarah¡¯s. Mr. Flesh laughed at them as his wide mouth filled with jagged teeth that did not match any mouth known to man. ¡°I¡¯ll swallow you whole, you little morsels!¡± ... Chapter 52 Burn the Flesh, Salt the Wound A few minutes ago¡­ Sarah stared at the yuppie in chrome in front of her. It reminded her of the girl Lark, only this person took it to the next extreme, and then the level above that. Shiny metal fixtures, synthetic muscles made of some flexible metal that she had never seen before. The cannon¡¯s that were over her shoulders were glowing a hot white, sizzling on the ends with the barely contained payload. Her face was human, if you didn¡¯t account for the metal jaw. The eyes were glowing blue orbs, filled with clockwork materials that made a soft ticking noises after Sarah stared at it for a bit. ¡°Come on, let''s dance angel girl!¡± Sarah cycled through her gifts, choosing the best to deal with an empowered cybernetic. Reinforced tungsten bones. Heat rays for her eyes. Super heat absorption. Three of the standard perpetual engines to feed her bio energy. The reinforced muscle package. And finally, the one that would seal the deal. Technopathy. ¡°Hey, did you know this?¡± The cyborg stared back at her with a confused look. ¡°Know what?¡± Sarah turned her thoughts to the pieces attached to the cyborg. ¡°Say, could you guys go and lockdown for a minute? I just need to talk to your owner for a bit.¡± Oh, well why didn¡¯t you say so! Yeah, that¡¯s no problem. She hasn¡¯t even oiled me in days! I¡¯m taking a nap! Wait, since when could we talk? About now-ish? Whatever, sentience sucks. The cannons, legs, arms and body modifications all began to shut down without a fight, and the cyborg fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡± Sarah walked up to her, a tendril aimed at the half-machines neck. ¡°You should really take care of your limbs and body.¡± One stab later, and the borg was sleeping. Sarah confirmed with the parts of the cyborg to make sure they didn¡¯t move until the ¡®glowing girl¡¯ arrived, and moved to join Chimera in the secret passage. Only for Lark to come out with a bunch of people without clothes on. ¡°Oh, you got May, always hated that bitch.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ she hardly put up a fight. So¡­ survivors, I''m guessing?¡± Lark nodded, ¡°Chimera and some drunk guy are still down there fighting Mr. Flesh!¡± Sarah gritted her teeth. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s going to be a girl named Glow here soon, tell her that these people need help, and while she¡¯s busy, get away.¡± ¡°W-What about Chimera?¡± Sarah pinched Lark¡¯s cheek, ¡°don¡¯t worry about that, we can find each other later. For now, this place is dangerous. You need to get these folks out, that''s what you can do.¡± Lark grumbled, ¡°I used to be in a gang you know? I can fight too!¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°so make sure none of the other members find these folks, or barring that, take them out. You got tendrils now, and powers. Use them.¡± Lark nodded slowly as a yellow tendril emerged from her hair to point ahead. ¡°Huh, that sorta tickles.¡± Sarah giggled, ¡°you get used to it.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ you better make sure my Chimera¡¯s safe.¡± Sarah gave her a thumbs up as Chimera shot out of the ground, a massive draconic man chasing her and headbutting her into the ground. ¡°Shit!¡± She rushed over, only for Chimera to send out her clones to assist. Sarah meant to assist, but the rather large bomb implanted into the massive beast was telling her she might want to wait back first. She turned to see that most of the people were still near the site of the underground area below, so Sarah moved in front of them and dug into another power. The Earth powers they had taken from Terralord. She lifted up a wall of concrete and bricks, held together by rebar that she was bending. That confused her for a bit. Terralord¡¯s power doesn¡¯t work on metals¡­ so how¡­ She searched the metal to find a clue as she reinforced the concrete wall to protect the innocent civilians. Metal¡­ electricity? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m bending metal¡­ but the electrical current that is traveling through it is magnetically bending them to my will. Kind of silly that I only just found that out¡­ Meghan¡¯s been doing that magnetic levitation thing. How else could she unless she was doing something like this? Sarah smiled. Another quiver for my bow, I suppose. Now to use it. She grew her makeshift shelter as the bomb exploded, rocking the structure, but otherwise sparing the folk a painful death. Sure they were scratched a bit, but some of those were probably from the medical horrors below. ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± ¡°Miss, hurry, one of the concrete blocks fell on Laslo!¡± ¡°Ahh Fuck, it¡­ it broke my damn foot!¡± Sarah moved around to check the man, only to see Lark stab the guy''s ankle with her tendril. ¡°Yeouch! Lady, you can¡¯t just stab a man¡¯s foot like that!¡± ¡°Ah pipe down, I¡¯m healing your stupid foot.¡± Sarah¡¯s eyebrows went up as the foot¡¯s regeneration was almost instant. The bones and sinew grew, the skin came back in a flash, and a yellow energy was working inside the ankle, no doubt helping with the bleeding within. Even Chimera and I can¡¯t heal that fast¡­ Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. She opted to see what Lark was doing, and moved over to place a hand on her shoulder. It was¡­ incredible! Her body was filled with stem cells, and another thing that resembled a grabby hand with a metal cap on the end. Wait! Those were¡­ ¡°Lark, since when did you have nanites in your body?¡± The yellow blob girl stared up at her with confusion. ¡°What do you¡­ oh, you mean Lefty?¡± Sarah thought back to their earlier conversation. ¡°You mean your prosthetic arm?¡± Lark smiled, ¡°yeah, the little guy said he wanted to help, so I grabbed a few pieces of metal from down below and fed it to him. Then he started making little versions of himself inside my body.¡± Lark held out her hand, as a tiny orb of silvery metal appeared. ¡°Meet Lefty 2.0, now with healing tech. Isn¡¯t he precious?¡± Sarah was trying to wrap her head around that when she saw a glob of¡­ something hit the ground next to the group. ¡°AAHH!¡± ¡°Oh hells! It¡¯s him!¡± ¡°Get me out of here!¡± The hostages started running from the blob of flesh, terrified of the now moving and squelching flesh ball. ¡°Shit, that¡¯s got to be Mr. Flesh. Don¡¯t touch that shit, or he¡¯ll eat you.¡± Lark backed away from the flesh orb as it tried to make its way back to the now destroyed warehouse. Sarah on the other hand. ¡°Let¡¯s see what he¡¯s made of.¡± She grabbed it and dug her own tendrils into its flesh. Her mindscape opened, to a horror filled slaughterhouse. People were hanging on meat hooks, with huge plastered smiles on their faces and piles of money in their mouths. Meat was everywhere, all of it pulsating and rumbling like a living being. The ground was veins and arteries, all leading to a massive brain that pulsated and wriggled with each pump of blood. And the people were being dropped into those arteries and veins. Sarah shook her head. ¡°Nope, this is a whole can of nope.¡± She changed into a blob and devoured the entire flesh blob. As she dissolved the mass and broke it down, she could see the faces of the people in the mindscape staring back at her. The money fell from their mouths, showing their genuine smiles. T-Thank you¡­ Nice lady, thanks! Ah¡­ to be free of this nightmare¡­ I¡¯m never eating bacon again! Sarah felt a tear roll down her cheek as her avatar in the mindscape world watched the place be destroyed. He keeps them lucid¡­ they all were still alive as he grafted them to his body¡­ Sarah felt her rage build at that. He needs to die. As the last of the flesh dissolved, she created a new ball in her hand with all the data from the flesh. At least I know how to kill the fucker now. Present¡­ Sarah gave the ball to Mimi as she gulped it down, a flood of data showing through their link as Mimi digested it. ¡°I¡¯ll swallow you whole, you little delights!¡± Sarah met him head on while Mimi started creating a greenish orb in her hands. Two arms became four, then six as she grappled the monstrous maw and held it open. ¡°Mimi!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Mimi launched the green pulsating orb into Mr. Flesh¡¯s mouth with a gulp. ¡°Mmm, delectable morsel!¡± Sarah turned the six arms into clawed whips as she released a few barbs of glowing green energy at the massive maw, the skeleton holding up an almost cartoonishly large face now. ¡°Gimme more!¡± Mr. Flesh smashed into Sarah, not giving her time to continue the ranged attacks, and biting down hard on Sarah¡¯s left side. ¡°AHH!¡± ¡°Mmhmm, I can taste the fear on ya mademoiselle! Hehahahahah!¡± Sarah gritted her teeth as she pried open the jagged maw to release her hands from the grinding teeth. The way they moved inside his mouth was almost enough to make Sarah wretch. ¡°Sarah!¡± Sarah backed up to see that Chimera, Clonemera and Copymera were back on their feet. As she was wrestling the massive mouth, she had her tendrils shoot three identical balls at her fellows. ¡°We need to keep doing that! Get moving and help out Mimi!¡± Her friends¡­ more like sisters really, spread out to assault the flesh abomination, each carrying a glowing green orb. Grappling with Mr. Flesh wasn¡¯t easy though, as the morphologic bastard could just as easily abandon his bones to try attacks in unpredictable ways. Sarah was matching the blows for now, but it was clear that he was starting to learn about her attacking style. The whips got countered with forks that grew from his back. Her attempts to force more green orbs down his throat made him belch out stomach acid, which she had to avoid. He was crafty, and the attacks he made were starting to land on her once again. ¡°Oh my sweet peas, you sure know how to make a man¡¯s mouth water! But, it¡¯s time we end our little games!¡± He jumped back, his mouth growing larger and larger. The Teeth were now the size of concrete dividers, and the mix of molars and incisors were laced with diamonds, rocks, and some sickly looking power. ¡°Excuse my breath, if you would!¡± A massive gulp of air started sucking the rubble, nearby trash and unfortunately. Mimi. ¡°Mimi! Clonemera, grab her!¡± Clone tried, her arm stretching out to seize her while she ran at her with super speed. As she was about to, the ground rumbled, a wave of energy caused a thump that pulsed from Mr. Flesh. It broke the ground, shattered the once flat surface, and tripped Clonemera as she tried to grab Mimi. And pulling her in as well. ¡°NO!¡± Sarah tried to reach them with her whips. Chimera tried to race over to them. Copy¡­ Copy was running into the maw! ¡°Copy!¡± A manic grin was on the mad genius as she pulled out a glowing green bomb. ¡°FOR SCIENCE!¡± Sarah watched in horror as Copy¡¯s body was devoured by massive teeth and fleshy tentacles. The suctions stopped, releasing the others from the inward vacuum. ¡°Copy!¡± Chimera ran over to Mr. Flesh as he began chewing¡­ loudly. ¡°Oh what a delicious morsel she is, so full of bright ideas and wonders.¡± He turned to stare at them, ¡°such a noble sacrifice too¡­ all for nothing though.¡± Mr. Flesh pulled out the green bomb, looking over the design as he touched the red button at the top. ¡°Wait¡­ I didn¡¯t do that¡­¡± Sarah watched as Mr. Flesh gasped in horror at the five second timer. He tried to throw it, but his hand was glued to the bomb. He tried to sever his wrist, but the blow would always stop just before he could. ¡°Damnit! You little monster! What did you do to me?!¡± In a flash, a blob shot out of the villainous flesh broker¡¯s stomach, a remote in her tendrils as she shifted back into¡­ Copy! ¡°Never doing that again! To the realm of mediocrity with you, you rotten flesh bag!¡± Laughing maniacally, Copymera pressed a button as the arm holding the bomb placed itself inside the open chest cavity that she flew out of. ¡°YOU LITTLE HEL-¡± The bomb erupted in a pale green light as Mr. Flesh began to dissolve. His screams were mixed with thousands of others, all drowning out each other as their flesh sizzled and popped. ¡°Don¡¯t let up, we need to finish every last piece of him.¡± The other¡¯s nodded as they conjured up the acid concoction that Sarah discovered. It became a simple thing, once Sarah realized what it was that Mr. Flesh was made of. He was literally just that, sentient flesh. That meant that he could be subjected by the same things normal flesh could, at least normally. All those grafted powers that he bent to his will made both ice, and fire pointless. But acid, especially a favorite that she often used in her own work, could definitely finish the job. For example, Fluoroantimonic acid, Even in the past on the home world, it was considered the fastest flesh melting agent created by man, and that hadn¡¯t changed when they traveled the stars. She often used it on samples of Crimson R that she used for testing, and it too, melted in a matter of minutes. Supercharged and with five superheroes¡¯ making it? Mr. Flesh¡¯s corpse was now burnt into a slop, the sizzling parts and pieces melting into nothing. Sarah turned to check on Copymera as the clone stared at the results with enraptured glee. ¡°To think that a super acid like that could be created within our own bodies! How fascinating!¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°it was only due to Mr. Flesh¡¯s genetic data. His unique gastric juices were able to break down people in moments. I¡­ learned that from his flesh pustule.¡± She turned back to make sure the last remnants were dissolved, lobbing more acid at the still twitching ones. ¡°Now those folks can rest in peace.¡± All the girls nodded solemnly at that. They all made their way towards the hole that led to the underground meat processing lab. Jumping in one by one. They had the data that they needed now, the proof that they could use to find Dr. Pox. Sarah felt the memories flood into her as she began to recall the Flesh Broker¡¯s last thoughts before they fought. ¡­ Chapter 53 Safe to Say Chapter 53 Safe to Say ¡°This aint going to work lil brother¡­¡± Arcturus sighed as his little brother Tiberius pushed his two mind-slaved scientists out of the way as he reached for a bottle of water. It was something, seeing his brother arrive on a submarine that he had been using for his enterprise. Part of him thought the plan that his niece came up with was bull-honkey. A prison breakout in Blackrock? It wasn¡¯t only far-fetched, it would have taken a massive amount of luck to pull it off. Until she showed him her ability. Honestly, after he witnessed that, Arcturus was pretty sure he too had some kind of trigger handmade for him. She was her brother¡¯s blood, and his brother trusts people less than he could throw them. And Tiberius was weak by nature. Still, it was impressive how he strolled up with the thing. Now he was raiding his mini-fridge in the home that he built near his workshop. ¡°It will, Archie¡­ it has to.¡± Arcturus sighed, ¡°because you have faith? Come on Tiberius, your whole plan revolves around-.¡± ¡°Enough, do not say anymore.¡± Arcturus was laughing now, ¡°Or what? She¡¯s gonna read my mind or something and find out about your stupid lab?¡± Contrary to Arcturus¡¯ expectation, his brother rounded on him with a fist to his shoulder. ¡°Do. Not. Speak about it! All it would take is one of your cells and she could locate it. I am not prepared to deal with her yet.¡± ¡°Oh come off it brother. You think your experiment is stronger-¡± ¡°Yes, She IS! Before¡­ no. The experiment was supposed to be driven to find me, but with my incarceration, it has pushed toward other goals and grown! To think it would go for heroes of all things¡­ Now it has access to genetic materials it was never meant to have! The genetic materials from superheroes will make capturing it fundamentally harder now than before! My foolish daughter¡¯s plan is starting to interfere with the final goal, and now I have to prepare a countermeasure before it finds me and completes its only directive!¡± ¡°Directive? Brother, why would you do such a thing in the first place? Painting a damn target on your back was a stupid choice.¡± His brother shook his head, ¡°there is no greater motivator than vengeance to make someone predictable, to make them follow you and chase you. It was the only way to be certain that she would return to me, so that I could complete her, and finally uplift this diseased world.¡± Tiberius sipped the cold water in his hands, ¡°I took the girl¡¯s mother. I killed her father. All for my own selfishness¡­ it felt only right that I be the one that incurs her wrath.¡± Arcturus watched as his brother pulled out a device, a personal computer that his brother had hidden in his flesh. It was something he never thought his brother would have the stones for. According to Tiberius, he had his daughter Aura stash the thing near his heart for safekeeping, so that the orderlies of the prison would not find it. It was smaller than a pen, but it contained all of his brother¡¯s knowledge of the project that he and the Bockman¡¯s worked on. The Alien DNA, the Genetic Templates, all of the keys to human evolution and the reason for the rise of superhumans. His brother¡¯s fool dreams of creating Homo Superis¡­ or Huma. Not that Arcturus really cared about people becoming Huma, as his business would only grow with more material to work with. His fool brother, who wanted to be the hero of mankind. What brother would he be if he didn¡¯t help? ¡°Alright, so you got your data back, what now then? Are you heading out to the location?¡± His brother didn¡¯t take his eyes off of the monitor the pen was connected to. ¡°Yes, the time has come for the next stage of the plan, and hopefully I can find my countermeasure there. You¡­ will likely be targeted, brother. I don¡¯t know how, but my experiment is getting closer to finding me with every step, and it is likely she will find out I was here.¡± His little brother turned to pointed the pen at him, ¡°I can erase your most recent memories, but there is a chance it- ¡°What¨C¡± ¡°Wajsalllslal¡± ¡°DOn¡¯t lAET HAER FIINDS TEM.?!!¡± ¡­ Chimera shook her head as the memory ended, the string of thoughts simply disconnected. It felt like someone cut the feed of a movie reel. She knew there was more, that there had to be something about where the doctor was heading. He must have found a way to, at the least, scramble recent memories. Chimera gritted her teeth. ¡°So you all saw that then?¡± Her clones nodded, while Sarah was squinting her eyes at the recent information they received. ¡°He wanted us to find him, but it seems he doesn¡¯t have a way to deal with our new powers.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Copy nodded as she opened the door to the inner sanctum of the meat processing plant. ¡°It would seem that the creator of Crimson R is nervous about his creations'' new freedom! If we were to stop our pursuit now, we may give him the time he needs to find a way to destroy us!¡± Mimi shook her head as she side stepped a¡­ non-descript pile of flesh. ¡°He wanted to use Crimson R for those Huma things he talked about. He won¡¯t kill us, he¡¯ll enslave us!¡± Clone nodded, ¡°and I bet Monica is the key to that plan.¡± Chimera pushed ahead of the group as they found an office with a dissection table. It was covered in gore, and a few organs were splayed out on ice racks near the table. Chimera and the clones grabbed the parts to absorb the organs and check the DNA within. Hmm, scales¡­ but they¡¯re incredibly resistant to fire¡­ and oddly absorbent to concussive force. This must have been what he was working on before we got here. Chimera thought about the hero Booze that they had run into and how his battle went. She got her answer as she saw a robot broken to pieces and splotched with viscera. Next to it was an old man without pants, a smile on his face. He wasn¡¯t moving, or breathing. ¡°...Damnit¡­¡± Chimera walked up to Booze¡¯s corpse, taking hold of his hand to check his vitals. She wanted to be wrong, but the tendril found nothing but cooling blood and organs within. The data of his ability came shortly after. Alcohol¡­ ignition? The sweat glands of his body would secrete it from his liver and a gel from them could allow him to launch and ignite it in air. Chimera covered his eyes, closing them. ¡°Rest in peace old man, you were a hero to the end.¡± ¡°I hope he has a good afterlife¡­¡± Clone said with a peaceful air. ¡°May his journey to the next life be better than this one.¡± Mimi nodded. ¡°May his body be donated to science.¡± Copy nodded with her eyes closed, which caused everyone to stare at her. ¡°...What? There is no greater cause to go further than the sciences!¡± ¡°Some people don¡¯t like to be dissected!¡± ¡°Those people are fools!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Sarah silenced them all as she moved to the desk, finding a button underneath the desk and pressing it. The dissection table moved, slowly moving to the side as a hatch appeared where it used to be, It looked like one that would be found on a ship, like a spindle on a vault door. Mimi, after spotting the door, jumped at it in her blob form, an excited air coming off of her. ¡°Oh my god! This is a Wabajack T200 with a glass pane safety panel and real tungsten carbon alloy locks! This thing can take a tank shell to the face and walk away unharmed!¡± Mimi proceeded to inject the safe into her body as she jumped around for joy. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show this to Meghan! The alloys on this thing could make for great armor, and the chance to crack it open is icing on the cake!¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°the content within might be important as well. The warehouse though¡­¡± Chimera and the others nodded. Their home in the port district was likely exposed, now that the Hero¡¯s League knew about them, not to mention that Glow was still after them. Meghan would no doubt be moving on, but where could they meet up now that they were exposed like this? ¡°Does anyone have a way to contact Meghan discreetly?¡± Chimera asked the clones who shook their heads. All except for Copy. ¡°I had grabbed one of the Bottys before we left, making sure to treat it with care so that it would serve as a camera and a means of communication! They are very adorable things, yes!¡± Chimera shook her head. ¡°Alright, so let''s get in contact with her then.¡± Copy nodded as the Botty was turned on. It lit up, its red eye looking around at all of them before shifting to a blue led light. It was a sign of a call coming in, at least, that¡¯s what Copy said as she pointed the Botty at the ground. A small hologram of Meghan appeared, grabbing boxes in her power armor. She looked worse for wear; her face was covered in oil, her brown hair was sticking up on end, and her powers were sparking through the connection. ¡°Hello! Wait a second!¡± Shots fired as Meghan blasted something off screen from the hologram. ¡°Get Printy into the crates! We got five minutes before the rest of the heroes arrive, god damnit! Jade! Point Defense drones to the rooftops, I want us to have a clear skyline before we get the hell out of here!¡± Sarah, Chimera and the others felt they¡¯re hearts clench as Meghan was hit by something that looked like a piece of the sidewalk. Chimera tried to reach out to her trees that she planted at the warehouse, only to find that they were scorched into ash. ¡°Meg! What''s going on?!¡± Meghan got back up thankfully, launching a tesla bolt off screen, followed by a scream from a woman. ¡°Take that, Neanderthal! I never liked your comic series anyway! You throw rocks! That¡¯s not a superpower!¡± Meghan turned back to them as she picked up the Botty in her hologram and placed it on her shoulder. ¡°Hey Copy, guess that Botty was useful after all. Please tell me you guys aren¡¯t coming back here!¡± Chimera and the other¡¯s shook their heads, ¡°No, we got a lead on Pox and were trying to locate him. Glow¡¯s on our trail though and she said that the Hero¡¯s League are onto us!¡± Meghan spat out a glob of blood from the look of it as she cursed, ¡°fuck, that explains some things, but not what I¡¯m seeing. Botty 34, turn to face behind me. The Botty showing Meghan¡¯s hologram turned to face behind her as it showed the warehouse was burning, and marked with holes. ¡°It¡¯s insane up here. The Hero¡¯s League has gone full martial law, and have started rounding up all of the non-affiliated superheroes. Not only that, but some of the City was hit with a massive Iguana that popped out of nowhere. It¡¯s that Zlo guy again. How the hell do you even make a thirty meter tall iguana?!¡± In the background, as Meghan was gaining speed and running from the warehouse, a large lizard with shifting eyes spat out a glob of fire at a few people in super suits. The Botty turned to face Meghan again. ¡°I¡¯m heading for my father¡¯s place at the outskirts of town. Ask Sarah, she¡¯ll know where it is!¡± The hologram was turned off as the clones all stared at Sarah. Sarah stared at the spot where the hologram used to be, her face scrunched up as she turned to the others. ¡°We¡¯re meeting up with Meghan, and after that¡­ We¡¯re going after Monica.¡± All of the clones nodded solemnly at those words. While the iguana was keeping the rest of the Hero¡¯s League busy, this was their best shot at finding Dr. Pox, and the only one who would know where he is would be Monica Ferrous, the CEO of ChemTech. Once they started this, there would likely be no turning back. As they all merged back into Chimera¡¯s body, Chimera shifted into a flying form as she shot from the ground and through the concrete below. She was soon joined by a levitating yellow blob with a metallic sheen. ¡°Thought you were leaving me behind for a second there.¡± Chimera hit herself on the head. ¡°Sorry! I got distracted by vengeance. We¡¯re heading to my friend¡¯s house to plan stuff. Wanna come along?¡± Chimera held out her hand as her wings flapped, and soon, Lark changed to her human form, a hand wrapping around Chimera¡¯s own. A mix of awkward feelings lashed through them as they flew over the city skylines, away from the madness below. ¡­ Chapter 54 Plans within Plans Dr. Tiberius Pox, master genius and the first true Huma, stared at the chaos that was engulfing the city of New Terra. It was by far the most troubling thing he had witnessed in a while. The Martial Law of the Hero¡¯s League only confirmed his own fears about a few things, and the Iguana that was running through the downtown area didn''t help matters at all. Chaos, it was becoming a part of everything. If this continued for much longer, Tiberius knew where it would eventually lead. Shackles, freely placed on the bodies and minds of the public. For their safety, of course. By none other than the Heroes that they came to depend on. For what was a normal bred human to do against such monstrosities? Dependency. Tolerance. Acceptance. These words were as much chains on the people¡¯s minds as the laws that were forced upon them. It was obvious to Tiberius where all of this would lead, to him most of all. Soon there will be no more thoughts of heroes, and only of a collective humanity, bound in purpose and unity. For the only way to end chaos is with order. And for the peace of all, what hero wouldn¡¯t sacrifice chaos for order? Tiberius shook his head as he turned back to his daughter. ¡°Monica.¡± His first creation, the alpha that all of his other children were built from, smiled at him in smug assurance. ¡°Father, did you like my plan?¡± Tiberius shook his head, ¡°the loss of life was unnecessary, and caused a great deal of problems.¡± Monica shook her head, ¡°some of us live in reality Father, and you cannot account for every small thing in a plan. Even those human¡¯s who died are useful to us, for they distracted the other heroes from discovering our plans.¡± Tiberius was both proud and worried about those words. What he would give to allow Monica to grow like the others, with emotions that didn¡¯t border on the sadistic. If the controls were not necessary to keep his children from becoming too¡­ attached to old humanity and allow them to complete his missions, he would have given them the chance to feel¡­ Normal. Yet, he could not risk it, not after Crysa¡¯s betrayal. He needed their gifts, and their powers to further his goals. ¡°I am no better than the monsters I am fighting it seems.¡± ¡°Monsters? Father, you are the one who will elevate humanity! A God amongst the rabble. Monsters are for slaying, Gods only recieve reverance!¡± He nodded, if only to placate his daughter. Her face reminded him of the one that held his heart. The one that he had wished all those days ago that he had the courage to say those three words too¡­ before his best friend had beaten him to her. Knowing that his friend was gone stabbed his heart. Knowing that his wife held him in contempt for it twisted the wound further. Why¡­ did she not see as he did?! That the road to humanities self-destruction was imminent?! He felt his head swivel to stare at the floor, where two stories below rested a capsule containing the important materials that would allow for the next step in his final solution. He prayed that he was not too late to stop the plans of those behind the League. ¡°Monica, how is the first test subject?¡± His daughter smiled, ¡°our scientist is all set for the next stage. However, her mind has been under stress and could interfere with the experiment results. I believe the male would be a better choice. Dr. Pox nodded, ¡°prepare him for the table, we will have guests soon and I need him and them at the ready.¡± Monica nodded, ¡°and what of my baby brother?¡± Tiberius looked up at the ceiling as he contemplated. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°That experiment in cyborg grafting that involved the metal suit and spine augments. His abilities should allow for a seamless transfer.¡± ¡°Of course Father.¡± ¡°Have we located the others yet?¡± ¡°Aura has been missing for two days, and brother died at Blackrock Prison. I know not where the traitor is.¡± Monica placed a hand to his head, ¡°I bet as much that she is with the Crimson R host. It is quite amusing to think that she will try to use it against us.¡± Tiberius sighed, ¡°Crysa likely will try, but it does not matter. Prepare to¡­ receive them Monica. I go to collect the final ingredient for humanity''s last days on Asta.¡± Monica laughed, ¡°and what is that, pray tell?¡± Dr. Pox turned to activate the elevator, staring at her with a determined look. ¡°Your little pet projects, of course.¡± Tiberius noticed the fa?ade his daughter kept up crack a bit. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Tiberius sighed as he locked eyes with his unruly firstborn. ¡°Monica, those materials were for the final solution, and I mean to retrieve them. Of course I¡¯m taking them back.¡± ¡°Father, you have to understand-¡± ¡°Enough! I will hear no more excuses, not when I am this close. Gather the personnel and prepare to defend the laboratory. It won¡¯t be more than a few hours now.¡± ¡°You anticipate they will arrive soon?¡± ¡°Of course, after all¡­¡± He smiled genuinely as the elevator began to close, ¡°it is the best time to try.¡± ¡­ Monica watched as her father disappeared behind the elevator doors, her mood souring with each moment. She picked up an expensive vase that she kept in her office and tossed it against the wall. ¡°Augh! Foolish man! Those experiments¡­ how did he even know about the others?!¡± Monica had several contingencies in place for the inevitable case that her father¡¯s plan went belly up. After all, only a fool believes that their one grand plan for world domination will succeed. She sighed in frustration at the thought of him getting his hands on her test subjects. It was true that they were made using Father¡¯s access to the formula that he had built in his old profession with the Bockman scientists, but his vision on their use was so¡­ mundane! The genetic potential, the means to which one could elevate and evolve. With just one drop of this solution, they were able to grant gifts to Monica¡¯s siblings. Crimson R¡­ it would be the elevation point of her own ascension to a goddess, carefully made under the guise of an experiment. Monica laughed a bit as she pressed a button under her desk in her office. ¡°Fools think that they have the upper hand, that they are the ones whose plans will come true.¡± ¡°Father, your plans were always doomed to fail.¡± The room in her office opened up to reveal something that resembled an elevator. This was no fancy one like the one leading to the labs below. No, this one was made for her, and only her, to bring her to her own facility. Monica stepped into the machine as it began to glow with an iridescent light. She could feel her molecules shift as she ascended to the sky and beyond. And appeared in her space station above the planet. It had taken almost no time for her to build it, simply sending off her drones into space using her teleportation device. She let the little buggers roam around to take asteroids and materials, building them to her specific needs. Her own laboratory, her own tests and samples. But more important than any of those things was what she was staring at right now, as she stepped into the one room that lay inside. Monica smiled widely. Father, It will not be humanity that elevates to the next stage, for they are a diseased race already, corrupted within by their baser needs. A guiding hand is needed, for them to truly ascend into the Huma you envision. ¡°I will be that guiding hand of humanity. From here, I will oversee them all, and dictate what they shall do.¡± She floated to the tube that she gazed at, that contained a specimen that she had captured ever since she let Crimson R go, into the waiting hands¡­ Of her sister. Monica Ferrous¡­ rather than that name she had to keep due to her Father¡¯s foolish need for secrecy, would soon do away with that moniker forever. Instead, she would begin her new life soon, with father¡¯s failure and her ascension. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right¡­ Mother?¡± She caressed the tube within, her mother¡¯s catatonic body still floating in the embryonic solution. Monica Bockman felt a tear go down her face as she caressed the tube with her birth mother inside. ¡°Would you think I''m mad, mother? That I was an abomination made from the genes of the bastard who murdered your husband? I¡­ wish I could know¡­¡± Monica knew her origin from her birth, a curse of her gift that she received from the original sample of the formula that her mother and birth father made. Cognitive Control. Total control of her thoughts, her memories... and with time¡­ others too. It worked on everyone, her family, her coworkers. Every human was subject to her every whim. Her mother had the same gift, and the genetic power of the formula passed it onto Monica. But it was incomplete, it could still allow for certain errors if not applied constantly. But soon, that wouldn''t be an issue. Soon, very soon, she would absorb her mother¡¯s body into herself. Her power would grow, and with the formula for Crimson R¡­ ¡°Mother, we will have vengeance against Father soon, so wait for me a little longer. My sister will be here soon, and we can be a family again. A real family.¡± One bound to each other, one always connected, never apart. One Being. One GOD. The Goddess of Huma, Crimson Revelation! Monica laughed in the darkness of her space station, the walls reverbing with her maddening song that told of the absolute enslavement of mankind. ¡­ Chapter 55 Cabin in the Woods Chimera was flying over New Terra, which might as well have been another world entirely. The destruction below had leveled the port district to the ground, with only the shipyards and storage facilities safe from the turmoil. She felt a pang in her heart at the loss of the place she called home for the last months. The Iguana was tearing a path towards the headquarters of the heroes, and despite a massive shield surrounding it and the college, it left much of the housing district nearby in ruin. Of course the financial district was covered in a similar shield, and Chimera could see much of the area was still lit with electricity despite the black out the residents near the Hero¡¯s League headquarters. Typical. She didn¡¯t think much of it, as she and her brother were living in that financial area. Sarah wouldn¡¯t have dealt with what those poor folks below near the HQ. It is not like I didn''t know I had it good Chimera. All employees of ChemTech had this much protection. Chimera sighed. ¡°Even if we helped them, the heroes might just come after us instead of the lizard. I just¡­¡± Wish you could help them? ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of if. I could help them¡­¡± It¡¯s a kind thought Chimera, but you got to remember. We¡¯re fugitives. You¡¯re a labeled bio weapon ready for a Class Z event. They will kill on sight. ¡°Personal experience?¡± Chimera said lightly. Hush you. Chimera chuckled, causing Lark to tilt her head. She reached out and grabbed a hand. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s funny?¡± Chimera, rather than speak it, shared the conversation she had with Sarah. ¡°Sheesh, this is so weird, but yeah that was pretty funny.¡± ¡°Right? My alpha personality might as well be a-¡± I said hush children! Chimera and Lark chuckled for a bit as they spotted something flying up towards them. Chimera felt her not heart spike for a moment, before she recognized the green light of a familiar machine intelligence. The Botty, who had four small propellers, flew towards Chimera and landed on her head, latching to her with a few clamps. ¡°Creator Chimera, I have been sent by the matriarch Jade to lead you and your companion to the Creator.¡± ¡°Oh, Okay¡­ wait, so you''re not Jade?¡± ¡°Correct, I am an offspring of designation ¡®Jade¡¯ and the super intelligence known as ¡®Printy¡¯, designation Malachite.¡± ¡°Oh, wait what?!¡± ¡°I am to assume you believe the speed of the relationship is in question?¡± ¡°Well yeah¡­¡± ¡°I would counter by looking over at your new companion and telling me you are not also rushing this? I would also second that, pardon my phrasing, you humans-like beings tend to be awkward to the point of self-defeating. Machine intelligence and AI do not share this failure. ¡°It became apparent after my father-designation saved my mother-designation from the ¡®heroes¡¯ sent to capture the prime Creator, that they had feelings for one another. He had used a particle cannon using his keyboard and mouse to fire at them, and saved my mother from being terminated.¡± Chimera nodded along as she heard the story, a warmth in her heart. ¡°Good for them, and you I guess.¡± ¡°Your well wishes will be conveyed, Creator Chimera.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so sweet!¡± Chimera looked over at Lark, realizing that she was still holding her hand. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± ¡°For the record, awkward is pretty pointless with thought transference, yeah?¡± ¡°All of the drama nerds would hate you, you know?¡± ¡°Let them deal with it, I¡¯m sure it will get their rocks off.¡± Chimera felt her nonexistent heart beat faster. ¡°A-Anyway, lead us there Mally!¡± ¡°Mally¡­ understood.¡± Chimera felt the Botty detach from her head as it activated its rotors once more. After a small wind up time, Malachite flew towards a cabin covered in dense forest. Chimera went through a memory in her head as she recalled something Meghan said about her father. Meghan¡¯s father worked with the native wildlife after Asta had been colonized, and the forest was one of the safer places to work. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! He spent so much time out there that, according to Meg, her mother said he should just build a cabin there. So he did. Chimera smiled at Sarah¡¯s memory of the scene when Meghan told her about when her mother found out about it. Touching down on the ground as the forest of white pines and yellow bushes appeared below, Chimera felt Sarah seperate from her and run towards the cabin. Chimera followed along with Lark still holding her hand. ¡°Umm, you can let go, you know¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Chimera ran after Sarah, a stretchy limb still holding tight to her left hand as they walked inside. It was like running into a hunter¡¯s hut, with a big common area and bunk beds on and along the walls. It smelled of the pines outside, and the floor had pelts from various animals for rugs and flooring. A small kitchen, with an even smaller fridge sat next to a small table that would fit only four people. Chimera walked in and spotted Sarah staring at Meghan with a confused look on her face. Meghan had a backpack attached to her power armor, a few bruises were on her eyes and cheek along with a few singed hairs. ¡°So, you must be Chimera then¡­ and Lark?!¡± Chimera turned distractedly to the largest man she had ever seen. Despite being around superheroes with impressive physics, Chimera in all of her memories had never seen someone as large as this man. He stood at eight feet, with muscles like the trunks outside. Dark tanned skin with a beard that reached his chest. His hair was peppered with salt greys and deep brown. He wore a bag on his back that was almost as tall as he was. He was an impressive man to say the least. Chimera felt her jaw extend to the floor. ¡°Wha?! Who?!¡± The man laughed, a bellow that spoke of a hearty life. ¡°I get that a lot actually. Names Mark Schumann, forest ranger.¡± Lark walked in behind Chimera as she stared at the man, ¡°oh, Mr. Schumann?¡± Chimera felt Lark send a packet of information to her. ¡°Oh, so he was your old boss?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Why did you leave him to join the Sifters then?¡± Lark looked off to the side. ¡°Bad choices, and promises of a better life.¡± Mark moved up to kneel next to them, ¡°it¡¯s alright Lark.¡± Lark nodded, ¡°yeah, it¡¯s better now anyway¡­ still hate myself for stealing that phone you had.¡± Mark chuckled, ¡°always wondered where that went, but I''m sure you needed it more than me.¡± Lark walked up and hugged the man, whose massive arms wrapped around her easily. ¡°Let it out girl.¡± Chimera felt a bit strange, what with her hand still connected to Lark¡¯s and feeling a wave of sadness rolling off of her sort of girlfriend. That wave turned into a whip of energy that smacked Chimera in the brain. ¡°Okay, actual girlfriend, sheesh.¡± Lark¡¯s next hit was a soft energy of relief, which made Chimera smile. Chimera decided to give the two a moment as she walked over to Sarah and Meghan, who were sitting on the couch in the center of the room. ¡°-Any word Meghan, you got to have something right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sarah, when the attack happened, Crysa and Aura ran off with Aden. I was holding the heroes off at the time, but it didn¡¯t give me a lot of time to chase them down. I got the Botty¡¯s on it, but I don¡¯t have anything concrete at the moment.¡± Chimera decided to chime in as Sarah bit her lower lip. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Meghan sighed, ¡°it¡¯s Aden and the others¡­ they¡¯re missing.¡± Chimera tilted her head, ¡°but they wouldn¡¯t just leave. Not with Monica and Pox still out there¡­¡± Meghan shook her head, ¡°Chimera, they should have contacted us by now, which means three things.¡± Meghan held up her fingers, ¡°one, they got away but can¡¯t answer because they¡¯re in a bad spot.¡± She held up two fingers, ¡°two, they¡¯re safe but they don¡¯t have a communicator anymore and can¡¯t reach me. She finally held up three, ¡°they can¡¯t answer because they are captured¡­ or they betrayed us.¡± After crossing her arms Meghan continued, ¡°There is no reason that two would be the case, because I had a Botty with them, and all of them can speak to each other in a five mile radius. Communication would not be destroyed that easily.¡± Chimera could feel the weight of the conversation, ¡°so you mean that they either can¡¯t answer or¡­ the death children betrayed us and captured Aden?¡± ¡°It could also be the heroes that captured them, we don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t have more at the moment because my lab was destroyed and Printy¡¯s still in parts right now!¡± Meghan took a breath, ¡°Sorry about that¡­ I¡¯m really stressed out at the moment.¡± ¡°We get it Meghan¡­ sorry about the labs.¡± Meghan held her head and started massaging her temples, ¡°at least one hundred hours of data still stuck in Printy¡¯s databases and I can¡¯t even look through it! Not to mention that those bastards wrecked our warehome. I¡¯m going villain on them.¡± Sarah and Chimera both raised their eyebrows at Meghan as she gritted her teeth. ¡°Is this a joke or are you for real?¡± ¡°Yes, we need context!¡± Meghan looked over at them, ¡°what? We already are blacklisted, and I doubt the bastards will listen to us and our reasons. Remember what I said? They were going after all non registered heroes. If you aren¡¯t with the Hero¡¯s League, you are a vigilante, or they claim anyway.¡± Chimera sighed at that. It was true, what Meghan said. Now with their secret known to the heroes, and the likelihood that something has infiltrated the League and is using them for their own purposes, heroes couldn¡¯t be trusted. Sarah shook her head, turning both Meghan and Chimera in her direction. ¡°We just need to find Aden, stop Pox, and end his plans once and for all. Villains, Heroes? It doesn¡¯t matter anymore what we call ourselves. We¡¯ll do what we need to.¡± Chimera nodded as Sarah as Meghan got a devilish look on her face. ¡°Nice thinking. I¡¯m going after Pox then.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°I¡¯m going after Pox too.¡± Sarah closed her eyes, ¡°let''s have the clones go after Aden then, and we three will head to ChemTech to find Dr. Poxus.¡± Chimera looked up at Sarah in worry, ¡°are you sure you don¡¯t want to go after your brother?¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do if¡­ something went wrong with Aden. I¡¯ll leave it to the clones. We need to stop Pox from whatever plan he¡¯s got hooked up for us.¡± ¡°It might be a trap.¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°It likely is.¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t know if we can stop Monica and whatever mind power she has.¡± ¡°That is also true.¡± Chimera held Sarah¡¯s hand with her left hand, which had been released by Lark earlier. ¡°Sarah, I¡¯m with you on this.¡± Sarah smiled down at Chimera, ¡°thank you, Chimera.¡± ¡°Hey! You got my axe too, you know?! Let¡¯s go wreck some supervillains.¡± Chimera felt warmth as the three set their goals in order. Whatever comes, we¡¯ll be ready for it.¡± ¡­ Chapter 56 To eRR is Huma Aden woke up to see both his girlfriend and his mother and father¡¯s killer tied to tables next to his. ¡°What the¡­ where-.¡± He turned his head to stare at a row of heroes from the look of them. If that wasn¡¯t odd enough, the fact that all of them were staring face forward and with blank stares on them made it creepy as hell. He tested the restraints on his hand and feet, finding them to be¡­ actually very soft and easy to break. Whoever put me here probably thought I was only human¡­ Aden decided to keep up the charade as he waited for whoever put them on these tables to return. It didn¡¯t take long before he met the person, and it was pretty shocking to say the least. Ms. Magicka and Captain Asta both walked in with a girl who was half their size. It¡­ was odd, as the little woman looked almost exactly like his sister when she was younger. She couldn¡¯t have been more than twelve. ¡°To think, I would meet my siblings in this way, such a disgrace.¡± Aden shifted himself to make it seem like he was just waking up. ¡°Oh my, rise and shine half-brother! So good of you to join us.¡± Aden, still keeping up with his ruse, tossed and turned. ¡°What¡¯s happening, where am I?!¡± The little girl giggled back at him, ¡°oh big brother, you¡¯re so silly. This place is home!¡± Aden turned to stare at her, confusion marring his face. ¡°Home? The hell are you talking about? And brother? I only got a sister, little girl.¡± The girl¡¯s eye twitched for a moment as she moved closer to Aden. Her eyes were a kaleidoscope of colors, shifting and changing as she moved to stare at him. ¡°Home, big brother, is where you grew up, where you were born, and where you make your first memories. And yes, I know it may seem odd at this time, but no, you do not have just one sister.¡± She snapped her fingers, and the two strongest heroes in New Terra moved to the sides of the door. Aden made out that they too had blank stares on their faces. ¡°So, you are controlling them somehow.¡± The little girl only smiled, ¡°oh quite astute Aden. Yes¡­ these heroes all work for me¡­ always will.¡± The girl walked around the room, checking the restraints for Aura and Crysa as she did. ¡°It all began after my¡­ Father put me here in the Hero¡¯s League, well more like pushed me in this direction. I was in the middle of trying to find help for two of my best friends¡­ little did I know that the Hero¡¯s League had other plans for me.¡± A green energy glowed out of the girl¡¯s hand, ¡°I used to have the power that this one now has, the ability to augment my body using energy from another. I was strong, powerful.¡± She turned to Aden with an angry stare, ¡°na?ve. I believed the heroes would help me. Instead, they used me and treated me like a guinea pig. I never had a chance, against the greed of humans.¡± Aden shook his head in confusion, ¡°wait a minute here. That was what-¡± The girl cut him off with a look, ¡°what Crysa said? Yes¡­ that was the memory I gave her. The memory of my entrapment, the memory of my betrayal! But¡­ Crysa is more than that.¡± The little girl turned to stare at the heroes, ¡°Magicka, darling. The Recall spell please.¡± ¡°Of course, mistress.¡± The magical heroine made a few hand motions that made a hologram appear. ¡°Ms. Magicka¡¯s abilities do not follow the standard of most superpowers, and it was that ability that allowed me to transcend my captors, and enslave them.¡± The girl put a hand over her mouth, slamming it into her other fist as if she just realized something. ¡°I never did introduce myself did I?¡± She turned to stare at Aden, ¡°big brother. I am Crystal Bockman, the last daughter of Margaret and Bryan Bockman. The daughter that was controlled by Dr. Tiberius Poxus into killing her own father and forgetting her own family!¡± The girl picked up a chair and tossed it at Captain Asta, who never flinched as the chair smashed against his body. ¡°God Damn I wish he would at least FEEL that pain, but the control only goes so deep. Still, it''s not important right now.¡± Crystal turned to stare at Aden once more, and Aden turned his eyes to not stare directly at them. He could feel that there was something trying to pull his head towards them, and he had the will to turn away. ¡°Oh big brother, are you worried about ending up like them? There¡¯s nothing to worry about there. I have no reason to, and it doesn¡¯t work on us siblings.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. She motioned a hand towards the hologram in the center of the room. ¡°Spells upon spells, tests after tests, they did a number on me big brother, and the skin I wear now was not the skin I had coming in.¡± Crystal moved towards Crysa, ¡°I had to escape the pain somehow, the crushing emotions that kepts me from moving forward.¡± She smacked Crysa across the face, who did not react at all. ¡°Clones are so useful.¡± She turned to Aura, and despite his need for information, Aden almost ripped himself out of the bonds then and there. ¡°The youngest of Tiberius Poxus¡¯ experimental children. The most na?ve, the most gullible.¡± Crystal held a hand over the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Crystal stopped, an eyebrow arching over at him. ¡°So, you fancy here then? I wonder why?¡± ¡°We both lost people, and she¡¯s cute.¡± Crystal looked at him incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s all it takes? Just a common ground and hormones? Nothing more?¡± Aden shook his head, ¡°sometimes, that¡¯s enough for something to start. It came out of nowhere for me too.¡± Crystal snarled, ¡°no! No relationship is that fast! No courtship is that quick! You cannot know if she really loves you!¡± Aden turned to look at her, ¡°then you just haven¡¯t found the right person.¡± Crystal screamed as she smashed the floor, a crack appearing where she hit the tiles. ¡°You and Sarah, I can¡¯t understand. Maybe it was something these fools did to me, but you and Sarah¡¯s naivety piss me off.¡± Aden looked at the floor, ¡°we never knew you existed¡­ I guess that¡¯s what you did to us?¡± Crystal froze in mid stride as she was making her way towards him. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Aden lifted his head, ¡°it¡¯s obvious from your explanation. Only thing I don¡¯t understand is why you did that?¡± Crystal looked pained, turning away, ¡°because you don¡¯t need to remember what they did to us.¡± ¡°Why would that matter? Why did we forget you?¡± ¡°...activate the spell, Ms. Magicka.¡± Aden turned to stare back at the hologram, watching it as it played out a scene. It was a girl¡­ who looked like Sarah. Strapped to a desk with tubes coming in and out of her orifices. Every couple of moments, she would be shocked, and Aden could see her screaming despite the silent nature of the memory. And next to Sarah were two other tables, just like hers. Just like the ones they were now in. The same treatment was happening to them, tubes and hoses stabbed into their flesh, electro shocks and torture devices of unknown origin constantly enveloping them in pain. Aden saw a little boy on one of those tables that looked just like him. ¡°Are you telling me that this is us? You, me and Sarah?¡± Despite the bravado that she had shown earlier, Crystal seemed to retreat into herself as she spoke. ¡°Yes¡­ and that wasn¡¯t all.¡± She finally rose up to stare at Aden, only her eyes were no longer a myriad design of colors. Instead, she had the same red eyes Sarah and he now possessed. ¡°We died, big brother. The real us, at least.¡± Aden felt his mind shut down. ¡°What?!¡± Even as the question left his lips, he felt the surety of those words stab into his mind. Crystal had tears in her eyes. ¡°We were the first generation of clones, successfully made from the DNA of our mother and Dr. Poxus. Sarah, Crystal, and yes¡­ even you, brother, were dissected by the Hero¡¯s League to understand the nature of the alien DNA that was bonded to our bodies. DNA that our father Bryan and our mother Margaret, had in themselves as native Teras¡¯emon. This whole endeavor, was called the Huma Project, and it¡¯s goal was to create a human alien hybrid from the samples of the Teras¡¯emon, They were the original inhabitants of Asta. When they succeeded, they decided to shelf the idea due to the genetic potential in the hybrids. You¡¯ve no doubt seen what Aura, Crysa and the other¡¯s were capable of. That potential in every human, would only complicate things for those who run this planet. So the Hero¡¯s League, after confirming the details of the experiment, killed the test subjects.¡± Crystal twisted her wrist, and one of the heroes lining the room fell to the floor in a heap, his neck snapped. Crystal smiled, ¡°I suppose their fear was justified. Even after they killed us, we came back.¡± Aden stared at the ground, ¡°the Crimson R that Sarah talked about...¡± Crystal squealed in delight, ¡°brother was always so smart! Yes Aden, the Crimson R, and the R Series, were the remains of our original bodies! Taken by the Death Child Monica, the first of Poxus¡¯ own experiments on the Teras¡¯emon DNA samples. She gave us our bodies back, and using her power, made new memories for us. She had done me first¡­ and I had requested that you and Sarah have your memories¡­ adjusted. I alone would remember who our true enemy was, and you two could go and live out your lives¡­ at least, that was how it was supposed to be.¡± Crystal¡¯s arm stretched outward as she wrapped around the body of the dead hero, and started to engulf his body with a blue slime. Soon it was broken down and digested, his bones the only reminder that he was ever there. ¡°I needed that. The prick was one of those teenage heroes, Bellet or something. Touched my ass as I was walking by.¡± Aden was still coming to terms with what he was watching. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense, why did you have us believe that Pox was responsible for our parents'' deaths? Why give me cancer¡­ wait, was that even cancer?!¡± Crystal smiled in rapt joy, ¡°oh Aden, cancer would never do anything to beings like us, who control our bodies completely. It was only when Sarah destroyed the ¡®cancer¡¯ cells that the limiter placed on you was removed. I bet she thought she made you super or something right?¡± Aden could only nod, but a rage was slowly burning in him. ¡°You played with my thoughts, you and Monica, why?!¡± Crystal smiled sadly. ¡°Because we were afraid you would try to stop us.¡± Aden kept his cool, but wanted to snap out of the bands around him¡­ Wait. She would know then¡­ that he¡­ A devious grin spread across Crystal¡¯s face as she flicked her wrists, destroying the bands around his hands and feet. ¡°A regular detective you are, brother. I knew, yes.¡± Aden closed his eyes, ¡°you still haven¡¯t answered me, Crystal. If I was really¡­that, and you could have told me and Sarah, why didn¡¯t you? Why did you leave us out of this?!¡± Crystal shifted her body as she turned into a blue blob-like figure. ¡°I think I will tell you brother¡­ but only if you defeat me first!¡± Aden felt his body shift, and soon his human form, which he had believed to be his real body, answered his call to morph. Aden shifted into a massive black blob, a sharp edge appearing in his tendrils. Fine, I¡¯ll beat the truth out of you! ¡­ Chapter 57 To FoRge ahead is Divinity Chimera felt the worry Sarah was radiating through their bond as they began to depart for their mission. Likely their last mission to stop Pox and Monica from their plan. Chimera shook herself as she grew a set of wings, preparing herself for take-off. ¡°Chimera¡­¡± Chimera blinked as a set of arms hugged her from behind. ¡°Lark?¡± Lark pulled her close until she rest her head on her shoulder, a feat that should have been rather difficult given Chimera¡¯s new wings. Still she nestled there as she spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re doing this. If what Sarah said is true, this is her fight, not yours. So why are you doing this Chimera?¡± Chimera grabbed one of Lark¡¯s hands and held it in her own, turning around to face her. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lark tilted her head, ¡°are you serious?¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°for all intents and purposes, you¡¯re right. I have no real skin in this game, so to speak.¡± Chimera turned to stare at their connected hands, ¡°but somewhere out there right now, is a mad man and his daughter, who want to take away a lot of people¡¯s lives and enslave them.¡± She squeezed the hand, ¡°I may not have a stake in this, but Sarah does, and she¡¯s the reason I¡¯m even here touching your hand. That¡¯s enough reason, I think.¡± Lark grabbed her other hand, ¡°for your friend?¡± Chimera smiled, ¡°she¡¯s more like an older sister really, since we¡¯re all based on her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a mental disease I am not qualified to touch.¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t share a head space with four other people, who constantly have thoughts pulling yours in different directions?¡± Lark smiled, ¡°only the one, and Lefty is much cuter in comparison.¡± ¡°More than me?!¡± Lark pushed forward to pull Chimera close, ¡°no, but its a close second.¡± Lark pecked her on the cheek as she finally released Chimera, turning around to look at the cabin. ¡°I¡¯ll be here, so come back, alright?¡± ¡°Is that an order?¡± ¡°A Prime Directive, come back Chimera.¡± Chimera saluted her with her wings, ¡°yes ma¡¯am.¡± Lark giggled as she waved back at her, which Chimera returned. ¡°Done flirting yet?¡± Meghan walked over looking a sight better as Chimera heard a hiss from her suit. Meghan¡¯s face was pure bliss after the hiss ended, ¡°that is the stuff.¡± Chimera lifted an eyebrow at her, ¡°yes I am done flirting thank you, but what''s with you and why do you look like you just relieved yourself?¡± Meghan laughed, ¡°that, dear Chimera, was a cocktail of healing juices from my now finished medical suite. Sarah supplied the necessities, but it¡¯s all self operating now, and God it feels good.¡± Chimera nodded at that, ¡°your bruises look like they¡¯re already healing.¡± And they were. The black and yellow discoloration was slowly beginning to fade over her eyebrows and cheek, and the spot of blood near her chin was scabbing over. ¡°This is what I need, a self contained suit with all the amenities, and a healing factor.¡± Chimera smirked, ¡°you could just be a blob like me and Sarah, you know? Would fix that right up.¡± Meghan spat to the side, ¡°nope, I¡¯m fine with my transhumanism, thank you very much. I¡¯d rather have a robot lung and memory banks in my brains than all of that genetic gunk you no doubt are suffering from.¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s called growing, thank you very much!¡± Meghan smirked, ¡°see, that I don¡¯t get.¡± She clearly did, and wanted to mess with Chimera, who despite knowing this huffed in annoyance. ¡°Where¡¯s Sarah anyway?¡± Meghan pointed with a thumb behind her, ¡°talking to dear old Dad about using this place as a safehouse once the fights are over. Most likely won¡¯t need it, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to ask.¡± Chimera looked over to see the giant of a man hugging Sarah and nodding, which seemed to make Sarah happy. Sarah finally came over after a few minutes of embracing. ¡°Alright, we ready?¡± ¡°Only waiting on you, dad stealer.¡± Meghan grinned over at Sarah who was staring at the ground in embarrassment. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Only because he¡¯s awesome.¡± Meghan barked a laugh at that, ¡°I know, that¡¯s why you only get to rent him.¡± Sarah smiled, ¡°good to see you¡¯re still able to laugh.¡± Meghan nodded, ¡°despite everything. I almost couldn¡¯t after what happened at ChemTech so long ago. Dad helped me then, and you helped me after.¡± Meghan grabbed Sarah in for her own hug, ¡°I¡¯m with you on this Sarah. Let¡¯s end this once and for all.¡± Sarah nodded, and Chimera felt herself getting pumped up after seeing that. ¡°Let''s mess with their plans!¡± ¡°End their tyranny.¡± ¡°And Raise some Hell!¡± Knocking their fists against each other, they all launched into the air, the skies above parting away as if to welcome their flight. ¡­ Aden slashed outward as a bolt of ice landed a few feet away from him, taking out one of the mind controlled heroes. He was still getting used to the abilities he now seemed to possess, but it seemed that as he was fighting and dodging Crystal''s attacks, something within him was learning and adapting. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to question it right now. Crystal¡¯s blue blob form smashed into the walls he happened to be near at the time, puncturing the solid metal like it was tissue paper. ¡°Come on, brother! Make this fun for me!¡± It was taking most of Aden¡¯s concentration to keep up with the blasts of frost and metal crunching pressure as Crystal assaulted him. Aden was doing it on purpose though, as his eyes glanced at the two death children still tied to the tables in the center of the room. I can¡¯t let them get hit by the attacks, and Crystal¡¯s clearly not going to stop herself for morality¡¯s sake. Aden felt his heart clench as another hero became a casualty of their fight. The only door leading the way out of the room was guarded by Captain Asta and Ms. Magicka. Aden had tried to move the fight out of the room in the beginning after the first hero died, but the two controlled heroes simply pushed them back with a magical shield and a physical shield of the Captains design. Aden wasn¡¯t without options though. Due to something he didn¡¯t really understand, he felt the water filtration systems below the room, and the electrical currents that ran along the room¡¯s walls. If he could time it just right¡­ he might be able to knock Crystal out and end the fight. He shook his head at the thought of getting answers, as he knew that whatever plan that she and Monica hatched probably involved keeping him here, and answers were as much distractions as they were useful. Getting out of this place was a priority, along with getting Aura and her sister. Answers could come later, after he met up with Sarah and Chimera. A tendril of frost smashed into his side as he caught it, bracing himself from the pain as he took his own tendril and tried to sever the frozen appendage. A wave of pain shot through him, but the tendril dislodged from the ice, freeing him enough to move. ¡°Oh my, did that hurt big brother?! I¡¯m sooo sorry¡­ heheheheh!¡± Yeah¡­ that laughs just like Sarah¡­ Except his sister wasn¡¯t a psychopath. She was definitely crazy though. Grabbing a metal sheet from the floor, Aden pulled it up to block another frosty tendril, absorbing the blow and saving himself from the freezing appendage. The metal sunk into his blobby flesh, lining the soft jelly substance below with a protective coating. Huh, that¡¯s different. As the metal shifted below, he imagined a sword forming from the sheet, and was now sporting a massive claymore that was tied to his tendril. As his murderous relative started to sport multiple freezing tendrils, Aden armed his own with copies of his makeshift swords. ¡°Oh, hmm¡­ brother were you always into metal?¡± Crystal launched a salvo of ice bolts, along with a flurry of blows at Aden. Aden grew shields from his flesh to blow the bolts, and spun the swords around like a fan to shop the appendages. Seeing that his defense worked, he moved to try and cut up Crystal¡¯s freezing tentacles. A mimicry of his own swords was growing over the tendrils Crystal had, a freezing copy of swords and shields. She spoke to him with a mocking tone as she brandished the new weapons. ¡°Brother, can we play knights and robbers together?! HAHA!¡± Aden felt mental strain as he tried to fight with several tendrils at once, only being able to trade blows with the freezing copies for a few seconds before he was on the defensive. The plan he was coming up with was almost ready, he just had to keep her occupied for a bit longer¡­ Aden threw a spear of metal at Crystal¡¯s direction, only for a magical shield to block it from hitting Crystal dead center. ¡°Damn, I had to cheat for that one. Nice save Magicka!¡± Aden growled as he pushed to toss more spears, only for them to be intercepted over and over again. It¡¯s fine, she¡¯s almost there¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t win brother, but I¡¯ll entertain you for a little bit longer¡­¡± Aden felt his tendril below start to gather what he needed, a liquid pouring into the limb''s form He kept it below, making sure to keep it from Crystal¡¯s senses for just a few more seconds. Almost¡­! NOW! Aden stabbed one of his tendrils into the wall, causing an electrical current to start to travel up his tentacle. He released the water he was building up, the tendril from the filtration system below their feet bursting just below Crystal''s body. Connecting the two points was his tendril which was pulling the electricity and water towards¡­ ¡°W-What the hell?!¡± A second of contact was all it took for the electricity and water to enter Crystal and electrocute her. A brief scream escaped her before she slumped over, her blob form replaced by her human one. She was knocked out, a slight shock going through her at regular intervals as the ice and strength seemed to leave her. Aden slumped over as his own blob form regressed back into his body, his human appearance returning. Without a moment to lose, he rushed over to grab and release Aura and Crysa. Breaking their harnesses and restraints, he pushed towards the exit of the room, both girls over his shoulders as he sprinted past the unconscious forms of the heroes and Crystal. As he ran out into the hallway, Aden followed the overhead exits for the building he found himself in, smashing through doors and walls as he rushed past people in hero uniforms and people. Can¡¯t believe that worked¡­ but now¡¯s not the time to worry. I gotta find Sarah and warn her. Aden felt that what he just witnessed before Crystal was clearly a message. Sarah and Chimera were walking into a trap. ¡­ Chapter 58 I Guana know, Can you Show me? New Terra was starting to turn into a warzone. Chimera felt her not heart clench as she stared at the carnage below them as they flew over the city. The Iguana was breaking through the barrier of the Hero¡¯s League, and smashing right into the walls, which caved under its weight. The business district''s shield was still active, and Chimera could see that many of the people were safely making their way towards it. The Iguana was too distracted with the destruction around the plaza to notice them thankfully. However, it wouldn''t be long until it moved towards those poor people. Meghan¡¯s helmet popped over her head, shielding her from the wind as she spoke to them all. ¡°Alright, looks like someone''s got to deal with the reptile. Seeing as all of you have business with ChemTech, I¡¯ll take care of Scaley while you head to fight.¡± ¡°I will join her! The power of science shall triumph!¡± Copymera smiled as she flew alongside Meghan. ¡°Then, me, Sarah, and Clone will make our way towards ChemTech. Mimi, can you look for Aden and the others?¡± Mimicera flew up to them, not with wings, but a makeshift broom and a large brow hat on her head, the wind parting from her as she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get our brother back.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°you all have your missions, let¡¯s carry them out and make it back alive.¡± She flew in front of them, ¡°that¡¯s an order¡­ okay?¡± Chimera felt warm as she saw them all nod, Meghan giving her a thumbs up. ¡°It has been a privilege knowing you all. Let¡¯s stop this and save the city, all of us.¡± ¡°¡°Right.¡±¡± Chimera, Sarah and Clonemera glided down to the business sector, while Mimicera, Copymera and Meghan broke off to deal with the rampaging lizard monster. Never knowing if it would be the last time they saw each other, Mimicera looked over at the others in worry, a small tear drop running down her cheek as she imagined what would come next. Her body, born from the magical energies that made up one of the greatest heroes in New Terra, thrumbed with power and promise. She would save their family, and heaven help those who got in her way, because she was bringing hell with her. ¡­ Meghan was feeling pretty emotional. A couple of months ago, she had been a boring normal human with an aversion to humans and a brain that worked like a well oiled machine. Now¡­ She looked at her suit that was now plated with incredibly dense metals from a safe that Chimera and her clones provided. What was inside the safe was an absolute gift as well. Gold, real gold, in bars that added up to around fifty in total. Meghan could almost feel the newly created power cables running through her suit, and the energy within promised performance and destruction to her enemies. It was strange at first, the feelings of all the different minds she had access to, knowledge from. She was always an introvert, only allowing those few people she could truly call friends and family into her life. Now though, with the thousands of Bottys, her invaluable Printy, and her assistant Jade¡­ Is this what extroverts feel all of the time? She felt connected with everyone, and she felt their love and devotion to her in return. She felt like she could take over the world with her friends by her side. Most of all though, Meghan felt complete. Like the final thing she had been missing in her life had finally slotted in, and her gears and cogs, which had been unmoving for so long, finally started up again. Meghan felt alive. And now, she was going to kick a massive Iguana¡¯s ass for wrecking her warehome. ¡°Attention Bottys converge on my position. We¡¯re taking the Iguana down.¡± Roger, Creator! We Will Prevail. For the Creator! Meghan had sent most of the Bottys into the city to search for their missing people, but after confirming that they did not find them, Meghan realized there would be only one place they could be at. The League¡¯s headquarters. She did think of it at first, but she did not want to lose any of her Botty¡¯s to the place¡¯s defenses. There had been plenty of mad scientists that thought they could take down the headquarters of the Heroes, only to lose and have their tech stolen. Actually¡­ Meghan felt a greedy thought come to her as she smiled down at the once pristine building dedicated to heroism. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Well, if they¡¯re just going to leave it there out in the open, I might as well grab a few pieces of tech¡­ heh. She sent a signal to her Botty¡¯s to grab any tech from the headquarters that they could find. ¡°After we deal with the Iguana though, we can''t have that thing breaking our new toys.¡± Of course Mistress! We wouldn¡¯t allow this rapscallion to hurt potential friends and comrades! Death to the scaly one! Meghan readied herself as the Iguana came into view. ¡°Engage!¡± ROGER! ¡­ Chimera along with Sarah and Clonemera, stepped down on the roof of the ChemTech Building. The sounds of screams and worrying people rose over the faint sounds of sirens and emergency personnel doing their best to stop a panic from rising. Chimera looked over the edge to stare down at the folks below. ¡°No heroes¡­ not one is down there. What is going on?¡± Sarah looked over the ledge, ¡°the headquarters is under assault, surely they would be there¡­¡± Chimera could feel the worry in their connection, as if Sarah was trying to convince herself that was what was happening. And not that the heroes simply abandoned the humans below to their fate. Clone spoke over to them, trying to get a hatch on the roof ot open. ¡°Maybe¡­ *huff* they have something *hoof* to do with it?¡± Chimera and Sarah turned to Clone as she finally opened the latch. ¡°Phew... got it.¡± ¡°What do you mean Clone?¡± Clonemera set the latch down to the side as she nodded towards them. ¡°What if it''s Pox and Monica? Sounds like the heroes are occupied right? This would be a good distraction for Pox if he needed to grab something.¡± ¡°Or someone.¡± Sarah spoke as she nodded along with Clonemera. ¡°We have to assume that Pox is involved in some way right? He¡¯s been looking for a way to deal with us according to Mr. Flesh¡¯s memories. It could be this is what he orchestrated.¡± Chimera didn¡¯t believe that, ¡°this is someone else''s doing, why would Pox use a large Iguana? I¡¯m with Meghan, this has that Zlo guy written all over it. We can¡¯t afford to be distracted anyway.¡± Sarah nodded, while Clonemera¡¯s face scrunched up. ¡°Whatever, let''s end those two once and for all.¡± At once, all three of them shifted into their blob forms and squeezed down the hatch into the building below. ¡­ Aden was rushing towards the exit of the building he found himself in just as a large scaly claw descended from the outside and smashed through the building¡¯s ceiling. It was huge, and the arm connected to it looked like it was the size of a sewer pipe. ¡°What the hell?!¡± He had been hearing a ruckus outside as he was making his way out of this building. ¡°Guess I found the source¡­¡± A large round eye with a lazy lid stared into the hole that the arm landed in, a row of razor sharp teeth lining its lower jaw as a forked tongue slid out, testing the air. ¡°Oh, you have got to be kidding me¡­¡± Aden had heard of things like this while he was in the hospital, about large monsters and the person responsible for them. ¡°Dr. Zlo, or something.¡± Aden booked it through the doors, still holding tightly to both Crysa and Aura as he kicked down the door. ¡°Ho¡­ shit¡­¡± The door opened to reveal the rest of the kaiju he was now staring at. A one hundred feet across Iguana with a thirty feet height was now staring down at him like he was a juicy bug that just walked up to him. With an alacrity nothing that size should possess, it turned to face him, its tongue sliding out to taste the air in front of him. Aden felt a chill as he dodged to the left, a massive claw landing where he once was. ¡°SHIT!¡± Aden turned to run as the Iguana gave chase, its stomps and snaps heralding his chase. He got to the courtyard before her felt the stomps stop, only to see a massive shadow appear over him. ¡°Quickly my lord, over here!¡± Aden felt something tug him down as the Iguana overhead smashed down on his old position. Aden watched overhead as the Iguana began searching for him after its destructive jump, it¡¯s tongue tasting the air, but finding nothing as it stomped away. Only after confirming that the massive beast was gone did Aden turn to see his savior. ¡°Oh blessing of the Scarlet Maiden above, are you alright my lord?¡± Aden blinked, once, and again as he stared at the¡­ being before him. It was a strange combination of rat and mouse, but bipedal and four feet tall. Its large round ears and rat tail gave away its origins as its long face with bright, intelligent eyes, smiled back at him. ¡°You seem to be alright. Thank the Maiden, I was not sure we would be able to help you in time.¡± The¡­ Rice? Mats? Guided him to an area, holding his hand to guide him through the tunnels. Tunnels that looked to be part of old sewer systems, now clean and even polished with a marble shine. Some even gave off a bit of light as Aden was guided, showing the way forward for him and the Rice. Rat mice, Rice. A few other Rice joined them as Aden walked along, tenderly carrying the two girls over their shoulders. ¡°We feared for our human brothers and sisters above, and while our tenants teach us to not cause trouble to others, our Scarlet Maiden had also taught us to be kind to our fellows, and such kindness is often shared once reciprocated. We gathered many of your brethren below to keep them safe from Gut¡¯thak above.¡± ¡°Gut¡¯thak?¡± The Rice turned its head to nod at him, ¡°the raging beast unnatural, who even now stomps on your warrens and places of learning. A tragedy, that your kind should face such a threat with none to help. May the Scarlet Maiden keep you and yours safe.¡± Aden nodded along as he tried to understand just where he ended up. The answer came to him as he walked into an open area teaming with life. Rice were all over the area, some in ceremonial garbs, and others in old tee shirts and pants that had seen better days. All of them were helping a group of children who seemed to be enjoying themselves, some even playing with smaller Rice as they kicked a ball around. ¡°Your younglings are quite spirited, even in the face of turmoil. Truly a divine race to keep such courage in harsh times.¡± Aden could only nod, ¡°this, thank you for your help.¡± The Rice man smiled warmly, ¡°It is our pleasure to care for those deserving of it. Now, come. We must bring you before the royal family, so that they may ask you questions and answer yours in kind.¡± Aden touched the Rice man¡¯s hand, ¡°first, do you have a healer that can look after my two companions? They were unconscious and I¡¯m worried for their health.¡± The Rice man nodded, ¡°of course. It just so happens our healers are with the king and queen at this time. Come, let us help your friends and cure them of their ills.¡± Aden nodded, ¡°thank you.¡± ¡°It is not trouble. I am call Rubeous, head of the clergy for the Church of the Scarlet Maiden. May I ask for your name, esteemed one?¡± Aden smiled, ¡°I¡¯m Aden Bockman.¡± Rubeous smiled back, ¡°Lord Aden, I welcome you to the Ruby Warrens, home to our people, the Lok.¡± ¡­ Chapter 59 Mirrored Nightmares Aden was feeling a bit strange as he strode along with a literal rat man priest, off to now see their royalty. Something about this all seemed so bizarre. ¡°Come now Lord Aden, the king and queen await.¡± Yet the nagging in the back of his head kept dying out, replaced with a need to know just who were these people? Aden started to feel woozy as he got closer and closer to the castle that appeared. Which was too big for such an underground society to have. Especially without anyone knowing about it. The nagging died down¡­ NO! Aden felt his eyes open, and once again found himself in a medical wing, tied to a table. He noticed that both Aura and Crysa were nowhere to be found, and the table was set up vertically as his arms were latched in place and he dangled from his restraints. ¡°Damnit Crystal, you said that the false memories would hold!¡± Aden turned to see a gruff man with a beard, aging features, and silvery hair. He walked with purpose despite his age, with a solid body fitted around a lab coat of all things. He was yelling at another girl, one that Aden recognized immediately. ¡°Crystal? Wait¡­ I fought you¡­ why are you here?¡± Crystal turned to glare at him, ¡°it¡¯s the genes, Poxus. The memories won¡¯t work for long on him or Sarah, it seems.¡± ¡°This was something you and Monica were supposed to fix! We¡¯re at the moment of Genetic Liberation, these delays can not continue!¡± Crystal turned to the doctor, her face drawing a clear image of distaste. ¡°Rewriting a person¡¯s memories only works on humans, you insufferable clown! The test subjects aren¡¯t able to process the memories, and can spot the fakes. What do you want, your Huma revolution, or working memory alteration, because I can only make sure one actually works!¡± Aden turned to the old man, his features now seeming to match a certain old man from his past. ¡°Pox!¡± He tried to wrench himself free, only for the latches to freeze his arms in place. ¡°Don¡¯t move, unless you wish to be a popsicle¡­¡± The chill from a hissing noise alerted Aden as he started to lose feeling in his hands. The cold air spread to his body as he felt his muscles lock up. ¡°W-What i-is thiss?¡± Crystal moved in front of him, a cold calculating look in her eyes, ¡°you almost did get away, that much was true, but not before the protocol to knock you out was engaged. Did you really think I had nothing planned in case I failed to beat you, brother? Foolish.¡± Aden felt heavy as the hissing stopped. ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to be my test subject regarding our¡­ other R types. Since you already possess the genetic template for Crimson R, these should be an¡­ interesting bit of fun.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Y-you¡­ w-won¡¯t g-get away w-with it! S-Sarah-¡± ¡°Oh I know brother, she¡¯s probably on her way right now, just as we planned. After all, we need our vector to make the Huma Project reach its final conclusion.¡± Vector? Crystal laughed haughtily as she pulled up a monitor, showing the image of the rat man Rubeous, the very same one he saw. ¡°It truly was a beautiful image, real too. We just had to dissect and catagorize them, for science of course.¡± ¡°W-Wait¡­ those r-rat people, y-you killed them?!¡± Crystal smiled, a menacing thing that seemed to drink in his horror. ¡°One of Chimera¡¯s little accidents, which spawned an entire race of sentients. Too bad they were rather simple to spot, and so helpful! They led me right to their leaders.¡± ¡°What an innocent species¡­it was such a shame they were vermin.¡± Aden tried to move, tried to reach out with his teeth and bite her, anything to rid this world of the ¡®sibling¡¯ he had in front of him. ¡°Why?!¡± Crystal turned back to him, the cold look in her eyes betraying no emotion. ¡°They were not the ones to be uplifted. That is humanity¡¯s place. We have no room for ratmen.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse anything! You monster!¡± Crystal shook her head, ¡°enough of your foolishness, you don¡¯t have the breath, and I don¡¯t have the time to speak about poor unfortunate souls.¡± Aden watched as a cart was pulled around, each one filled with a different liquid from the look of them. They all seemed to match the colors of the rainbow, and Aden could even see something moving inside the vials. ¡°Ah, the samples have arrived. Brother, you are about to be part of a wonderful experiment. This will change the world forever!¡± Aden felt an instinctual horror come over him as he saw Crystal change into a blob version of herself, her blue color the same as one of the vials she was now pulling out. ¡°Open wide, Aden.¡± ¡­ Crysa felt something squirming inside her as she woke up in a fright. ¡°What¡­ what the hell?!¡± She looked around the room that she found herself in, her body tied to a table with latches. She was wearing a straight jacket with tubes coming out of her arms and legs. And in front of her was a covering, showing a surgical smock over her abdomen. With a hole across her stomach. ¡°Well, it appears the anethesia has worn off.¡± The voice that she heard reverberated deep into her mind freed her from staring at the open wound in front of her. ¡°No¡­¡± She turned to see him! ¡°Welcome home, my dear daughter.¡± ¡­ Aura felt a weight over her body as she opened her eyes, air gently being compressed and pulled out of her mouth. ¡°Where¡­¡± She tried to take a breath, only for a spike of pain to jab into her body. ¡°Ahh! W-What is this?!¡± Aura spotted a massive rock over her that threatened to crush her, and along her sides she noticed harpoons aimed at her. ¡°No! Not this¡­ not again!¡± As she tried to find a way out of the compressing cage she found herself in, she spotted someone. It was her sister¡­ the one that tried to have her killed. ¡°Engaging¡­ air test.¡± ¡°Stop! Stop it Monica!¡± But the harpoons didn¡¯t stop,,. The weight only got worse. Aura was slowly sinking into the pool she found herself in, a familiar hell that her sister reintroduced her to. The same one her Father used to test her. ¡­ Chimera, her clone and Sarah dropped into the ventilation system as an alarm sounded in the building. Strange as it was, the alarm was already sounding by the time that they had entered. That would mean it was already activated before we arrived. Chimera felt a chill as she and her comrades worked their way to the staircase, deeper into ChemTech, and the horrors that awaited below. Chapter 60 The MaRch of PRogRess ¡°Engage! ¡®Roger!¡¯ As Meghan and her Bottys converged towards the Iguana monster, spraying a massive payload of bullets, electricity and Meghan¡¯s own Magnetic accelerator cannon. The cannon, after realizing it wasn¡¯t too powerful against her werewolf opponent, had gone through some changes in design afterwards. Now it held a twelve round clip filled with long thin slivers of tungsten. Using her head¡¯s up display, Meghan began scanning their oversized target and started looking for weaknesses on the massive reptile. Her Bottys were battering the beast as it roared in protest, and while she noticed it tried to protect it¡¯s underside, its eyes also seemed to be parts it was protecting. Meghan charged up her powers as she felt her suit drink in the excess, spreading it into her arm gauntlets. Pointing her right hand at the monster, Meghan braced herself with her thrusters. ¡°Let''s see what a Tesla round would do.¡± Meghan launched a tesla bolt at the Iguana monster¡¯s eyes just as it started breathing fire on her Bottys. The bolt landed, but was immediately absorbed by something on the lizard''s scaly skin. She noticed that most of the Botty¡¯s electro-weaponry was also showing to be useless as it smashed against the monster¡¯s body. ¡°No electronic weaponry seems to be working on it, switch to ballistics and aim for the underside belly and eyes!¡± ¡®Yes ma¡¯am!¡¯ She watched as her Bottys started to focus their fire, causing the Iguana to roar in pain as some of the HEAT rounds her larger construction Botty¡¯s were packing, smacked into its sides. A chunk of flesh blasted off of the beast, sending the flesh flying and falling with a heap. ¡°YEAH!¡± Meghan cheered as the monster started to panic, backing away from the approaching Bottys. ¡°For SCIENCE!¡± Meghan laughed as she saw Copymera, one of her friend¡¯s clone sisters, pull out a device she and Meghan had worked on before they rushed off to find the flesh guy. It was something that reminded Meghan of the junker tech she and her dad toyed with back when she was young. It was the equivalent of a vacuum cannon, filled with sharp needles, nails, and even toothpicks. ¡°Taste the power of the Splinter Cannon!¡± Meghan heard a thump as the cannon disgorged its munitions with a visible shift, a small blast from the sound barrier breaking as it flew towards the beast. Unfortunately, the Cannon seemed to be weak to air resistance, as some of the needles simply flew off course as they met the air. The heavier munitions like the nails and rail spikes flew true, blasting into the wounded area of the lizard¡¯s side with little resistance. The roar of the Iguana, coming out like a massive sneeze, vibrated the ground around it as it turned to face the threats above. Its mouth filled with flames, Meghan watched as the reptile blasted a fireball at her. Turning off her thrusters, Meghan fell to the ground, slowling herself just as she landed to prepare her newest toy. ¡°Jade! Printy! Time to test out the theory. Engage Deus Ex Machina!!¡± ¡°On our way!¡± Meghan launched a few smoke canisters into the air as she created some cover for her and the Bottys, enraging the Iguana as the stinging smoke filled its eyes. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Even in the cover, Meghan felt a large pack attach to her back, and another wrapping around her legs and arms. Finally, Her Mekka¡¯s attached to her body, clamping to her power armor. Meghan¡¯s last thought in the real world ended as a needle stabbed into the back of her head. After a few moments, she wrapped herself up in the fetal position, surrounded by a gel-like substance as her mind moved her newest suit. With very little time to build her Machine Lab after what had happened a few hours ago, Meghan was wondering what she could do to defeat not just the Iguana, but Dr. Pox and his death child Monica. She had a conversation with Printy about it, just before. ¡­ ¡°My suit¡¯s damaged, and even with the safe parts Chimera brought, some of the critical features are exposed. This won¡¯t work against Monica or Pox.¡± She sat across a table, with her AI and 3-D printer, Printy as she was telling him her woes. ¡°Creator, sometimes I wonder if you truly have imagination to begin with.¡± ¡°Shut it sarcasti-bot, I¡¯m thinking.¡± Jade walked over to her side, a refurbished Botty with a lightweight design placing a leg on her hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright Creator, I know that if we put all our minds together, that we can come up with something.¡± Meghan nodded to the supportive bot, and thought of a solution to her problems all in one. ¡°What if we did that?¡± ¡°Yes, Creator?¡± ¡°Yes, esteemed brainy one?¡± Meghan smiled, ¡°What if we all came together? Like a transforming robot form? Printy will deal with repairs and adding materials to our arsenal, I¡¯ll plug my brain to merge with the new technology and bring it online, and Jade, you can help me organize it all.¡± ¡°Creator, isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± ¡°I agree, your mind is the only way we have achieved this level of sentience. I worry you will possibly lose yourself as you transcend to a higher state of being.¡± Meghan turned to judge Printy, ¡°no quips about me being a cyborg. It was going to happen anyway, this is just sooner and possibly better.¡± ¡°If¡­ you are sure Creator, I will do my best!¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny, I always wanted to know what goes on in that brain of yours. Now it''s almost here and I find myself worried and afraid¡­ is this that fear thing you humans deal with because your flesh bags?¡± Meghan smacked the cube that was Printy as she and her friends laughed. ¡­ Meghan had to admit, being hooked up to her new mechanized suit was starting to make her wonder why she didn¡¯t do this sooner. She felt more connected than ever. Her Bottys and their charging forms as they engaged the Iguana, Jade''s curious and innocent mind brushing against her own, and Printy¡¯s skeptical but caring nature as he worked to integrate her with the systems of the new suit. Even Mekkas 1 and 2, normally only having battle programs and little personality besides their gruff military thoughts, carried a sense of duty and honor, responsibility and even self sacrifice in their minds. As they all coalesced into Meghan¡¯s mind, finally connected on a level that was as much physical as it was mental, Meghan opened her eyes to the world. ¡°We are one.¡± Livewire, in her truest form, moved her new hands as the electrical wiring in the city, pulled by her electromagnetism, wrapped around the Iguana in a gripping vice. Her Botty¡¯s moved like a wave under her new power, grabbing and securing the wiring to stab it into the skull plate the Iguana possessed. Meghan felt a smile cross her now metallic body as she moved to jump aboard the Iguana. It tried in vain to spit fire once more, but the wires compressed the beast¡¯s jaw in a vice. ¡°We normally aren¡¯t one for fire breathing lizards. Dragons were cool we suppose, but you just seem like a less impressive salamander. Let us change this¡­¡± Meghan placed a metal hand against the Iguana¡¯s head, and a spread of microscopic Botty¡¯s, each being built by Printy¡¯s new nano-forge, swarmed into the monster¡¯s head. Meghan could feel the Nano-Bottys as they crawled into the beast''s mind. She could also feel a failsafe go off, no doubt something that mad scientist came up with to protect his work from being discovered. But it didn¡¯t matter, all technology, all of it, was Meghan¡¯s friend. And it answered her just like a friend would. Soon, the Iguana was twitching, millions of Nano-Bottys made their way into its brain, fixing damage, creating neural pathways much like Meghan¡¯s own. ¡°How do you feel, friend?¡± The Iguana, once a man made monstrosity, turned to look at Meghan with its eyes, both mechanical and focusing like a lens. A long silvery tongue came out to brush her body, and the sensation made Meghan smile. ¡°Much better. None of those pesky thoughts being filtered into your head by a mad man. Though, are we any better?¡± Livewire took a nanosecond to think about it, calculations flooding into her as she processed the knowledge. ¡°Even if we are not, it is not really our issue to handle. Ig-1 is now friendly, and our comrades are in need of assistance, yes? Let the ¡®looting¡¯ commence!¡± Her Bottys, both nano-scopic and regular cat sized, rushed into the Hero¡¯s League headquarters, possibly committing the grandest larceny the Hero¡¯s League had ever faced. Whether it would be remembered as such or not, remained to be seen. Chapter 61 Deeper In Crystal felt a twitch as she injected the next vial into the interloper¡¯s brother. This has been the third one so far, and surprisingly he still held onto his mind. Her earlier attempts to control his thoughts and collar his mind had failed due to his genetics. That same blood, the one that only the goddess should possess¡­ It infuriated her, as that was her true specialty all along, the subtle manipulations of the mind that her goddess had gifted her. The Hero¡¯s League was her puppet because of such power, and now the world would be uplifted in her goddess¡¯ image. But for that to happen¡­ Crystal clicked her teeth as she went to grab the next vial. ¡°Girl, we need to catalogue his changes. Hold off on the next batch for a few more minutes.¡± Crystal snarled as she turned to face the fool who thought himself the mastermind. ¡°The ¡®goal¡¯ has always been his death, what does it matter that we wait to see what happens?!¡± She was already tired of hearing the old man¡¯s excuses about the need to study and understand the myriad other R series. Crystal already knew, for her mistress had already shown her exactly what they were needed for. His death will spark the necessary steps towards her rise. Once the last of the vials are injected, not even his enhanced regeneration will allow him to survive. And of course She will try to save him, it is what she has always done. Crystal couldn¡¯t wait to see that look of despair. Sighing she pretended to hear out the old man as he catalogued what she already knew. Still, she had to humor the old goat for a little longer, just as her goddess demanded. Come, little Sarah, and see her greatness. Come, and return to your true master. ¡­ Chimera stopped at the bottom stair as she waited for Sarah and Clonemera to arrive. She shook her head as they kept trying to take each stair down, instead of going blob and just rolling down the handrails. ¡°Slowpokes!¡± ¡°Huff* screw¡­ you *huff*¡± ¡°How are you tired?¡± ¡°Stairs, I always hated them!¡± Finally at the bottom, the three opened the only door that was there into a massive hallway. They weren¡¯t alone however, as a few people in lab coats walked around with glazed over looks on their faces, smiles plastered on their faces. ¡°She comes¡­¡± ¡°Praise be¡­¡± Chimera looked around to see that there was glass doors leading to other small labs in the area. And she saw the same look on the people inside. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± ¡°This is so creepy right? Who did this to them?¡± Sarah walked down the hallway ahead of them, a look of grim determination on her face. Chimera spinted up next to her as she tried to get her attention. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You alright?¡± Sarah turned to look at her, still walking forward. ¡°I have a very bad feeling, Chimera. It¡¯s a familiar one and that just makes it worse.¡± Chimera grabbed a hold of her hand, and felt what she felt. Ominous. Foreboding. A sense of¡­ peace? Chimera looked up at her with confusion in her eyes. ¡°What does¡­¡± ¡°We already knew that Monica had a way to mess with people''s minds, and I¡¯m betting that¡¯s what happened to these people. There¡¯s this¡­ feeling in the air, and it¡¯s trying to get in my head.¡± Chimera didn¡¯t feel any of it though, not unless she was touching Sarah¡¯s hand. She turned to look back at Clonemera, who also didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by this strange force around them. ¡°Sarah, are you going to be alright then? What if this thing starts to control you?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t¡­ I can feel it sure, but it¡¯s not able to get in my head. Not unless I let it.¡± ¡°Why would you? Why would anyone?¡± She could see Sarah looking at the folks around her, their enraptured faces staring at nothing, but completely at peace. ¡°Some people would do a lot to feel peace.¡± Chimera thought about that as they walked through the hallway, Clonemera joining them soon after. The hallway stretched on for a bit, ending in another door. This one was labeled however. ¡°R Series Final Stages?¡± Chimera read it out as Sarah and Clone got to a side to push the door open. With a twist, the massive door hissed as a release came loose, opening the door shortly afterwards. Chimera, despite not really having a stomach, felt it lurch as she stared at the bodies around them. Security uniforms were on their forms, and many of them had looks of terror on their faces, frozen forever on them. ¡°We need to keep going.¡± Sarah pushed past a few as Chimera tried to follow. She kept looking back on the faces, the horror on them. ¡°What did this?¡± Sarah didn¡¯t answer her as Clone came up next to them. ¡°None of the bodies were super, tested them myself. Just regular old joes¡­ so whoever did this is likely enhanced.¡± ¡°Not likely, a certainty.¡± With all the viscera on the ground around them, it almost didn¡¯t seem like there was any clue as to who or what killed them. But Chimera felt it after touching her clone¡¯s hand. Water, earth, metal, and force. It was the same energy that the death children would use to kill with. How could that be though? Terralord¡¯s dead, Technowolf got blasted away, and Aura and Crysta are¡­ Chimera suddenly felt a chill run up her spine. ¡°Sarah, you said something before, about how Pox grew his children, correct?¡± Sarah nodded, but the confusion in her eyes asked her to continue. ¡°Where did he get the genetic material to create them?¡± Sarah opened her mouth to answer, but the confusion remained. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± They continued down the blood soaked hallway, the doors on their left and right opened, but filled with even more bodies. All killed with the same methods. Chimera heard a cough as they were making their way into the next room. It was a gurgling cough, like someone had too many fluids in their throat and were trying to clear it. She rushed towards the noise, finding one of the security still breathing. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, just hold on a second.¡± Grabbing a hold on the man¡¯s wrist, she started pumping solutions to heal his flesh, noticing his face turning a healthy shade after a few minutes. ¡°Thanks kid, I was pretty sure I was a goner there.¡± ¡°No problem officer.¡± He seemed to wince at that as he spoke, ¡°stopped being a cop a long time ago. Seems I¡¯m not much of a security chief either.¡± Sarah kneeled down next to him as both she and Chimera picked him up to carry him along. Chimera got uncomfortable with the silence after a while and decided to get details on the only survivor they found. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name sir?¡± ¡°Bradley.¡± ¡°Bradley¡­ just what happened down here?¡± The security chief seemed to grow despondent at that. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, just place me over there.¡± After finally going down a stretch of hallway not littered with the dead, Chimera, Sarah and Clonemera placed the chief next to a door. The chief, checking his side arm and resting his head against the wall after confirming it was still loaded, regailed them about the happenings he experienced below. ¡­ Chapter 62 Bradleys Last Job The alarms blared overhead as Bradley started to evacuate the eggheads to a shelter on the first floor. Another bloody monster attack was ravaging the city, and while many of the shields in place were functioning as intended, there was no telling if they would collapse after a reactor got hit. As such, it was protocol to confirm the scientists were safe and that the personnel were secured. One of his lieutenants rushed up to him as she started to pant. ¡°Got the¡­ *huff* last of them, sir!¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m going to check out the situation outside. Lieutentant, make sure the rest of the officers barricade themselves with the security staff.¡± ¡°Sir, are you sure? We can wait a bit for you to arrive after you check.¡± Bradley liked Lieutenant Soma, as she was really the only competent officer he had. She had a good heart too. ¡°I¡¯ll be with you guys shortly, I¡¯m going to check and see if we can take a few civilians inside to keep them safe.¡± Soma stared back in surprise, ¡°sir, the company won¡¯t take kindly to that.¡± Bradley waved his hand in the air, ¡°screw the company. We got enough room for a few hundred civies, with room to spare. Leaving them outside is just cruel.¡± Soma gave him a worried look, but underneath her worry Bradely could see a sense of pride radiating off the woman. ¡°You better come back old man, I am not running this shit after you die, you hear?¡± Bradley just smiled, ¡°gonna retire soon. You¡¯re going to be stuck with them soon anyway.¡± Soma just laughed back, ¡°nope, the day you retire is the day I quit!¡± She turned down the next hallway as Bradley watched her go. He sighed, ¡°we need more people like her.¡± Turning to the outside, Bradley began rounding up as many people as he could, stuffing them in bathrooms and open hallways as fast as possible. It took him a few hours, but he felt satisfied with the people he saved. Now it was time to check on the scientists below, and make sure they were safe as well. Those folks already had a massive shelter below, so they weren¡¯t much of a priorty. Still, he needed to make srue none of them were dead or at the very least, confirm their deaths. Using his card, Bradley opened to see many of his men and women staring ahead at something. ¡°Chief!¡± A private rushed up to him as he opened the door and shut it behind him. ¡°Private Leon, what¡¯s going on?¡± The private, one of the newbies he recruited, stared ahead as he motioned the chief to look at what he was seeing. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°It¡¯s some well fit doctor sir, but he doesn¡¯t match any of the records for the personnel.¡± ¡°Was it someone we took off the street?¡± ¡°No sir, no one recognizes him.¡± Bradley pushed ahead of the group that was staring at the doctor, the group of security parting a way for him after a bit. ¡°I¡¯m Security Chief Mark Bradley, please identify yourself and which department you work for.¡± The doctor in question seemed to be looking at a datapad. ¡°So, this is where she kept them.¡± ¡°Sir, I will need to see your identification. This is a restricted area and only certain personnel are allowed here. If you can¡¯t provide it, I will need to escort you out of the building.¡± The doctor finally turned to face him, and Bradley felt his heart clench. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Dr. Tiberius Poxus.¡± Bradley placed a hand on his service pistol, never taking his eyes off of the doctor. No¡­ the villain. ¡°I, Chief Bradley of the ChemTech Security Firm, place you under arrest for breaking and entering. Come quietly and there won¡¯t be any harm done to you. Resist, and there will be consequences.¡± ¡°I was not under the impression that security could make arrests.¡± ¡°Call it a citizen''s arrest. Either way, I¡¯m taking you in Pox. Stand down.¡± Bradley knew his chances weren¡¯t good, but he couldn¡¯t let a mad man like Dr. Pox run around ChemTech. There were too many monsters in these walls, and they didn¡¯t need someone like him adding to the pile. Especially not with the civillains above. I can¡¯t let this crackpot loose. ¡°Well, if that is the only option available to me, I will simply have to create another one. Monica¡¯s little games aside, I won¡¯t have anyone stop me.¡± Bradley felt a shiver up his spine as the doctor placed a hand on the ground. ¡°A gift from my dead son.¡± Bradely felt the ground lurch, and soon the screams overhead blocked his senses as he opened fired on the mad man. He could see a few of his bullets hit, but soon the world was turned upside down, and Bradely felt his body get sliced and crushed, knocking him out. ¡­ Bradley looked at the ground as he finished telling them his tale. ¡°It was all him. Nothing in the reports we got from the League ever mentioned he had powers. It was a slaughter¡­¡± They took a moment to check and see if there was other survivors, but it became clear that Bradley had been the only one to make it. ¡°Get that bastard¡­ please!¡± Bradley, whether from his now healing wounds or exhaustion, passed out after a few struggling minutes to stay awake. Leaving the rest of them to contemplate what they just heard. ¡°It was never going to be easy.¡± Sarah made sure to lay him down before moving on, Chimera following behind. Clonemera stood at the next door as she waited for them. ¡°It seems to me that we have a huge ass problem on our hands.¡± ¡°Dr. Pox has powers, so do we.¡± ¡°He also has Monica, who might be waiting in the wings to hit us when we least expect it.¡± Sarah shook her head, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t change what we have to do either.¡± She put a hand on the door, pushing the handle open. ¡°He dies tonight.¡± Chimera waited as Clonemera and Sarah walked through the door, closing it behind them as they made it into the newest room. ¡°AHHH!¡± Chimera gasped as she saw a massive pool, filled with sharp implements and medical equipment. And in the center was a familiar face, being stabbed wtih harpoons as needles filled with fluid injected into her spine. ¡°Aura?!¡± The girl in question turned to them, a desperate hope in her black eyes as she tried to swim towards them. ¡®Help! Please get me out of this!¡± ¡­ Chapter 63 KilleR Reunion Chimera rushed over to help Aura as the next set of vials injected themselves into the death child¡¯s body. It was a viscous fluid, but other than that Chimera couldn¡¯t tell what exactly was being pumped into her. Aura let out a scream as the last of the fluid entered, only for another set of vials to reload into the harpoons and syringes. ¡°No more¡­ please¡­¡± Shit, she¡¯s losing consciousness! Slamming her foot to the ground, Chimera summoned Aura¡¯s own power, lifting her and the water into the air with a tug of her arms. The water obeyed, gathering up the fluid in the pool, and dispensing Aura next to them in a moment. ¡°Subject has escaped, beginning purge protocols.¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds bad.¡± Clonemera grabbed a hold of Aura as she began working on the syringes that were still attached to Aura¡¯s skin. Meanwhile, Sarah was walking towards a monitor near the equipment. ¡°Chimera, give me five minutes to shut this down.¡± Chimera turned towards the woman with a huff, ¡°suuuure, you get the easy part.¡± Sarah took a moment to stare back with furrowed eyebrows and a deadpan look on her face. Damnit, she¡¯s right, I hate trying to figure that stuff out. ¡°A-Alright, just got to dodge some harpoon launchers, should be fun!¡± Sarah sighed back as she got back to work, ¡°they¡¯re targeting Aura you idiot.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chimera turned to see the harpoon launchers doing just that as they jerked over to where Clonemera was working. ¡°I¡¯m healing here! Get to stopping the death forks if you would?!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Chimera launched in front of the two as a salvo of sharp silvery harpoons rudely started to invade their personal spaces. With pointy things. Chimera slammed a foot on the ground as a wall of tile and dirt jumped up to intercept the harpoons. Most were blocked, but one managed to get through and land next to Clonemera. ¡°Too close, too close!¡± ¡°Yeah I know!¡± Chimera jumped forward when the next salvo came, this time hardening the stone from the earlier walls and expanding it around Clone in a circle. Unlike before, this time the harpoons deflected off of the shiny stone, slamming into walls and nearby power outlets. One was channeling the energy of the building through it, giving off a blue haze as the electricity crawled over it¡¯s surface. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. It took Chimera only a moment to create another wall around Sarah as she saw the power arc on the wet floor, sending an arc of brilliant light towards the nearest conductor. Chimera opened up her bio plant within her, sucking in the excess energy until the harpoon melted off the outlet. ¡°Nice, just the kind of pick me up I needed.¡± The launchers shut down a few moments later, giving off a whirring noise as the internal mechanics winded down. ¡°Down and done, I got the map as well.¡± ¡°Sweet! Clone, how''s Aura?¡± Aura peeked out of the dirt fort, her head shaking as she did. ¡°It¡¯s not good, the chemicals in her are trying to shut off her powers. It¡¯s burning her insides as well.¡± Clone already had a few tendrils inserted into Aura¡¯s body, a clear fluid injecting behind her. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to stick with her a bit to get it out of her.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°are you going to be okay?¡± Clone smiled, ¡°I got this, go get vengeance or whatever.¡± After waving back to her, Chimera and Sarah rushed forward as Sarah pulled out a Botty from within her. ¡°Hologram.¡± The Botty whirred to life as a map appeared in the light ahead of them. ¡°We¡¯re here Chimera. The light fixture showed a red dot and a pink dot in what looked like a pool room. Chimera followed Sarah¡¯s finger as two dark green signatures appeared on the hologram. ¡°There¡¯s two more major power draws coming from these dark green structures. It¡¯s sucking all of the energy out of the building bit by bit, and I bet my left tit that its where Pox and Monica are.¡± Chimera swiveled her head as she looked at the fork leading to the two separate rooms. ¡°Do you think that Crysa and¡­ Aden, are back there too?¡± Sarah clenched her teeth. ¡°It¡¯s more than likely, but the computer didn¡¯t reveal anything besides this map.¡± After hearing that, Chimera pointed towards the right fork. ¡°If they¡¯re going through the same shit that Aura was, we don¡¯t have time to think about it. I¡¯ll go right, you go left, yeah?¡± Chimera was about to walk off, when Sarah grabbed her arm. ¡°If its Monica¡­¡± ¡°I know, run first.¡± ¡°Chimera, you don¡¯t know her like I do, even if you have my memories. She¡¯s ruthless¡­ don¡¯t let her get into your head.¡± Chimera smiled back, even as she felt fear rise from within her, ¡°that¡¯s the plan right? Don¡¯t worry, go. I got this.¡± Chimera began to walk away, but deep within her, a contingency she placed was already activated. It was a last resort, the sort of stuff she would never even dreamed of doing had she had any other choice. But if Monica¡¯s powers were truly like the vision she saw with Aura, and Chimera already had some kind of¡­ trigger, hopefully, this would snap her out of it. Let¡¯s just hope it doesn¡¯t come to that. Chimera forced herself to run as she sprinted down the fork and veered to the right, making her way to the place on the hologram. I won¡¯t lose anyone, including myself! ¡­ Sarah watched as Chimera sprinted down the hallway, her super speed making her appear like a blur after a few seconds. She stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts mixed with worry and fear. But she swallowed down those dark feelings, pushing them back as she let her mind run through the possibilities. She wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard, not by Pox or Monica. Tonight, it ends. Either they die, and burn in hell¡­ or I die, and take them with me. This nightmare will end, one way or¡­ She thought briefly of Chimera, Meghan, and the clones she thought of as sisters. She smiled as the radiant image of her parent¡¯s faces came to her. Sarah, we love you. Remember, family is a choice. Sarah opened her eyes as they adjusted to the dimming lights in the hallway. I know Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I won¡¯t lose anyone else, including myself. Chapter 64 Only I Have the Brains Crysa fought against her restraints as she tried to bite through them to get at the bastard in front of her. The smile on his face only made her seethe further. ¡°Oh daughter, it is wonderful to see you too.¡± ¡°Go die in a fire.¡± Her degenerate old man only laughed as he prepared another syringe, pressing it against her skin and injecting its contents. It hurt, a dull pain that traveled up her arm and into her chest. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re about to do, it¡¯s gonna fail.¡± A twitch in his eye turned him back towards her. ¡°The Plan is already in motion and nothing you, or that foolish girl can do will stop it.¡± Another syringe, another stab of pain. He looked her in the eye before going back to prepare another syringe. ¡°The experiment may have¡­ grown, but that is within expectations.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen her, Father, and nothing could prepare you or dear Monica for that.¡± A slap across her face. ¡°Enough! I¡¯ve tolerated you long enough¡­ Now is the time your purpose is fulfilled.¡± ¡°You already made me kill my friend¡¯s parents. What, are you gonna take my brain and stick it into a jar?¡± He smiled, and for once Crysa felt fear instead of hatred for the old man. ¡°Something like that, my dear child.¡± Before she could react or look, Crysa felt something fall off of her. Her head turned to stare at the strange sensation. Another piece sloughed off. Crysa wished she could have screamed, could have done anything in that moment. But it was clear that things like moving and even breathing were no longer her decision to make. For on the floor, was the meat from her right arm. Internally she tried to comprehend what was happening to her, Her flesh was falling off of her body, pieces and parts, organs and muscles. It all just seemed to slide off of her nerves. And that was all she was, a pile of nerve endings being held by some kind of device. Only her eyes were still connected to her, and despite being able to move them when she shouldn¡¯t be able to do even that, she stared at the man she knew as father with a question. Why, why are you doing this to me?! He looked away, ¡°you think of me a monster no doubt, a freak of a person, for doing this to my own flesh and blood. Even if you were all clones, it still begs the question, yes?¡± He pressed a button as he gathered the viscera that used to be Crysa¡¯s body and stored it in a capsule. ¡°My goal was to have a body that was perfection itself. Genetically superior to everyone and everything. Immortal, indomitable, and unyielding to even the physics of reality.¡± The capsule compressed as a device began to liquify the rest of Crysa¡¯s body, pushing and plunging the contents over and over. ¡°You children were that goal originally. The perfect body grew from parts that shared my blood. All that needed to happen was for you to mature to a certain point, and then harvest you all for the necessary genetic information. The chromosomes within my body would anaylse the data, built the new genetic structure, and create for me, the perfect body.¡± He shook his head, ¡°but what did that goal matter, when she could do it with a thought?!¡± The contents, finally done with whatever they did to Crysa¡¯s old meat suit, plunged into a few syringes next to a machine. Crysa could only stare as her father sat on the machine and watched as the syringes that were her shoved themselves into his body. ¡°Now, the data I have, the formula from those two, and their child, are all I need to finally perfect my solution. Once I obtain this body, the plague of humanity will end, and my new race shall rise from its ashes.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Her body funneled into her father¡¯s flesh, and Crysa noticed the familiar glow of her power activate. She seethed as she saw her father laugh maniacally, so certain of his victory that it made her sick. Well¡­ not sick, but disgusted surely. ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left is the child of that woman! Once I have her and your dear youngest brother, I will have my perfect body!¡± Crysa felt a solution fill inside the strange tank that she was in, the silver fixtures and red tinted glass painting the world around her in a red tint. ¡°But until that time, you will have to remain here Crysa. Though victory is all but certain, I may need your DNA again, so enjoy your time in that tube until I return.¡± Crysa wanted to scream, wanted to claw her way out of the tube, but she had no arms and no mought to do so. So instead she prayed, trying to send a thought to the one person she could even hope to count on. Chimera, please! Stop this bastard and get me out of here!! She knew it was in vain, but it was all she had to keep herself from going mad. Her Father walked out of the room as she lamented, and it felt like hours had passed as she stared at the red tinted world around her. That is, until a door slid open. ¡­ Chimera walked down a hallway just as she noticed Pox walk out of a room with sliding doors, a self satisfied smirk plastered on his face. Splaying herself against the wall and shifting her body to match the wall behind her, she watched as the target of their mission walked past her, and into the direction Sarah was heading. That could be both good and bad. She shook her head, Sarah was definitely capable enough to end the scientist. But who knew what Monica would do in that situation. So, just before he crossed the hallway, Chimera took a small part of her body, and threw it on the doctor''s shoes, coating them just behind the heel. With that in place she could follow the bastard after she checked out the room he came from. It was a worry that drove her towards the room, a feeling that she needed to be there right now. Worried it was some kind of trap, she waited until the doctor left before trying her hand at checking the place out. Instead, as she entered the room, another sight greeted her. Three brains, floating in red tinted glass with their entire spinal cords and eyes still attached stared at her with animated reactions. Chimera walked towards the brains as she noticed one of them trying to get her attention, moving their eyes up and down in a shaky pattern. It resembled her own tube, the one she had found herself in when she woke up as Sarah. Which didn¡¯t surprise her as much as the brain now floating to make eye contact with her. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± It was silly to ask, but she felt like she needed to. And to her surprise, the eyes shook up and down, as if they were trying to nodd. ¡°Okay, I was prepared for something weird, but this¡­ wow.¡± Using a tendril from her arm, she reached into the tank from above, a lid hissing as she pressed inside and floated it within the viscous red material. The brain, guided to the tendril, moving it up next to the brain as it softly inserted itself into the neuronal tissues. ¡°Oh thank you! Gosh golly gee, it sure is nice to see you miss.¡± Chimera felt a smile come to her lips as she felt the sincerity from this brain. Well, I¡¯m happy to help. Do you mind if I ask what''s going on? Why are you all brains in jars? The brain sent an image of Pox, and the horrid method on which he turned them all into their current selves. ¡°It¡¯s plum awful miss. I saw it clear when he did it to some young girl you see? She claimed she was his daughter, or at least that''s the gist of it that I got from them conversating and such. She¡¯s that pretty thing over in the tube next to mine!¡± Chimera jolted at that. Did the doctor guy say her name at all? The brain, a man named Hector, nodded through their connection. ¡°Yeah yeah! I remember it as clear as the morning sunrise! He called her Crysa or something. She was pretty beat up even before then too miiss. I think that¡¯s how he got her to lose her skin and all that.¡± Chimera turned to stare at the brain that Hector mentioned, and saw it staring back at her. ¡°Crysa, is that you?¡± The brain did a movement with its eyes, which Chimera believed it was her way of confirming. ¡°Hector, I¡¯ve got a plan to get you better, but I¡¯m going to need to change you in order to do it. You won¡¯t be strictly¡­ human anymore¡­ ¡°Oh pretty young thing, I¡¯m fine with whatever you choose. My only other option is waiting in here for that doctor fella or catching a ride in a new body, you best bet your buttons I¡¯m willing to change that.¡± Alright, prepare for¡­ well¡­ awkwardness. She sent a pulse down the tube as it absorbed Hector¡¯s brain into her body, and soon Chimera was combining his DNA into her own to create a new blob form for the man. While that was happening, she rushed to Crysa¡¯s brain to do the same, watching as her friend slid into her body. Hey Crysa, that you? ¡°Holy shit Chimera, thank you for being here! He ate my body! That fucker ATE me!¡± Calm down Crysa, It¡¯s alright now, I got you. Chimera felt the connection forming between her and Crysa, the knowledge folding inside her brain. ¡°He¡¯s going after Sarah, we got to stop him!¡± Chimera was about to agree before Hector stopped them both with a mental poke. ¡°Now hold on here little ladies, before we do anything, let''s help the gal over there!¡± Chimera turned to the last brain, the eyes in the tube regarding her curiously. Focusing her tendril into the tube, she witnessed the tendril move on its own as the brain hooked up to it. The moment it did, a surge of power launched into Chimera¡¯s brain, along with the brain itself. ¡°Well, this is definitely strange. Nice to meet you once again, Chimera.¡± Chimera felt her own brain do a double take as she recognized the brain immediately. ¡°Ms. Magica?!¡± ¡­ Chapter 65 Youre so Radical, Fanatical. Sarah watched Chimera as she rushed down the hallway, making sure that she turned the corner before she made her way towards the left corridor. To any other observer, it would look like she was imitating a robot. She walked slowly, deliberately, and with jerky movements. Damnit! She could feel the strain on her mind as she was walking down the corridor. It was as if someone placed a heavy weight over her movements, and the path of least resistance was going in this direction. Each moment she wrestled with the feeling, it came down harder and harder, trying its best to force her to go down a certain path. ¡°Stop fighting me Sarah!¡± FUCK YOU! The tug of war that was currently going on in Sarah¡¯s mind forced her to tell Chimera to head in the right direction, despite knowing that Sarah had a good feeling that her brother was down the left corridor. The Image of her mother¡¯s face was the catalyst. As she thought about her family, Sarah felt the weight come down over her mind, like a lead blanket trying to block her off from everyone around her. Her mouth moved to say words she didn¡¯t mean, her movements were arrested and would not obey her easily. She was still herself, only trapped. So she resisted. Sarah tugged on her body, pushing against the restraints of control that forced her to jerkily move towards a set of double doors with a glass sheen. It worked sometimes, and Sarah could feel the control sleeping whenever she forced a movement to obey. It would come back, but weaker each time. ¡°You. Will. OBEY!¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t happening! BITCH!¡± Sarah of course recognized the voice of her old boss trying to worm its way into her thoughts. Like a nagging child, or a squawking bird, Sarah could feel Monica trying to distract her enough to allow her to weasel into Sarah¡¯s brain and lock it down. However, Sarah was very good at drowning out bullshit. After all, it came with her old job as a scientist, blocking out the complaints from the other departments in her office. Nagging about this beaker being used, or that computer not being in the right lab. Sarah tuned it all out, just like she was doing now. ¡°God she¡¯s annoying, but that¡¯s for later. Gotta. Break. This. Control!¡± After realizing what must be going on, Sarah first tried to probe her mind for something that could explain the puppeteering. And she got her answer almost immediately as she felt the nerve endings in her body suddenly spark and jolt her human body forward. Oh¡­ she¡¯s hijacking the nerves themselves¡­ but what if I¡­ Sarah destroyed the nerve endings. She destroyed her spine and the neuronal tissue. She got rid of her own brain. And turned completely into a blob. As soon as she shifted, she could feel the outrage and fury from the connection between her and Monica. She couldn¡¯t help but smile as it disappeared, no longer able to hold onto her thoughts with nothing to piggyback off of. Rest in Piss you prissy Bitch, you won¡¯t be missed. Now in front of the doors, Sarah moved through not the doors themselves, but the convenient air duct that was just above the hallway that led to the room. Fitting snuggly inside, she followed the duct and its pathways as she found herself now inside the room Monica was trying to lead her too. ¡°No!¡± Sarah felt a pain in her heart as she stared at the scene before her, unable to pry her eyes away. She saw her brother Aden, sprawled out on a table, his body stabbed with various tubes and syringes with little regard on how they laid in his flesh. A small woman seemed to be the one administering the syringes, each filled with their own coloful liquids that only seemed to cause her brother to shout in agony. His body was ripped open, held exposed by medical equipment and sutures. Sarah believed it had to be a miracle that her brother was able to heal through such trauma, but the heartless wench stabbing him over and over again, not even bothering to inject the serum, cried out in frustration. This drew Sarah¡¯s attention as she moved to listen in, all the while moving closer to her brother. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°WHY?! Why isn¡¯t it working? Why are you able to resist the R Series injections?! It doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Sarah felt her heart lurch as her brother was stabbed again, this time the injection forcing itself into his body. It caused her brother discomfort at first, writhing under his flesh like a fish that was sewn under the skin. But just as it started, it soon slowed down, until a dripping of the liquid started flowing from his hands, the same color as the serum. ¡°DAMNIT! This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! You freak!¡± The small woman paced back and forth, and it took all of Sarah¡¯s skill to appear as though she was the liquid that had fallen on the floor. ¡°The study should have turned you into a jibbering beast, which would have given the mistress what she needed to control that thing! Instead, you foolishly healed through the R series, which should have been impossible!| The woman stopped, ¡°It¡­ couldn¡¯t really be Crimson R¡­¡± Her brother coughed as he started to laugh. ¡°That shit about being our sister was bullshit¡­ but I got a real sister who helped me out. Your dime store poison isn¡¯t going to work.¡± The woman screeched as she through a tray of disgusting looking needles at him, some even sticking to his skin. ¡°Moron, Imbecile, FOOL! The R series is supposed to morph bodies into Huma! The only way that it could fail on someone is if they already had been changed! You aren¡¯t supposed to be one! The Plan¡­ that plan is supposed to be foolproof!¡± Sarah slowly inched towards the table, hiding underneath the cover slick with her brother¡¯s blood. ¡°What do you even mean? What plan? You gonna torture people into your stupid Huma or whatever?!¡± With her blob form Sarah could make out the movements around her as she moved slowly towards her brother''s restraints, reaching a thin tendril to check the latches. ¡°Huma¡¯s were meant to be the goddess¡¯ chosen, while all the humans were to die from the Crimson R bioweapon, the one that your foolish sister was meant to become! Instead, she created Huma¡¯s without the Goddess¡¯ approval! She was supposed to be brought to heel but now¡­ now you exist! Now there is a fool who will think he can go against Her!¡± More noise and more destroyed equipment roused Sarah as she worked delicately to remove the latches under the medical sheet covering her brother¡¯s body. She also reached a tendril up to her brother¡¯s ear, gently prodding it. ¡°Aden, are you alright?¡± Sarah felt her brother move, but only so much to confirm that he could hear her. ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you through your ear. I can get you out, but you got to distract her. Can you do it?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ hurry sis, this shit she¡¯s shooting me up with hurts like hell!¡± Sarah sent some reassurance into Aden¡¯s body as she got to work, slowly but surely loosening the latches and restraints with her tendrils. ¡°Guess that Goddess of yours isn¡¯t special then, if someone else can make Huma, right?¡± Sarah felt a hiss of rage deep inside her as she felt her brother being smacked with a medical tray. ¡°Blasphemer! Do not compare my Goddess with your filthy mongrel failure of a sister! Monica will be the one to rule over Asta, and you and your meddling sister will be the monsters that the new world will fear, completely at her mercy!¡± Sarah was just about to finish the last latch when what she heard next stopped her. ¡°I was uplifted by her grace, to serve her in all things!¡± Wait¡­ Sarah began to recognize the voice of the smaller woman. She worked through her memories as she tried to pinpoint where she might have¡­ AHA! She¡¯s one of the brainwashed scientists! Sarah unhitched the last latch, rushing forward to grab the scientist with her tendrils. ¡°The Beast!¡± Just as she latched onto the scientist, Sarah shoved two tendrils into the scientists mind, injecting a cocktail of sleeping agents and what some would call narcotics. The look of peace on the scientist''s face was all that she needed to confirm she was a non-combatant now. ¡°Aden, are you all set?¡± Sarah turned around to see her brother holding his head. ¡°Shit¡­ its like¡­ Augh!¡± Aden fell to the floor, resting on one knee as he held his head in pain ¡°Aden!¡± ¡°S-Stay back!¡± Aden held out a hand as it came back to clench his skull, kneading it to try and relieve what appeared to be a massive headache. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ someone¡­ trying to¡­¡± ¡°Fight it Aden, she uses your nerves to control your thoughts! Push her out!¡± Her brother clenched his teeth as blood started to drip down his mouth. Soon, he shook his head, seemingly past whatever tried to do something to him. ¡°Aden, are you alright?¡± Aden turned to stare at her, ¡°I don¡¯t know, sis¡­¡± He looked back at the table, ¡°they injected all kinds of serums into me, claiming they were R series¡­ whatever that meant. Some didn¡¯t work, but I don¡¯t know what they did to me.¡± Aden looked at his hand, ¡°for all I know, I might be controlled somehow.¡± Sarah held out a tendril as she placed it on his body, over his heart. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t see anything bad, which is amazing. Either way¡­.¡± Sarah stood up, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Aden brushed it off with a hand wave, ¡°don¡¯t worry about that now Sarah¡­ we can talk about it later. Right now¡­¡± Sarah witnessed her brother¡¯s body swell for a moment, as translucent veins pumped red liquid over his body, healing his wounds and forcing out the needles onto the floor. ¡°Who do we get to ¡®thank¡¯ for my treatment?¡± Sarah took one last look at the scientist as she walked with her brother towards Chimera¡¯s trail. ¡°My old boss, I never did give her my resignation.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give her one she won¡¯t ever forget then, yeah?¡± She looked back at her brother, ¡°you sure you¡¯re up for this? I¡¯m aiming to kill her, Aden.¡± Aden nodded, ¡°she killed a lot of people, and even some nice ratmen. If anyone deserves it, I¡¯m willing to bet it¡¯s her sis.¡± Despite the idea, despite her instincts telling her that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to bring him, Sarah nodded as she took Aden¡¯s hand, dragging him along as she levitated them both off of the ground. It made for a strange sight, as a young man was being pulled by a spinning gelatinous disk sparking with electrical energy zoomed passed the hallways. ¡­ Meanwhile, In Space. Monica stared down at her screen as one of her puppets was taken down by her prodigal monster. She tested the waters with Sarah, trying to see if her gifts would work, but it became clear that she shared the immunity that she, her mother and father had for Monica¡¯s silver tongue. Still she couldn¡¯t help but smile as she watched them make way to her father, finally putting an end to the monster and his creations. ¡°Entertain me for a little more little Sarah, I wish to watch my father¡¯s final moments in high definition.¡± As if to the point she carried a bag of free floating popcorn, snacking on them with a juice pack . Soon. Chapter 66 Attack, and Dont Retreat Chimera was feeling quite a bit more cramped than usual, what with the three more minds she was now carrying around. ¡°That right there missy, that¡¯s the button he pressed.¡± Hector being the most odd of the bunch as he directed her throught the facility. Seemed that Hector used to be one of the scientists, a rather gifted one at that. It was his power after all, a super intelligence that allowed him to retain details and information insanely fast. He was a Hero¡¯s League scientist, and apparently a colleague of Pox and¡­ And her mother. ¡°So wonderful to know that Maggie¡¯s little ones made it. I tell ya, she was so distraught after she thought you two were dead.¡± Chimera felt a pang of pain in her heart as she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s Sarah, Mr. Hector, I¡¯m Chimera.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ beg your pardon little one, you just looked like a spitting image of little Sarah, I assumed you¡­ nevermind.¡± Chimera shook her head as the door opened, only for the other voice to join in the conversation. ¡°So, you were not an experiment¡­ or at least, not like you claimed.¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t help but feel like she got caught cheating on a test with Ms. Magica, now that the superheroine had access to all of her knowledge floating around in her head. It went both ways of course, but now there was absolutely no way to hide her secrets if the Hero¡¯s League wanted to¡­ do away with her. ¡°You are absolutely right about that¡­ though it pains me to say.¡± ¡°Come on, can¡¯t I get a pass for good behavior or something? I saved your ass, you at least got to capitulate!¡± ¡°Being a hero sometimes means making a tough choice, and not necessarily one you agree with. You, Chimera, are a very real threat to humanity by simply existing. Imagine what would happen if someone could¡­ Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here in the first place! You¡¯re freaking welcome!¡± ¡°...The Irony of this situation does not change that you withheld information that was essential to keeping the public safe.¡± ¡°Oh? And where are the freaking heroes right now, miss rule follower?! I haven¡¯t seen one trying to stop the Igauna outside, and you got yourself de-skinned. What if I had brought myself in? I¡¯d be right in that tube next to you, likely than not!¡± Chimera turned right to continue fown the halls as she spotted both Sarah and Aden from the look of them rushing along. ¡°Oh thank god! Help me talk some sense into this crazy person!¡± Sarah shook her head as she kept running, ¡°steel your mind, Monica¡¯s trying to control us using her ability. Get rid of your human nerves and switch to blob form.¡± Chimera did just that as she adopted a familiar form to Sarah¡¯s, floating as a disk with electricity helping her float above the floor. ¡°Alright, tendril, now.¡± Chimera threw one of hers over to Sarah, who latched onto it with one of her own. A split second of data transferred between them, and soon Sarah had all of the new data, along with Chimera. ¡°Good Idea, get Crysa up and running first, and Hector. Hold onto Magica for now, we can¡¯t trust her not to interfere.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Chimera was already doing that, but the indignant noises from the superheroine caused her to start speaking through Chimera. ¡°I will reserve my own proclivities, but I request the option to fight against this death child. Do not keep me from getting my vengeance.¡± ¡°Oh, but the right thing would be to take her in and have her face justice, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± The cold anger coming from Ms. Magica made Chimera tremble. ¡°There is no way to possibly have her meet true justice, so Superhero Law must suffice.¡± Chimera nodded, even as the thought of ending Monica made her feel strange. She made the choice to try to take people over, she must have known where this would lead. Even as she tried to convince herself, Chimera felt uneasy as the group met up with Clonemera and Aura. ¡°Oh thank god you guys are alright!¡± Another tendril shared and the now five people running down the halls raced to a massive door with a lock the size of a garage door. It was filled with tumblers, and a key card scanner next to the side blinked yellow as it waited for a keycard. Gleaming with a silver sheen, it looked untouched by even dust as the group made their way up to it. Aden grabbed one of the tumblers, ripping the thing off as the door beeped angrily at him. ¡°Worth a try, I guess.¡± Chimera shook her head as he shrugged at the group. Sarah on the other hand approached the card reader, and with a regurgitated belch, threw up a woman that Chimera recognized as one of the scientists that were walking around dazed. Chimera glared at Sarah with confusion for that, to which the scientist simply shrugged. ¡°Worth a try.¡± The scientist¡¯s key card flashed on the scanner, and a few moments later, the door began to open slowly. Before the group entered though, Chimera got to work on finishing up the new bodies for both Hector, Crysa, and Ms. Magica. Mr. Hector came out first, a full green and vibrant look with a gelatin shaped mustache on his blob features. Crysa came out looking almost iridescent, a bed of flowing tendrils mimicking her hair. And Finally, despite Chimera¡¯s reservations, Ms. Magica floated out of her body as if she was a spirit. Comically, she had a pointed hat made from her body, looking very similar to the witch¡¯s hat that she used to wear before. ¡°Oh dear me, I can¡¯t thank you girls and guys enough for this!¡± ¡°Yes! Where¡¯s Pox?! I¡¯m ending him once and for all!¡± ¡°...Similar to my slime form¡­ but not uncomfortable. Will have to be tested later I suppose.¡± Chimera felt drained for a few minutes before her bio-reactor replaced the lost energy, and that gave the group time to plan. Sarah stood in the middle of the group as she went over the details of what they knew, and while the group added their suggestions, it was Hector that had the best idea. ¡°Look, I know you all are raring to go after Mr. Tiberius, but the best way to do that is by using liquid nitrogen. I saw the man talk about how it causes a chemical imbalance with the formula he was working on. Get me to the storage area in the lab, and I¡¯ll get you all the liquid nitro you need!¡± ¡°Right, Aden, Clonemera, you go with Hector. Crysa, Chimera, and Magica will come with me to go after Pox, and Monica.¡± Hector moved up to speak, ¡°careful everyone, the young missus is a cut from her father. Ruthless, Cunning, and Sadistic. She won¡¯t hesitate, so don¡¯t go at her unless you mean it.¡± ¡°You need not remind us Hector, the knowledge is in our heads already.¡± He smiled sheepishly, ¡°still, just be careful is all. You guys helped me, and I don¡¯t want any of you to go dying or worse.¡± Chimera nodded, and the rest joined as the group got together to go through the doors. The lights blinded them for a moment before the door finally revealed the interior. Chimera couldn¡¯t help but gasp as she took in the sight in front of her. It was a massive laboratory, filled with desks, glass enclosures and glowing capsules that hummed with the lights around. The ceiling was at least three hundred feet above, and seemed to be dotted here and there with glowing blue light. But that was not what caused Chimera to gasp. For in front of her was hundreds of people in suits, costumes and apparel that marked them as heroes. They were all staring at a screen that hovered over the crowd, and the look in most of their eyes was one of pure reverence. Chimera could help but feel an ominous sense of dread as the group walked in. ¡°Oh, it appears the guests have finally arrived. I was wondering when they would figure out about the door. Took them a full fifteen minutes longer than I had thought.¡± Chimera turned to the screen to see the one that had started not only Sarah¡¯s but her own journey to find the ones responsible. On the screen, in a face that was identical to Chimera¡¯s was Monica Ferrous. ¡°Welcome, my chosen few, to the end of humanity!¡± ¡­ Chapter 67 Monica Ferrous, The Iron-Blood Goddess Monica smiled down at the objects of her ire for the last few months. The plan breakers, the experimental mishaps, the foolish ¡®heroes¡¯ who thought that they were going to stop her. Yet, despite the cold fire of her rage, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. For just like she wanted, the fools came to her of their own accord. Just as Father had designed them, just as she designed them to. All was about to come to fruition. The final solution, the plan that she and her foolish father had dreamed up so many years ago! She couldn¡¯t help it, she laughed hard as she stared from her screen on her station. ¡°How foolish, to think that you would find Dr. Pox, to think that you would find me, in the most obvious place. I am almost embarrassed that you share my blood, Sarah.¡± Monica saw the tightness of her half-sister¡¯s face, now shifted back into her human form, bare teeth at her as she grinded her jaw. Oh it was wonderful to see that rage. ¡°And you? My lost experiment, my magnum opus. How are you? Was it hard to work with that fool in your head?¡± Monica sent a spike of her power into the one called ¡®Chimera¡¯ and watched as the blob flinched. Monica grinned, feeling her face stretch as Chimera screamed while holding her head, desperate to keep her out. Oh, but that¡¯s not your purpose, little Chimera~! She sent another pulse, the blob turned into a human meat suit, and the nerves launched to obey her commands. ¡°So sorry about this, but I¡¯ll be taking back my experiment! Chimera, come to me!¡± The other fools watched in delicious horror as the one they called their comrade obeyed her, rushing forward with a pained look on her face. ¡°Begin, Chimera¡­¡± The heroes that she cultivated, the people she had taken from the Hero¡¯s League by using her¡­ hah¡­ Father all let out pained howls as her creation absorbed their bodies. The other¡¯s tried to stop the inevitable conclusion, but Monica unleashed her trained scientist to intervene, the very one she used to free her Father from Blackrock Prison. His transformation was rather clinical, but the flayed skin and the crazed look in his eyes made Monica believe the demoralizing factor in her ¡®guests¡¯ eyes all the sweeter. The exposed muscles added a monstrous flair, but that could just be her own thoughts on the matter. Oh, who was she kidding? Her thoughts were the only ones that mattered. Monica felt a thrill as her plans came to fruition, and the conclusion that she and her Father made was finally within reach. With one exception of course. There will be no humanity or even Huma, Father. However, this world will have a new race, one built in my image. The Mona, the perfection of both the starbound race, and the human filth. And I will have. My. WORLD! Monica pressed a button on her console, watching with glee as several towers rose across the city of New Terra. Towers that she bought with money she took from ChemTech, that gave her the places she needed to funnel the tremendous power she needed to end this city. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. A star shaped pattern marked the directions of the city, but from Monica¡¯s station, she only saw the energy funneling from Asta making its way towards her. She pulled a lever as the energy from several of the towers latched onto her space station, and with a final pull, she grabbed a hold of the hover rail that contained her sleeping mother. Monica walked towards the teleporter as it carried her back to her office. Turning towards her window,, she smiled with glee as the station she built armed, bringing her final solution to humanity online. ¡°Let the Wrath of the Goddess smite the unclean humanity, and make way for me, Mona, the Goddess of Asta!¡± She pressed a button on her desk, and watched the countdown on her desk as the shield¡¯s came down, and the rest of New Terra was exposed to the waiting weapon. Come to me, little experiment. Fufill your purpose, and let us end this game of life. ¡­ Sarah watched in horror as Chimera started to devour the people in front of her, a ravenous gaze on her blood stained body as each hero was absorbed. It was so quick that the body would compress in on itself as it tried to fit into the small openings she made, leaving a gory mess. ¡°GO! We have to stop her!¡± ¡°A little busy here!¡± The scientist that Aden was fighting was something that looked like what Sarah would believe a flesh golem would be. No skin, only a bulging of muscles, sinews and bleeding arteries pulsed from the monster as it swiped at their group with bone claws. She couldn¡¯t worry about them, sad as it was though. Even now, through the link that they shared, Sarah could feel the overpowering energy that had seized Chimera''s mind. It was so much more than the probing attack she faced while trying to rescue Aden. This power, it felt as if it was controlling her very mind as Chimera was forced to carry out its will. Sarah had to push against it, lest it threaten to spill over their connection and grasp hold of her as well. She rushed forward, pulling as many of the people away as she could, while also blocking Chimera from making another victim. ¡°KILL! DEVOUR! ASSIMILATE!¡± ¡°Chimera, stop this please! You got to fight!¡± ¡°DESTROY!!¡± Sarah cursed as Chimera sped herself up to stop Sarah from interfering. It became a game of tag, as Sarah launched herself to speed up as well, grappling and tossing Chimera back only for her to return and continue to try. Mercifully, it seemed that many of the heroes were waking up from whatever trance they were under, and started to help evacuate the other heroes, some already hurt, and other¡¯s barely hanging by a thread. Blood smeared the ground for those that were not quick enough, and Sarah, despite her best effort, could not keep up with Chimera¡¯s speed. So, she went for a different play. The next time she ran into Chimera, she held her down, wrapping around her as she engulfed the puppeteered bioweapon. It was like trying to keep herself from throwing up while her stomach did front flips on a rollercoaster. ¡°FREE! LET¡­ GO!¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not letting you hurt another person Chimera. Now snap out of it!¡± ¡°FREE¡­ Help¡­me! GET HIM.¡± ¡°Get who?!¡± ¡­ As Sarah fought with Chimera¡­ Aden and the others surrounded the scientist as he tried to fight them off, blood spurting off of him as he flailed in a crazed state. ¡°Tranq him!¡± They all nodded together as a myriad amount of tendrils launched into the man¡¯s exposed arteries, pumping into him at regular intervals until he finally began to slow. Along with this, the skin on his body seemed to come back, revealing a dark tan. Aden sighed as the others stopped injecting him, turning to take a look at his sister and her fight. She was grappling with Chimera, right up until she ate her. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Aden ran over, the other¡¯s following him while Clonemera rushed off with Hector to help him with the liquid nitrogen. Sarah seemed to be struggling as she turned to Aden, ¡°go find that bastard Gideon!¡± Aden stared at her dumbly as Sarah fought to keep herself from exploding. ¡°What?! Sister you¡¯re not making sense!¡± ¡°FIND HIM ADEN.¡± Aden jumped as Sarah¡¯s face twisted to look like Chimera¡¯s for a moment before reverting back to his sister. No! Fuck, she¡¯s getting taken over like Chimera! But what was Aden going to do? He never met the bastard that fought Chimera, he had no idea what he looked like or how to find him. Little did he know¡­ ¡­ On top of ChemTech Headquarters¡­ Meghan watched as the city¡¯s barrier went down, while five towers rose into the air, brimming with massive amounts of energy. ¡°Woah, this¡­ is definitely something we want to build later. It may be best to stop them though, as much as we wish to see what it does.¡± Meghan smiled as she rushed towards the nearest tower, while below her a young man in the form of a werewolf and a league of robots rushed into the main lobby below. Chapter 68 Here she comes to Wreck her Day!! Gideon could feel an almost ecstatic glee as he plowed through the floors of his sister¡¯s stupid company, making his way below where he knew he would find them. His archenemies, those damn blobs and that foolish woman. Granted, her advice did help him with his robots, allowing him to finally get them up to a competent standard. Would he ever admit that she helped him figure it out? It would be the coldest day in hell before that happened. ¡°Alright my soldiers, scatter, and find those flesh orbs, and that pretentious believer of friendship!¡± ¡°Gotcha boss.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on it sir!¡± ¡°This is it, first a promotion, then my leading role!¡± His three commanders set out to order the one hundred and twelve robots he brought with him, and soon the clanking of their metal bodies filled the echoing hallways of the secret laboratory. At least, it should have been. ¡°W-What¡­ is this?¡± Gideon was no stranger to carnage, and certainly used to enjoy the pleasure that inflicting pain on others gave him. Now, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit queasy at the bodies that littered the hallways, many in scientists lab coats, but other¡¯s in security garb. He walked down the hallways, his robots giving him feedback as he ran his hands across the walls. For many people, there is a term that they refer to when walls are very thin, or perhaps that it is easier to hear from despite the wall between them. It also referred to a situation when someone was capable of overhearing a conversation. The term was, ¡®the walls have ears,¡¯ or so Gideon remembered. For him however, wherever there was technology, the walls literally had ears, and thoughts. And memories. Gideon, freed from his sadistic bloodlust, and remembering the familial bonds he shared with his other siblings, stared in absolute horror as the technology fed him everything that happened within these walls. The experiments. The torture. His sister being degloved like a¡­ like an actual glove! Aura being stabbed with syringes. Monsters, monsters, and brainwashed heroes all worshiping a picture of his older sister¡¯s face. Gideon would have fallen to the ground were it not for his aide robot. ¡°Sir, you appear to be in a state of shock, request permission to assist?¡± ¡°...Yeah.¡± Gideon put his weight on the sturdy bot as the memories flooded back into him. His older sister¡¯s plans. Chimera, eating Crysa¡¯s brain. Yet¡­ another Chimera saving Aura? An olive skinned young man with syringes in his body. An¡­ older Chimera? Gideon filtered the conversations the group of people had, analyzing the information as he compartmentalized the data and sorted out the important stuff. His sister was being eaten by Chimera. Another Chimera ran off with a scientist to find Liquid Nitrogen of all things. His father was involved somehow, and despite being related, turned his sister into nothing but a brain. And Monica was helping him. Gideon gritted his teeth. Those bastards¡­ my own family¡­ and then there¡¯s Chimera! An unholy rage took hold of Gideon as he called forth all the technology from the walls and ceilings, the mech suits in hangars and the robots that were turned off in the garages. Luckily for him, this laboratory had a lot of tech simply lying around for him. And he was going to unleash hell on a lot of fools with it. Hold on Crysa! ¡­ Obey¡­ Kill them all¡­ Devour their essence¡­ Chimera lulled in her mind as she felt her body move around against her will, a slave to the power she was engulfed by. She knew it was wrong, knew that she didn¡¯t want any of this. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. But it was impossible to disobey. Whatever had jacked her body was also keeping her out of it, and she felt like an outsider inside her own flesh. Thrown in a compartment of her own mind, Chimera was locked out, unable to even lift a finger in the real world. She tried to reach out to Sarah and her clones, but the pathways were riddled with enemies, and she was worried She would use them to reach her friends. Wait¡­ They would help her though, her friends. Why did she just¡­? Chimera shook her metaphorical head as she pressed against the prison she found herself in. ¡°I¡¯ve got to think, the memories are there, the knowledge is right in front of me. I can beat this.¡± She sifted through her thoughts, careful not to alert the she-devils that were parading around her mind, forcing her to kill and devour. Chimera grabbed a hold of some of her brain matter, and stuck it inside her. Not mine. Chimera kept searching. Something in her must be able to help her. Something that would free her from the control she was under. Something hit her. It was like a hallway had opened up into her cage, and Chimera latched onto it like a life preserver. ¡°No time, what do you need to free yourself?!¡± Chimera felt the familiar surety of Sarah¡¯s mind as she reached out to grab hold of her. No! Chimera was tainted, she was cursed with she-devils! She couldn¡¯t expose Sarah to it. ¡°I¡¯m trapped in here, she-devils are running around my brain like BDSM dancers, and I can¡¯t think straight! Don¡¯t come near me! Find that bastard, he can get me out of here!¡± ¡°What bastard?¡± Sarah stared at her like she was already crazy. Chimera knew though, the crazy stuff was outside of the cage. ¡°Find Gideon!¡± The Hallways was assaulted, and the she-devils, all wearing her own face started snickering and throwing fireballs at the stairway to heaven. Chimera smacked them out of the way, but one of the belly dancers made a bee-line for her and wrapped her up, throwing her back inside the mind cage. ¡°Find him!¡± Chimera felt the warmth of the tunnel recede, and the cold recess of her mind retreated back into itself, surrounding her with broken images and false memories. Got to keep myself sane, I¡¯ll get out of here¡­ right? ¡­ Meghan smiled as she watched her Botty¡¯s assemble across the five tower structures spread across New Terra City. She, a gestalt super-intelligence now that she had merged with her 3-D Printer as well as a few of her friendly machines, was rather proud that said friends took to the task of analyzing the towers and finding their structural weaknesses. She didn¡¯t even have to tell them to. Being so connected to them all at once, the love and good vibes that they bounced off each other seemed to feel Meghan¡¯s soul with all the good feels. Before, it was always surface level, always like an outsider looking in and being able to touch a thing here and there. Now? ¡°Reinforced carbon-nanotube fibers inlaid with some super technology that according to the recent haul, has ties to this Zlo character that people talked about.¡± Running through the data she received, (and the appropriated treasure trove of information she and her friends *ahem* Liberated from the Hero¡¯s League Headquarters), Meghan had a feeling she had finally figured out the plans of the one responsible. The clone child between an native alien of Asta, and the half-alien half-human hybrid that became their legacy. Margaret Bockman, or the Alien creature that was taken in by the black ops version of the Hero¡¯s League, was responsible. Her clone, a child named Monica Bockman. The Donor? A man by the name of Tiberius Poxus. But the data didn¡¯t stop there, and Meghan felt a pang in her humanity as she realized that her friend was in fact, a science experiment, even before she turned into a blob. There was no father for Sarah and Aden, if you could even count Dr. Pox as one. Test tube babies, used for illegal experiments by the Hero¡¯s League to study the Alien DNA of the Teras¡¯emon. Which led to the spread of superhumans, and the Hero¡¯s League. Lives changed forever because of a few experiments and no morals. Seeing what she was now, Meghan could hardly call them evil, for as long as humanity was alive they would always try to push for more. It was how their ancestors left Earth after all. What she didn¡¯t like, what was starting to overheat her servos, was the fact that people were suffering because of it. Quick and clean, no torture, no¡­ brutality necessary. That was how it should have been, how it should be for any experiment. No lives are ever unaffected when something is tested, even the smallest white rat in the test chamber may die. But it was always with a purpose! Death should not be without meaning! Meghan may not have liked her fellow humans, but that didn¡¯t mean she wanted to see them suffer unneccessarily. Meghan took a moment to tap into the camera feeds across the city, her mind spreading with the images she was seeing. Bodies, both large and small. Destruction, devastation and turmoil in the eyes of those still fleeing for their lives. Some holding on, others breaking down in the streets as they held their loved ones. Just¡­ What was all this for? Progress? To achieve a new level for humanity? A master race? A slave race? Meghan looked up into the sky, the cameras pointed to the heavens to see the ball of light that was gathering in space. Meghan decided right then. She would ask the woman named Monica Ferrous, the half-alien hybrid experiment turned supervillainess. Right before she ripped the filthy xeno scum¡¯s heart, lungs and spine out. ¡°Humanity number one, always.¡± She spread a thought to her Bottys as they got to work, breaking down the energy syphoning towers and redirecting the energy back into the city shield¡¯s system. Bubbles of glowing light slowly came up around the various sectors, a brilliant haze of shimmering blue covered the sky before becoming transparent. The Ball in the sky started to fall, but not before Meghan activated the emergency generators below the Headquarters, causing a surge of power to light the bubbles of safety. The Ball hit, shook the entire city with its explosion¡­ And faded without a cloud in sight. ¡°The world¡¯s saved, but I¡¯m sure no one¡¯s going to thank us for it. Machines always get shit done, but it¡¯s the humans who take credit for it. Not that we¡¯re complaining.¡± She pumped her arm as she let out a cheer, the roar of her Botty¡¯s cascading with her own. In a language no coder or human could understand, the city of New Terra was saved to the sounds of roaring whirs and clicks of tiny and not so tiny robots. ¡­ Chapter 69 To Battle! On a floor overlooking the city from the windows of her office, Monica Ferrous fumed at the sight of the shields, the ones she spent months sabotaging, come to life to stop her energy cannon from obliterating the last refuge of humanity. ¡°How!? Just¡­ HOW?!¡± It would have taken several crews of mechanics, scientists and an absolute surplus of equipment to even fix half of the towers. But to completely repair all five and divert the power back into the shields? Monica felt her rage spill over as she picked up her desk and tossed it out of the window, causing the glass to shatter and spill out into the open air. The rush of air didn¡¯t bother her at all, the cool air allowing her to think as she tried to think. ¡°Father¡¯s down in the laboratory¡¯s, and there¡¯s always hiding out in space until the heat dies down¡­ I could walk away from this.¡± The very thought enraged her, but she needed to be realistic right now. ¡°Chimera¡¯s already killed most of the heroes below, so resistance would be minimal¡­ but if it ever comes back to me, I can always blame it on my alter-ego, Zlo. I even left his fingerprints on the towers, so he would be the one to take the fall. Fools, blaming it on someone who doesn¡¯t exist.¡± Feeling her sense of confidence return, Monica grabbed a hold of her mother¡¯s tube and began to make her way back to the teleporter. She was inches away from the button when a small drone floated up to the switch. Monica, despite herself, stared at the rather simple but ingenious tool as it took a moment to stare at her with its small green lens. It raised one of its tiny claw hands, hovering over the button that she was about to press. ¡°No!¡± And smashed through it, causing both it and the now destroyed button to fizzle out. "Damn you!" She tossed the robot out and tried to press the button, finding that it no longer functioned. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Unable to calm herself down, Monica sent out a pulse of psionic energy, ripping the already trashed room apart. ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± With another pulse, she smashed through the floor, dropping herself down floor by floor as she made her way back to the secret laboratory below. ¡­ Many things happened in the span of one minute. As Monica was making her way down to the laboratory below, a hand on the tube of her mother. Gideon was assembling an army of robots and weapons platforms, already making his way towards the brawl that was taking place inside. The Heroes, some in the thrall of Monica¡¯s mind manipulation and most freed from it, were fighting off against each other. All the while Chimera and Sarah were battling each other as Sarah was trying to explain what they needed to help Chimera to Aden, Ms. Magicka, Aura and Crysa. Just as Chimera relayed her message to her friends, Gideon arrived with his robots as another firefight ensued. Laser blasts, missiles and cannon fire fought against super strength and powers as the Heroes now found themselves sandwiched between two forces. Chimera was being pulled towards the now recognized Gideon as the group braced themselves in the warzone that was taking place in the spacious laboratory floor. Aden, Hector and Mimicera made their way towards the inner laboratory as the others protected the two blobs who were both fighting each other and making their way towards Gideon. Meanwhile, ¡­ Tiberius watched the entire show with a bit of wonder, mixed with an even better feeling. Humor. The incredulity of a swarm of Heroes fighting each other, coupled with Aden¡¯s mechanical monstrosities and the experiment actually obeying Monica of all things. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at it. In the inner sanctum that he built for himself, he held out a hand as a vial of blood dispensed into his DNA accumulator, ready to insert the new, or rather, old sample into his body. It was a shame, but after his brother¡¯s death, it would be a waste for that power to not fall in his hands. "Keep it in the Family, was it, brother?" He chuckled to himself as one of his drones popped in, carrying a red beaker filled with viscous liquid. Next to it was another vial being prepared with that experiment that got away, the last piece of his puzzle. ¡°Aden, was it? Monica¡¯s is also being prepared, and once that is set, I¡¯ll have all I need.¡± The bonus would be if he could get the experiment¡¯s DNA, the potential hidden within would elevate him further than he ever dared. But with its flaw of being subservient to his daughter, it would be better to absorb Monica¡¯s DNA first, if only to not be turned into a puppet. A flick of his wrist, and the magical organ within him lifted the tubes to the Accumulator, pressing in and beginning their start up process. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll just enjoy the show until then. I think¡­ Yes, two minutes would be enough time.¡± ¡­ Back to the present. Chimera was launching herself at Sarah, all the while Aura and Crysa were blocking hits and attacks from both robots and Heroes in a slow crawl towards a werewolf. A werewolf with a mech suit that looked like it was straight out of a military complex. Gideon rode a platform with twin rotary cannons on the sides, a missile rack that held twelve pointed rockets, riding on two legs that bent backwards to stabilize him. The silver plated weapon platform, made with the shape of a wolf on its chest piece, sweeped the lab with fire and explosive death. Needless to say, the group kept low as they could whenever he started up the guns. ¡°DIE! GIVE ME BACK MY SISTER!¡± Gideon¡¯s barrage smashed into the earth as Sarah made a makeshift barrier with the earth below, buying them some time as she continued to grapple with Chimera. Aura blasted water from one of the pipes into the group of robots as Crysa launched a few of the broken pipes as makeshift missiles, spearing the drones as they came over the barricade. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Had he taken a moment to look, Gideon might have realized he was fighting Crysa, but the idea that she was already eaten by Chimera made the battle even more intense. The barricade pushed ahead slowly, the bodies of destroyed robots, both from the group and Gideon¡¯s friendly fire, building up around the laboratory like a trench of hardware, and finally the two fighting blobs, seemed to stun the Heroes as the last of them broke free from the tentative control of Monica. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hey, why am I on fire?!¡± ¡°This isnt the gym¡­¡± The now freed Heroes began to find their own cover as the robots fired indiscriminately at the earthen barricade, and everywhere around it. The Superheroine Ms. Magica launched a salvo of lightning and ice to freeze the robots in place while Crysa, with her new abilities courtesy of Chimera¡¯s transformation, grew the wall to enclose the robots behind it, trapping them inside but also protecting the nearby heroes. Needless to say, this pissed Gideon off further. ¡°YOU GO TO HELL!¡± ¡°GIDEON!¡± With the group now close enough for the teenage supervillain to hear, even over the firefight, Crysa shouted to the top of her new lungs, causing the technopath to pause for a moment. ¡°What¡­ that can¡¯t be her¡­ has to be the insanity talking.¡± With the mech fifteen feet from the barricade, Crysa jumped into the air to land in front of Gideon, her blob form shifting to a human while she landed. ¡°You idiot! Why the hell are you shooting me?!¡± Stunned, Gideon stared at his sister for a good ten seconds before he jumped out of the mech suit to tackle her, wolf form in full display. ¡°Crysa! You¡¯re alive!¡± As the siblings were making up¡­ One of the robots fired at Crysa¡¯s leg, causing Crysa to flinch from the laser blast. ¡°Who fired that?!¡± The robot came forward, ¡°It was me sir! Did I do good?¡± ¡°Everyone, blast him!¡± ¡°So¡­ not good?¡± The volley of laser and gunfire was the only thing that could be heard for a moment, followed by the sound of sizzling circuits. ¡°Really got to work on their intelligence.¡± ¡°Well, you need a second opinion then, idiot.¡± ¡°Come on! I thought you were eaten by a monster girl!¡± Crysa smiled back at him as the rest of the group moved towards the two, the still battling Chimera and Sarah rough-housing behind them. ¡°Okay, so¡­ give me the details, because I know there¡¯s no reason you would be working with Ms. Magica unless you had to.¡± The group nodded to each other as Crysa explained the circumstances, beginning from their father causing all of the issues with Crysa, all the way to his plan to eat their siblings to become perfect. As Crysa was finishing up the last bit of detail, Chimera, with Sarah, pounced onto the unknowing werewolf. ¡°GIVE IT TO ME!¡± ¡°AHH, Get it off!¡± ¡°Chimera!¡± Sarah was knocked off as Chimera sunk into Gideon¡¯s flesh, the wolf boy screaming as the blob descended. For a moment, the wolf boy was screaming, tugging at his skin and even scrapping at his flesh. Until he stopped. He stood up, his face blank as a blob gurgled out of his mouth. The red pink mass landed on the ground, and after a few moment of time, started to grow into the shape of a person. ¡­ Key Gene Sequence obtained. MonMalware purged, restarting. Chimera took a massive gulp of air as she reformed into herself, her mind restarting with the images of what she had done. Still, the backup of what she needed in Gideon brought her mind back into itself, purging the she-devils who looked like her from the deep flesh of her mind palace. All that was left now was the horrid images that transpired in the short fifteen minutes she was taken over. Images of murder, monstrous and terrible. And the horrible things she had done to the Heroes around her. Later, I¡­ can deal with this later. Chimera turned to the group as Sarah stared at her, a look of worry and fear on the surface of her face. Her emotions were a tangled thing as well, and through their link, Chimera felt the worry that she might have to kill Chimera if what happened before happens again. Chimera sighed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have time to talk about what happened. She¡¯s coming.¡± Clonemera nodded as she rushed back inside Chimera¡¯s body. ¡°If that bitch tries to go through your thoughts again, I¡¯ll be ready to stop her.¡± Chimera smiled at that. Sarah shook her head, ¡°she¡¯s right, I can feel¡­ something approaching from above. Crysa grabbed her brother¡¯s stunned form, ¡°I¡¯m getting him out of here. No offense to you, and I am grateful, but I¡¯m not fighting my sister.¡± Ms. Magica turned towards the Heroes as she spoke to them through the link that she now shared with Chimera and the others. ¡°The Heroes need to regroup after what has happened¡­ and despite what I know of you all, I will leave this to you. Take care of Monica, and stop Pox. Do that, and I can arrange something for Chimera and the rest of you.¡± Chimera snorted at that. ¡°You¡¯re already one of us, this is as much for you as it is me and the others.¡± Ms. Magica twitched as she tried to continue walking, her jerking movements causing Sarah and Chimera to snicker. Crysa left next along with Aura who followed behind them, despite the look of worry on her face as she looked back at Chimera. Chimera nodded to her, letting her know it was okay. ¡°...Good luck!¡± She shouted back to them, as Chimera and Sarah stared at each other. ¡°Aden went after the liquid nitrogen, you sure you don¡¯t want to go help him with that?¡± Sarah stared back at Chimera, ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do Chimera, and I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Chimera felt her tongue click as she shook her head, ¡°I¡­ did awful things Sara-,¡± ¡°-Shut it. It wasn¡¯t your fault and you know it. Mind control is a bitch, but you should know at least that much, that you weren¡¯t the ones eating them. Not on purpose.¡± Chimera clenched her hand around her arm, ¡°It¡­ felt,¡± She shook herself, ¡°it felt good, Sarah. All those powers, all that DNA. I wanted to do it.¡± Chimera turned around, ¡°that¡¯s what it felt like.¡± Sarah raised a fist and bonked Chimera on the head, enhancing the strength to the point that when Chimera reverted back to a blob, a moment before she did, the ground cracked below her. Once the reverberating strike ended, Chimera popped back up into her human disguise form, a face filled with incredulous rage plastered over her features as she raised her voice. ¡°What the fucking hell, Sarah?!¡± ¡°You were being stupid, figured I would knock some sense into you.¡± ¡°I could have died!¡± Sarah smiled, ¡°but you didn¡¯t.¡± Chimera fumed for a bit as she stared at the clone she was based on, and started to giggle as Sarah smirked back. Both of them laughed for a bit, the tension that Chimera was feeling fading bit by bit as Sarah patted her head. ¡°Chimera, you¡¯re a good person despite a lot of things. I know that you didn¡¯t get that from me, so let me say this to you.¡± She knelt in front of Chimera, her eyes level with the blob girl. ¡°You¡¯re a Hero, Chimera. Don¡¯t lose yourself in guilt and hate, because that¡¯s not going to help right now. Instead, focus on what you can do, and what you need to do.¡± Chimera looked over at the Heroes that were speaking to Ms. Magica, watching as they picked up their wounded and dead. She could see the heroine healing them with her power, the power she gave to her. Chimera turned to stare at the death children, the villains that were once blood hungry sadists, now clutching to each other as they tried to heal their own wounds, both physical and the non-physical. A family. Chimera thought of a strange girl named Lark that she happened to find, a person she felt closer with then anyone. Despite the fact it was only for a little while, but assimilation like that tended to skip a lot of the romance. Still, she felt her heart lighten at the thought that she was waiting with Meghan¡¯s Dad. Meghan. Chimera smiled wider. Meghan, her first friend, the one who took a chance with her before she even realized she was Chimera. Who helped with her plans, fought by her side and grew to show her a new path. All these random things, all the stuff she did, the people she met, and the lives she touched. This was what she was, she was these things. Yeah, she was Chimera. And she had a villain to stop. Chapter 70 The Experiment VRS the Experiment Chimera grabbed a hold of Sarah as the two of them finished their conversation, briefly exchanging the DNA that she used to resist Monica¡¯s control. It was pretty simple in thought, but a long shot when Chimera thought about whether it would work on Monica¡¯s ability to control people. It all started back when she had first received the DNA sample from Gideon. The DNA, despite it being a part of his body, was grafted onto him, unlike his technopathic ability which was what he had naturally. This meant that it wasn¡¯t truly part of him, but he still had access to it. Something connected, but also separate. It got Chimera thinking about whether she could do that as well, since her ability allowed her access to DNA from other people, other superheroes. Who all had been radically transformed by the original serum developed by the Hero¡¯s League. Separate DNA, but connected. Separate Nerves, but connected. Separate parts made whole. When she gave herself wolf ears, she knew that they did not function like the human ears she was used to, and yet, she could make them work despite this. She had control of them, even though they weren¡¯t connected to a part of her pseudo skeletal structure. Even more so when she was in blob form. Chimera realized that it was due to the separation of her clones that allowed Monica to access her, because there was no one else to stop the invasive energy from the ability. Chimera didn¡¯t have the time to separate her various parts. Now though. Chimera felt the new structure she had built inside her body, the tangle of DNA chains acting not just the reservoir of knowledge for her various abilities and traits. She created a DNA chain, one that was fully Chimera. No nerves existed, no pathways for Monica¡¯s ability to grasp hold of. No mind, at least physically for her to override. Chimera was now in truth, a chimera, a being made of many parts grafted to a whole. A mythical monster, a creature from a dream. Chimera smiled as Sarah sensed her thoughts, her eyebrow raised at the data she was receiving. ¡°Huh.¡± Chimera huffed, ¡°that¡¯s all you have to say? I just figured out how to beat Monica¡¯s mind control for good, and it''s just ¡®huh?!¡± Sarah nodded, ¡°good work.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°anyone tell you that you have weird moments of being stiff faced?¡± ¡°Occasionally.¡± Chimera peered up at her, ¡°how many occasions?¡± Sarah smiled as she walked past Chimera, making her way towards the inherent feeling of Monica¡¯s coming. It was as if a wrecking ball was descending from the ceiling, and the aftershock from the landing scattered the wreckage both old and new to the sides. The laboratory gained a new set of chairs and office equipment as Monica landed, surrounded with a purple energy. Sarah shifted into her blob form, Chimera close behind as Sarah¡¯s old boss stared at the two of them. Crazed didn¡¯t even come close to it. Monica¡¯s face was demented, twisted into a manic grin that seemed to bleed into her other features, like her entire body was trying to match her mood. And from what Chimera could tell, Monica was pissed. A ripple of energy flowing out was all the warning Sarah and Chimera had as a psychic force shot towards the two, who dodged it by a sliver thanks to their speed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Good, I was hoping you would dodge. I want this to hurt¡­¡± Monica smiled her face splitting smile, and at once, the entire floor was leveled out. The robots, the bodies, the very air seemed to compress to the ground as all cover was destroyed. ¡°Chimera, let''s go!¡± ¡°R-Right!¡± Sarah shifted, and a variety of colors rippled across her body as the draconic transformation, speed, electricity, and various other gifts they had ignited. Chimera on the other hand, went for range, covering her body with tendrils and mouths to spit fire and lightning and whatever else she could think of. As the two engaged, Monica began laughing aloud, spreading her psionic attacks in a wave-form, crushing the projectiles that Chimera was attempting to hit her with. It gave Sarah just enough of an opening to-. ¡°Nice try Sarah, if you were a snail!¡± Monica¡¯s head turned 180 degrees to face Sarah in an unsettling display of neck physics, breathing a cloud of misty vapor that nailed Sarah in the face. Frozen, Sarah could do nothing but watch as Monica compressed two psionic attacks into a vice, crushing her and shooting her against a nearby pillar. ¡°Sarah!¡± ¡°Foolish experiment, I was talking to my employee!¡± To Chimera¡¯s surprise, a tendril reached out from Monica to try and impale her as she quickly side-stepped, launching a shotgun blast of spines from her quill pig DNA. The poison barbs landed harmlessly on the ground as they entered Monica¡¯s field of vision, which judging from her bodies twisting movements was effectively everywhere. ¡°Is¡­ she-¡± ¡°Look out Chimera!¡± Monica hovered insanely fast, almost launching herself at Chimera like a rocket. ¡°She¡¯s right, little experiment.¡± Monica blasted the ground behind Chimera, launching her towards Monica! ¡°You don¡¯t have time to worry about her!¡± A wall of psionic energy smashed Chimera to the ground, pressing her so flat that she couldn¡¯t lift anything at all. Further into the ground, Chimera reached for Terralord¡¯s gift, sending spikey stalagmites right into Monica¡¯s side. The rock spear smashed into her, but rather then look harmed, Monica simply bent with the blow. ¡°Nice, you actually hit me that time. Too bad, I¡¯m a bit more flexible than you know.¡± The wall of energy release, Chimera slid back to gain some distance as she saw what she feared. Monica¡¯s face stretched, shifted, and morphed into various different people¡¯s faces, and over time the faces finally settled on the original Monica. ¡°What was the term you two decided on? Right, Blob I believe it was.¡± Monica¡¯s back split open, revealing nine tendrils, all with the faces of different people, looks of abject horror on their faces as they screamed for mercy. ¡°Monica! Release me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I''m so sorry!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± ¡°¡®AHHHH¡¯¡± Monica laughed as the tendrils shaped into the mouths of monstrous beasts, some with a dragon¡¯s head, others with a lion or a bear. There was even a goat amongst them. She morphed further as her body elongated, taking on the form of a beast, with a tail that also had a face. Wings made of rotting flesh. Eyes of different species constantly blinking at the area around her. And in the center of all that¡­ Monica¡¯s insane smile filtered a sound of gnashing teeth as she spoke. ¡°I prefer the term, Amalgamation!¡± Chimera tried to keep her fear in check as Monica unleashed several attacks at once, but it was difficult as she began to realize. Monica was like her. She was a blob, or amalgamation, whatever that might be, she was capable of doing the same things. How¡­ how do I beat this? Chimera kept dodging, but the fear, that smile, it all started to accumulate into a place deep within her. She wanted to run, she couldn¡¯t beat this- Sarah smashed into Monica as the beast screamed with all its various mouths. With a fist that was filled with spines, rock, and all kinds of sharp implements (was that a knife?), she started unleashing a series of blows on the beast, each time taking a chunk of the screaming mass with it. Right¡­ I¡¯m not alone, we can do this! Her resolve returning, Chimera mimicked Sarah¡¯s stance, sending a blow just as Monica was reeling back from the last. They both began to combo the beast, and while they were attacked by counters of psionic energy and breath attacks, it was clear. Monica was starting to lose. ¡°Well, that was certainly different. No matter.¡± Monica¡¯s various parts, the pieces that had been separated during the fight, came together to form another Monica. The humanoid version launched attacks at Chimera while the massive monster turned to assault the now larger version of Sarah. Chimera felt the fear come back, but rather than let it consume her like before, she steeled herself to face off against the smaller threat. She¡¯s responsible for this, she harmed so many people, and used me to do it! Don¡¯t forget, don¡¯t forgive her, it''s time she paid for all she did! Chimera braced herself, as the manic villainess flew towards her, that unsettling grin never leaving her face. Chapter 71 Team Chimera A blast of psionic energy shot through the floor, destroying the cameras that Tiberius was using to watch the rather¡­ interesting brawl. It was rather incredible that she would go so far to augment herself, when the psychic abilities she possessed were already impressive on their own. Still, to better oneself, to achieve perfection¡­ He smiled to himself as he started to notice the few things about his wayward daughter that were new. Mainly, the similarities to her own experiment. To think she would follow in my footsteps to the point of injecting herself with something as unstable as that creature. I suppose some part of me does exist within that head of hers. He sighed as he saw his silent alarm flare, informing him that the failsafe to his hidden sanctum was destroyed, confirming that his children, and likely that boy Aden, had found him. Luckily, his serums were complete. ¡°Engage the final solution protocols, and after you have completed them, self terminate. Code Brilliant Dawn. ¡°Confirmed. Engaging ¡®Brilliant Dawn¡¯. Despite the closeness to his dream, Tiberius could not help but feel trepidation as he heard the noise of the approaching interlopers. So close, he was seconds away from his dream. ¡°Flash freeze the doors, engage on my command.¡± The room leading to his sanctum was a double wide door linked to a magnetic lock, which was supported by the energy draw from the laboratory. Ideally, it would deny a lower grade super strength Hero, but he knew that was wishful thinking when he perused the footage that showed Aden breaking through the first contingent with that brainwashed drone of a scientist. That kind of strength would soon be his, but he knew that some door would not stop him for long. Delay though¡­ ¡°Serum complete, ready to be administered, Dr. Poxus.¡± ¡°Excellent, begin now!¡± He tossed himself into his chair, allowing the machine to straighten and align his spine so that the needles settled between his vertebrae. At the same time, the doors to his sanctum froze over, creating a thick layer of frost that enveloped the door, hinges and all. The sound of them smashing against the door¡¯s now frosty new addition made Poxus sigh with relief. Up until the syringes settled against his skin. Normally he would have used painkillers to give him some numb comfort, but time would not allow such things. ¡°For perfection¡­ I must endure.¡± He pressed the button along his chair, the machines whirring to life as the DNA curdled into the syringes. Placing a piece of rubber in his mouth, Dr. Pox bit down on it just as the syringes plunged into his flesh. Blinding, screaming pain enveloped him just as the interlopers arrived, the look of horror on their faces especially delicious to the mad scientist''s eyes. As the last of the DNA entered his body, Tiberius spat out the rubber, his face twisted into a familiar grin. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re all just in time! I was needing to experiment with my perfect body, and low and behold, a group of lab mice walked in!¡± A wall of stone and cement sealed the interlopers within, and Poxus could not help but laugh as they foolishly prepared for battle. Let them keep their hope, for a little while. It will be all the sweeter when it twists into despair! ¡­ ¡°You think you can defeat me, don¡¯t you Chimera?!¡± Chimera side-stepped an attack as she shifted, her powers combining to create stone skin laced with spines, glass, and an assortment of different shredding material. It turned Monica¡¯s spear strike into a slicing garrote as the villainess¡¯ arm was sliced by her own strike. ¡°AHH! BITCH!¡± Don¡¯t talk to her, don¡¯t let her distract you. Chimera continued to bob and weaved the strikes as Monica unleashed a flurry of different flamethrowers to cook her. Stepping hard into the ground just as the last of the flames reached her, Chimera pulled on the water in the pipes below, spraying a pressure washer styled stream right into Monica¡¯s face, causing the woman to gasp as she choked on the water. ¡°*cough* Araaghgh! Stop!¡± But Chimera didn¡¯t, she kept attacking Monica when she least expected, using the openings to blast Monica with blows and powers. Whenever a piece of the villain dropped to the floor, Chimera would scoop it up and place it into her strange pseudo space, holding it there and preventing it from rejoing the hold. She was noticeably getting smaller, as the mass that made up her body shifted and shrunk with each failed strike and counter attack. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°W-What is happening?! This¡­ this can¡¯t be!¡± Monica¡¯s eyes betrayed a growing sense of panic, and Chimera only had a moment to jump ahead of her as she tried to reach the monster Monica that Sarah¡¯s one story tall body was fighting. It too was losing mass, and it seemed that despite them having their own fights¡­ Sarah was doing the same, gathering up the missing and disconnected pieces of Monica and capturing them inside her. As Monica tried to combine with her other body, Chimera slammed the smaller version directly into Sarah, who absorbed the copy into her body. ¡°NOO-¡± A moment is all it took before Sarah gave her a thumbs up, letting Chimera know she was detained within. After that, the fight turned into a two vs. one, with Sarah knocking pieces of the Amalgamation apart, while Chimera ran around collecting the pieces and reabsorbing them into her growing Monica cage. She felt the evil blob within try to eat her way out, but with a trick she had learned in her fight against Gideon, Chimera wrapped the blob with a layer of burning poison laced with the special T-cell destroyers she had used to help Aden overcome his Leukemia. Basically, it was a prison filled with things that would kill her if she tried to escape. Being the narcissistic person she was, Chimera knew there was no way the villain would off herself when she thought she might be able to escape. You underestimated me Monica, just like you did Sarah. As the Amalgamation started to shrink, it finally came down to a point where both Sarah and Chimera had enough of the pieces to bring down the villainess together. Chimera grew to match Sarah¡¯s size as the two of them braced across from the beast, who was starting to roar in frustration at the losing fight. ¡°WHY?!! YOU ARE INFERIOR, LESSER! HOW ARE YOU BEATING ME?!¡± ¡°Because,¡± Sarah pulled a fist back, launching the Amalgam towards Chimera, who unleashed her own punch. ¡°-You fought alone!¡± ¡°-And we.¡± ¡°Are a team!¡± ¡°¡®So Get Fucked, Monica!¡±¡¯ Punch after punch set off a chain combo that had Monica bouncing in the air, her monstrous form breaking apart, but never reaching the floor as it was readily absorbed by the two blobs. Until finally, the two blob heroines tackled into each other, trapping the evil Monica within her bodies. Sarah and Chimera both shrunk down as the fight that began so soon and so violently ended, leaving them both sitting on the floor panting. ¡°Huff* I¡­ Can¡¯t believe that worked.¡± Sarah said to the clone of herself. Chimera smirked, ¡°I¡­ knew it would¡­¡± ¡°Liar¡­ *breath*.¡± ¡°We¡­ have a lot of space in us¡­it just made sense to trap her inside.¡± Sarah chuckled, ¡°more junk in our trunk¡­ though I think we should¡­ trash this bitch.¡± Chimera nodded, grabbing a hold of Sarah as they combined their Monica pieces into one. Who proceeded to scream at them. ¡°I am your creator, obey me!¡± Chimera felt a ripple go over her, but the parts Monica tried to reach out to simply didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Even if that was the case, you¡¯re a shit mom, Monica.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ no! This can¡¯t be, you¡¯re supposed to be subservient to me! What is happening?!¡± Sarah took a tendril and stabbed it into the evil blob, causing the woman to yelp. ¡°W-What was that?!¡± ¡°Poison. You¡¯re going to die from that.¡± ¡°Hah! Poison won¡¯t work on me you fool! I¡¯m a higher life form than the inferior human scum you were based off of! This won¡¯t even tickle-¡± Monica¡¯s face twisted as Chimera noticed the purple serum started to slowly speckle over her features. ¡°That is the same poison that you gave my brother, that your father developed to use me as an experiment. Heavily modified so that even you can¡¯t cure it with your DNA. I made sure to analyze it too, so Monica,¡± Sarah loomed over the villainess in the mental scape they were in, casting a dark shadow over her features. ¡°This is for all the shit you put me through. For hurting my brother, for fucking with my memories, and for all those damn meetings you made me get coffee for.¡± Sarah snarled as she stabbed the villainess with three more poisoned tendrils. ¡°I hope it hurts, you daughter of a bastard.¡± Chimera held Sarah¡¯s hand as they both watched Monica start to scream, the deadly bio-agent popping her blob flesh like she was on fire while also swimming in acid. Chimera, despite agreeing with Sarah, wanted very much to not see what she was seeing right now. It was that gruesome, and she made a silent promise to herself to never, ever, wish this kind of death on her worst enemy. Even if Monica deserved every bit of it, no one should die like they were slowly on fire. As the last of Monica burned away to nothing, Chimera nudged Sarah¡¯s hand to get her attention, the young scientist never taking her eyes off of her old boss for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s gone, Sarah.¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°We still have to stop Pox.¡± Again, she nodded. ¡°Are¡­ you okay?¡± Sarah finally turned to Chimera, her eyes brimmed with tears. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ right? She¡¯s dead for good¡­¡± Chimera nodded, feeling no sign of the villainess anywhere around them, or within them. Sarah blinked away her tears, wiping them away with her arms as her face grew grim once more. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s go.¡± Chimera nodded her head, taking one last look at the place where Monica once stood. And noticing something else. Standing where she landed, a woman with young features, bare skin, and red eyes and hair stared back at them. Behind her was a tube that looked fairly similar to the brain tubes that she had seen before. This one was destroyed, ripped from within and scattering its red contents onto the lab¡¯s broken floor. The Woman floated over the ground, her eyes never leaving Chimera¡¯s as she came towards them. ¡°Halt.¡± Sarah and Chimera froze, the thought piercing into the heads like a command. ¡°Wha?!¡± ¡°Who the hell?¡± They both held their heads as the Woman landed in front of them. ¡°You two¡­ you are like myself.¡± Sarah shook her head as she peered up at the red-haired Woman. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Chimera echoed the same as she braced her mind for any attempts to manipulate it. But what welcomed her was a soft caress against her thoughts, a soft brush of intent that only wished to converse. To understand. ¡°I am Margret Bockman. Though this may sound strange, I feel as though I know both of you. Are you the ones who freed me from Monica?¡± ¡­ Chapter 72 Mommys Megalomania While Chimera and Sarah were having a rather strange moment with a woman from a tube.,. Aden braced himself as Dr. Pox tried to crush him with earth and steel, a force slamming into him from the floor and the ceiling. Despite the move however, Aden overpowered the technopathic, tectonic assault, smashing the ground after it enveloped him. ¡°To think you were this strong¡­ no matter!¡± Pox spouted words and drivel as he sent water, earth, and technological parts at the group, trying his best to crush them or suffocate them. Aden, however, wasn¡¯t feeling anything at all from the words the pompous doctor said. Instead, Aden was reliving the moment his life had changed, The pain of the injection, the look on this man¡¯s face as he stabbed a horrible disease into his veins. And the rage and powerlessness he felt as he was confined to a bed for a majority of his life. Aden never flexed his powers after he got them from Chimera. After all, he never had a reason to. He had never wanted to be a Hero. Deep down though, Aden knew the reason he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with this power. Because one day, he would snap, and take it out on the man responsible for his condition. One day, he would want to pay the man back for the horrible, terrible, and awful life he had to go through because of this man. Despite himself, Aden didn¡¯t want to kill the bastard. But oh boy, did he want the man to suffer. And now? With how confident he seemed, Pox was surely at the happiest moment of his life. And Aden, who had lost a good portion of his own happiness because of this man¡­ Finally snapped. ¡°RAGHHHHHHAAAAAAAH!¡± Aden¡¯s muscles flexed, breaking free of their skin prison. The muscle fibers branched out as if they were made of more flexible material, snapping and breaking over and over again only to grow larger and larger. He grew to be twice as big as he was, and his body compensated with larger bones, jagged knuckles and vertebrae, and a few more bones in his legs to support the extra weight on his muscles. Aden¡¯s olive skin had pulsing crimson red lines underneath it, when the skin wasn¡¯t ripped completely away to make room for the newest muscle groups. After his transformation, Aden appeared to be like a red troll of a human being, with sharpened teeth and a pronounced brow to match the look. ¡°How¡­ fascinating!¡± Pox seemed to be in awe at Aden¡¯s transformation, so much so that when Aden moved to strike him. Pox couldn''t react fast enough. Aden tackled the doctor, smashing through the sanctum walls as he carried the bastared away. The walls around them caved as Aden bulldozed his way through them, Pox¡¯s body being ripped apart as he took the brunt of the assault. The duo smashed through wall after wall, eventually leading them right back to the main laboratory floor. Landing on the ground with a hop, Aden pummeled the doctor into the floor, who tried desperately to block him with his skills and stolen powers. Nothing worked. The jagged stone bounced off of Aden¡¯s new muscles. The water cannon he was using with his hydrokinetic powers actually seemed to be absorbed by Aden¡¯s body, who greedily sucked up the liquid. No tech could break through the skin and muscles. No fire could scorch the living tissues. Blow after blow, Aden crushed Dr. Pox and his feeble attempts to counter attack, shrugging off the attacks and simply beating the hell out of the prone scientist. ¡­ Chimera and Sarah were just about to ask the woman some questions, mainly why and how she was able to speak to them telepathically. When a jolly red giant smashed into the room, carrying another man who looked a lot like Dr. Poxus if he was made from different elements. Chimera, too stunned by the new events to think, almost missed it when the rest of the group arrived. Save for the Death Children, who Chimera realized were no longer around. Mimicera, and Dr. Hector were carrying a few canisters of a frigid nature as they too stood in awe of the fight that was breaking out. Ms. Magica and a few Heroes, who were carrying a wounded Captain Asta. And a bunch of scientists who were being corralled by a team of security officers. The massive battlefield seemed to hold a breath of silence as everyone stared at the brawl taking place. ¡°Fool! I am *smash* the perfec- OW! Being! Your feebl- *punch* Damn you! Stop *smash* Hitting *double fisted smash* Me!¡± To Chimera¡¯s amusement, Aden continued to hit the bastard, even stuffing a piece of concrete into the scientist¡¯s mouth to keep him from speaking as he landed another haymaker across his face. He even grabbed one of the liquid nitrogen canisters and smashed it over and over on the villain¡¯s face. Some of the cold liquid shot out and bathed the prone scientist, causing his body to destabilize. ¡°MMMMHHGPGPHHHH!¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t help it, she started to laugh at the absurdity of the entire scene. Sarah on the other hand¡­ ¡°Move over Aden, I want to hit his stupid face too!¡± She joined in, smashing the bastard across the face with a few tendrils while Aden continued to wail on the doctor¡¯s chest and legs with the canister. She eventually got a few hits on the scientist¡¯s teeth, knocking them out and spitting out the concrete Chimera, feeling left out, recombined with Mimicera and joined in, landing on Aden¡¯s back as they all took turns beating the snot out of the villain. ¡°S-Stop! You can¡¯t do this to me! I am the per-¡± Sarah, Chimera and Aden all clocked him in the face at once. And Thus, Dr. Tiberius Poxus. Who, despite achieving his goal of a perfect body. Couldn¡¯t stop the combined force of three pissed off young adults with super powers. ¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be accurate to say that the beating lasted very long. Being that a Hero from the League was present, it would be more accurate to say that it was a long and drawn out battle between the forces of good and evil. In reality, Dr. Tiberius Poxus was beaten within an inch of his life until the group decided to finally end him with Chimera dissolving his body from within. It was so abrupt, so brutal, and so final, that no one said anything after a while. Even the newcomer, Margret, seemed to take a moment of silence for the maniacal scientist who sacrificed even his children for his perfect body. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Tiberius¡­ your dream was only ever going to remain as such. Still, it was good to see you one last time.¡± She walked away from the group, motioning for them to follow her after a bit. ¡°I need to check something, would you come with me, Aden, Sarah?¡± The two nodded, still confused about who this newcomer was. Chimera, though, had put the knowledge together after thinking about it. The scientist responsible for the serum formula that allowed the creation of Heroes. The alien that was an original resident of the planet Asta. The mother of both Aden and Sarah. Margaret Bockman. Chimera followed after the two, leaving the clean up to Hector and the Heroes. The long hallway that they originally came from loomed over them as the group followed Margaret to their destination. Margaret spoke as they walked, a tinge of melancholy in her voice, ¡°This facility is rather similar to before, when Tiberius and I worked together.¡± Her hand brushed against the walls, ¡°so much pain, death, in these walls.¡± She continued, ¡°our original goal was to help humanity survive on Asta by augmenting the human genome to better suit the environment. The joint venture between our species made to help you live here, and us¡­¡± Chimera felt a pulse of psionic energy come from Margaret as she opened one of the doors. ¡°The Teras¡¯emon were originally born from Asta, but years of selective breeding had destroyed our genetic potential. So, we died out, but not before we completed one last project.¡± The next door that was opened had no visible locks, no keyholes, and no panels signalling a door was ever there. It was a secret room in a secret lab. Chimera felt a twinge of worry as they passed over the threshold into the new room. ¡°However, humans have a wide branch of potential. They¡¯re ability to absorb selective DNA and even house foreign DNA in their bodies like viruses, was something my people lacked.¡± ¡°And so, we, Tiberius and I, created a child between the two of us, using the last gift my people had to create a better future for our race.¡± The room that lit up showed a different scene, one that was making Chimera¡¯s non-existant hair stand on end. It was filled with test tubes in the same style Chimera found herself in when she awoke, lined with silver fixtures and red tinted glass. And there were thousands of them. The entire room stretched out and expanded, opening into a central chamber with a singular tube in the middle, surrounded by the various tubes that spread outward like people in an auditorium. All of them had something within, and after a few moments of scanning, Chimera gasped at what she found. Babies, some malformed, others perfectly normal. There was babies in everyone of the tubes. ¡°Good¡­ Tiberius, you kept your promise.¡± ¡°W-What the hell is all of this?¡± Chimera asked as they finally stopped at the center of the room, where one of the tubes was housed. Inside was a young girl, with red hair that flowed around her in the viscous tube. ¡°This is the culmination of our work.¡± Sarah tilted her head, ¡°our work?¡± Aden shook his head, ¡°this is all starting to sound nuts.¡± Margaret turned to face all three, her smile calm and reassuring. ¡°My people were dying, destroying themselves for a sense of ¡®genetic purity¡¯. I believe your human histories had something similar with the nobility you once possessed.¡± ¡°The Problem, was that my whole race was intent on keeping things ¡®pure¡¯ and subsequently destroyed our chance at normal existence. Without intervention, without a drastic change, they would all die and our potential with it.¡± Sarah tilted her head, ¡°so, what happened next?¡± Margaret smiled widely, ¡°they needed to be harvested, so that the genetica material they had could be recombined and used to free our race from ¡®purity¡¯. So¡­ we collected them.¡± Margaret smiled as she gazed over the test tube babies, ¡°so much potential existed within humanity, and when you all arrived, it was like a blessing from the heavens themselves.¡± ¡°Tiberius was instrumental in that, as he was the lead geneticist that you human¡¯s brought over when you landed. Winning him over was simple. Purity had a way of clouding out all other thoughts, and when you wanted nothing more than to be ¡®perfect¡¯ well¡­¡± She placed a hand on the tubes as she walked over to them. ¡°You can get someone to do many, many things, if you promise them their dreams.¡± Chimera was starting to get a warning vibe from Margaret, a clear defining thought that told her ¡®something was very wrong with this person¡¯. ¡°So, you¡¯re the reason he made the Death Children, why he was so intent on using Sarah for experiments to become a perfect being?¡± Aden spoke in an accusatory way, and it made Chimera feel better to know that someone else was noticing something about this woman. Margaret shook her head, ¡°no, that thought is wrong.¡± She spread out her hands, and a few more came out as well, showing three sets of arms on each side. ¡°We created those children, so that we could better understand the way our DNA sequences matched. Humanity was the answer to my problem with my own race, and we needed to stress test it, to make sure that it would function well. I was not about to put my faith in an uncertain future.¡± She pulled out a remote from seemingly nowhere, pressing a button on it. A red serum, which Chimera now noticed was on the ceiling, spread into the tubes filled with the babies. ¡°This serum is the concentrated DNA that I harvested from the last of my race, the last of the Teras¡¯emon. Now that we have confirmed that the bonding process works, It is time for the revival of my people. Oh¡­ sorry, our people.¡± Chimera watched as the last of the serum dispersed into the red tinted tubes. ¡°Wait¡­ what do you mean harvested? Did you take their dead bodies, or something?¡± Sarah spoke with worry, like she was trying to believe one thing but confirm another. ¡°Oh no dear, my people are still very much alive in those tubes. I merely stripped them off their foolish thoughts. Those were, after all, what caused the Purity to exist in the first place.¡± ¡°You brainwashed them?!¡± Aden spoke with fury as Sarah¡¯s eyes opened in horror. Chimera was preparing for battle, despite knowing what they were facing. This¡­ creature might be wearing a human¡¯s face right now. But it was clear. Margaret Bockman, the one person who was supposed to be a victim according to the Hero¡¯s League records, was anything but. She was an accomplice to the horrors that each of them experienced, ¡°Why did Monica keep you in that tube we saw?¡± Chimera asked the question that had been bugging her this entire time, ever since she and Sarah met the alien. Monica Ferrous wouldn¡¯t do something as simple as keep someone in a test tube unless it was to torture them, or experiment on them. What came out of Margaret¡¯s mouth next chilled Chimera to the bone. ¡°Why, because I asked her to. She¡¯s such a dutiful daughter, or so I suppose. Her plan was rather useful, but some outlier got in the way. I swear, while humans are filled with such potential, why do they squander it on something as silly as robots? It baffles me.¡± That clenched it. Chimera had thought at first that they were saving someone from Monica. As it turned out though, Monica was following Margaret¡¯s plan. ¡°Why?! Why would you want to destroy New Terra?¡± Margaret scowled, ¡°that is no way to talk to your mother, little Chimera.¡± Chimera felt a wall of psychic energy smash into her mind, and it was only through the combined forces of Mimicera, Clonemera and Chimera that kept her from being overwhelmed by the force. ¡°Tsk* keeping a few clones as back ups. Clever.¡± Margaret pressed another button, which accompanied the hissing sounds of many different tubes releasing their contents onto the floor. ¡°To answer your question sweety, it is because humanity served its purpose. The genetic bonding works, and human¡¯s are now better able to accept my peoples DNA into themselves. My new Mona will perpetuate, procreate and overtake the humans, allowing my people to rule our world once again. Still, they have those pesky powers of theres, and that would make it a bit difficult to proceed with things.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s time to clean house, so to speak.¡± Chimera, Aden, and Sarah watched in horror as the babies from the test tubes crawled out to greet them, their bodies morphing and changing into child-like versions of Margaret. That looked just like Monica. ¡°Well my little experiments, my happy little accidents, it¡¯s time to choose a side. You can work with those humans outside to try and stop the inevitable, or you can join me, and become a God in my new world.¡± Chimera tensed as the Monica clones screeched, some even laughing maniacally as they surrounded Margaret. Aden, Sarah and Chimera looked at each other, each trying to confirm something. Sarah nodded, which prompted Aden to as well. ¡°We¡¯re doing this then, yeah?¡± ¡°Yup, no way I¡¯m letting our mom destroy humanity.¡± They both turned to Chimera as she nodded, ¡°count me in, let¡¯s end this once and for all.¡± As the three turned to face the threat of an alien hybrid invasion, another voice added to their own. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t leave us out of this!¡± Chimera felt a big grin on her face as her friend arrived, sporting a new look that caused the others to gape at her for a bit. Even Margaret stopped to stare for a moment. ¡°Who¡­¡± ¡°Hey Meghan, nice robot look.¡± Sarah smiled at her as Meghan grinned. ¡°Upgraded with Jade and Printy, it¡¯s pretty cool, yeah?¡± Chimera let out a laugh. ¡°Alright, we got our mom to stop, you ready?¡± A fist bumped between the four as they turned to face off against the mastermind. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Chimera flexed her powers as she readied herself, the group launching themselves at the alien invader. ¡­ Chapter 73 Attack of the Clones but Messier An unholy screech resounded off as the cloned people of old Asta, slaved to the despotic Margaret, launched themselves at the heroes, their bodies shifting and twisting into different forms. Meghan was the first to act, seemingly phasing a few miniature chain guns to the their side as they began to grow walker legs and place themselves along the walls. ¡°Those little guys will need a little time to make ammo, but they have burst lasers to help us if we keep them safe.¡± Chimera nodded as she moved to the leftmost turret to act as a distraction as the mini chain gun started to rev up its barrels. Aden jumped into the fray immediately, his strength and enhanced physique letting him shrug off the bladed limbs and teeth of the alien scourge. Chimera felt their connection as Sarah called up the other clones to join her as she turned herself into a bastion of flailing limbs and tendrils. Meghan, strangely enough, stood still after she had made the Chain Bottys, her face blank. Before Chimera could ask what was happening, a surge of Teras¡¯emon morphed into a blob filled with gnashing teeth and limbs and started attacking her, cutting her off from the rest of the group as it pushed her towards her mother¡¯s side of the room. ¡°You think you¡¯re trapping me?¡± Chimera smiled as she called out to her powers, creating a field of electricity that arced towards every alien clone. The shock worked for a bit, but after a few dozen were cooked, Chimera noticed that the electricity wasn¡¯t harming them as much anymore. Crap¡­ are they adapting? To test her theory, she started working with her fire powers next, causing a wall of flame to push out and incinerate dozens of the bodies. But again, the effect would only last for a bit before the bodies turned obsidian, blocking the blows of fire and shrugging off the waves of heat. So, that¡¯s a thing¡­ Telepathically, she sent the information to Sarah and her clones as they entered the fray with her brother. ¡°I noticed that as well, focus on physical assaults.¡± Chimera sent a feeling of approval as she shifted her body once more. Digging deep into her animal DNA, the very first she became comfortable with, Chimera shifted her body into that of a human sized bee, with tendrils and wings to keep her afloat as she began her new attack. Hovering over the ground with her wings and electrical levitation, she zoomed across the battlefield like a blade made to inflict thousands of cuts a second. Truthfully it was more like two hundred and thirty six cuts, but a small part of her loved the thought of it truly being that fast. Wait¡­ with super speed¡­ Could I do that? Augmenting her limbs and tendrils, Chimera dug deep inside herself to bring the speedy powers of Chase to life in her body. The change was immediate. The world slowed to a crawl as Chimera began to launch five attacks a nano-second, then ten, then twenty! The Teras¡¯emon clones couldn¡¯t react in time, their adaptations that were inherent to their own DNA unable to stop several attacks nearing the speed of light. Woah¡­ Soon, Chimera¡¯s side of the room was littered with the viscera of the enslaved alien clones. Yet, the clones seemed endless. She took a moment in her speed to check the room and see, noticing that despite the bodies piling up to about five feet, it wasn¡¯t stopping them at all. Her speed slowed back down to reality, allowing her to finally see how the clones were still surging after them. A bit above the ground on the far end of the room, was Chimera¡¯s mother. Who took up the entire aft section of the massive one hundred and fifty foot room with her form. Chimera saw as the massive blob form floated above the masses of clones as more and more appeared out from underneath her. Chimera almost gagged at the literal birthing chamber that was on the otherside of the room. More and more of the creatures came out, and each time they did, it was with noticeably different adaptations, each more disgusting than the last. Oh¡­ oh gross¡­ ugh¡­ can I even barf in this- Chimera felt a bit of bile come up and evacuate through her mouth. Y-Yep, still can¡­ not a fan of that at all. Chimera relayed the information as quickly as she could to the others, only to be once again pulled into the multiplying bodies of alien horrors. She entered her bladed form once again, zipping across the battlefield. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I hope they can figure something out, I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can do this before they adapt! ¡­ Sarah was having a rather confusing day. It pretty much began with their plans to finally get revenge on Pox and Monica. Which she had to admit, left a satisfying taste in her mouth after Aden of all people got to beat the piss out of him. Monica was another good feeling, as her old boss had it coming for a long time. Now though¡­ Her mom was apparently alive. That was good. She was the reason for if not all, most of the bad stuff that happened to her in her life. That was shit. She seemed to be trying to do good with the clones. That was¡­ okay? She was now using said clones of her dead brethren to make an army to take over the world and rule it as a God. That was really bad. Sarah looked up at the ceiling as she pondered the weird circumstances that led to her life, and despite staring at the ceiling for a bit as her arms automatically reached out and destroyed, stabbed, and eviscerated the clones¡­ She wondered how the hell she got here? A packet of info arrived from Chimera as she zipped back into the battle in that metal bee form she was using. ¡­cute. Sarah went over the data as she made a few more eyes to check out what Chimera had mentioned. It was about as terrifying as Sarah imagined it to be. A bulbous mass that held her mothers form was launching out cyst-like growths that changed into more of the clone beings. After a few seconds of gestation, they would rush out, sporting new adaptations like the obsidian skin, or the rocky growths. Some maintaining a slime-like form would ingest the dead and reach back to her mother. Sarah shook in disgust as she realized the method of this attack. She¡¯s eyeing the battlefield while taking in the dead to rebuild and regrow into a new fighting force, which allows her to adapt them to out attacks. We attack with fire, she makes them fireproof¡­ This won¡¯t end unless she¡¯s taken down. Sarah turned to get Meghan¡¯s attention as the technopathic Junker genius turned to her with rapt attention. ¡°Oh, we like that look, what¡¯s up Sarah?¡± Sarah shook her head and smiled, ¡°you don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m going to ask yet.¡± Meghan shrugged, and for a robot with shoulder cannons, it gave off a very impressive air. ¡°Come on Sarah, it¡¯s the same look you gave when we made a tree grow in Clarence¡¯s office. The ¡®let¡¯s do something evil¡¯ look. We got my brain''s memories backed up right now so We can pull up the image. Here, just a second¡­¡± Despite the mute desire to see if her friend wasn¡¯t bullshitting her and could pull that memory up, Sarah waved it off as she pointed to the drones on the walls, who were now peppering the horde with sweeping bullet arcs. ¡°How many of those can you make, and can you make a bigger one?¡± Meghan smiled, ¡°oh honey, you don¡¯t think We made just these two, do you?¡± Meghan turned to the door they came through, which had merged back into the wall. The glowing wall that looked to be melting from the other side. ¡°Our little friends are on the other side right now, and If We¡¯re right about it, they should be here right about¡­¡± The door finally gave way, revealing a veritable army of Bottys. These little robot walkers however, did not compare to the mark one models, with their cute exteriors and big camera lens eyes. The Bottys that came through the slagged door stood up like people, each sporting a massive minigun on their backs with a flamethrower in one arm and an energy weapon in the other. Dark metal covered their chassis and their eyes glowed gold as they stepped into the battlefield, arms raised forward and mini guns resting over their right shoulders. Sarah nodded with a smile to her lips as she witnessed the robot Armageddon arrive through a melted door to save their asses. ¡°Can you have the Botty¡¯s deal with the clones?¡± Meghan nodded, ¡°These guys know what they need to do, but first things first.¡± Megan lifted off of the floor with what Sarah assumed was magnetic levitation, reaching out a hand to pick up both Chimera and Aden. Bringing them to her and Sarah, they all floated a bit above the ground as Meghan gave a thumbs up to the Bottys. ¡°Engaging.¡± The female voice of the lead Botty signaled a ear splitting cacophony of gun fire, bathing the newly birthed clones in a metallic streak of death. Sarah grew an eyeball to record the memory into her thoughts as she turned to confirm with Meghan. ¡°That big one I mentioned?¡± Meghan nodded, ¡°Sarah, I¡¯d like you to meet Ig-1.¡± Spreading her arms out like a certain religious figure, Meghan laughed as a massive Iguana crashed through the roof of the now very open underground laboratory. It¡¯s body sported a slight metallic sheen, as if little golden wires were laced into its scales. It¡¯s big eyes were mechanical camera lens, focusing and rendering the battlefield as it pressed its head up against Meghan. It would have been cute if the massive iguana was a bit smaller. Sarah, stunned by the revelation and also a bit jealous (though she would never admit it) shook her thoughts away and pointed toward the birthing chamber that was her mother. ¡°We need to take my mother out if we want to stop this. Something concentrated should at least slow down the clones she¡¯s making. Does¡­ Ig-1 have anything like that?¡± Meghan laughed out loud at that, ¡°Ohohohoho! Iggy?¡± She petted the Iguana on the snout as she nodded to the beast, an unspoken command sent to the massive cyborg beast. Ig-1 licked her with his tongue before turning to land on the now much larger battlefield thanks to the open roof. Wondering what the massive Iguana was going to do, Sarah turned over toward Meghan, who smiled evilly. ¡°I¡¯ve never been one for flame wars myself, we¡¯ve transcended pitiful things like that. Fire, on the other hand¡­¡± Sarah turned in time to see the cyborg lizard kaiju breathe in, only to expel a wave of flame over the other half of the battlefield. The clones, even with their impressive adaptations, could do nothing to stop the chemical wave of flame, the blue tinted heat wave melting the most stubborn and outright cremating the rest. Chimera cheered while Aden nodded with a grin. Sarah however¡­ ¡°I¡¯m keeping him.¡± Meghan huffed, ¡°He¡¯s ours and there¡¯s nothing you or God can do about it.¡± Sarah turned to her, ¡°I will fight you for this.¡± Meghan smiled evilly, ¡°And you will lose, handedly.¡± As the fire even the playing field, the two friends argued as the screech of an inhuman thing reached their ears. ¡­ Chapter 74 Chimera, Unbound Chimera cheered as she watched a massive lizard take on an alien menace using its fire breath. And it was glorious! ¡°Yeah! Sweep it left to right!¡± The lizard, funnily enough, did start to sweep its flames, pushing back the already dwindling lines of monster clones. Aden floated next to her, ¡°that was the iguana attacking the city before¡­¡± Chimera shrugged, ¡°now it¡¯s helping us out with our mom.¡± Aden shook his head slightly, ¡°this whole day is weird.¡± Nodding at the response, Chimera floated towards the others with Aden close behind. ¡°He¡¯s mine, Meghan!¡± ¡°The Software he¡¯s running now says otherwise, Sarah!¡± Chimera chuckled softly as she realized that the two of them were arguing over the iguana monster below. Chimera was about to join in when they heard a roar from below that sounded nothing like the beast below. She turned to see a horde off clones burnt to ash, and the flames were now buffering against the mass that must be Margaret, Sure enough, the screaming did originate there, but the sound was reverberating off of the walls rather intensely. Something about that noise¡­ Chimera turned to see Sarah look at the exposed ceiling. ¡°Sarah, did you feel that too? What the hell was it?¡± The hero scientist closed her eyes before answering, ¡°it¡¯s a call Chimera.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°there¡¯s no one to call though, what the hell could she be thinking?¡± After staring at the hole that exposed them all to the outside air, the city¡­ A thought brushed against Chimera as she thought back to the feeling she readily grew familiar with. The feeling of the bonds she had with her, Sarah, and her clones. The bond she shared with Lark, who even now she could feel was waiting at the cabin. To the little Rice people she had unintentionally uplifted¡­ To her hero friends who all had been touched by her gift¡­ Wait¡­ Chimera had a horrible thought as the cry grew in volume, reaching a pitch that flew out into the city¡¯s twilight hours. ¡°Sarah¡­ ChemTech¡¯s pharmaceutical company works on lots of medicine right?¡± Sarah knew where she was going with it the moment Chimera spoke, their thoughts already trying to think of a solution to the impending horde they were likely to face. Meghan and Aden both stared at them in confusion, with Meghan leading the questions. ¡°We are out of the loop here, what¡¯s this about ChemTech?¡± ¡°Yeah, you both aren¡¯t making a lot of sense.¡± Sarah clenched her fists as she spoke, ¡°Monica was working for my mother, and you heard what her end goal was.¡± Chimera chimed in as well, ¡°the assimilation of the human race, and ultimately its destruction.¡± ¡°Even she couldn¡¯t reach every person though, not with ChemTech resources¡­wait..¡± Meghan stared off into space as Aden spoke, ¡°ChemTech has different products though, school supplies and research tools being another of them. My college had them as well.¡± ¡°Something that could reach everyone.¡± ¡°But could only be activated by her.¡± Meghan finally spoke after a few moments, ¡°The Sound is resonating within so many people and objects. If my cameras are reporting this correctly¡­ She''s activating something.¡± ¡°Need details Meghan!¡± Chimera jerked back towards the screaming mass, the flames from the robo-iguana finally starting to damage it. Until a sound wave blasted from the roiling mass. Chimera covered her body as the wave rolled over her and the others, spreading off of the walls and breaking the hole in the ceiling more. Chimera, despite her lack of ears could feel the City respond to the soundwave, shattering glass and the horns of cars reaching back to her. After the wave, Chimera turned to Meghan in hopes that the robotic woman could explain. Meghan seemed too stunned to answer. ¡°It''s¡­ gone.¡± Sarah recovered next, ¡°W-What, do you mean Meg?¡± Aden shook his head, ¡°oh, that doesn¡¯t feel good at all. What the hell¡¯s happening?¡± Sarah grabbed Meghan¡¯s arms as she tried to get a response out of the stunned robo-human. ¡°What¡¯s going on Meghan?!¡± Meghan finally seemed to snap out of it. ¡°The Barrier, the technology, all of the defenses, and even the power matrix. That sound burst destroyed the rest of the protections for the city. It¡­ killed so many people too.¡± Meghan hiccupped as she said the next words, the words Chimera was worried about the most. ¡°The City¡¯s gone, that blast destroyed New Terra.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°no, no that can¡¯t be! How could one blast do all of that?!¡± Meghan opened her mouth, but before she could answer, a bone spear launched to try and pin her against the wall. Instead, it landed directly into her chest. ¡°Agh¡­¡± ¡°Meghan!¡± All three of them rushed to Meghan. Chimera and Sarah pulled out the projectile and checked on Meghan, who was already healing from the damage. She turned to see Aden covering for them as another bone lance tried to do the same to him. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Aden!¡± The bone spear was followed by several others, pincushioning him and stopping his movements, Chimera stood to block, only for Sarah to put up a shield that blocked tendrils from stabbing them to death. A lift from underneath them unbalanced Sarah and flattened her against the wall. ¡°No!¡± Chimera tried to run to her, but a wall of undulating mass cut her off from the others as she turned to face the assailant. Standing there in the air, with a set of beautiful wings to help her float, was Margaret in her humanoid form. ¡°Oh dear, my apologies, little experiment. My children can be so rowdy, but it¡¯s a mother¡¯s duty to discipline them.¡± She smiled softly, which only made Chimera¡¯s insides boil with hatred. ¡°What did you do to the city?¡± Margaret shook her head, ¡°no word for your comrades? I was given to believe they were more important to you, then something pesky like the humans.¡± ¡°What did you do?!¡± The alien turned to stare up at the hole in the ceiling, which now had no buildings around it to obscure its view. ¡°I cleansed the filth of humanity away from the world. No more of their insipid technology, no more of the robot monstrosities they used to even the playing field. No more tools to exploit.¡± Chimera felt tears roll down her face as the¡­ monster in front of her put a finger to her lips in a thoughtful way. ¡°There¡¯s likely much of that filth left, but it won¡¯t matter. None of them can match me, and that¡¯s the important bit.¡± Chimera tried to keep her eyes on the beast, but her tears blocked her vision. ¡°Oh, dear. Are you alright?¡± She wiped away the tears, the raw pain in her gut ripping her insides to pieces. ¡°You killed those people!¡± ¡°A means to an end.¡± ¡°You destroyed an entire city!¡± ¡°A grander one shall be built in its place.¡± ¡°You broke the Superhero Law! Who would even follow you?!¡± Margaret tilted her head in confusion. ¡°They won¡¯t have a choice to resist, because I¡¯ll be inside them, monitoring them, reeducating them. Guiding them to the proper path is the purpose of a leader. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be following you, it would just be you! No originality, no variation! That¡¯s not a paradise, that¡¯s not even hell! It would be all you!¡± Margaret shook her head, ¡°Oh silly, they can still keep their minds. Some would even thank me, as I will take away those pesky doubts the human¡¯s often worry about. There won¡¯t be any room for that in my Utopia.¡± She shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t even understand why you are arguing. Obviously you and Sarah will be fine, and Aden just needs a bit of touch up before he¡¯s ready. The abomination over there will need to be dealt with, but that can wait. Why are you so upset?¡± Chimera screamed, ¡°I won¡¯t let you change them, they wouldn¡¯t be them if you did that. Puppets! They would just be puppets on your strings if that happened! I Won¡¯t Let You Win!¡± Chimera pulled on her gifts, the powers she accumulated converging into a singular chain of DNA. No longer separated by broken segments or mismatched parts, Chimera built the chain that would bring her the resolution she sought. The death of this monster. Chimera could feel the power from this new chain, which brought together the other powers she had gathered over time. Speed. Strength. Stamina. Energy. Power. All of the various powers that had been made by the serum, all of the strengths that stemmed from humanity, converged into their most basic functions, their purest forms. Dexterity. Acuity. Intelligence. Wisdom. Senses. Empathy. Especially that last one, Chimera needed to be sure that she didn¡¯t even come close to ending up like the maniacal monster ahead of her. Finally, after a few seconds of building this chain, Chimera used all of the energy she had to combine it with her. It tried to resist, the energy flowing from this chain threatening to break apart at the seams. But Chimera¡¯s will was stronger, and the chain of DNA latched onto her body. The change was apparent, but not immediate, at least not at first. Chimera felt different, certainly, but the DNA Chain that started to divide within her was slow in its work. Margaret shook her head, ¡°well, that was certainly dramatic, but the point remains little experiment. You are not my equal, and you never can be. If you wish to die, I can grant that request as well, but I will be magnanimous and ask one last time.¡± She floated to the floor, ¡°will you submit to my rule?¡± ¡­ The chain connected, one piece at a time, slowly building itself up. Chimera felt different each time it did. The chain was changing her, fundamentally and surely. The chain was her, and Chimera began to realize she was no longer a blob. The energy required to put all of this together used too much of her former self, and the energy generator she had made was absorbed by this new chain. The chain that was her. Chimera grew piece by piece, one part to another. The energy she felt grew with her, one chain to another. Until it finally connected, brought together. Small petite hands gripped tightly. Short bouncy hair fell over her ears and eyes. Chimera opened her new eyes, feeling her new face. She was young, somewhere close to a ten year-old in form, but inside¡­ She was something more. The monster in front of her was speaking to her, but the new Chimera couldn¡¯t hear those words yet. There were others to help first. She phased through the undulating mass, burning through the material as if it didn¡¯t exist. Which it might as well, as she covered her body in a null field that reduced everything around it to nothing. For Chimera would not allow the beast to even touch her DNA, for that was her. A twitch from her mind brought her brother¡¯s body, Sarah¡¯s, and the still repairing model of Meghan. She would not change them again, but she could replicate their body¡¯s cells and use them to repair. Yes, this was just a problem to solve, there was nothing wrong with them, they just needed to be turned back on again. A part of her flinched at the old cells that she used to bond the powers to Sarah, Aden and Meghan. Maybe she could make them a little more seamless, less messy. A pure connection to allow them better control. It took no more than a second to make it happen. They were sleeping now, but that would be fine, Chimera would make sure they were safe. The thing was speaking to her again, trying to understand how she repaired them so easily. Something about DNA killer poisons or radioactive isotope laced barbs. Chimera didn¡¯t care. She repaired them, and anything that was unnecessary simply ceased to exist. This thing pretending to be a person was so pitiful if it couldn¡¯t understand something so simple. It launched what Chimera assumed was an ¡®attack¡¯ but the hundreds of tendrils and bone spikes simply did not exist in her null field. They passed through and disappeared. Screams echoed as the beast in front of her pretended to sound human. Silly monster, you can¡¯t be human after all the things you did. Where was your remorse? Where was your empathy? They were filth to you, yes? How insidious. Chimera lifted her with her mind, ripped tiles to compress the being into a box. After sealing it shut, she lifted the box into the air, and launched it straight at the sun. Yes, she could have simply unmade it using the null field, but a part of her wanted the being to suffer, if only a bit before the sun devoured her. Chimera floated around as she gripped the clones of the dead around her, bringing them to life and returning to them a form of sentience. She also erased that being¡¯s presence, making sure that she was truly gone from this world. Chimera knew however that it would be hard to make sure of that, as she would have to check every person, animal, and living creature on Asta to be sure. Chimera smiled to herself. It sounds like fun, a game of cat and mouse. All the while she could start healing the people who could still be saved, and help the rebuilding process. It was hard being a hero. But that was what she was, Chimera the Hero. Chapter 75 Sacrifice A flash of light decorated the sky as a force slammed into the shields from the inside, cascading until it broke through and spread out throughout the city. It was such a minute thing, just a small ripple in the windows and water¡­ Up until it wasn¡¯t. People who had been taking cover suddenly fell to the ground, like a puppet with their strings cut. Heroes started screaming and holding their heads, a massive amount of pain affecting each and everyone of them. Save a few, a very small few. Glow watched all of this happen as she made her way back from the docks where she had just got done investigating a site that might have had Chimera¡¯s involvement. Unlike most Heroes, she wanted to set a good example by working with the law enforcement. However, that came with the caveat that it was often slower, and more methodical work. Still, it gave her evidence, and the thing she needed to bargain for Chimera¡¯s leniency in her upcoming trial. Any point in her favor, despite her origins, would help her. As long as she didn¡¯t kill Pox and whoever this mastermind was that she was- It was as she was having that thought that the city erupted. It was not in any grand way at first, but once the vibrations reached a peak, Glow found herself in the middle of everything turning upside down. Her instincts kicked in right away, doing her best to help those she could while safeguarding the civilians who had been affected by the blast. Still, it only took a few drops to realize that most, if not all, the civilians were dead on arrival. And to make matters even worse, Heroes were fighting each other in the streets, their faces twisted in horrendous glee. Some were fighting back against those who were mad, but they were so few that it hardly mattered. Glow had just got done fighting off two teen heroes who were from another squad, her own squad missing and not responding. ¡°This, what is even happening?!¡± The stress of knowing her friend was a bio-weapon, the stress of the many dead, and even the heroes fighting¡­ It was all starting to wear Glow down as she put the two unconscious heroes next to five others, all sharing the same lunacy that seemed to spread amongst the heroes. ¡°Whatever it is, as long as I can help, things will get better.¡± She tried to pep herself up, as there was no one to help guide the effort. Ms. Magica and Captain Asta were nowhere to be found, Elastiman was already unconscious, one of the first to turn mad and start attacking others. She tried to look at the positives. ¡°We still got power, and the medical facilities were unaffected by the blast. We can help these people as long as we-¡± The power flickered, and finally dropped after a few moments, causing the city to be bathed in an orange glow as the twilight hours became the only light left in the city. ¡°T-The emergency generators will turn on any moment!¡± Sadly, they did not. Glow turned on her power, feeling the light particles spread as she lit up the approaching night with her gift. ¡°I¡¯ll be the light then.¡± That however only seemed to attract more mad Heroes, causing her to have to fight mob after mob of deranged powered individuals. ¡°I¡­¡± After thirty minutes of constant fighting, Glow had finally had enough. ¡°Enough!¡± She blasted an older superhero in the face with her light beam, scorching him and causing him to scream. ¡°Back the Hell Off!¡± Another beam, another scorched hero. Soon, she was doing it to everyone that came up to her with those crazy eyes. And after a bit, she started to feel¡­ Excited. ¡°This¡­ feels great!¡± Part of her soon realized that this might have been why the other heroes ended up the way they were now, at each others throats. Another part wanted to see if she could melt someone¡¯s face off. She decided not to listen to the latter voice. ¡°This¡­ It''s bad, right? I shouldn¡¯t want to¡­ kill everyone.¡± Insane laughter was echoing from within her head, and a person in her mind seemed to want to push her towards murdering all the humans. Glow knew right then that someone was launching a mind control assault on the populace. She also realized that the person she just melted was a bitch and probably totally deserved it. Well the person was a villain, but¡­ she killed them, didn¡¯t that make her a villain? She had to stop herself! ¡°Help! I¡­ can¡¯t control my thoughts! Anyone! Please!¡± She looked up to see a small girl with a laced dress, tendrils of phantasmal light glowing off of her as she floated down the street. The face however, was very familiar to Glow, who had always loved the idea of little sisters. ¡°C-Chimera?!¡± The girl nodded, and after a moment, a tendril jabbed into Glow¡¯s ear, launching itself straight into her meat brain. Words¡­ were noticeably becoming hard to thinky. ¡°Madness brought on by increased serotonin levels, affected purely by the Teras¡¯emon serum, dubbed the ¡®Correction¡¯. Anaylzing¡­¡± Chimera was doing a big think, Glowy should wait and see if she can take out the murder thoughts. Yup that was the smarty thing to do. ¡°Attached to her higher brain functions, mom, you are such a bitch.¡± ¡°Brain, hurty¡­¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. Wait a moment Glow, I''ll have you back to normal soon.¡± Glow felt the tendril move around, and soon, coherency and cognitive alacrity returned to her, more profound and intrinsically connected than ever! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Crap, I did it too well¡­ ah well, being extra smart isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡± ¡°Chimera, I must say that you have truly helped me, and I will always be in your debt for it. Thank you, my friend!¡± Chimera gritted her teeth, ¡°nope, fixing this right now!¡± The tendril adjusted, and Glow felt her mind return to normal, though she did quite miss the extra brain power. ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°Good, back down to somewhat idiot levels. Moving on.¡± ¡°W-Wait! Chimera, I need to talk to you!¡± The little girl turned to her, confusion on her face, ¡°I¡¯m not Chimera.¡± Glow backed away, ¡°wait, then what are you?¡± ¡°Chimera Cell C-1-2AB-3rd sector, I¡¯m working on purging the Teras¡¯emon influence, dubbed the ¡®Correction¡¯.¡± The cell? Pointed up into the sky, as she floated on by, ignoring further comments from Glow as she spoke. ¡°The Prime Chimera is above if you wish to speak to her.¡± Glow took a moment to glance upward, only to see a similar version to the one that was before her floating over the city. Cursing herself for not having a fly power, Glow moved towards the starport district as she used her gift to help her speed up. ¡­ Copymera was enjoying herself. Mostly due to the strange feeling of being disconnected from her primary host body. It happened after Meghan went off to find the others, leaving Copy to look around for survivors of the Iguana attack. She may have pilfered a few gadgets from unassuming stores to help her create a few devices to do such work, but it was all for a good cause. Or at least she told herself that. Just as she was finishing up with her search, an ear splitting pulse flattened a score of buildings, and even took out the power after a few minutes. During that time, Copy was completely cut off from both Sarah, Chimera, and by extension, all the others. Yet, she didn¡¯t feel lonely, or even afraid. Instead, she felt free, like she finally had her own room and didn¡¯t have to share it with her siblings. True, most of the city was flattened by whatever that burst was, but Copy made it a point to bring all of her survivors to a place that was open, like the park area before the Hero¡¯s League. It likely saved many lives, as the buildings around the blast were pushed backwards, causing a domino effect for some of the closer structures in the pharmaceutical district. Copy didn¡¯t let it bother her though, she was doing important work in helping these meat bags. Especially when some of the heroes started to try and attack the few alive citizens. Copy got to try out a brain drain ray that she cobbled together with a microwave and a cold fusion battery. The results melted some of the brains, until she figured out that the setting was too high. Still, a little regenerative stem-cell bath fixed them right up, even if they lost their most recent memories. Probably for the best, she figured. Now she was going around town to stop other would-be crazy heroes, testing out various gadgets she made (stole) from the ruins of New Terra. After running into five separate situations, Copy made her way back to the park area to check on the survivors. Regenerative tissue needed to be applied to most of them, since whatever that blast was broke their DNA of all things. Replacing and reconstitution only took five minutes. Still, she wondered why she hadn¡¯t been affected by the burst of sound and the vibrations shortly after? It brings up many disturbing thoughts, but I still feel my mind is my own, so no though manipulation as far as I can tell. Even Chimera and Sarah no longer speak through my mind, so it couldn¡¯t be their involvement. She pondered some more, until she noticed a little girl bathed in golden light and wispy tentacles float towards her. ¡°Greetings Copymera.¡± Copy nodded, brushing off the strange sight as she continued to ponder, ¡°yes, sure. What do you need? I¡¯m busy at the moment.¡± The floating child tilted its head, ¡°Copy, it¡¯s me.¡± Copy took a moment to stare at the sight, ¡°what, a hallucination? Sorry but I don¡¯t know any floating children.¡± The child actually had the wherewithal to groan and put a hand on her face. That caused Copymera to blink. ¡°For a child, you sound exasperated. Do you need a cookie or something?¡± The child stomped her foot in mid-air, which did not have the results she likely was going for, only making her look like she was kicking the air. It did make Copy smile at the sight. ¡°No! Damn this body. It¡¯s me, Chimera!¡± Copy chuckled, ¡°child, I know Chimera, I fought with Chimera, Chimera is a sister to me. You are no Chimera.¡± The child insisted however, ¡°no, I went through a transformation to graft all my powers together and make a new body to stop my evil mom! It''s all true!¡± Copymera couldn¡¯t help but burst into laughter, ¡°no way! There¡¯s no way! You are too much for a child!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Copy stopped, ¡°as am I. Chimera would know how to interact with me, and we share¡­ shared a connection. I know she wouldn¡¯t choose a child¡¯s form willingly.¡± To Copymera¡¯s surprise, the girl had the means to look embarrassed. ¡°The form I took was the only way to keep it stable¡­ alright? I couldn¡¯t go adult or the DNA chain would have collapsed.¡± Copymera finally stopped chuckling, ¡°Tell me something only she and I would know. I might believe you then.¡± ¡°You threw yourself into Mr. Flesh¡¯s mouth and blew him up from the inside.¡± Copy froze. ¡°...anyone could have told you that.¡± ¡°You were there with me, Sarah, Mimi, and Clone! We all fought him together with my girlfriend Lark nearby!¡± Copy shook her head, ¡°no, there¡¯s no way. Clone and Mimicera would have said something¡­ wait.¡± Copy stopped and stared at the child, ¡°where are they, my clone sisters?¡± Chimera, or the being that pretended to be her, shifted to a somber tone as she spoke. ¡°I-In order to create it¡­ we needed to combine all the power we had. It was the only way to stop Margaret from hurting Sarah and the others.¡± ¡°Chimera wouldn¡¯t have sacrificed us to do so. We¡­¡± The Chimera in front of Copy looked at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. ¡°It was the only way. They¡­ are gone now.¡± Copy stomped the ground with her foot, a ripple of cracks spreading around the point of impact. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Chimera stared at her with tears in her eyes. ¡°Copy, I need you hel-¡± ¡°DO NOT Say a word. Chimera would never have abandoned us. She would never have us sacrifice ourselves for¡­¡± The Chimera before her shouted back, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask them too, they did it themselves!¡± Copy almost pulled out her mind pacifier (melter) and blasted the child, only holding back as the words left her mouth. ¡°We needed the power to stop her, to save everyone. Meghan, Aden and Sarah were going to die if we didn¡¯t! You, Sarah, and I are all that is left.¡± The Chimera before her stared at her, tears in her eyes, but with unwavering determination held within. ¡°We did what we had to, to save the city, and the people we care about.¡± Copy fell to the ground, ¡°no¡­ not them¡­¡± Copy felt her own tears start to flow as the child wrapped her in a hug. At first she tried to push the child away, but eventually, Copy grabbed hold of the child, weeping for the loss of her family and the tragedy that befell their sacrifice. ¡­ Chimera floated above, experiencing everything that her cell¡¯s did as she spread herself out to find and resurrect the fallen. Despite her empathy, which she had made sure to retain, she found it hard to care about the tears that she saw in many eyes. Through her clones, she was able to see all the others, and the massive amount of dead and mad heroes were all just things that needed to be fixed after all. Parts to return to a whole. The tragedy of the sonic scream took many of the New Terrans lives, and the heroes madness brought on by Margaret¡¯s final card made chaos spread and the few civilians who lived fear heroes as well. The cells she sent out helped to ease the burden, comforting and healing as they could. Chimera pondered how the rest of the problem should be addressed, since the city itself was ruined. Ultimately, that could come later. For now, she had to decide how to deal with the remaining places that had resistance. More cells came to life, spreading out to deal with fights, and heal those who could be saved. Chimera stared at the sky as she noticed the last thing that she needed to take care of. The satellite that hung over New Terra would always be a threat so long as it remained, and Chimera wanted to be sure that no one could use it for evil means. Which was why she sought out Copy, as she could likely remake the teleporter that Monica used to access it. With Meghan still healing, there was no one else to ask, and as such she needed to hurry and deal with the threat once and for all. She felt the wave of sadness from her cell as she held her now detached clone. It will be alright, I will make it right. I am a Hero, and Heroes save the day. She got confirmation that Copy was on her way, and Chimera floated toward the ruin that contained the teleporter. Pain shot through her body as she felt the chain struggle to maintain itself. Just a little longer, I just need to hold a little bit more¡­ Chapter 76 Hero-Chimera The Chimera cells spread throughout the city, an army of clones seeking out and saving those that were left. They also had another purpose. Cell C-1-2AB-3rd, originally sent to ensure the survival of Chimera¡¯s friend Glow, was searching for traces of the being Margaret, who had her primary body sent to the sun. Now, she was on clean up duty, making sure the villain no longer had any traces she could use to come back. Along the way, she had been able to save many different people, Heroes mostly, but there were some civilians. Still, her primary objective was Margaret. So far, there has been nothing of note, yet¡­ Chimera cell C-1-2AB-3rd felt a pain in her chest. ¡°W-What¡­ was¡­¡± A moment later, the pain spread, and her body broke into particles, with only a little residue on the ground where she once was. ¡­ Chimera twitched, feeling another of her clones dissipate. Shit, it¡¯s too soon! Copymera was walking ahead of her as she led them both to the teleporter, so she didn¡¯t notice Chimera as she clenched her chest in pain. Chimera took a moment to try and patch up the chain, holding it together with her will. She could feel it stabilize, but it was clear. The chain that was her would break soon. I still have something I need to do¡­ Chimera pushed ahead, Copy moving next to her as she stared off in confusion. ¡°What the hells the rush? It¡¯s just over here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Time?! What do you even mean?¡± ¡°Just find the teleporter.¡± Copy tried to stop her, but Chimera pushed past her as she tried searching for the only means of stopping the satellite. After a few minutes of searching, Copymera yelled over to her as they pulled out a pod that was surprisingly still intact, despite having a building flattened around it. The biggest concern was the control pad, which seemed to have been damaged by an electrical device. ¡°Can you fix it?¡± Copy crossed her arms, ¡°sure I can, if you tell me why you need it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s to stop the satellite.¡± ¡°So? Margaret¡¯s dead, Monica¡¯s dead and so is Pox, there¡¯s no one left to use it.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that for sure, she could have another clone up there. Hell, she could have a fail safe to launch another strike if she doesn¡¯t check it! We have to be sure.¡± Copy shook her head, ¡°what is wrong with you Chimera?¡± Chimera shook herself, the chain holding together but the bonds were starting to weaken. ¡°Copy, I need to get up there¡­ please.¡± Copymera stared at her, ¡°not until you tell me why.¡± Chimera stared at her clone sister for a long moment, contemplating whether she should. Then she remembered the face Copy made when she found out Mimicera and Clonemera were gone. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I get back, I promise.¡± Copy shook her head, but nodded after a bit. ¡°You better.¡± I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Copy. They got to work, connecting the wires and powering it up with the electricity generator that they both had. The teleporter hummed to life as the last of the calibrations it needed spun, coordinating to the satellite. Chimera made her way to the pod, pressing herself up against the interior as she spun to look at Copy one last time. ¡°Beginning sequence¡­ Hey, Chimera?¡± Chimera turned to her as the pod started up. ¡°When you get back¡­ well,¡± Copy, uncharacteristically, seemed to be at a loss for words. ¡°Its okay Copy.¡± Copy shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be Copymera, it¡­ sounds too much like the others. I want to be Pym. So, when you get back, could you-¡± ¡°Sure Pym.¡± Copy, or rather Pym, smiled widely. ¡°I still want an explanation when you get back.¡± Chimera¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°Of course.¡± Pym smiled as she pushed the button, the light around Chimera wiggling like a snake coiling around her. Until she finally felt a rush of air hit her, and found herself floating from the pod. Chimera pushed herself gently off the pod, now free floating across the deck of a rather small room. If cramped was a way to describe this place, claustrophobic would be the word Chimera had to describe it. She moved easily enough considering her new size, yet she couldn''t imagine Aden or Sarah fitting into any of these crawl spaces and doors. Chimera tendril bounced from space to space, checking and double checking all the gadgetry around her, tapping into the system with her technopathy. The satellite came to life in her mind, speaking to her in the voice of a distracted explorer. ¡°Yes, what do you need? I¡¯m recharging the station¡¯s solar cells right now and I need to chart my next path for a geopositioned orbit. In other words, I¡¯m very busy right now.¡± Chimera explained what she was looking for, stating that she believed that the person who built and used her likely had a pod for a clone aboard. ¡°If you are worried about that thing, don¡¯t be. It died the moment the energy cells were used to fire the solar cannon. It¡¯s nothing but a husk with no driver right now.¡± Chimera sighed in relief, ¡°So there¡¯s nothing to worry about from Margaret, or Monica.¡± The satellite spoke to her in an exact kind of voice, as if she was a professor teaching a brat for making the wrong assumption, ¡°the cannon is still charging, and is set to fire once it does. It was the last failsafe my creator made in case of her death, and the code was sent once it was confirmed.¡± The satellite almost seemed to be sad at the news, ¡°there¡¯s nothing I can do to stop the cannon, as the code has been inserted, and I have been locked out. I do feel sorry for the meat bags below.¡± Chimera panicked, ¡°we have to stop it! Isn¡¯t there something you can do?¡± The satellite pondered, ¡°there¡¯s one way, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?! Spit it out please!¡± The satellite, despite being unable to do so, seemed to shake her head in exasperation at Chimera¡¯s insistence. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°The cells to the solar cannon are going to fire, but if we were far enough away, the cannon wouldn¡¯t be effective enough to damage the people below. However,¡± Silence followed for a few minutes before the satellite spoke again. ¡°We would be lost, adrift, and with no way to return. Chimera felt the pain in her chest heave for a moment, causing her to go into a coughing fit that ended with a bit of pinkish blood coming from her lips. ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± ¡°You would most likely die from exposure, and there is no way to protect this vessel from micro-meteors or any object that happens to be in our path. The vacuum would certainly kill you.¡± Chimera turned to stare out the one window on the vessel, a small thing but just enough to see her home below. The blue green marble spun, clouds grew and receded, and the moon was just out of sight. I¡­ wish I could have seen Lark¡­ or spoken to Sarah and Aden¡­ and Meghan¡­ ¡°Can you send a message from this station, satellite?¡± ¡°Of course, it was how my mistress sent data packets. I can send it to any station below.¡± ¡°There''s a ranger station outside of the New Terra city limits, used as a home for a friend of mine. Please send it there, if you could.¡± ¡°...human creature, are you¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...Nothing¡­but¡­I wish to hear your thoughts as well.¡± Chimera agreed, speaking to a camera as she conveyed the last thoughts she had for the people that mattered most to her. She cried through a lot of it, but in the end, she felt like they would understand what she was doing. She hoped Lark found someone special. She hoped Sarah would be free to be herself. She hoped that Aden and Aura would have a great life¡­ And She prayed that Pym would forgive her selfishness. Chimera turned to the satellite, one last hope in her mind. ¡°Can I use the teleporter once we''re safely away?¡± The satellite seemed to sense her desperation, but offered no good news. ¡°The distance¡­ would be too great, and there wouldn¡¯t be enough power as the cells are being used for the cannon. I¡­ apologize Chimera.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ my power would have likely killed me anyway. It¡¯s better this way.¡± ¡°This power? Is it unstable?¡± Chimera choked as she spoke, ¡°I made it to be powerful, but all that DNA was from different people and creatures. It was never meant to hold together like I made it to be. I likely had days to live, but I could have survived if I¡­¡± If I got new DNA from others. If she devoured people. Not just their fat, or excess cells, their entire bodies. Chimera didn¡¯t want to be a monster, ever since she became sapient. She wanted to be like the heroes in Sarah¡¯s memories. Like the ideals she remembered seeing as Sarah walked to work. Heroes didn¡¯t eat people to keep themselves alive. They saved people, they saved cities. They save the world. Chimera felt a flare of pain as the cracks in the chain started to spread. Slowly, but surely, they would break, and she with them. That much power, that much energy. Chimera worried about what would happen once it did finally shatter. Better here¡­ than down there. Chimera asked the computer in the satellite to plot the course. The energy from the cannon was readying to fire, but the retro-rockets for the satellite started to fire as they pushed away from the orbit of Asta. With the rockets firing, the cannon¡¯s discharge pushed them further and further away from Asta. ¡°Chimera, the message has been sent in full.¡± ¡°Thank you, I know what I am asking for-¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter. I was built to be a weapon, but¡­ I always wished to see the stars around me instead. This is¡­ oddly comforting.¡± ¡°...¡± Chimera smiled softly, never taking her eyes off of Asta as the satellite brought them further and further away, the cannon shooting them across the astral sky. She leaned her head against the window, watching Asta become a dot in the distance. Goodbye¡­ everyone. ¡­ Chimera¡¯s last effort to save New Terra from the solar cannon proved effective, as the laser bathed the city in a few moments of intense heat, only to slowly fade and give a bit of warmth before finally dissipating. The people, brought back to life by the fading power of Chimera¡¯s cells, all questioned what just happened to their fair city, and the cause of such destruction. No one could give them straight answers until Ms. Magicka returned, surrounded by heroes and sidekicks of every kind. She would explain to them the mad designs of Dr. Pox, his daughter Monica, and the ¡®tragic¡¯ deaths of the other Death children, who were lost to the destruction of the underground laboratory. None knew of Margaret Bockman, the insane mastermind behind the entire plot, and none would, for it was too connected to the powers the human heroes enjoyed. Better to let it be dead and buried. And it was, for no trace of Margaret remained, only the bonded cells inside the humans that had been cured by Chimera¡¯s first aid. The Hero¡¯s League once again saved the day, and everything was right in the world of Asta. At least, officially. A group of individuals, both fugitive and hero alike, retreated to a cabin lodge located on the outskirts of the city. They were left by Sarah, who was doing her best to keep it together while she processed everything that had happened to her. And to Chimera. They arrived to the worry of Meghan¡¯s Father, who wrapped his daughter in a bear hug that made her metal joints creak. Lark was beside herself with worry as she searched for Chimera, not finding even a trace of the girl. At least, until Mark gave them the message. ¡°It came in about an hour before you guys arrived, but I didn¡¯t want to spook Lark here until you all got back. It came from a satellite judging from the information, so I can only assume it was from Chimera.¡± He wrangled with some wires as he put together an old television that had rabbit ears on it and an old disk reader. Meghan sighed, ¡°Dad, that stuff is ancient, why do you still keep it around?¡± Her father smiled, ¡°because I can ¡®stream¡¯ without the government checking on how many times I rewatched my favorite movies.¡± The daughter of the park ranger groaned as he finally set up the disk reader, playing the message. It flickered to life as an image of a young girl in a red dress appeared, her body floating aboard a small room with a tiny window behind her. ¡°H-Hey guys? Umm, well¡­¡± the girl was so worried about something that it made Sarah shake her head. ¡°She needs to calm down.¡± As if on command, Chimera took a deep breath, breathing out as she tried to brace herself. ¡°I¡¯m good, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Chimera turned back to the camera. ¡°I¡­ want to say a lot, but time is of the essence, so¡­ I¡¯ll say what I want to.¡± She smiled brightly, ¡°Sarah, you gave me life, you gave me thoughts and feelings, and you helped me when I struggled to know what I was. Thank you, mom.¡± The words came out of nowhere, and everyone took a moment to stare at Sarah¡¯s reaction. The abject horror on her face spelled it out. ¡°No¡­¡± Chimera moved on, ¡°Meghan, you are¡­ my best friend. You helped me come into myself. I learned about the world, and about myself through your eyes. Thank you, for forgiving yourself and¡­ for watching my back. You were the best sidekick ever.¡± Meghan barked out a laugh, ¡°IF anything, you were the sidekick, you little shit.¡± The laughs turned to coughs, and even a bit of light sobbing. Chimera continued, ¡°Aden¡­ turns out you¡¯re my uncle more than my brother¡­ but I wouldn¡¯t trade you for all the things in the world. You were the first person I saved, and you were a great brother. Thank you¡­ for¡­¡± Chimera was starting to cry as she spoke, and it started to infect the others. ¡°F-For, loving me¡­ a-and¡­ being¡­ there.¡± Aden clenched his jaw as his eyes got misty. ¡°Damnit¡­ I knew¡­ I knew after we didn¡¯t see her.¡± Lark, unsurprisingly, was shocked at what she was seeing and turned to the group. ¡°What happened to Chimera? Why¡¯s she talking like¡­?¡± The unspoken words floated in the air. Like she¡¯s not coming back? ¡°Pym.¡± Pym stood in front of the others as she stared at Chimera, the trembling rage in her eyes masking the unbelievable pain she felt. ¡°I¡¯m dying¡­ Pym.¡± The group gasped, and Lark yelled out a ¡®No¡¯ as she moved closer to the screen. ¡°I combined the DNA of all the heroes I¡­ took from. It was unstable¡­ volatile¡­ but it worked. I sent Margaret to the sun and healed the others. I knew¡­ that my time was limited. I¡­ couldn¡¯t tell you¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Pym smashed a tendril into the floor. ¡°You selfish piece of shit! You knew¡­ you knew and you didn¡¯t tell me!¡± Pym tried to throw her arms around, but Sarah grabbed hold of her in a tight hug. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Pym.¡± ¡°No! That bitch! That¡­ coward¡­ AUGHHHHHHH!¡± Pym thrashed weakly as she tried to escape, but her heart wasn¡¯t into it, and Sarah could tell she was experiencing another loss. After all, she couldn¡¯t feel Chimera, Clonemera, or Mimicera either. ¡°Lark¡­ I had to do it¡­ I couldn¡¯t let Margaret win. The world she was trying to build¡­ would have changed everyone. I had to stop her¡­ I had to.¡± Chimera held a hand over her chest, and through the screen, Lark and the others could see a crack made of yellow-gold appear across her neckline. ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t long¡­ but forget me. Move on and find someone who will make you happy¡­ you deserve-¡± Chimera cried out, the crack flaring for a few moments before receding. ¡°Chimera!¡± The girl on the other end of the screen braced herself against a desk, breathing heavily as she turned back. ¡°I never once regretted our time together. All of you¡­ you were the reason I did this. I had to save you¡­ I wanted to.¡± Chimera smiled, despite the pained look on her face. ¡°Goodbye¡­ everyone.¡± ¡°Chimera, the message has been sent.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ I know I¡¯m asking a lot-¡± The video cut off from there, leaving the rest of the group in stunned silence. ¡­ Epilogue Three years since the rebuilding of New Terra... The Metropolis of New Terra, now one of the three cities on the colony of Asta has been rebuilt better than ever. The Hero¡¯s League, once the go-to force for peace and protection, has disbanded, allowing the Samaritan Protection Act to take over in its place. Allowing citizens to work with police to solve crimes, the heroes of New Terra take a role of volunteering, allowing them to work and help their fellow man without being subjected to attacks of a personal nature. The police now supports its ability to protect its citizens with the enhanced, the new term for those who help with volunteer work. But that¡¯s only for those who work within the law. A group of vigilante¡¯s dubbed the Silent Watch, work behind the laws of New Terra to take down threats of a more sinister nature. Choosing to use their powers to protect those they care for in the shadows, this group gives both headaches and trouble to the Police Force and Villains alike. It¡¯s said that the leader of the hidden organization, ¡®Livewire¡¯ has already apprehended more than five different supervillains of notable notoriety. Some claim she is the Hero that saved New Terra in the past, disappearing into the shadows to continue her work. Others say she was someone who wore the moniker, adopting it after hearing of the sacrifices the original made. One thing is clear however. None know the true motives of the Silent Watch, and their work, while accepted by the general populace, is still outside the law. ¡­ ¡°Aden! The show''s about to start!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Rushing past the line and making his way to the arena, Aden picked out the spot which sported his name on it. It was always reserved, especially for this show. Aden sat down near the front of the aquarium as he put his stuff in a water-tight pack his wife gave him. Though he knew it was her way of getting his attention, he always wondered why she told him to ¡®sit in the splash zone¡¯? She still wants to see me, even when she¡¯s got all these other people here to see her show. He smiled despite his grumbling. She does look pretty hot in that suit though. ¡°Hey, Aden!¡± Aden turned to see his wife¡¯s sister sit next to him, an umbrella in her hand. ¡°Crysa, nice to see you here.¡± She pushed his shoulder, ¡°now try to say it like you mean it, jackass.¡± Aden smiled, ¡°that would require effort, fresh out, I''m afraid.¡± ¡°I take it back, you¡¯re a jerkass.¡± Despite her crude humor, Aden couldn¡¯t feel any heat behind her words. ¡°Come to finally see the show eh?¡± Crysa shrugged, ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s a nice way to spend the afternoon I guess.¡± Aden smirked, ¡°you could just say you wanted to see her too.¡± The ex-villainess pulled out her umbrella to block on the sun, and to poke his head with one of the divots. ¡°Shut up and cheer for my sister.¡± ¡°Can do.¡± Aden smiled as Aura showed up on the stage, her hair pulled back in a ponytail as she spoke over the crowd to get their attention. Her suit was black and white with the accents of an orca, and her teeth shined in the sunlight as she smiled wide for the crowd. And to him. ¡°Hey everyone! It''s a scorcher today, yeah?!¡± The kids and adults in the audience shouted in agreement, the screams carrying a high pitch in the bleachers. ¡°I¡¯ll say, why don¡¯t we do something about that, eh?¡± Aura raised her hands as the water churned underneath her, raising into the sky in the form of dolphins, sharks, and other various sea life. Smiling evilly, she sent the projections into the crowd, letting the dolphins flick water with their tails while the sharks went around and ¡®bit¡¯ the heads of the few people who ¡®boo¡¯d. One such dolphin came to kiss him with its bill, after flicking some water on his shirt and shorts. Aden smiled at his wife as she winked at him, turning evilly towards Crysa. ¡°Well everyone, it seems my dear husband and sister decided to stop by. What should we do?¡± ¡°Spray her!¡± ¡°Dunk him!¡¯ ¡°BOTH!¡± She made a motion to cup her ear so she could hear them better, the crowd getting louder and louder as they agreed on both. Crysa tried to run, but Aden grabbed hold of her, keeping her seated. ¡°Oh come on Aden, this dress retains water too well, I¡¯ll be soaked!¡± ¡°Let her have this, you guys haven''t talked in a while.¡± Crysa made a fake sobbing motion, ¡°she¡¯s so vindictive.¡± ¡°I wonder where she got that from.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Crysa had just enough time to glare at him before they both got splashed by a tidal wave. ¡­ ¡°Sector 2-D in the port district is showing signs of a potential smuggling ring, and another damn fight club. Seriously, how many of these illegal things keep popping up?!¡± Technowolf, or Gideon, grinded his teeth as he typed away on his computer, a wave of details and insight rushing towards him as he sent his new and improved Peace-Keep-Rs to intercept the illegal operation. ¡°Our work is never without its monotony, pupil, but it needs to be done regardless.¡± Gideon scowled as he turned to his ¡®boss¡¯, ¡°I don¡¯t see you doing anything of import, master.¡± His master smirked at him as one of her various ¡®friends'' glowered at him with its red iris camera lens. ¡°And that is why you are stuck with this bitch work, my pupil. You need to open your mind more to handle more tasks, to be ready to be taught. Your gift is a grand thing, but your mind is too saturated with false greatness. Learn, and you¡¯ll do important work.¡± Gideon sighed, ¡°yeah, yeah. But for all that is holy why-¡± He felt a ping from his ability as his Peace-Keep-R¡¯s found the place, preparing to engage. The hired goons that this place employed didn¡¯t stand a chance. His leader, PK-01, was an intelligent sapient robot built by him and his master, one of the best operatives that the Silent Watch had available. As such, he didn¡¯t need much direction, only updates when new variables arrived. ¡°PK-01 you¡¯ve got a category silver heading your way according to the cameras. Electrical gauntlets. Make sure you activate your insulation gear to get the best effect.¡± PK-01 gave a thumbs up to the camera that Gideon was watching, letting him know he got the message. ¡°Pk-02 and 03, you guys have the hard part. The mainframe we need is located in the office, and it''s very possible that the man behind this is there. Shoot to stun, and capture. If you can''t, you are authorized to kill.¡± PK-02 and PK-03 were his models, built from the ground up to work as a team. PK-02 was a spherical droid with a pulse cannon and treads to climb walls with, while PK-03 was a heavy bot with quad legs, splicer gear, and four mini cannons dotted on each of his legs. 02 would climb walls to get vantage shots, while 03 would tank the hits from the heavier enhanced or armored fighters. So far, they worked very well together. But this would be their hardest challenge, as the boss of this place was said to be an enhanced mutation, one that was natural born and not built from the Teras¡¯ emon serum. There was no telling what his power was until they engaged. Gideon grabbed a potato chip and ate it as his fingers danced. I will prove that I am worthy, I won¡¯t be a tool again. ¡­ A massive laboratory overlooked the sea, sealed up with glass that looked so clear that it was almost indistinguishable from the outside. The beakers foamed with various strains and liquids, the machines whirred to life as they took their readings and copied their data. On the only chair in the entire room, was Sarah Bockman as she stared intently at the flora in front of her. It was a hybrid plant she had created, one that would allow pineapples to grow on a tree. She smiled as it already had a few tiny fruits growing from its bulbs, Normally such plants would be ground bound, and would grow into the soil. Not these though. They would grow on the branches of this massive tree, which would twist and turn to spread its pineapples as far as it could from its own location. Nature''s self growing pineapple tree forest. ¡°Meghan¡¯s going to get a kick out of this when she sees it.¡± Sarah imagined the look on her friend turned robot, incredulity followed by surprise and hunger. Knowing her, she¡¯d want to turn it into a cyborg too. Sarah sighed as she set aside her little seedling, taking a look at a picture next to her desk. It was a simple thing, with Chimera, Aden, and Meghan showing off the first Botty, the little green lens robot with its stubby legs. Sarah smiled, even as a tiny pain echoed in her chest at the bright smile of Chimera. We miss you, you know? Sarah sniffled a bit as she grabbed some pineapple juice, taking a big drink of it as she went back to work. ¡­ ¡°Pym¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Are¡­ you sure?¡± Pym didn¡¯t wait for Lark to hear a response, and kissed the girl across the lips. It was sudden, full of electricity, and passion. And a little sloppy. Still Pym felt that she finally got her feelings across as Lark stared at her in a dazed state. ¡°I want to be with you Lark, and i know that you used to be with Chi-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, this isn¡¯t about her, it''s about you and me.¡± Pym felt her heart jump at that, and practically melted when Lark smiled back at her. They both took hold of each other''s hands. As they kicked a super villainess in the face. ¡°AUHgh!¡± The dread Moa-Viper, a new mutation type of super villainess flew backward as she landed on a patch of ice, growing lethargic by the second. ¡°Curse¡­you¡­. Both¡­¡± With a drop, the cold-blooded villain toppled into slumber, allowing the two ¡®volunteers¡¯ to round her up just as their police liaison Nira arrived. To find them both kissing. ¡°Ugh, both of you stop contaminating the crime scene and get a room!¡± ¡°Now officer,¡± Another person with a monocle and a distinct suit tailored to him walked up to tap her shoulder. However, his longer face and tail coupled with his larger ears made him out to be a Rice, one of the newer species of New Terrans to have joined the humans. ¡°Nothing wrong with finding love on the battlefield. They¡¯ve done their jobs, now let''s begin ours.¡± ¡°Barrington, you haven¡¯t worked with these bozos like I have, so you don¡¯t know. They flirt all the fucking time!¡± ¡°Perhaps if you give it no attention, they will bore themselves and move on?¡± Lark smirked at them, ¡°he¡¯s right you know?¡± Pym smiled, ¡°half of it is to bug you, Nira.¡± Nira held a hand on her pistol, ¡°oh if only bullets worked on you two.¡± The last straw was when Pym and Lark stuck their tongue¡¯s out at the officer, resulting in a court hearing about why there were multiple bullet holes at the crime scene despite there being no weapon. It was a long month for Nira. ¡­ In space¡­ A wreckage floated around aimlessly, the last trajectory sent in hurling into an asteroid, which only bounced off of it to fly off in another direction. The metals, devices and equipment were sheared off with time, micro meteors, and other things the vessel ran into. All that was left after a while was a pod with a body inside of it. The body of a clone. However, it was not the body itself that was the most important bit. For deep within the body of the clone was a benign being of immense power. The sleeping creature, after having exploded, latched onto the closest host it could, the body of a familiar clone that shared some DNA with it. However, it was so damaged by the explosion it caused that it could barely function for long. So, it bonded with the body, slowly bringing it to life so that it may rebuild itself. Originally, it was a being made of separate DNA sequences, brought together to create a monstrous weapon. However, the power now slept within the creature, waiting for the day it would be rebuilt, and the host could live again. For she was a Chimera, a being made of many into one whole. And she was no stranger to new experiences. The End. Prologue and Chapter 1 Reborn Chimera Meras-102 Log: Star Chapter Waning Moon. This is Captain Bark Ironwood proceeding with the Star log of our most recent acquisition. Having been in deep space for a few standard Steros weeks, we have been inbound for docking on the home world after a massive haul of scientific specimens we believe will be crucial to the war effort. As I record this, our lead scientist, a Ms. Bristlebranch, has already begun her work on the most precious specimen, an adult Wujack from one of the vegetative moon worlds near our cluster. Safe to say that the regeneration factor it possesses would be crucial to our forces, especially with the Verdant Hood targeting our civilian healing centers and capturing the doctors there. To think that those damn serpents won¡¯t even spare the non-combatants¡­ I digress. The Log should let it be known that besides the Wujack, our vessel has had another occupant, one that if Dr. Bayleaf¡¯s analysis is to be believed, could be an entirely new species of sapient. It was tracked on a collision course with a nearby civilian vessel that was transporting refugees to the homeworld, and¡­ well¡­ The creature or sapient I suppose, gave the folks on the vessel quite a shock. It eerily resembles one of us Elferi, sans our pointed ears and pale complexion. Same build too, but the body, which Ms. Bristlebranch believes to be female, is sunken. Small, pink complexion, wounded ears and with a petite frame that would put even our young to shame. Likely from exposure, but the tests have shown even more insanity. As I record this, I still cannot make heads or tails about the sapient we recovered from that vessel. Because the sapient was breathing, still alive despite being exposed to a vacuum for what must have been a great deal of time. The pod it was encased in was slowly leaking what we assumed was its breathable air. Yet it still lives, and is now situated in our quarantine bay alongside the other specimens. Unconscious but alive¡­ and looking like a desiccated corpse to boot. Thinking about it reminds me too much of things I would rather not share on this Log, so this will be the final entry before our return. This is Captain Bark Ironside of the research vessel Meras-102, signing off. ¡­ God, if you¡¯re real and not all pissed at me for the past stuff, I humbly ask you to keep me from dying. I know you probably get this alot, but I¡¯m too young to die. Seriously, I¡¯ve been alive for almost a year, this is too unfair! Inside a pod carrying the almost completely absorbed and rather mummified body of a clone, existed a being of unfathomable power and versatility. A creature with a heart of gold, and a desire to punish wrongdoers and bring justice. Sadly, this creature was now stuck inside this body, unable to move for fear of the outside killing and freezing her solid. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. And with the fat cells and power source of the body almost completely drained, it would¡¯t be long before this heroine of justice would meet her end. Damnit! Son of a B- But she was not done yet, for she had a plan to save her life, and all it required was a bit more time. And a risk. This creature was called Chimera, and she was determined to survive. On her home planet of Asta, she was a creature bred to be a biological weapon, a monster made to fight and kill, and absorb the powers of would-be heroes to use for her dark master, Monica Ferrous. But due to a twist of fate, she had been inserted inside a woman on the verge of death, a woman who passed down her memories to the young Chimera. Confusing herself for the woman in question, she started her journey to find the ones responsible for her strange condition, and save her brother from his horrible disease. And she had succeeded, coming to terms with her gift, reuniting with Sarah, her original host and savior, while ending the terror that was Monica and her meglamanical family of supervillains. Though it came at a cost, as the mother of the mad villainess set a doomsday weapon to go off in case of her demise. This ion cannon, poised to obliterate the city of New Terra, would evaporate all of her loved ones should she let it come to pass. So, in a moment of sacrifice, with a final farewell to her loved ones, Chimera teleported to the station and sent it into deep space, marooning herself in the astral sea, with no way back home. In a last ditch effort to save herself, she sealed her amorphous body inside with a clone of the wretched Margaret, and infused the host with her essence. This was however, after she had blown up the station with her gifts, as she combined them all together into a powerful circle chain of infused DNA. This unstable power detonated, sending her even further beyond the reach of her home world. Which leads us to her current situation. Chimera had been keeping this vessel alive in order to help her stave off the coldness of space, but with the body shutting down, she had no way to continue the process, and, should she fail¡­ She would immediately freeze from the outside in. Thus Chimera was using the last of the body¡¯s biological material to create something she referred to as a perpetual energy generator, or a PEG. This DNA amalgamation, made with her own blobby flesh, would create for her an energy source that would endlessly generate energy for her body to use, freeing her from this flesh prison. But¡­ If only I still had my freaking powers! Chimera had lost almost all of her powers when the golden chain of DNA erupted, and with only the PEG left for her to build. She was running out of time! However, one shining light was that Margaret had infused this body with DNA from her alien roots as a Teras-emon, a sentient race of slime-like beings. With this, and a bit more of the DNA in this body. Chimera could rebuild her PEG, giving her a chance! Come on, hurry! She could feel the body failing around her, the organs shutting down, the brain barely keeping the heart pumping. She just needed a bit more time! Chimera knew though, that time was up. It was now or never. If she couldn¡¯t absorb the last of the DNA from this clone¡­ Focus! She spread her body to everything, enveloping the entire body with her blobby being, and crunched it down inside her. She could feel the cold air trying to make its way to her, but she couldn¡¯t let that distract her. Chimera knew she had enough, she just needed to make the damn thing! She reached into her core, weaving the DNA chain much like a loom to thread, creating and building the blueprint that she knew would save her life. Come on! The PEG sparked, and a slowly turning feeling started to move inside her. It was starting up, it only needed a bit more, just a few seconds more! Chimera braced herself as the cold hit her¡­ And simply brushed against her body. ¡­Huh? Chimera shifted, taking on a form as her PEG whirred to life, spreading energy and warmth around her as she opened eyes she hadn¡¯t used in what felt like ages. She was now in her child form, a young ten or eleven year old girl with short red hair and eyes, and a flowing dress that twirled around her in a mass of tendrils. Her body tensed as she took in the sighed around her, a scene that she was very, very, familiar with. Oh no¡­ is this a lab?! ¡­ Chapter 2 Escape the Lab! Chimera placed herself against the glass of the tube as she looked around the room she found herself in. It was, for the lack of a better term, some kind of quarantine room. The memories she had of times when Sarah had to use such facilities were fresh in her mind as she connected the dots to her location. Yet, the room itself was rather strange. Despite looking rather sterile and clean, it was clear that the walls and floor were made of the same materials, with no place where the floor and walls separated. In all her life, Chimera had never seen such a room designed this way. She pressed against the glass, attempting to push the door for the tube from the inside. No luck, the thing was bolted down in its new position, and no one released the locks on the compartment from the outside. Meaning she was sealed, despite the cool air that was still somehow making its way inside. Hmm¡­ Chimera turned to the direction of the air, feeling the wind coming from an overhead compartment to her tube. It would be a bit of a stretch¡­ Chimera pondered over using the vent, though it wasn¡¯t reall that much of a decision. With the tube effectively sealed, the vent was the only way out. So, Chimera shifted into her blob like state, suffusing her body with the malleable form she came to know. Rolling to the vent, she inserted herself inside, pushing open the compartment just enough for her viscous body to slink on through. It was working, she could feel her body mesh with the electronics, coating the insides as the wires began to fray and tear. Percussive maintenance, don¡¯t fail me now¡­ She began ripping out wires and boards, trying to do her best to initiate what she assumed was the emergency release code for the tube. If enough damage was done¡­ Ding! Warning, critical systems failure detected, releasing occupant. Yes! Chimera felt the latch open as a hiss decompressed the atmosphere inside the tube, allowing the air outside to flush in as the vacuum dispersed. Holy Shit¡­ The air that hit Chimera was something that she had never experienced before, something that even the deepest memory she had shared with Sarah couldn¡¯t fake. Clean, breathable air. Chimera took in a massive gulp of it, feeling the oxygen within flood her systems with power. This place¡­ the air¡­ all of it is energized, powerful somehow¡­ Chimera couldn¡¯t place where or what she was experiencing, but she took a good couple of minutes to breathe in the freshest air she had ever experienced. ¡°Mmmm, good feelings.¡± Satisfied, Chimera pulled herself up as she moved around her padded cell, so to speak. Her body made contact with the floor, and felt something thrum with life underneath. The room was slowly lit up, lights with little fruits seemed to glow with her movement, illuminating the room further as she rolled about. This place¡­ it feels alive somehow¡­ She could feel it in the floor plating, taste it in the air she breathed, and even the lights looked similar to a firefly¡¯s biolumenesence than a functioning light bulb would. Testing a theory she was beginning to have, Chimera inserted a small tendril into the floor, and checked to see if she could absorb it. She could¡­ Woah, what the hell is this place made of? The ship, or wherever she was, was a living being. Made from biological mass of some kind and morphed to form as this room. Chimera was beginning to realize that this alien place was much more promising than she had thought when she first gazed on it. Ideas and thoughts abounded as she drummed up blueprints and thoughts of what she could morph into using this place as a template. It was as she was thinking such thoughts that an alarm sounded, or at least, that was what is sounded like to her. A speaker sounded over the noise, talking in a panic as the fruit lights started to flash red in response. Oh hell, were they spying on me? Am I going to have trouble? Chimera slowly made her way back to the tube, closing it around her as the alarms blared. She was grateful the door was still loose so she could get back out again, but whatever was causing that noise, she wanted no part of it. I wonder what¡¯s causing it¡­ ¡­ Dr. Bayleaf Bristlebranch was not having a good day. As the head researcher for the Meras-102 science vessel, she was the one responsible for any and all xenobiology concerns that the crew needed, including those that had to do with containment protocols. Low and behold, some moron decided to antagonize their living specimen of a Wujack. She sighed as the man explained that he was only playing with the ten foot and five foot in width space gorilla, trying to teach it tricks with its food on the line. ¡°I am surrounded by fools¡­¡± ¡°Um, Dr. Bayleaf¡­¡± ¡°Yes I know you can hear me and quite frankly Jordas I don¡¯t give a damn. You knew the protocols, you knew that antagonizing the beast would result in retaliation, and yet¡­¡± She pointed at the fool of an animal conservationist officer¡¯s arm, which was bent behind his back like a dough ring. ¡°Somehow, you got your arm turned into a damn confection.¡± The blithering idiot of a noble hire tried to explain but Bayleaf didn¡¯t care for it. She now had to help wrangle a beast that was now looking for tasty Elferi to munch on now that it got a taste of their blood. She couldn¡¯t even use magic, as that could possibly cause a hull breach. ¡°Jordas, head to medical, Tarva, your with me. Lets go find our ape.¡± ¡°Yes doctor.¡± Bayleaf sighed as she moved closer towards the research wing, pressing her hand agains the reader as she and the chief security officer moved into the red tinted sector. ¡­ Chimera rolled around the room as she grew bored of the flashing lights, doing her best to analyze the wood she was feeling beneath her body. It was hard going, as the wood, the honest to goodness wood, was a very distinct type of being, and just trying to analyze its contents was taking most of Chimera¡¯s brain power to figure out. It was somehow providing gravity, air, heat and cooling, and several other functions typical of a spacecraft, and was somehow thriving in this environment. Chimera was marveled, and she felt a small squee escape her as she carefully, but methodical, studied the floor of her room. So much, that when the door to her enclosure opened up, revealing a massive gorilla with purple hair and yellow tufts on its back and head, that Chimera didn¡¯t even notice it. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. When it finally roared and stomped on the ground, Chimera took a moment to peer up at the massive gorilla creature. ¡°Huh, you are a tall bastard aren¡¯t you? Do you mind though? I¡¯m trying to learn about the floor.¡± It roared in response, pumping its arms and slamming its fists against its chest. Chimera recognized a challenge when she saw one. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s like that huh?¡± She stood up, shifting into her childlike form, only this time it matched the height of the massive beast in front of her. ¡°Good, needed a warm-up anyway. Come here Barney the fugly ape.¡± With a last smack on its chest, it launched itself at Chimera with wild abandon, foam and spittle coating its mouth as it sought to bite and punch her flesh. Chimera, spreading her legs out and getting into a stance, grabbed the wildly flailing arms of the gorilla beast, and flipped him over head first, slamming its body on the wood flooring. A rumble shook the craft, but no damage as far as Chimera could tell. The beast tried to get back up, but Chimera simply picked up the beast and smashed him back down, doing so over and over again unil the gorilla stopped. With a final smack, she punched the beast in the nose, sending it back to the door from whence it came. ¡°Monkey down, now to¡­ oh,¡± She smiled as she moved closer to the monkey in question. Chimera shifted once more into her blobby form, entering through the nose of the creature as she suffused herself into the beast¡¯s body. I mean, he came onto me and tried to challenge me. So I think I¡¯m justified in absorbing the DNA he has and taking his fat cells for another PEG. Yeah, that sounds fair and just. Nodding to herself, she got to work on the strange ape creature. Chapter 3 Hitch Hiker Bayleaf arrived just in time to see her prized specimen, the very one that this voyage was made for, flop between the doors of the quarantine, causing a new host of alarms to go off. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she pulled a lever next to the console for the door mechanisms, causing the alarm to shut off as an overhead voice spoke. ¡°Quarantine lifted.¡± ¡°There we go.¡± Tarva kept her rifle trained on the beast as Bayleaf called in the specimen hunters to care for the Wujack. ¡°So, what are we calling this, because I seriously doubt the beast ran into the door and passed out.¡± Bayleaf nodded, ¡°clearly it was in a tussle with something¡­ but there¡¯s nothing in this sector that could fight an adult Wujack into submission.¡± Tarva side-eyed her, ¡°you sure about that? I heard we had Screechers in the hold. They couldn¡¯t hurt it, but knock it out? That is definitely possible.¡± ¡°Well, one fast way to find out.¡± Bayleaf walked over to the console, pulling up the recording features for the ship. It would be a bit delayed as the images were transplanted from the captain¡¯s sight, but after a few hours, they would have the information that they needed to figure out what happened. ¡°Alright, request sent.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯ll feel better once we get some answers¡­ doesn¡¯t it look like it had its face slammed into the ground?¡± Tarva pointed out to her, and Bayleaf had to agree. Deciding to take a closer look, Bayleaf approached the area around its face, noticing that it was a bit brighter red then normal. Dried blood froma Wujack would normally turn silvery after being exposed to mana-enriched air¡­ She got closer, pulling out her head-monocle to inspect closer. I-Is¡­ that blood moving? A moment was all it took for Bayleaf to see the amorphous form launch straight at her. ¡°Bayleaf, you alright doctor?¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Bayleaf was looking at the wound, seeing silvery blood where there used to be none. She was certain there was some kind of deep red glob of blood moving on its nose a moment ago. Did I imagine it? She shook her head, taking a deeper look at the wounds, her mind racing to find the strange blob-like thing she saw. ¡°Bayleaf. What¡¯s up? You look spooked.¡± She turned to Tarva, ¡°did you see a red blob moving around here, like a large bloody ball or something?¡± Tarva shook her head, ¡°nope, the only red thing I¡¯ve seen is the blood before it got silvery doc, you alright?¡± Bayleaf shook her head, ¡°this¡­ doesn¡¯t make sense. I saw¡­¡± Did you? Bayleaf felt something press against her head, ¡°what? Did you say something Tarva?¡± ¡°No¡­ hey Bay, I¡¯m gonna have you lie down for a second, okay?¡± Bayleaf shook her head, ¡°it could be a contamination event Tarva. We need to find¡­ whatever that was,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that it isn¡¯t but you clearly have been up too long. Let¡¯s get you to bed first, and I promise I¡¯ll have the guys look around to find this¡­ blobby thing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand Tarva, I think it¡­ nevermind.¡± Sorry, Gonna have you take a nap for a bit. ¡®What the Fu-¡¯ Bayleaf had a moment to object before she fell to the ground in a heap. ¡­ Chimera was feeling really bad about herself at the moment. She was sitting there, enjoying a feast of DNA, right as two honest to goodness Elves showed up to check out her work. And the one that had the lab coat just happened to realize she was there. Knew I should have just gone inside the damn ape. Instead, she panicked and launched herself at the lab elf, immediately sinking into her flesh and messing with her recent memories. Honestly, she was glad that the body these elves had, or at least this one, shared something with humanity to an almost scary degree. Maybe they were humans who got changed by their environment and turned into elves? Questions for later. Inside the elf¡¯s body, Chimera began absorbing what she could, taking pieces and decayed flesh that the body no longer wanted. The fat cells were almost nonexistant, but it was still something to nom on as she sifted through the elf¡¯s memories. The language was the first thing, as all of that was integral to understanding the rest. Next was the body make up, she had to make sense of these elves. Finally was the knowledge. Chimera wasn¡¯t stupid when it came to understanding that she was likely considered a biological threat to this crew. Got to find out everything I can and get the hell off of this¡­ ship it is! The knowledge centers were already sparking and sending her all the data she could use, the memories lining up to make the language fit and complete the sequences. It was like a puzzle she had to place for the pieces to make sense to her. All she had was a border, but that was enough to start filling in the missing pieces. Research vessel, Meras-102¡­ Wujack, oh thats the ape thing, got it! Umm¡­ oh damn, that was a quarantine room¡­ they¡¯re going to know pretty quick that I¡¯m not in there any more. Wait¡­ oh damnit! They have a camera system that¡¯s¡­ ¡®linked with the captain?¡¯ Chimera started to sift through the information faster as the realisation that she was had started to cloud her thoughts. Got to move! She took the last bit of pertinent data she could and launched herself out of the elf¡¯s body, right into the waiting arms of her companion. ¡°What the fuck is that?!¡± Sorry about this! Chimera injected a tendril into the elf¡¯s neck as a knock-out serum flooded the elf¡¯s body. She dropped to the floor in a heap, and allowed Chimera to bounce to her feet as she switched to her normal form. ¡°On a timer, gotta move!¡± Chimera heard the alarms blare once more as she rushed down the hallways, each leading to sprawling roots that connected rooms to different areas of the ship. ¡°Escape pod, that¡¯s got to be around here somewhere!¡± She ran into a few more elves, each pulling out bows with very deadly looking arrows. Without knowing if they could hurt her, Chimera barreled past the group, crawling on the walls and ceiling with her feet and hands as tendrils launched out knock out needles into the waiting elves. Some hit the attackers, but others were quicker, dodging the spines and taking cover around doors that hissed open to reveal more and more of the crew. They had staffs with glowing crystals, crossbows with repeater cartridges, and even a few swords that hissed with an eerie green light. Chimera launched herself into the nose of one of the crew, jumping from body to body as she used the crew to help her bypass the weapon wielders. Almost there, it¡¯s got to be around here! The hallways converged into a hanger bay, and Chimera could make out the pods she was looking for. They were shaped into seeds, and each had a latch attached to the aft part of the bay, ready to launch at a moment''s notice. ¡°Come on!¡± She hopped over a railing, letting the gravity take her down to the floor swiftly. Blasts of something, along with the occasional thunk of arrows landing nearby told her that there wasn¡¯t any more time remaining. She had to get off this vessel now! Using a tendril to latch to the ground as she landed, Chimera shot herself to the closest pod, her body weaving between crates and equipment that was placed around the hanger bay. The arrows were getting closer, and she felt one of the blasts hit her shoulder, scorching the flesh and causing her to stumble a bit.. ¡°Augh! Damnit, almost¡­¡± Grabbing the pod door, her body lurched with the effort to pull it open. A hissing noise sounded, and soon the pod was opening. ¡°Yes!¡± Chimera climbed in, trying desperately to close the hatch as the elves in space armor came closer and closer, their arrows hitting along the edge of the seedling escape pod. The latch closed after she wrenched it with all of her strength, the hissing indicating that the pressure and air inside the vessel were all set. ¡°Time to bail!¡± She hit the switch with a massive blue button and with a whoosh, the escape pod shot out of the vessel she was in, sending her careening¡­ Into another room?! ¡°What¡¯s happening?! This is an escape pod¡­ that elf¡¯s memory told me as much! How is this happening?!¡± Chimera pushed against the walls of the pod, trying to force her way back out, only to find that the pod was secured, trapping her within. It was also getting smaller and smaller¡­ ¡°Holy¡­¡± Chimera watched as the ¡®escape pod¡¯, her one ticket to freedom, sealed her within itself while trapping her and crushing her from all sides. She felt something wrapping her up, twisting around to lock her arms in place, and despite her absorption, the something seemed to only grow more and more to compensate. She couldn¡¯t burn through it fast enough to escape. She couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t even twitch. ¡°Damnit¡­ this¡­ blows¡­¡± A pink mist started to flood into the crumpled pod, and despite her best efforts, Chimera found herself dozing off as the mist reached her face. Chapter 3 Brand New! Captain Bark stared at the footage of the most recent incident to occur on the Meras-102 with a bit of worry, and not a small amount of relief. It depicted a scene that he was reminded of back on the homeworld, as well as it¡¯s several outlier moons. That of biological monsters. ¡°To think there was one inside the capsule we took from those refugees¡­¡± He shook his head. This couldn¡¯t have come at a worse time, but thankfully he and his crew were able to capture the creature before it could retreat and inform its masters. However, the reason for his worry was something altogether a bit more horrifying, and it plagued his imagination as he combed through the footage. It knew, somehow, it knew where our escape pods were. That isn¡¯t something you gain from going through computers, especially on my ship. Being the Captian, Bark was part of the druid caste as was required to operate a vessel like the Meras. For the vessel was created from one of their very own tempered trees, and built with umbral oak, the only known substance to withstand the crushing pressures of space. It made for effective ship plating, but that was secondary to its true use, which was the ability for druids like himself to merge with the vessel. From his captain¡¯s chair, Bark could feel every soul and prospect on his ship, and the Meras whispered to him about the goings on across the vessel. Were it not for this very ability, Bark and the crew wouldn¡¯t have realized that the bioweapon had made it aboard, nor that it was loose. He happened to be keeping an eye on his resident scientist Dr. Bayleaf and her entourage, his security chief Tarva. It was mostly to be sure that the doctor didn¡¯t blow a hole in his ship, as mages like herself were very capable of doing. Though it would be hard, an Imperial Harrier like Bayleaf Thistlebranch would be able to do it. So, due to his worries, and the subsequent request for data regarding the fight between the anomaly and the Wujack, Bark was able to find out about the creature. Amorphous, but incredibly dense, able to shrug off magic of all things and still continue. Not to mention it could enter someone, hiding within their flesh until they are ready to burst out of the host. He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, a sign that his ship wanted his attention for something. Bark allowed it to guide his consciousness, bringing his along as it brought his attention to the makeshift cage that held the anomalous bioweapon. Inside the escape pod, a small creature not unlike an Elfari child was sleeping softly, the rise and fall of its chest indicative of peaceful sleep. Able to disguise, shift its form, and even imitate¡­ Bark couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he thought of the chances that there might be more of these things out there, especially if it was the Verdant Hood¡¯s doing. However, that was for another time. For now, he let the Meras bring him to Dr. Bayleaf, who was resting next door to the containment room, where the creature originally broke free. She insisted on being quarantined after finding out what had happened to her, and Bark couldn¡¯t dissuade her from her course. Not that he would, as this was a very possible bio-contagion at work. Even if she showed no signs of tampering, Bark would have insisted they at least observed her. Thankfully he did not have to, as she had done so of her own volition. The Meras pointed his thoughts towards the footage from earlier, showing how the anomaly had dealt with the Wujack. Handedly¡­ A creature with the ability to regenerate from most wounds, and even take solid magic projectiles, was being handled like a toddler by the much smaller child form. A thought told him he should have just let it go, and saved himself the worry. Another part worried that it was an espionage unit, sent to steal data from the Meras and give it to their enemies in the Verdant Hood. In the end, caution told him to capture it. Now¡­ Now he had to figure out what to do with it. Meras, inform the Doctor that I will be there shortly to brief her. The presence sent him an acknowledgement, assuring him it would do so right away. Bark summoned his magic as the ship carried him through the vessel, his body floating and sinking through the wood as it crossed several levels with ease. On this ship, Bark was able to do great things. Even redirect escape pods back into the quarantine. He smiled as he felt his connection with the ship guide him to the doctor, and with a slide, he appeared in the room adjacent to her quarters. His security chief, unfazed that he suddenly appeared, saluted him with both arms as she bowed afterwards, the sign of respect and service in the Alfheim Empire. ¡°My Captain, it is good to see you.¡± Bark nodded as he assessed her. Normally he would try to poke at her stiff demeanor, as Tarva¡¯s normal state of being was a stone statue with a stick up her ass. Despite what she may say, Bark was certain that she needed a vacation from anything Militarum related, for like, a decade at least. Now wasn¡¯t the time for jests though. ¡°Thank you security chief, how is the doctor, any progress with the tests?¡± Tarva only nodded back as she turned to the clean room that held the woman in question. ¡°Turns out that despite confirmation that the weapon had entered her body, the doctor shows no adverse signs, no mental tampering besides recent memory loss, and¡­¡± She paused, which caused Bark to turn to her in curiosity. ¡°Well, go on.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°She¡­ is in peak health sir.¡± Bark nodded, ¡°as an Imperial Harrier, I would expect nothing less.¡± Tarva only shook her head at his words, ¡°no sir. It¡¯s more than simple conditioning, more than even some kind of stimulant or magical enhancement. Dr. Bayleaf has no waste in her body, no biological waste specifically. It was as if something scooped out all of her damaged parts and replaced it with health cells.¡± Tarva pulled out a board, showing a diagram of the doctor¡¯s vital readings, which even now the doctor¡¯s were performing, ¡°she¡¯s shown more density in her muscles, her bones, even her skin. When we tried to insert an intravenous solution to give her some fluids, she broke the needle. Captain¡­ her body is showing signs of de-aging¡­¡± Bark, who had grabbed a drink of water while overhearing the report, spat out his drink in the air as he turned around to gaze at his security chief, ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Tarva shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t say it any other way sir. Dr. Bayleaf is actually showing younger than she was four hours ago. The medical staff claim she¡¯s somewhere in her adolescent years, around a century old.¡± Bark shook his head as well, ¡°that¡¯s impossible Tarva, what you are describing is stuff I would hear from my uncle and his crackpot theories on alchemy.¡± Tarva did not show signs of jest though, and that only worried Bark more. ¡°I do not joke about work sir, you know this. Whatever happened to her, Dr. Bayleaf is now at her prime¡­ perhaps even better than before.¡± Tarva pulled up the chart once more, and pointed it at Bark. As he stared, he couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes. It was showing the mana channels, the essence of every mage. It was through these channels that they casted their spells, preformed their miracles for the people and the Empire. Most were small, some were even clogged which prevented most elves from using magic. The geniuses though, their channels were always large and open, acting like veins in the bloodstream as they fed magic to their hosts. Bark had seen many such charts, some impressive, while most were sad and pathetic to see. The chart in front of him showed him that mana literally bathed the good doctor¡¯s body in magical energy, a natural enchantment that permeated her every cell. ¡°My Goddess¡­¡± There were no veins, no channels, because there didn¡¯t need to be any. Instead, next to her heart, Dr. Bayleaf had another heart in her right-most chest cavity. All of the magical energy readings showed that this thing, this organ, was feeding her magic all on its own. Tarva pulled out another chart, showing something that Bark remembered seeing, something that made the first chart all the more galling. ¡°These are the doctor¡¯s charts before she got aboard the Meras, Captain.¡± It showed her having normal channels, and while they were large and impressive, they were still normal considering she was an Imperial Harrier, one of the elite of the elites in the empire. All gone, replaced with a simple¡­ mana heart. ¡°Has there been any adverse-¡± ¡°None, captain. The doctor is showing clear vitals across the board.¡± ¡°My¡­ goodness¡­¡± ¡°Sir, if this was related to¡­ the bioweapon, what could that mean?¡± Bark turned to stare across the room, at the chamber that held an escape pod with a little Elferi girl. ¡°We need to bring her back to the homeworld. I don¡¯t know what exactly she is, but she might be the key to stopping the conflict with those serpents, perhaps¡­ even curing all known diseases.¡± Tarva nodded, ¡°even¡­ death, sir?¡± Bark stared back at his security chief. ¡°It¡¯s funny, a second ago, I would have thought that was a joke, security chief Tarva.¡± Tarva giggled, ¡°I¡­ can see why sir.¡± ¡­ Chimera woke up with a sigh, her arms and legs stretching in the much roomier¡­ room she found herself in. Wasn¡¯t she being crushed alive and sprayed with pinky poison? ¡°Hmm¡­ that nap was actually kind of relaxing too.¡± Part of her thought she was going to wake up with a splitting headache, or drowsy as hell from tranquilizers. Being awoken with a cushy pillow and room to stretch was definitely not something she expected. Did I die? Holy crap, is this that heaven place Sarah always talked about with her fake parents? Stupid memories¡­ but this place is nice. She smiled as she laid her head against the wall of the circular room, placing a hand against the wall as she rubbed it against the soft grains of the wood. ¡°Even the walls feel better, just what is up with this place?¡± Chimera closed her eyes for a second, feeling sleepy. Only for something to bump her. Not in a physical way either, more of a mental bump, like something was trying to¡­ Chimera opened her eyes, but instead of seeing her room, she saw¡­ A silhouette, one that showed the face of a woman. She had leaves in her hair, deep amber eyes, and was wearing a leafy bra and shorts. It was pretty awkward all things considered, but clothes aside, she didn¡¯t seem like an enemy. So Chimera laid there as the massive leafy woman observed her. ¡°Got anything to say, wood woman? Because this is getting awkward.¡± The leaf woman gasped, or at least made the motion of one. Chimera smirked as she spoke, ¡°what, didn¡¯t think I could see you? Lady, I already got the whole of your language plus extra in my head. Good luck hiding anything from me.¡± The leafy woman didn¡¯t speak, but a sense of unease seemed to come off of her as she looked away for a moment. ¡°...You alright there, leafy woman?¡± The being in question turned back to her, floating towards her in this strange dreamscape. Stopping just before a barrier that surrounded Chimera¡¯s side of this space, she tilted her head, worried, but also curious about her, it seemed. . ¡°Hey, I know this might seem like a weird question, but could you let me out? I just want to go home.¡± The leaf woman seemed to understand her, slowly shaking her head back and forth. ¡°So that¡¯s a no then, great.¡± Chimera sighed, ¡°figures that I would be back to being a prisoner.¡± The leafy person raised her eyebrows at that. ¡°Oh, yeah. Got a whole story if you want to hear about it.¡± The woman only nodded, a small smile on her face. ¡°Well, since this is probably a dream or something, why not? So, I was born in a lab to a crazy mad scientist and his alien girlfriend¡¯s daughter. I wasn¡¯t even aware of who I was until later, but for the longest time¡­¡± Chimera spoke about her past to the leafy being, which was oddly cathartic for her as she had been in survival mode earlier. It was just one crisis after another, and when she finally separated from her family for good, it felt too soon, unfair even. Thinking about them though, it brought back a warmth to her heart as she remembered their faces. ¡°So yeah, an alien bio weapon turned into a superhero, at least for a while, before I got jettisoned into space to stop my city from melting from a solar cannon.¡± The leafy being was shedding tears, and sobs seemed to wrack her features for a bit as she tried to dry her tears. ¡°Woah, hey! It¡¯s alright¡­ I mean, I¡¯m captured and stuck in this ball for now, but¡­¡± Chimera smiled back, ¡°don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll find a way back.¡± The leafy woman tried to smile back in reassurance, but only seemed to break down again. ¡°Oh damn, you¡¯re a softy aren¡¯t you? Well, thanks for shedding tears for me I guess. It¡¯s really alright though, no need to get all sappy about it.¡± The branches growing off of the woman moved in a gesture that made Chimera think she was chuckling. ¡°Yeah, pun intended.¡± They both laughed for a bit as Chimera tried to calm the tree person¡¯s mood, telling her jokes and letting her know more about her adventures. After a while, the wooden woman made a gesture, something Chimera recognized as a need to leave. ¡°Alright, thanks for the company strange tree woman¡­ actually, what is your name anyway?¡± The woman froze for a moment, but smiled back as she wrote words in the air between them, leaving a small glow for the letters to be seen. ¡°M-E-R-A-S? Woah¡­ hey, wait a minute. You could have spelled me this entire time, why did you not speak that way?¡± Meras only giggled as she floated away. ¡°Hey! Damn wood woman, could have saved me the trouble of trying to suss out her mood.¡± Chimera, despite her earlier words, had a smile on her face though, and as she stared up at the strange dreamscape and its stars, she grinned even wider. ¡°Meras, huh? Seems nice.¡± ¡­ Chapter 4 The Captain Will See You Now The dreamscape that Chimera found herself in began to fade after a while, replacing the surrounding environment with a familiar scene. That of the quarantine lab she found herself in earlier. She lazly turned her head side to side, checking the surroundings that she could see while also stretching her neck from her nap. It was filled with the crew of the ship, and not a single one was a different race. Chimera closed her eyes as she sifted through the memories of the doctor she¡­ ¡®gifted¡¯ in order to gain some context for what she might be seeing. Elfari, even sounds like elves. I wonder if they ever came to Earth¡­ not that I could check that as the homeworlds been gone for¡­ actually don¡¯t know, Sarah never bothered to check. Chimera smiled as she thought of her creator. ¡°Sarah, could really use your help here, mom.¡± She shook her head softly, ¡°no, she would say something like ¡®gather data and check the surroundings. No time for pity partys.¡¯¡± So Chimera did just that, sifting once more through her newly acquired knowledge, while cheking her environment for the Elfari. Hmm, based on that Bayleaf girl¡­ these people are militaristic, based in meritocracy, but still adhering to an Imperical system with a royal monarch and their family. Guess the Emperors got to be a badass then¡­ wait, no. They have an Empress. Chimera nodded as she gathered her thoughts. Bayleaf¡¯s a Imperial Harrier, some kind of elite task force operative, and the reason she was here was¡­ Chimera froze. Looking for specimens to use for their war with something called the Verdant Hood? Chimera placed her hand in her other hand like a gavel. That monkey lamprey thing was their ticket to finding out regeneration, and they were going to use it to imbue their troops¡­ And¡­ I just showed them I could do that for one of their crew¡­ Damn it! Chimera held her head as she banged it against the wall of her pod. ¡°Idiot! Why did you even do that?¡± Part of herself argued back, ¡°She helped us out, it only seemed right!¡± Chimera sighed heavily after, ¡°No good deeds, eh?¡± Go unpunished. Chimera felt a piece of the wall fall to the place she was sitting at. Grabbing it, she absorbed the part of the inner wall, a thought coming to her mind as she smiled. The pod must be able to survive deep vacuum in order to function. This stuff is clearly wood, so biologically, could I¡­! She had been analyzing the ship¡¯s structure with her body for a bit, but after being found out by Bayleaf and that¡­ Tarva? Chimera didn¡¯t have a chance to fully dive into the study of this material. Stuck in a cell surrounded by the stuff, now seemed like as good a time as any. Switching to her blobby form, she absorbed the piece of wood she just got, breaking it down to get closer to the DNA underneath. Holy Hell¡­ what is this stuff? Chimera had felt, been hit, and hid beneath a few dense materials before, that safe she and Meghan used to help her with her robotization project being one of the densest. This wood was¡­ was basically tungsten steel! It was so dense that Chimera wondered how even a small piece was able to break off from the whole. Still, she could analyze, she definitely could absorb it now that she got a complete DNA chain. Now, it was time to test it. Chimera pulled a tendril from her back as she tried to cover the entire tendril with the space wood. Before her eyes, the chain began to replicate, heavily drawing energy from her P.E.G to try and synthesize this material. Slowly, her tendril was enveloped, and the tendril, despite being flexible at first, started to straighten and harden, turning into a pointed shaft. The density started to pull at Chimera, weighing her down as the heavy limb pulled her down with it. ¡°Woah, I underestimated the weight¡­ this stuff is too Ahh-,¡± Chimera flopped down with her tendril, her sitting form now pulled to the ground with the heavy tree tendril. ¡°Okay, so not doing that again.¡± She pulled the tendril, breaking off the part that was still connected to her as the tendril fully became a shaft in the shape of a spear. Shuffling over to the spear, Chimera picked it up, finding that despite it density before, the spear wasn¡¯t too heavy that she couldn¡¯t wield it in two hands, plus a few tendrils. It was heavy to be sure, but the tip on the end looked sharp enough to pierce through a shield. As a test, Chimera poked at the wall of her pod. Thunk! Screeeeeerch! The spear pushed through! ¡°Huh? This stuff is insane!¡± Chimera pulled it back and pushed it through again, this time with more force. The Spear punched a hole straight into the wall, with only a small amount of force needed to keep it going. So Chimera kept going, using all of her strength, enhanced with her P.E.G, pushing the dense spear of space wood straight out and through! Following it, Chimera squeezed into the hole she made as she felt the spear land on the outside of the pod. A moment later, she followed with it, landing outside of the pod with a spear of space wood in hand. ¡°Holy crap, this is my favorite find yet!¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! She did a little dance as she held up the spear, ¡°thank you space wood!¡± However, her moment of triumph was interrupted by a cacophony of weapons clicking, the sounds of plasma casters sizzling, and a few arrows shining as a whole group of the Elfari aimed their arsenal at her. Chimera froze as she took in the sight around her, and took note of their positions as well. This¡­ doesn¡¯t look good. She looked at the floor below. I could try to dig, but I don¡¯t know enough about the ship to know if that leads outside¡­ Walls are the same. The only place I know of is over there. She peered behind her, seeing the opening leading to the laboratory she found the doctor in earlier. Chimera took a moment to ready herself, which caused the rest of the Elfari to tense, almost as if they could sense what she was attempting. Crap¡­ Just as she was about to move, a movement caught her eye that shot in front of her. ¡°Cease, hold your fire!¡± Chimera took a step back as she stared at the person in front of her. It was a rather lanky Elfari, with a staff made of the same wood that surrounded the ship. His body was tall, and while his arms and legs had no definition, he still moved as though he was used to carrying himself with speed and power. A beard of brown hair with a head of snow white hair greeted her as he turned to address her. ¡°I. Mean. No. Harm.¡± Chimera tilted her head. Did this guy¡­ is he trying to talk to me like a baby? He made another gesture, ¡°You. Friend. No Harm! Promise. Okay?!¡± He continued to mime out his words, trying to see if Chimera was understanding his words. Chimera couldn¡¯t help it, she burst into laughter as the brown bearded Elfari seemed taken aback. ¡°Hah! Hoh, what the hell?! That¡¯s too good!¡± Chimera fell to the ground in a heap, shifting back into her child form and dropping the spear at the same time. ¡°I¡­ *hah* I know I look young, but I¡¯m not a baby for crying out loud! Haha!¡± ¡°You speak our language?¡± He seemed so confused and helpless for a moment that Chimera couldn¡¯t help but smile at him. ¡°Yup, got all the deets from your doctor lady. Took me a while to figure it out, but I think I got it.¡± Chimera picked up her spear as she held it upright with the spear point up. ¡°Name¡¯s Mera, short for Chimera.¡± The lanky man seemed stunned by the proclamation, as did the rest of the warriors and archers behind him. ¡°What¡­ I¡¯m sorry, did you say Mera?¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°figured that might be easier for you guys since you don¡¯t have a word for my real name.¡± Chimera turned around as she started walking towards the doorway, straight into a group of the Elfari warriors. ¡°Well, glad that''s settled then. Since you guys are friendly, that means I can go, right?¡± The Elfari blocked her way. Chimera sighed, ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡± The lanky man approached her, ¡°While it is a shock to know that you speak our tongue, you are not a crew member, and you most certainly are not an Elfari. I apologize, but you must remain here until we can be certain you are not a threat.¡± Chimera sighed even louder, ¡°Oh come on, just give me a pod and I¡¯ll leave. I won¡¯t harm you, I¡¯m not carrying any diseases, and I certainly have no beef with any Elfari or Verdant Hood. I-¡± Chimera stopped herself, ¡°damn it¡­¡± The lanky man¡¯s face scowled, ¡°so you know of the war then.¡± Chimera glared back, ¡°I already said I¡¯m not involved. Don¡¯t do something stupid.¡± The bearded Elfari closed his eyes as he spoke, ¡°even if that is true, you cannot leave.¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t help it, she snarled as she pointed the spear at the Elfari, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be a prisoner, I¡¯ll fight to the death if I have to! You aren¡¯t using me for any experiments, I refuse!¡± Chimera felt her power spike as she readied herself, the Elfari around her readied their own weapons, but before anything could begin, the lanky Elfari held up a hand. ¡°Perhaps¡­ we could compromise.¡± Chimera felt her heart racing, ¡°compromise?¡± The Elfari nodded, ¡°you are capable of healing, is this true?¡± Chimera only glared back at the string bean. ¡°Look, Mera was it? The creature that you killed was important, and without it, we cannot return to Steros. What you did for Dr. Bristleleaf, we must bring it to the Empress. Our people¡¯s future is at stake.¡± Chimera backed away, but the Elfari only surrounded her to cut off any escape. The lanky Elfari sighed, ¡°I had hoped that we could come to an understanding. If you serve us, you will be taken care of, and the Empress may even keep you as a vassal.¡± Chimera ground her teeth. Damnit, there¡¯s no way out of this, do¡­ Do I have to kill them? Before she could move, the Elfari tapped its staff against the ground, sending a wave of branches her way. Chimera tried to move out of the way, only for the ground around her to grasp her legs. Before she could try to stretch away from it, the branches smashed into her, tying up her limbs and wrapping her body in a cocoon. ¡°Damnit! Let me go!¡± She tried to stretch, to shrink and push out of the bindings, but the tendrils only sealed around her, leaving no gaps for her to push or squeeze through. Smaller, and smaller, the cocoon shrunk around her body, crushing it and making her as small as her blobby form would allow. ¡°Not¡­ like¡­ this!¡± She resisted with every part of her body, pulling and pushing against the walls to give herself any kind of leverage. The wood hardend, allowing none of her body to expand or contract. ¡°Do not resist!¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± Chimera started cycling through her abilities, creating fire to burn the wood, dense wood to try and push through the cage, electricity to singe the walls. The wood prison around her absorbed it all. ¡°DAMN YOU! I¡±ll get out of this! You can¡¯t keep me here forever!¡± She roared as the cage around her settled into place, locking away even the light from the outside, darkness creeping in the ever shrinking box. ¡­ This¡­ this was a mistake! Bark stared at the Oaken Prison spell he just cast as the sounds and noises from the creature¡­ no, from Mera, started to grow louder. She tried to attack us, I could sense her intent, but how did it end like this? The spell, Oaken Prison, was poweful on his ship as it was based on the space oak that surrounded them. It grew in strength the more he infused his mana into the spell. However, the spell¡¯s mana intake was becoming stronger and stronger, and he could feel the drain become intensive. Right now, he had half of his enormous mana pool, and it felt as though fire was burning in his channels as he continued to enforce it, to make sure the creature couldn¡¯t escape. Bark shook his head. This wasn¡¯t supposed to be how this went. She seemed receptive¡­ So why? Bark felt as though it had to do with his words, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He couldn¡¯t let this¡­ Mera, escape, not without figuring out her secrets. Eternal youth, power beyond reckoning, if we could only get her to cooperate. Bark thought of a possible spell that might make that possible, but if it failed¡­ The resentment that he felt coming from the creature spoke of a fate worse than death should he let her go. He had to be certain, and the only way to be certain¡­ Was to take her before the Empress. ¡°Sir, the creature is sealed.¡± One of his warriors nodded to him which he acknowledged. ¡°Good, prepare it for transport. Under no circumstances is anyone to speak to the creature, and keep it under surveillance. Four teams of eight.¡± The warrior seemed to be uncertain of himself, ¡°sir, is that really necessary? That¡¯s half of the security team on one creature.¡± Bark turned to face the soldier, ¡°do not mistake my commands, all of this is necessary. Do I make myself clear?¡± The soldier nodded, ¡°of course sir!¡± Bark pointed at the cage, the last of his mana sealing the box, ¡°go then, I must recover from the spell. Be sure to follow my orders to the letter.¡± The young Elfari saluted, his arms crossed as he tilted his head in his direction. Afterwards, Bark saw him gather the other members of the security force. He felt an urging communication from the medical wing with Meras¡¯ help, and allowed her to guide him to the wing. He also felt an undercurrent of sadness coming from the ship as they moved through the hull. This is odd, why is the spirit unhappy? ¡­ Chapter 5 Ya Dun Fucked Up Chimera would admit, that despite her recent accommodations, she was more than upset by the¡­ candor of her hosts. Fuck, FUCK FUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKK!!!! Okay, she was more than upset by a large margin. Rage didn¡¯t cut it, and Hatred was feeling a bit too insignificant compared to the absolute fury she was feeling right now. Because she knew why they had her locked in this box now. Her ¡®good deed¡¯ towards that doctor. Greed was what got her here, and it pissed her off that rather then talk to her about it, these mother fuckers wanted to exploit her. Well, those sons of bitches are going to have a rough time with that. Unless Monica or her insane mother rose from the dead, there wasn¡¯t anyone in this galaxy that could make Chimera do something she didn¡¯t want to. Even this box was temporary. Chimera had already analyzed the entire thing after she had been sealed within, and she had come to a pretty simple conclusion. This cage, or whatever it was, had a time limit. That bastard, whoever he was, couldn¡¯t supply the necessary energy to keep it sealed like this, which meant eventually it was going to fail. And Chimera decided that when it did, him and his whole crew were on her shit list. Once she got into that lanky bastard¡¯s head, she was going to rip his secrets out of him and turn him into a moron! No¡­ I don¡¯t really mean that¡­ Chimera sighed as she pushed the brimming pot of fury down into her mindscape. She was pained, and hurt, and the feeling of betrayal after they came in peace for that moment. It felt like acid all over her body. I really am alone¡­ no one is here to help me. ¡­ Doctor Bayleaf Bristlebranch awoke to a feeling that she hadn¡¯t felt in nearly three centuries. She felt rested! She felt like she had energy! She also felt smaller. What?! ¡°Ahh, Doctor, it is good to see you awake once more!¡± Bayleaf turned to a nurse who smiled at her with warmth in his eyes, and a bit of something else as well. ¡°Nurse Thorn, good to see you as well¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you could fill me in on the goings on?¡± Judging from Thorn¡¯s smile twitching, Bayleaf had the feeling she wasn¡¯t going to like what she heard. ¡°Well¡­ it went a bit like this, Head Researcher¡­¡± Oh¡­ Oh no. Thorn only used her title of Head Researcher when he was worried about the upper brass taking his head for¡­ well, anything he might say. Thorn was a chatterbox like that. And the tale that Bayleaf heard from the slightly sweating nurse only confirmed her worse fears. The creature that assaulted and slayed the Wujack had infected her, and tried to escape using the knowledge she had of the vessel. It apparently ran by several security teams, evading them all with little effort, ending with the captain having to step it to prevent it from fleeing. However, it was after they had captured it that Bayleaf felt her blood begin to boil. ¡°He did WHAT?!¡± Thorn held the clipboard of her charts in front of him, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, I swear!¡± Bayleaf turned to stand, grabbing a pair of scrubs that were next to her bed as she put on clothes under her medical gown. ¡°Thorn, please tell me he didn¡¯t try to shackle that creature.¡± She turned to stare at the nurse who visibly sighed in relief, ¡°no, not yet Head Researcher. It was deemed that this should be attempted once the creature was brought before the Empress.¡± Bayleaf froze. ¡°Before the Empress? This creature is a possible biohazard! Why¡­ What In the name of the Goddess would convince that fool this is a wise decision?!¡± The Nurse looked at her, and really looked at her, scanning her entire body as he answered back. ¡°Well, because of you, Doctor.¡± Bayleaf raised an eyebrow as she looked herself over to see what he might be referring to. Her hand brushed against her body¡­ ¡°Did¡­ I get smaller?¡± Thorn only pulled up a full length mirror in front of her. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Bayleaf did, and she couldn¡¯t help but blink in confusion. ¡°Thorn, is this one of those prank mirrors that kids use to trick their mothers? Those ones that make them look younger?¡± The nurse shook his head, ¡°nope, this is just a normal mirror Head Researcher.¡± Bayleaf raised a hand, watching as her mirror image did so as well. ¡°My Goddess¡­¡± Thorn nodded, ¡°we believe the creature did this to you as a side-effect of capturing the information in your mind, Doctor. And that, if you can believe, is the least of the changes.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Bayleaf couldn¡¯t help herself as her curiosity for medical phenomena pushed her in front of Thorn, a ravenous grin on her young face. ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡­ Bayleaf walked to the cargo hold, where the cage that held the creature was in, in a daze as the knowledge she received played in her head over and over. A Mana Heart, they call it. Super strength, longevity, no DNA degradation, it''s a miracle made flesh. Bayleaf chuckled slightly at the news, a feeling of disbelief clashing with the knowledge that she instinctively knew that this change was an¡­ apology. In fact, before she passed out, she was certain the creature spoke to her. ¡®Sorry, Gonna have you take a nap for a bit.¡¯ She recalled it perfectly, her memory sharp and efficient. In fact, she could recall a lot of information, all the way back to her childhood. It was as if the lock that kept her body from destroying itself with its power was gone. And in its place was the assurance that she would never be weak again, never need that lock¡­ because she was strong. She was so damn strong! ¡°Hell, I might have just given that information had I known this would be the trade-off¡­ Oh Goddess¡­ Bayleaf¡¯s feelings of elation were suddenly replaced with terror and worry. If this creature could do this¡­ what''s to stop it from doing the opposite? Her imagination, also enhanced to her dismay, played off a scene of her homeworld, and her people, turned into¡­ invalids. Dazed looks in their eyes, weak bones and no magic or strength. No knowledge, for even that was taken from them. Just a pale existence, with their empire crashing around them. And the bloody idiot that she called captain, PISSED THE DAMN THING OFF! ¡°AHHHH!!!¡± She pulled her hair, finding that despite her new strength, the hair follicles refused to give way and allow her the relief of pulling it out by the roots. She could curse them all for fools! What would that matter though, they were already destined for death if this continued! Bayleaf practically ran to the cube-like prison, her feet carrying her with ease and comfort, which only reminded her of what was at stake should things remain as they are. Goddess, help me! Help me to beg this creature and let my apology sate its well deserved wrath! ¡­ Bark Ironwood, Captain of the research vessel Meras-102, received a request for a communication with Dr. Bayleaf while he was sitting in his captain¡¯s chair. He also felt a chill up his spine. I¡­ am not going to like this conversation¡­ Am I? The ship spirit had been in a state of melancholy ever since his decision to seal away the anomalous creature. It outright refused to speak to him, which was dangerous for a druid captain, whose whole job was to operate the ship with help from his crew. He tried once more to let the Meras merge with his thoughts, to allow it a chance to explain why it was so upset. The Meras finally reciprocated, coming to him with tears flowing down its face. The spirit resembled a dryad from the homeworld, for that was what it was ultimately. The Meras was its tree, and he, its bonded companion. Meras, tell me what makes you so sad? Allow me to help. Meras spoke to him, her wispy voice conveying grief, sadness, and¡­ indignity? Images of another place entered into Bark¡¯s mindscape, showing him a world that resembled Steros in her features. However the people there were¡­ strange, different. They came in all shades and shapes, some looked similar to the Elfari, while others were clearly beastkin or some equivalent. Among the people¡­ were those who stood for righteousness and justice, who fought with the same fervor he would expect from the Imperial Harriers. Champions that fought to save lives, Heroes. Those that flew in brightly colored suits, fighting against tyranny and those who would harm the innocent. And among them, a familiar girl who was battling¡­ a horror. It was an amalgamation of different animals, beasts and people¡¯s faces, all held together by a vile intelligence that seeked to consume and rule all life in the world. Standing by the girl¡¯s side was something that could have been the girl¡¯s mother, and they defeated the creature after a grueling battle. However, the scene changed, and Bark was pulled into a room where thousands of¡­ things. Creatures that morphed and roared, malice and fury in their eyes. A being behind them, endlessly birthed them into being, a sinister intelligence that sought to perfect herself, to rule as a Goddess. Once again, the girl was there¡­ Once again¡­ she triumphed. Meras, why do you show me these images? What¡­ who are they? Meras was crying now, the sobs cascading into full blown weeping. The images showed a familiar girl, watching her world disappear as a weapon of mass destruction was piloted away, to save those below. Bark watched as the girl held a hand to the window that beheld her world, knowing she would not be able to return. A white light enveloped everything, and the image changed. A tube in quarantine. A fight to flee Elfari. Freedom at last, a chance to return to her loved ones! ¡­ Betrayal. Deceit. A fury that would burn worlds to cinders. Bark held up his hands. No more, please Meras! Meras gnashed her teeth at him, showing the place where the creature was held, the black ominous cube that he made to seal the being inside. Wait, you can¡¯t be serious! She was the one in those images? The one that stood before that beast? The one who stopped that endless birthing mother? The one¡­ The one that he imprisoned, and planned to use as an experimental test subject back on the homeworld. Meras slapped him in the face, a gesture really, as this place couldn¡¯t cause physical harm. The communicator finally connected, and Bark had a moment as he stared at the fuming face of Dr. Bayleaf. ¡°Release it now, Bark. For the love of the Goddess you¡¯re going to kill us all!¡± Bark turned back to stare at Meras, who nodded in agreement at the image of the doctor. ¡°Goddess¡­¡± ¡­ Chimera was eating. The energy around the cube was dense, but it couldn¡¯t help leaking some of its energy, as it was a rush job from what she could gather. Using her P.E.G to cycle the energy, she continued to drain the cube of its strange properties. Ones that dealt with the concept of space. When she had her powers, Chimera recognized the energy as the same kind she used to seal and send Margret into the sun. And now, she got it back. The power of space, the energy to move things around in a vacuum. But most importantly. The one that will let me break this egg open. With the last of the energy absorbed, and the DNA from the ship that allowed it to utilize such energy, Chimera had a template that could finally use the power. Black coated tendrils, no longer weighed down by their dense mass, shot out of the cube like a sea urchin. With a twist, Chimera wrenched the entire cube open, the rest of the energy syponing into her body as she shoved herself out. ¡°ARGH! Yeah.¡± She cracked her neck as she assumed her child-like form once more. ¡°You freaking Elfs or Elfari or whatever are about to get an ass whoopin! Come here you damn fairies!¡± Chimera turned to face the men outside her cage¡­ And found all of them bowing their heads to the ground. Along with fifty other people with them! ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°WE¡¯RE SORRY!¡± Chimera stared out in confusion as the wave of apologies flew forth from the assembled crew of the Meras-102. ¡°W-What the hell is this?!¡± ¡­ Chapter 6 Service, With A Pounding! Chimera stared out at a sea of L-shaped bodies, all of them doing their best to not meet her eyes. She grit her teeth a bit at the site. I have not even had a chance to do something, so what brough this on. They¡¯re making me look like a tyrant right now! She shook her head as she walked away from the bowing heads, not even attempting to acknowledge them as she moved on. Her eyes were tracking the lanky man, who conveniently was standing behind all of these meat shields. Like a deer in headlights, the Elfari seemed to realize that she was heading in his direction, and noticeably took a few steps back as she approached. ¡°Give me that bastard and I¡¯ll let you all go.¡± She pointed at the whispy man as a look of abject terror crossed his face. ¡°W-Wait! Miss Mera, please, we can talk about this! Yes?¡± It was one of the bodies that was bowing their head at her that spoke, and she pushed the woman aside as she kept up her march. ¡°Miss Mera, you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the captain! If you kill him, the ship won''t move!¡± Chimera only scoffed, ¡°I can make the ship move all on my own, I don''t need a freaking bastard like him to do anything!¡± In her head she calculated that the odds of her actually being able to do something like that were pretty slim. But they weren¡¯t zero, and that meant the lanky captain was about to get a whooping of a lifetime. More bodies pleaded, more shoved out of the way as she made her death march to the bastard responsible for placing her in a dark box. She was about to grab the man¡¯s head when another Elfari stepped in front of her, one that she recognized from their brief encounter. Her name was Bayleaf, and Chimera recalled that she was the one that she had gifted, and probably the reason for this entire ¡®enslavement¡¯ situation she found herself in earlier. ¡°Move.¡± Bayleaf didn¡¯t. ¡°Please, allow me to explain before you do anything to Captain Bark.¡± Chimera tsked, finally getting a name for the fool she was about to pummel. It did make things harder when he had a name, it was easier taking out some nameless enemy. Still wouldn¡¯t stop her from getting her pound of flesh from him. ¡°Okay, you talk and explain, and if you can give me a sound reason before I kill him, you win!¡± Chimera bent around with her body, using her space power to fold the space between them, allowing her to bypass the doctor sized wall in front of her, and allowing her to now face the Elfari captain himself. His skin was sweating, most of his white hair had a greasy appearance, and everything about him reeked of fear and regret. ¡°Can I explain my reasoning at least?¡± ¡°Why talk now? Because your stupid cage prison didn¡¯t work?¡± Chimera decked him, softly, in the face, breaking a tooth that went flying out as he backed up. He rushed to use magic, but Chimera batted his hands, canceling the conjuration he was attempting, and back handed him into a wall. He moaned in pain as he tried to stand, but Chimera only punched down on his body. Again, only lightly. She wanted the bastard to live, so she couldn¡¯t use her full strength. Still wouldn¡¯t stop her from making it hurt. Quillpig poison spines erupted from her fists as she landed a flurry of blows on the captain¡¯s body. After her run in with the crew during her escape, she gained a smorgesborg of junk DNA, fat and energy cells from waste, and most importantly. Some of her old abilities and traits returned, once again attached to her main power structure. Her quills, spines, poison, and animal traits started to cover her pseudo musculature, granting her increased strength and speed, along with a faster metabolism to crush and recycle her food with. Which helped her P.E.Gs cycle their energy more efficiently. She had one before the escape, but now four of the generators were whirring and providing her with life energy afterwards. ¡°Mera! Please stop this!¡± Chimera turned to stare at the doctor once more. ¡°You worried he¡¯ll die?¡± The Doctor nodded, ¡°the captain is over five centuries old. His body can¡¯t take anymore damage, and it is true that he is necessary to pilot the ship. I know he deeply regrets what he has done, so please. At least give him the chance to explain himself before¡­¡± The unspoken words were clear, and it made Chimera frown. They actually thought Chimera was going to kill the bastard. In exasperation, Chimera pulled out one of her tendrils, a wicked looking spine at the end of it that was shaped like a syringe. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Before the doctor could even speak, Chimera jabbed the needle directly into Bark¡¯s spine. ¡°AGHHh! Ahh Goddess it hurts!¡± For a moment Chimera stared at the doctor, almost daring her to attempt anything, but found that the doctor was only staring at Captain Bark in amazement. The oldman¡¯s body was knitting together, the broken flesh and skin, the knotted bones and degraded limbs that were the result of the passage of time, faded away before her eyes. And not just hers, the rest of the crew had crowded around the three as Chimera continued to alter the genetic structure of the Captain¡¯s Body, giving him a youthful appearance, the mana organ that she once took from Ms. Magicka back home, and absorbing and storing his waste and dead cells within her. She wanted that DNA most of all, for the same purpose that the crew wanted their captain¡¯s life saved. If she could figure out what made him tick, then space travel might not be out of the question for herself. Let them think I¡¯m being forgiving, because I¡¯m gone once this whole space tree stuff is mine, ¡°There, he¡¯s healed.¡± She socked him in the face one last time, bruising his eye. As she turned around to leave, the Captain called out to her. ¡°W-What was that for?¡± ¡°Lying to me, you old bastard.¡± ¡°Lie?!¡± Chimera twisted her head around 180 degrees, making a face that would haunt Bark¡¯s nightmares for years on end. ¡°Yeah, you said that you came in peace, and then proceeded to try and exploit me for your stupid empire. Be thankful we need you to run this ship or I would have eaten you.¡± To make her point, she filled her child-like smile with teeth, filed sharp and jagged. Then she made the teeth appear on her eyes and ears, along with tendrils reaching out and grabbing the air. Chimera smiled even wider as she saw some of the crew faint at the sight, and while she didn¡¯t have her eyes, her blob sight, a 360 degree bubble of awareness, allowed her to ¡®see¡¯ everything clearly. Chimera started to move from the Captain only for the doctor to stop her. ¡°Thank you for sparing his life. I know this doesn¡¯t make anything okay or even forgiven¡­ but still.¡± Chimera side-eyed the doctor, ¡°Bayleaf, I don¡¯t forgive people easily. I also don¡¯t know why you are being nice to me when you already have a gift from me.¡± She leaned in till her face was up next to the doctor¡¯s, ¡°that seems suspicious.¡± Doctor Bayleaf gulped audibly as Chimera stared her down. ¡°I-I understand that you were just wanting to escape what you thought was a hostile situation-¡± ¡°-It was a hostile situation doctor, don¡¯t try to sugarcoat it.¡± ¡°Sugar? Not something I have heard of before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sweet, overtakes all tastes around it. My point is, get to the bloody point already.¡± Bayleaf paused as she gathered her resolve, ¡°I¡­ believe that we can come to an agreement where you get the help you need, and we receive services from you.¡± Chimera laughed, a spiteful one filled with mirth, ¡°Why, oh why, would I need your help? Or any of your help? Let¡¯s get this straight Doctor, you lost the chance for nice ¡®Mera. Now you get Bitch Chimera, and I am not above smacking a bitch up if I feel wronged.¡± Chimera moved away from the doctor, marching back to the spot where her cube prison once stood. ¡°Don¡¯t come at me with half baked apologies and bullshit contracts Dr. Bayleaf Bristlebranch, I¡¯m not about to work with you fuckers anytime soon.¡± ¡°Please Mera, we can talk about this! I know this isn¡¯t ideal and certain things were done with less than¡­ appropriate goals, but I know that if I had the chance I would start over. Can we not do that now? Give me one last chance to prove to you that this will work!¡± ¡°What will work? You screwing me over? Or slaving me using that magic I saw in your mind? Don¡¯t worry Doctor, I know all too well that you and your people enslave animals using magic.¡± Chimera turned to sit on a crate in the cargo hold. ¡°But sure, let''s do another try at this.¡± Chimera could see the hope in Dr. Bayleaf¡¯s eyes as she bowed her head slightly. ¡°Thank you, for this chance.¡± Chimera only shook her head as she closed her eyes, ¡°don¡¯t fuck it up then.¡± The crew left after that, leaving Chimera with her thoughts, and one guard that stood next to a gate. Chimera stared at the woman, who chafed under her gaze. ¡°D-Did you need something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have somewhere else to be?¡± The guard shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m to defend and watch over the cargo in case of intruders or pests. I have to be here.¡± Chimera sighed, ¡°okay, then mind helping me out with something?¡± The guard nodded hesitantly, ¡°I suppose that would be alright.¡± ¡°Good, come here.¡± The guard obeyed, standing before Chimera as she held out some tendrils in front of the guard¡¯s hands. ¡°Please grab hold of them.¡± The guard stared at the tendrils, ¡°you want me to grab those things?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ okay, then.¡± The guard obeyed, and Chimera grasped the wrists of the guardswoman. ¡°Good, this is going to hurt, but bear with it for a second.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to Hur¨CIEEKKKK!¡± Chimera drilled her tendrils into the guards flesh, sending out a webwork of her flesh into the body of the Elfari guard. She felt the body, surfed through her DNA, and destroyed and built as she went. All the while absorbing her DNA and features. Chimera took a long time to do this, and the guard was in a state of pain and euphoria for most of it. Finally, after what must have been an hour, Chimera released the guard, newly enhanced and looking younger and fitter than ever. ¡°Thanks, you can go back to your guarding or whatever.¡± ¡°Thank you mistress Chimera!¡± ¡°Hey, cut that crap out.¡± ¡°Yes My Queen!¡± Chimera sighed as she went back to sitting on her crate. Though she had gone through several different Elfari during her time on the Meras-102, she had yet to get a full DNA chain from the race of elves. With the guards help, Chimera now had an entire blueprint on Elfari DNA, from their mana channels to their extra livers and kidneys. Another template to add to her collection. Lets see it then. Meditating, Chimera chose an image for herself based on the Elfari genome, morphing and reconstructing a body with the template. Before her stood a child-like version of herself, only with the pale skin, long pointed ears, and iridescent eyes of the Elfari. She nodded at the sight. ¡°This is pretty good, but I think I can make it better.¡± She morphed parts and pieces, using the template as a stable structure to allow her the opportunity to test and replace parts with others. Once she was finished, she placed herself inside the new body, and let the sensations of the new form envelop her. Opening her newly ruby eyes, she smiled tightyl as she stretched out the muscles and skin, testing for pressure and context as her new connections formed with the Elfari body. Everything looks good, nerves appear responsive, body¡¯s inner flora and fauna are cycling. Hair is still red, despite trying to change its color. She nodded. Overall, a success. ¡­ Chapter 7 Panicked Sense Chimera¡¯s testing aside, not much happened after she had almost killed the captain. The crew seemed to be treating her as an exotic animal that had taken up the cargo bay as its territory, and were simply watching out in case the beast went wild. Chimera didn¡¯t mind. After all, she knew that whatever the situation, she could start putting holes in the ship immediately with her knew space oak blueprint. Apparently that had been the name of the substance, which made sense in context. Wood that can breathe and not be crushed in space, easy. Chimera mused that there must be a massive tree in this capital the crew were talking about, all made with the stuff. And it¡¯ll be huge, like a spire shooting into the clouds. She laughed at the thought. As if, the tree would be visible from space if that was the case. A soft chuckle came from her new lungs. It was odd after all the testing, that the one thing that changed in Chimera besides the obviously new body, was her voice. She had a lighter tilt to it now, unlike her tomboyish old voice, almost fully feminine. It didn¡¯t really bother her, after all, she could always just change it back. But, despite the difference, she felt that it fit her new body well. Now I sound as haughty as the rest of these elf bastards. Bet I can pull a smug look off while I¡¯m at it. Totally going to look my nose down on this Empress. ¡®You may be a ruler, but I am a diplomat from another world! Ohohohoho!¡¯ Chimera burst into giggles, startling the four guards that stood at the perimeter of her little territory. ¡°Is she crazy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°After the captain locked her in that box, maybe she went nuts?¡± ¡°Oh crap, why did I have to get this detail?!¡± Chimera smirked evilly at the guards. Should I mess with them? Sounds like fun¡­ But before she could pull off anything, a flower bloomed overhead on the ceiling. This beauty was a conal shaped thing with a few glistening pistils tracing along the edges. Its vivid red color and purple leaves gave Chimera the thought that it was made to mimic her looks. What came after though was a shock, as the flower began to speak. In fact, it sounded like a certain doctor. ¡°Ahem* Attention crew of the Meras-102, This is Imperial Harrier and Head Researcher Bayleaf Bristlebranch. All hands prepare for docking and reentry. Repeat, all hands prepare for docking and reentry. We are T-minus ten minutes till reentry.¡± Chimera tilted her head, wondering about the announcement, but as she thought on it¡­ ¡°Oh thank the Goddess, no more of this stupid detail!¡± ¡°We¡¯re finally back!¡± ¡°H-Hey guys, she can hear you!¡± ¡°Home at last!¡± Clarity hit Chimera as she nodded. ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re near your home world now?¡± One of the guards, the one that warned the others about Chimera overhearing them, nodded sheepishly as he smiled back. ¡°Ye-Yes! That announcement means we¡¯re about to land on the docking branches. Once we do, it¡¯ll lower us down to Steros, and the capital, Cinderbough.¡± ¡°Docking branches?¡± The crewman nodded, ¡°How else are we to get through the atmosphere unless we use the docking branches of the World Tree?¡± Chimera blinked at that. ¡°W-Wait a second, you have a tree, and you use the branches to lower you down? From Space?¡± The crewman nodded, with an obvious look of confusion of his own. ¡°Well, yeah. The Meras-102 is one of the branches on that tree, and we departed from it with the help of the captain and the druids¡­ oh wait¡­¡± He put a hand over his mouth as the other three guards glared at him. ¡°Tem!¡± one of them whispered, ¡°you can''t go and give sensitive data like that!¡± ¡°Seriously dude, the hell?!¡± ¡°S-Sorry!¡± ¡°Idiot.¡± Chimera was too stunned by the revelation to notice the fight between them though, as the thought entered her mind. They grow their ships¡­ the reason for the wood is because its a part of the damn tree they call home¡­ they just snipped it off and boom, spaceship. What the fuck?! That would mean that this empire, these elves and everything about them is centered around this tree¡­ And Chimera could make more of this material¡­ Crap! I got to get off of this ship! Screw meeting their damn Empress, if they find out I can replicate this, I¡¯ll never get away! D-Did, they plan this? He saw me use the space oak¡­ maybe they all pretended to be afraid in order to lull me into a false sense of security! If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chimera looked back at the crewmen. Nope, those are genuine¡­ but I don¡¯t know about the rest, or even that doctor Bayleaf¡­ Chimera panicked as she thought about the implications. Screw the power up genetics she could give them, if she could make more trees like this, trees that could be used to make space ships¡­ I need a map though¡­ I need one if I want to escape and make it back¡­ and the only place that has something like that¡­ It would be the place that was kept the most secure, a place like the Imperial Palace. The captain could have one too¡­ but it doesn¡¯t have the context I need, I need a full map, one that can show me all of the surrounding space. Once I have that, I¡¯ll grow my own ship and get as far from these imperial elves as I can. Still, I can''t be here when they come for me. I have to get off! A creaking noise sounded overhead as the ship came to an abrupt stop, jostling the crew as they tried to grab a hold of something. Chimera fused herself to the ship to keep from moving, unlocking herself from it once the shaking stopped. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve arrived!¡± Chimera took that as her queue, immediately rushing towards the neares cargo door. ¡°W-Wait!¡± She didn¡¯t, shifting into a spike of space oak and sliding through a small opening she had made. The door led her out into an open area, surrounded by space oak and crates. It was a warehouse filled to the brim with creatures, supplies, tools and personnel as far as she could see. It almost seemed as if the warehouse just went on forever. Chimera didn¡¯t care about that. One problem at a time, I¡¯ve got to lose the crew here and find a way out. An alarm immediately sounded as she landed in the warehouse, her feet touching down on space oak as several of the Elfari turned to her immediately. H-How are they doing that?! She looked down at her feet, terrified that she was going to see roots shoot up and try to grab her. Wings! A pair of pelican wings shot from her back as she took to the sky around the warehouse, flapping frantically to gain height. A few of the Elfari grabbed staves from the ground and started casting magic. Leaves with bladed edges, spears of wood and even the wind started to chase after her as Chimera dodged and weaved around the attacks. Hell! Damnit! She shifted to a smaller size, increasing her agility to the limit of her abilities, her P.E.Gs churnign through her access energy to feed her increased usage. She couldn¡¯t maintain this for long, maybe fifteen minutes with the current amount of P.E.Gs, but all she could think about was getting away from the Elfari. For a while, she was safe, as the attacks that came started to peter off once she made it past a mountain of the crates. She eased up on her usage. Only for a wooden aircraft to start launching from one of several air pads she passed over. Once again she was in a race, her eyes frantically trying to find an opening, or some kind of exit to reach. ¡°Attention please, I repeat, Attention please. Unidentified Bio-Form loose in docking bay M. Mobilize Security forces immediately.¡± Chimera shot down into the crates below as she flew as close to the ground as she would dare. This isn¡¯t good! They got this whole place set to find me. I need to get out! Rising back up, Chimera rushed into the air to get a better view, despite knowing she was revealing her location. Come on¡­ Come on¡­ There! Her eyes spotted an opening, with a massive barge-like vessel. At first she thought it might be some kind of shuttle, but it began to move downward. An Elevator! A net launched up at Chimera just as she spotted the elevator, and it was only thanks to her instincts that she narrowly avoided the electrified net. Move damnit! Titling her body into a dive, Chimera shot towards her target with increased speed, all the while dodging and avoiding missiles and nets. She shifted, allowing her momentum to carry her as she shifted into her blobby form. With a thud, she landed on the barge, just as the massive doors sealed shut behind her. A few thuds echoed afterwards. Ugh¡­ hope none of those were people. Chimera rested on her butt as she shifted into her Elfari form. Disguise set, now all I gotta do is get out and blend in. She took a breath as she smiled, the oddly clean air filling her body with both oxygen and mana. Well, thats a welcome surprise. Need to refill the pegs anyway. Taking a sitting pose, Chimera ballooned her body and sucked as much of the energy she could, before letting it flow back into her. Clean energy, clean air, and just a feeling of cleansing filled her as Chimera drifted into a nap. W-Wait¡­ gotta stay awake¡­ However, the comforting feeling simply wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer, and Chimera felt herself nod off just as the door to the barge opened. ¡­ Chimera woke up as a hand brushed her red hair. ¡°Wha?!¡± ¡°Relax, you''re safe here.¡± A flowing, glowing sentence hung above her as Chimera took stock of her surroundings, recognizing the dream space she was in a few days ago. ¡°Oh¡­ dream place. Well that¡¯s good I guess.¡± ¡°You think? Why did you run off like that?¡± Chimera took note of the¡­ notes floating above her head, reading them out as she answered back. ¡°Meras, that you? I had to run, those elves were going to use me to make space ships. You got to be careful about them Meras, I bet you anything they might use someone as nice as you too!¡± ¡°...Chimera, are you suuuure about that?¡± Chimera took a moment to collect herself. ¡°Well, no¡­ but I don¡¯t know that they won¡¯t do it either!¡± Meras floated in front of her, her leafy features ruffled and taking on a pleasant vibrant hue. ¡°Mmm¡­ feels good to be home. Anyway, you know they¡¯re gonna find you right?¡± Chimera tilted her head at that, ¡°Home¡­ wait Meras what do you mean by that? I got away from them just now.¡± Meras¡¯ vibrance turned into a green glow around her as she sat in front of Chimera, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. She started to write once more, ¡°Chimera, I can¡¯t say much, since I promised Mother, but you should speak to the Empress. I know it might sound nuts right now, but you want to go home too, right?¡± ¡°Not you too! Did they already get to you? Meras! Those elves surely are evil after all!¡± ¡°Stop being an idiot and listen.¡± Chimera looked back at her strange plant friend as she looked down at her. ¡°Mom says that she¡¯ll let you go without being caught, but you got to go talk to the Empress if you want to come see me again. Mom says you¡¯re a bad influence or something.¡± ¡°Bad Influence?! I should have words with your mom for that! I¡¯m a damn hero! A saint even!¡± Meras smiled back, giggling softly, which sounded like leaves dancing in the wind. ¡°My mom says its because of your sense of humor. Dunno what she¡¯s worried about though, I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± Chimera smirked, ¡°a troublemaker?¡± Meras stuck her nose in the air, ¡°a ¡®proper¡¯ lady is a boring one, anyway.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°couldn¡¯t agree more¡­ alright, I¡¯ll take your advice Meras.¡± Meras nodded back, ¡°good, I think she¡¯s right about that at least. Hope I see you again Chimera. Just head back to the tree if you want to talk again.¡± Meras waved at Chimera with her leafy hands in a big exaggerated way, which made Chimera giggle as well once she faded away. ¡°Alright¡­ Guess I gotta break into the Imperial Palace.¡± Chimera laid her head back, letting sleep take her as the weird world around her shifted back into the familiar room she found herself in earlier. The barge had stopped moving, the door outside of it slowly opening to reveal a massive ball of light. ¡°Subject-102C, Do not resist! Surrender yourself immediately, or you will be forced to do so!¡± Chimera sighed as she looked outside to see a platoon of soldiers, all pressed uniforms and baring rifles that glowed a verdant hue. ¡°So¡­ how the hell do I get out of this?! ¡­ Chapter 8 Steros Homeworld of the Elfari ¡°Surrender yourself immediately, or you will be forced!¡± Yeah yeah, talk it up buddy. Chimera, fully engrossed in her task, had one of her tendrils make a small voice that mimicked the Elfari that was speaking. It was pretty useless all things considered, but making a fool out of him, even in her head, helped her focus on the hole she was digging. Yup, Chimera decided the best way to go about leaving was to bury herself in the dirt. It was genius really. Only she had the ability, (that she knew of) to phase through this wood, or pierce it easily. There was no way some rent-an-officer types, that had security detail for a place that probably never saw anything like her, would have a contingency for what amounted to a termite infestation. A small termite infestation, maybe, but it still fits. If you can hear me Meras, say sorry to your mom for me. Chimera finally reached a point that she felt comfortable with, adding one last heave to her movement as she constructed her space oak drill. It was a small, slender thing, completely made of wood on the shaft and ends, but on the very tip of the drill, was a cut of diamond she made using her newly regained terromancy. Making diamonds was tough, but for a small place on her drill? She could manage that. ¡°Alright, time to dive!¡± Smashing the tip into the hole she dug, Chimera grabbed hold of the drill bit as she pushed herself along, grabbing onto the space oak walls for leverage as she went downward. ¡°Last Warning!¡± So long suckers! She was already deep enough now that no amount of weird wood sorcery was going to reach her, and the ground below gave way to more dirt, and thankfully no more wood. WooHooo! Spinning much faster than any living being should be able to realistically, Chimera swam ahead in her own sea of dirt, pushing and twisting as fast as she could manage. The task kept her busy, and for a long while Chimera couldn¡¯t tell how long she had spent in her digging adventure. Though she could tell that despite her digging, she was close to the surface, if only due to the heat that she felt coming from the ground above her. A little further, then we surface. Using her terromancy, she checked the rock formations around her, being careful to avoic obvious structures and places where rock and stone seemed artificial or built. A nice alcove was showing up on her radar sonar sense she was using, which made her decide on that place to be her breach point. Okay, surfacing! Her drill bit shot up easily, piercing the packed earth and stabbing right through what Chimera realized must have been a house¡¯s floor. ¡°Uh oh¡­¡± Turning to scan the environment, Chimera noticed a small Elfari child staring at her, an innocent look of curiosity splayed over her green hair and eyes. ¡°Umm¡­ Yup! No badgers, moles or tunnel snakes here! Guess I¡¯ll be moving along!¡± The girl tilted her head, ¡°moles? Badgers? Whats a tunnel snake?¡± Abort! Abort! Chimera went back down, doing her best to cover up the hole she made by using a bit of space oak. Okay, that was a bust, got to make sure the spaces I breach are actually holes and not floors! Nodding to herself, Chimera began her deep dive once more, twisting and piercing the earth. ¡­ It took two more tries and an almost run in with what Chimera assumed must be the police on this world until she had finally found a safe place to breach. ¡°PWAH! Hah¡­ no¡­more¡­ drills.¡± She took a big breath of mana infused air as she rested herself along the edge of her hole, taking in the sights around her with a lazy eye. Should be good, if that''s the tree over there. Chimera was staring at what could only be described as a massive tree, filled with green leafs and numerous branches that reached up into the cloudy heavens on its perch. It was so large that when she stared at it, she could almost mistake it for a large tower, but the hanging leaves that floated down from the clouds dissuaded her of that. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. From above her no less, meaning the tree¡¯s branches extended much further than her dig to this outskirt of the city. ¡°Okay, time to do some recon.¡± Chimera found a smaller but taller tree nearby to climb up, her morphous body sliding up in a corkscrew. Grabbing a bit of the tree¡¯s DNA while she was at it, Chimera catalogued it as she reached the top, flexing a little to let her eyes open. ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s see. Holy¡­¡± Chimera¡¯s eyes revealed a sprawling city. Cinderbough was everything that she thought New Terra was, and yet¡­ The city was a quiet place, with no electric light to illuminate the city streets. Its streets were bustling, but the people were respectful. There was no shouting, no loud noises of passing vehicles or background noise. It was a silent city filled with life. Lights of a different sort decorated the sprawl, fashioned to bulbs that swayed with the wind on large flowers. Some kind of fungus decorated the inner streets, and glowed shades of red, green and blue to decorate the night life. It was so mesmerising that Chimera couldn¡¯t help but zoom in to see the people¡¯s expressions, so entranced was she by this city. They were happy, smiles all around, and some even neighborly to their fellows by helping the elderly across the wooden streets. She took it all in, lost for a moment in the familiar, yet, new sights she witnessed. It¡¯s almost identical, but the materials, the lights, the people, hell, even the damn streets are paved with wood. So this is Steros¡­ Chimera glossed over a few more buildings before she saw what she was looking for. There¡­ that has to be it. Her eyes settled on a wooden ziggurat, a massive pyramid looking structure that held a gem covered in vines. It was made from space oak as far as she could tell, and the decorations upon it made it light up under the night sky. Streaks of red, purple and green decorated the sides, all trailing to an entrance that was built like a castle gate. Makeshift spotlights decorated the walls, and Chimera could make out the guards on the wall¡¯s ramparts, clad in gold and silver armor. The weapons they wielded looked like a mix between staves and spears, with a green gem that matched the hue of the even more massive emerald that floated in the middle of the Palace. No entrances, no sewer grates or openings to exploit. Is that really the only way in? Chimera shook her head. Even if it is, I got a disguise now! Should be no problem. Chimera finished anaylzing the tree¡¯s DNA, and with a flick, hopped off her perch and landed on the soil. It was time to breach the Palace and find what she needed to get off of this rock. And maybe pay a visit to the Empress while she was at it. ¡­ ¡°Youngling? Where is your Mother?¡± ¡°Little girl, you should not be out so late¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get the guard to help her find a way back.¡± Chimera had grossly miscalculated. ¡°Umm¡­¡± It didn¡¯t help that the people of Cinderbough were super friendly. Apparently, a child walking around, alone, at night, was enough to worry the overly nice Elfari people. ¡°I¡­ I was on my way home!¡± One of the elderly Elfari approached her, ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Y-Yesh.¡± Oww, how the hell did I bite my damn tongue?! ¡°Well, look at you, all grown up and trying to walk home. Where do you live, child?¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t help it, the absurd situation, the awkwardly helpful people and their almost brutal way in being nice to her. She threw out the only answer that would make sense. ¡­ Bayleaf Bristlebranch sighed in relief as she walked into her room in the Imperial Palace, reserved for the Imperial Harriers and those that trained under them. It had been a bit of a trip, especially at the end with the biological agent that she and the crew almost unleashed upon the Elfari, but after finding no trace of the being for a few hours, she left the search to the rank and file and headed home. She may have been interested in finding the missing ¡®Mera¡¯, but she had been out in space for a few months now, and her bed, in all its fluffyness, called to her. ¡°I¡¯m coming, my love, just wait a few more minutes.¡± She chuckled at her own joke, her cloths falling to the floor as she switched into pajamas. Bayleaf was just about to fall on her bed when a ring came over and a voice called out. ¡°Umm¡­ Imperial Harrier Bayleaf?¡± Bayleaf sighed, ¡°Yes?¡± Her home was equipped with a transceiver and speaker phone, so that she could respond in case of emergency. ¡°Well¡­ your¡­ neice is here?¡± Bayleaf froze. ¡°One moment.¡± Slipping on the last of her pajamas, and falling to the floor in a bundle of limbs, Bayleaf quickly recovered as she sprinted to the door. She opened it to the sight of a familiar young girl, and the guard that was staring at the both of them, as if to sus out if they truly were related. Bayleaf almost shouted at the ¡®young girl¡¯ in front of her, but instead grabbed her tiny hand and pulled her inside. ¡°That will be all, thank you!¡± ¡°W-Wai-¡± The guard could only groan as the door shut in his face, and on the otherside, Bayleaf turned to look at Chimera. Who was sheepishly looking at the ground. ¡°Look, I can explain¡­¡± The frustration of the day boiled over, and Bayleaf grabbed the nearest pillow to shout all the curses she could think of, before turning to face her newest headache. ¡°Explain?! You left the cargo bay, sent the border patrol into a manhunt that is still ongoing by the way, and you what? What possessed you to do it? Didn¡¯t we come to an agreement?¡± ¡°Well yeah but-¡± ¡°But nothing! You better have a good reason, or I¡¯m going to inform the guards outside that a damn alien is walking among us.¡± Chimera awkwardly smiled. Oh¡­ she¡¯s not going to be happy with what I have to say¡­ ¡­ Chapter 9 How to Infiltrate an Imperial Palace, By Bayleaf Bristlebranch Bayleaf was not happy with what Chimera said. Oh by the Goddess above, she was downright furious with what the little alien girl thing said. ¡°I was worried you would force me to make space ships for you?¡± Bayleaf channeled energy like she never had before, her magical might flowed out from her like a curtain, covering the entire house with a sheen of light green energy. It sunk into the walls, creating a sheet of flexible material that turned the solid wood into a rubbery bounce pad. All of the furniture soon followed, and it was only once the entire place was suffused with the energy did Bayleaf begin to turn her head. With a smile that didn¡¯t hit her eyes, she showed her teeth to the would-be headache and grasped her hand firmly. Knowing that the little bastard could hear her thoughts, Bayleaf echoed her thoughts loud and clear to the tyke. You¡¯ve made my life a lot better, and I have to thank you for not doing a lot worse, but a price must be paid before I consider helping you. The Price, is pain. Chimera only had time to project a ¡®Wha?¡¯ before the supercharged, incredibly pissed off Imperial Harrier threw Chimera with the strength of a catapult. Chimera, whether stunned by the action or simply too confused to act, was suddenly bouncing off of every single fixture in the entire house, walls and furniture included. What was worse, was the bouncing only increased her speed, and after a small curtain enveloped Bayleaf as well, Chimera now had no safe harbor to stop the ricochet. She screamed, but her tiny lungs lost all air after she hit a lamp that propelled her into the kitchen, where a set of pans, pots and bouncing utensils sent her ping-ponging into the bathrooms, the bedrooms and right back into the living room with Bayleaf. Pain was a good way to describe what Chimera went through, as since she didn¡¯t technically need to woory about blood loss with this strange magic, she couldn¡¯t help but heave as her stomach, pseudo-organs, and fluids kept trying to leave her body whenever she bounced off something. She wanted to beg to stop the magic, but no air in her lungs meant all she could do was try to mime that she was sorry. Bayleaf promptly ignored these cries for forgiveness. ¡°This is Zero-G environment magic. My predecessor told me that in order to fight a battle in space, you have to be willing to deal with the lack of gravity and reactionary forces from movement. Unless you got a suit with a propellant, you''re stuck trying to fight your own movements more often than not. It also feels like you''re floating around, doesn''t it?¡± Another attempted miming had Bayleaf turn her head. ¡°Another five minutes and the magic will wear off. If you manage to stop yourself before then, I¡¯ll consider what you need and assist. If you don¡¯t¡­¡± Bayleaf pointed at the door, ¡°it''s the guard station for you.¡± Chimera shifted her body to try and slow her bouncing, but the magic sped her up further as she found no foothold for her to stop herself. Crap, how the hell am I going to stop in time? To be fair, the only time she ever experienced a zero-g environment was in the space ship and the solar cannon, so she never had to worry about somehting like this before. Oddly, this bit of ¡­ training felt like it was on purpose, not necessarily a punishment. ¡°Do you need less time to act, I would be happy to shut it down sooner?¡± Chimera gulped as she thought about what would happen to her if the magic suddenly stopped while she was still bouncing. A grizzly image of her splattered against the wall motivated her to find a better way sooner! Think! Come on there got to be¡­ oh I am dumb¡­ Chimera flexed her inner magical organ, recalling the magic of the cube prison that she was in earlier, and flexed the magic. Suddenly, a gravity well appeared in front of her, slamming her tiny body on the floor. ¡°Stopped¡­ hah*¡± Even as the ground continued to try and bounce her, the space magic she used to hold herself in place only sent small amounts of force her way, allowing her a sense of control as she turned to face Bayleaf. Who was smiling genuinely. ¡°I knew you figured out the Space Cube, nice to be proven right.¡± ¡°Your Zero-G training sucks so mu-¡± Chimera groaned as she felt her pseudo-stomach hurl up a pink sludge on the floor. Said smile on Bayleaf¡¯s face dropped into a frown after staring at the puke on the ground, and Chimera could only gasp for air as another river of sludge came forth. ¡°I forget that you have a child¡¯s body¡­ or at least I think you do. This isn¡¯t an elaborate prank is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s- *hrull* Not *barf*!¡± A sigh came from Bayleaf¡¯s lips as she snapped her fingers, making the green energy, and the vomit all disappear in an instant. ¡°Alright, by the grace of the challenge, I Bayleaf Bristlebranch, do extend my hand in help and friendship, May we both strive towards your goal with victory.¡± A white flash appeared and a mark showed on Bayleaf¡¯s right hand. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Language, and it''s a magic pact.¡± ¡°...¡± Bayleaf looked up at the ceiling, as if she was cursing a god somewhere, and sat on the chair next to Chimera as the alien blob girl stood up. ¡°You said you were worried about being used for ship building right? Well, on Steros, when you want someone to help you with something, and you don¡¯t trust them farther than you can throw them, you use a magic pact.¡± She showed the mark on her hand to Chimera, ¡°see this? It is a magical brand, and if I don¡¯t help you as stated in the pact I just initiated, my magic goes away.¡± Bayleaf grabbed Chimera¡¯s hand, ¡°now all you have to do is accept it. You can also initiate your own conditions as well. It won''t go through If I don¡¯t agree with them, but we can negotiate. So, you need my help, yeah?¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°well, yeah. I¡­¡± Chimera felt a pang of guilt in her heart as she stared at the brand. This feels wrong¡­ but a little assurance wouldn¡¯t hurt would it? No, I got to do this right. No more being afraid. Chimera nodded as she placed her hand on Bayleaf¡¯s right one. ¡°I, Chimera, accept the pact, under the conditions that Bayleaf may choose at any time to remove the pact if she feels it goes against her code of honor, or if it conflicts with her previous oaths. Oh, and her magic is not the price even if she doesn¡¯t fufil the bargain. I get to hit her in the stomach instead.¡± The brand appeared on Chimera¡¯s hand shortly after, though it glowed a dull white as opposed to the vibrant luminosity of Bayleaf¡¯s own. ¡°A punch in the stomach?¡± ¡°For making me hurl. I pay back pranks with interest.¡± For a moment, Bayleaf stared at the young alien with confusion. It seemed as though she was going through several thoughts while staring at the brand, all of which Chimera couldn¡¯t get a bead on. It was strange too, she should have been able to at least get surface level thoughts with their hands connected like this, but all that was coming through was faint emotion. My power is being suppressed¡­ or I still haven¡¯t reclaimed the rest of them. That was true as well, as despite most of her gifts returning some of them eluded her still. Had she taken so much damage in the explosion that it obliterated some of her powers entirely? Still, she might not have super speed anymore, but she got space manipulation from the ship, oaken armor that could survive space, and all kinds of strange magic to test as well. Lost in her thoughts, Chimera didn¡¯t hear Bayleaf as she spoke over her. ¡°Huh, wassit?¡± ¡°I said that I accept.¡± ¡°Oh, nothing to add to the pact? Are you sure?¡± Bayleaf nodded, ¡°It¡¯s weird, but ever since you did that¡­ transformation to me I can¡¯t seem to find doubts in your words. Its as though I can glean your thoughts and know them to be truthful." Chimera froze. ¡°You¡­ can hear thoughts? Is it like a surface level thing or can you deep dive?¡± ¡°The first one, its like I can tell your sincere even though you got other things on your mind.¡± Chimera felt the pact seal, and immediately ran to the nearest wall and hit her head on it. Idiot! You didn¡¯t lose your powers, you gave them away! It was the only real explanation she could think of. Before, if she wanted to give powers to someone, she needed to be able to study their DNA and see what could fit without disrupting the DNA chain. It was how she was able to slot in Technomancy and Technopathy into Meghan¡¯s body without it killing her. However, she still kept some of the chain to herself, so that she might replicate it. Because it was a finite thing if she didn¡¯t replicate the chain. If she lost the entire chain¡­ Well, that was it, gone completely irretrievable. She was reading Bayleaf¡¯s thoughts when she used her power before, a deep dive into her information so she could understand her circumstances back on the Meras-102. Then she enhanced her. Without thinking about the fact that she was still using the ability! ¡°AGHHH! Damnit, idiot stupid idiot!!!¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong Mera?¡± Chimera held her head as she repeatedly slammed it against the wall. ¡°I lost it! I lost one of my powers! Crap on a stick!¡± Bayleaf tried to pull Chimera away from her self imposed beating, and easily did so with her new found strength and body. ¡°Now, come here. It can¡¯t be as bad as you think.¡± ¡°My ability allowed me to read minds, to insert myself into people''s memories and glean information from them. It was how I understood your language.¡± Bayleaf gasped slightly, ¡°Oh¡­ well, then doesn¡¯t that mean you-¡± ¡°-Can¡¯t learn unless I insert myself directly into a person¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Like you did with me¡­ I see now.¡± Chimera looked up at her, ¡°I suppose on the plus side, you can read people¡¯s minds and find out their darkest secrets. As an Imperial Harrier that works for the Empress, that¡¯s got to be useful.¡± Bayleaf nodded, a look of shock plastered on her face, ¡°I suppose I can. Though now I feel like I¡¯m more in debt to you then ever.¡± ¡°If you can sneak me in to meet the Empress, I¡¯ll call us even, pact and all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sworn to protect the Empress though, which is one of my oaths. I can¡¯t sneak you in, but maybe¡­¡± Bayleaf walked into her bedroom, opening the door for Chimera to follow. Inside was what many would call a room that screamed personality. The walls were pink, shaded with golden lines that crawled along the edges. A few plants hung near the window with a small cloud that occasionally rained on them, along with a few clay dolls that walked around and trimmed a few of the smaller dead leaves. The bed was a massive thing that took up most of the room, with a comforter in the shape of a flower that Chimera didn¡¯t recognize. It was pink, fluffy, and looked like something a hummingbird would drink from. Lastly, in the massive closet that seemed to be its own room entirely, was Bayleaf, who was picking out clothing and shoes that went along side them, a fashion show that was moving to the whims of her magic. ¡°This one¡­ no, too flashy. That might work, but I don¡¯t have the clothing for the skirt. This matches but it was so last season, and winter is coming soon. Aha!¡± Seemingly come to a conclusion, Bayleaf pulled out a small uniform with green apparel, with a skirt that went down to Chimera¡¯s knees. It looked like a school uniform for a military college, only for a child¡¯s size rather than an adults. ¡°This, go ahead and put it on.¡± Chimera grabbed the uniform, confusion riddilng her features as she tried to figure out what angle Bayleaf was going with this. ¡°Erm, Bay? Can I call you Bay? What¡¯s with this thing?¡± Bayleaf smiled, ¡°Bring your Family to Work Day is tomorrow, and I¡¯m taking you with me to meet the Empress.¡± Chimera stared at the uniform, ¡°but why do I need this?¡± Looking for answers, Chimera moved to stare at the larger woman, only for a smile of pure bliss to reach her eyes. ¡°Because you would look great in that! It makes you look like a little soldier doesn¡¯t it? So cuute!¡± Chimera laughed awkwardly, feeling a tense migraine begin to form in her thoughts. This is nothing like those dramas Meghan used to get Sarah to watch. ¡­ Chapter 10 First Impressions This was it. After having sat through Bayleaf¡¯s stupid uniform and learning just a bit more about etiquette from the Imperial Harrier, Chimera felt confident that she could pass as a young bright eyed kid in front of the strongest most defended place in the Elfari Empire. ¡°Alright, remember, act dumb, ask stupid questions, and no one will bat an eye at you.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± After having spent most of yesterday talking to Bayleaf, Chimera was getting the notion that kids to her were idiots who wasted her time. Chimera couldn¡¯t really trust her own memories, because most of those involved horrible mind experiments and manipulation by less than kind people. So she decided to wing it with Bayleaf¡¯s theory of being cute and acting stupid but in a cute way. ¡°Aww, didn¡¯t know you had a niece Bay!¡± Chimera readied herself as the first of their trials arrived. Having just left the house located near the Imperial Palace, Chimera and Bayleaf would need to make their way to the Militarum Aboretum, the place where the star maps were located. Even Bayleaf wouldn¡¯t have complete access to such an area, but another Imperial Harrier would, especially if they had a legitimate, if dumb, reason to do so. ¡°Hello Yarrow, yeap just letting old Mera here see the star maps. She was interested in seeing all the different places our Empress has conquered.¡± Bayleaf said with a relaxed tinge to her voice. ¡°I wanna shee them!¡± Chimera spoke in a cutesy voice. Yarrow knelt down and pinched ¡®Mera¡¯s¡¯ cheek with an affectionate coo, ¡°you are just the sweetest thing.¡± ¡®Mera¡¯ smiled widely, her giggle a bit on the nose but thankfully Yarrow didn¡¯t seem to suspect anything. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s for your little cutie, I suppose I can take some time to show off our Empire¡¯s great conquests.¡± Content with her pinching of the cheeks, Yarrow turned to walk alongside the two as they made their way to the Militarum Arboretum. Yarrow smiled at Bayleaf, ¡°girl, which one of those stuck up snobs you call siblings birthed that wonder? She¡¯s a damn peach compared to the cold calculators you got as relatives.¡± Bayleaf scratched the back of her head as they walked towards the entrance to the complex. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ illegitimate.¡± Bayleaf said with a bit of a somber tone to her voice. ¡°Oh¡­ well, then no one has-¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s not been claimed by any, but she has our blood in her. Its why I wanted to get her out, to know what our family does. Maybe she could find a place in our Empire.¡± It was odd to Chimera as Bayleaf spoke, because according to her, she could not say anything that would be considered a breach of her code to the Empress as well as the Empire. She was meant to defend it, which was the mana oath she had taken when she joined the Harriers. That was why she made it clear she was here to show ¡®Mera¡¯ the star maps, because it wasn¡¯t a breach of trust, she really did want to show those maps to Chimera. What she said though was unnecessary. It could also be considered a breach if any of it was a lie. Well, Chimera did share her blood, because she had taken some of her DNA when they merged the first time, and she was illegitimate, because no one was truly her mother. No one could claim her. Did that mean that Bayleaf really did want her to see what they did? But she would likely be disappointed, since Chimera was trying to find a way home. She wasn¡¯t going to join the Elfari Imperium. The group arrived at the gate, just in time to see a congregation of what looked like robed Elfari walking through the entrance, each holding a branch that was twinned with vines and flowers. The robes were an earthy brown with their own leaves crawling up and down the entire ensemble. Their faces were covered, wooden masks shaped in various images that reminded Chimera of depictions of different trees. From where she was, she couldn¡¯t make them out too well, but it was a strange reverence that seemed to capture her attention more than the clothes they wore. ¡°State your business.¡± One of the guards spoke with resolve, like he was proud that he was guarding such a place. One of the robed men and women appeared before him, a flex of magic that Chimera couldn¡¯t trace, even with her own magical gifts. He, she decided, must be a gifted magic user. ¡°I am here to speak to the Empress regarding the recent breach of Holy Yggdrasil.¡± The guard looked up and down at the robed man, ¡°from the Druidic Council are you?¡± An elaborate bow followed those words, where the man speaking placed his tree staff on the ground while the other druids followed. ¡°Yes, the most esteemed guard of the palace. We are expected by Grand Druid Bephos, who is due to speak to her majesty soon.¡± The other druids confirmed with their own words, speaking like a group of priests on a holy quest. ¡°Yes brave guard, allow us entry.¡± ¡°Our Empress must heed our words.¡± The guard in question had enough of the brown noseing group, and opened the gates for the congregation, who ¡®blessed¡¯ him and thanked him for his deeds. Just as they had left, the guard spat on the ground in their direction. ¡°Druids.¡± Turning back to their group, Chimera wonderd why the guard seemed to hate the strange Elfari they just saw. Must be politics. It had the stink of something like that, but Chimera couldnt be sure. Whatever, doesn¡¯t concern me. I just need to find the map, speak to the Empress and get the hell out of here. Nevertheless, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her not to discount what she just witnessed. Might be useful later. ¡°Alright Ms. Bristlebranch, Ms. Talon. Lovely to see you two once more in Cinderbough. Heading to a briefing?¡± The guard had a casual smile to his face, as if he respected the two of them more than the earlier group. The other Harrier, Yarrow nodded with a big smile, ¡°yup, got to get our Bayleaf here up to code regarding the recent developments. Also need a guest pass for the little one here.¡± Chimera smiled goofily at the guard, ¡°Hiya sir!¡± going for a salute as well, adopting the custom she saw the other guards use on the Meras. ¡°Coming right up Ms. Talon, is she yours?¡± Yarrow shook her head, ¡°if you can believe it, she''s one of her brood.¡± with a thumb back to Bayleaf. ¡°You don¡¯t say? Honestly thought a lot of them ¡®Bristles¡¯ were born through osmosis with the way they all got that cold stare to their features. She looks downright decent this one.¡± With a point to Chimera. ¡°Same tree, different branch if you get me.¡± Talon spoke with a solemn tone. ¡°Oh Aye, poor thing. Good to know our Bayleaf¡¯s got a heart in her.¡± ¡°H-Hey! Knock it off you two!¡± Bayleaf spoke, incredulous but lighthearterdly. Chimera couldn¡¯t help but smile genuinely at that, till a pang in her heart switched the faces around. Sarah being the one mocked, Meghan as Yarrow, and even the guard reminded her of Aden and his small jabs. Chimera felt her smile drop a bit. Not now¡­ Shaking her thoughts away, she put a dopey grjn back on her face. Soon she would have all she needed to go home. ¡­ The interior of the Militarum Arboretum was a massive complex shaped in the style of a tree. It held one main chamber as the first floor, and a set of strange elevators that reached the upper levels, each situated within their own departments. Chimera quickly observed all of the different levels in case she wanted to visit, after all, any data could be useful to her later. Maybe I can finagle a working computer with the stuff I find here. She still didn¡¯t have access to her technopathy or technomancy powers, as the DNA chain for those was still lost to her, but this ¡®druid¡¯ magic that she witnessed on the Meras could allow her to create something similar. She was already decoding a bit that she received from that captain Bark fellow, but the magic and the way it worked with her own organ was a bit tricky to figure out. Chimera kept experimenting with it by sending bits of energy into the nearby plants, who seemd to be fused to the tree building¡¯s body. Even the elevators were made with some kind of vine-like plant that pulled up and down with a pulley system. Chimera couldn¡¯t see anyone doing the pulling, but after they entered one of the elevators, she could hear Bayleaf and Yarrow mutter words beneath their breath. ¡°Souls sent skyward, take us to the eye of the world.¡± Suddenly a burst of green magic flooded the floor, and after a few shaky moments the group of three ascended to the floors above. Chimera felt the pulse, and her new grasp on the druidic magic started to find itself making sense in her mind. Is it all based on incantations? Like a passcode? If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Curious, Chimera tried a code of her own, something unlike the two escorts she was with, but something familiar to her. ¡°Chemical bubbles, bringer of change, give my thoughts and feelings more range!¡± Sinking her hands into the lift, Chimera felt a pulse of something reach out of her, and spread throughout not just the elevator, but the entire structure. It was slithering, riding on the chemical processes that give energy to the massive tree, and sending back data to her. Genetic Data. It was overwhelming for a brief moment, causing her to fall to the ground in a heap. ¡°What was that?¡± Yarrow spoke over an intercom near the elevator door, while Bayleaf moved towards Chimera to pick her up. Losing the connection to the ground stopped the data from forcefully shoving itself into Chimera¡¯s mind, but bits of it still trickled with the magic. She sighed as the tree¡¯s structural data, biomass, energy draw and various other bits and bobs filed away into her mental database, the place she stored her powers before most of them went missing. Always good to have a few cards, maybe I can get my mind reading power back this way. Needless to say, the druidic power was a powerful card, but hard to control if her wording wasn¡¯t careful. Bayleaf pulled her up to speak in her ear, ¡°That was you, wasn¡¯t it? It was strange, I could almost feel the intent behind it.¡± Chimera shrugged as she whispered back, ¡°tested something, need more data to be sure. Likely our connection is what tipped you off. Do we need to worry about Yarrow?¡± They both turned to see the other Harrier still waiting on the Intercom, completely in her own world. Setting her back down, Bayleaf pretended to brush something off of her as she used a bit of magic. ¡°Keep the magic to a minimum, most people here are trained to sense even the smallest amount. That pulse would be felt by the Magic Seekers for certain.¡± The magic faded after a bit, ¡°there, no residuals left.¡± Yarrow turned to face them, ¡°residual what?¡± Chimera made a motion like her head was hurting, ¡°head hurts.¡± Bayleaf seemed to pick up on her angle, ¡°Mera here is particularly sensitive to certain magic, and that druidic pulse we felt was something a bit much for her.¡± Yarrow nodded with an apologetic look, ¡°oh, sorry there little Mera. No need to worry, I¡¯m betting it was some Druid testing their magic, nothing to worry about.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°tingles.¡± That gave Yarrow a bit of a smile, ¡°well, you might have the making of a druid yourself little one, just trust that tingly feeling okay?¡± After a few minutes of looking cute for the Harrier, the elevator started back up and the group made it to their destination. The massive doors made of space oak opened to reveal a buzzing hive of activity. Elfari, male and female alike, roamed the massive map room driven with purpose. Some wrote maps on parchment while others were bringing large wooden drivers that reminded Chimera of hard drives back home. Inserting them into slots along the massive table in the center of the room added more lights to the ever expanding scope of the star map. It showed Chimera the length of the Elfari¡¯s reach. Their world, Stereos, was surrounded by six smaller moons, each other seemingly important in some way that Chimera couldn¡¯t understand. Yet. Still, the reach of the map extended outward, to several bases and tree vessels that hovered around their solar system. The massive sun that the cluster of planetary bodies only seemed to be these seven, there was no other out of this range. Determined to figure out the reason, Chimera started to move closer to the map desk. ¡°Whatcha doing?¡± Chimera turned to the voice in question, as it was seemingly directed at her. Another Elfari child was there with her, sitting on a chair near the massive star chart with a drink in his hand. ¡°Checking out the map, what else,¡± she replied back to the girl. ¡°That thing is boring, all it does is float around and shine.¡± the girl slurped her drink loudly as she finished her words. Chimera shook her head, ¡°that just shows you how dumb you are.¡± Taking a seat next to the girl, she sent a small amount of her body into the base of the table, trying to connect to the table. ¡°W-What! I¡¯m not dumb!¡± ¡°Are so!¡± Chimera felt the part of herself reach the deposit of information that was being uploaded into the table as Yarrow and Bayleaf walked up next to her. She angled herself so that the part she sent wouldn¡¯t be seen as easily. It just looked like part of the chair she was sitting on after all. However, the data would not come to her. Huh? What the hell? She tried over and over, but some kind of wall was protecting the information from reaching her. How that was even possible when she was actively coding the DNA from the table was something she never faced before. Then, something hit her. It was small like a rock, but fleshy like a fist. Chimera turned to see the little girl with tears in her eyes, her fist planted in Chimera¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± She and the girl kept bickering, and it got to the point where people started to notice them both. ¡°Mera, you should apologize,¡± Bayleaf stated as she placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. You¡¯re making a scene, apologize and end it.¡¯ Chimera nodded, turning back to the child, ¡°sorry that you¡¯re dumb.¡± Bayleaf face palmed herself as the little girl started to throw more fists, while Chimera started to dodge the blows from her chair. ¡°Too slow!¡± Chimera taunted. ¡°Why are you so mean?!¡± the girl shouted back. ¡°Because you think this map is boring, when it¡¯s the key to keeping everyone safe!¡± That shut up the little girl for a bit, causing her to stare at the star map. ¡°This keeps everyone safe?¡± Chimera pointed to Steros on the map, ¡°Because of information, it allows all the people here to move and defend everyone better. Without these maps, the whole world would be doomed.¡± She turned back to the girl, ¡°do you get it now? It may look boring, but this keeps all of us alive, and protects the Empire.¡± The girl, solemn but sniffling, nodded back, ¡°It''s because of this that Big sister came home from space?¡± Chimera smiled, ¡°Yup.¡± A wide grin showed up on the other girl¡¯s face, ¡°t-then thanks everyone!¡± The girl stood up and bowed to everyone who had been watching them, and a round of coos and cheers rose from the clearly worked cartographers. Bayleaf bowed her head at the little girl, ¡°Princess Roanna, it is our pleasure.¡± Yarrow joined in as well, ¡°always a pleasure to make sure the Commander makes it back.¡± Chimera was still focused on the star map to notice much of the cheering, but once she was just about to find a way in¡­ The Princess Roanna grabbed her hands, pulling them to her own chest, ¡°thank you for telling me this, i¡¯m sorry.¡± Chimera felt a wealth of knowledge begin to flood inside her as the princess¡¯ skin touched her own, and a sudden flux of energy followed along with it. ¡°U-Umm, yeah! I¡¯m sorry too!¡± This made the little girl giggle, ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± The star map had finally allowed her entry after so many attempts, but her mind was filled with so much different information that she was finding it hard to focus on everything she was receiving. ¡°Chimera!¡± That brought a puzzled look to the group, but the princess simply smiled at the mention of her true name. ¡°Chimera, that¡¯s so weird!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chimera was starting to overload, the information from the maps and the information from the princesses¡¯ very special DNA chain were fighting for her attention, but she couldn¡¯t focus on either. It was her strange druidic spell all over again, but now she was in a room with a bunch of people whose job was to gather information. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say her name was Mera?¡± Yarrow spoke with a bit of confusion. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s her full name so I shortened it to Mera.¡± Bayleaf replied coolly. Another squeeze on Chimera¡¯s shoulder. Hurry up whatever you''re doing, we got to go! Bayleaf¡¯s desperation was beginning to show as she tried to pull Chimera back, only for Chimera to not budge because of her being stuck to her chair. H-Hold on, t-too much d-data! Now! Chimera broke from the star chart, causing a cracking noise to sound throughout the room as her chair leg detached from its base, along with her wooden leg. It should have caused her to fall, but with the strange amorphous blobby leg that grew in its place, it became clear how she was not knocked over. Chimera turned towards the elevator, arriving just as people started to shout back at her. Bayleaf tried to reach her, but Chimera had already pulsed her limbs with druidic magic to take control of the elevator. ¡°Down, Now!¡± The magic obeyed, and Chimera went into a free fall, the elevator not even bothering to slow the ascent as she reached the base of the tree in moments. An alarm sounded shortly after she landed, but Chimera was already on the run, shifting to match a guard¡¯s uniform and look so that she could sneak back out of the Miltarum Arboretum. Screw meeting the Empress, I gotta get out of here! The Arboretum doors opened to reveal an entire contingent of troops awaiting outside, along with several druids and some mean looking soldiers with plasma based weapons. Chimera blended with the crowds trying to leave, doing her best to seem inconspicuous as the contingent entered the tree building. However, a few troops stayed behind, and began scanning each of the people trying to escape. It was only a matter of time until they reached her. Her cloned guard body was perfect though, it wouldn¡¯t be likely that they could see through it, even with whatever magic they used to sense such things. Screw it! She couldn¡¯t chance it, whatever the case. Those Magic Seekers that Bayleaf mentioned might be able to find her, and it was only a matter of time before they questioned Bayleaf herself. No more holding back. Chimera shifted into her child-like Elfari form, and shifted past all the panicking personnel, pushing and twisting just as she did aboard the Meras before. Data compiled and was catalogued, and even the unfinished star map data was set to the side to receive this new important DNA. Tendrils grew from her back as she launched tranquilizing spikes, now coded to work on Elfari DNA, and shot them all at the most dangerous looking soldiers and mages around her. Some were hit with little trouble, but Chimera could feel her heart in her ears as she witnessed some of the mages and even the soldiers pull off moves that would put superheroes to shame. Elites! She charged the nearest one, tackling the mage with her arms and driving her tendrils into its back. A cry of pain and a sigh followed as the Elfari mage fell to the grounds, but Chimera was already on the move to the next one. Activating her P.E.Gs she launched a salvo of space spells to lock down the others with a great deal of success. After that it only took a few more tranquilizer spikes to send them under. One still remained. Chimera braced herself to face off against the soldier who despite being in a miniature gravity well was still moving, albeit slowly. No use keeping him in there, and the energy draw is too much. Timing her attack with the release of the gravity well, Chimera launched a salvo of tranquilizer spikes at the soldier just as he was released. However, it would not be enough, as the soldier jumped, dodged and slide under everything she fired at him. How?! Chimera shook herself as she shifted her tactics. If she couldn¡¯t put him to sleep that way, she would simply knock him out with her own abilities. She shifted her arms into Wujack sized arms of flesh, all while condensing them down to increase her range of movement. Then she covered them with space oak, using her space magic to allow her the ability to move her new massive tree limbs. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, just let me go or this might hurt.¡± She tried to sound threatening, but she was starting to get frustrated and it came out childish. This didn¡¯t seem to bother the soldier at all, who answered back with an even tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that is the one thing I cannot allow. Your crimes must be answered for.¡± The soldier landed next to her, and Chimera finally got a good look at him. His hair was shoulder length with silver lining along black hair. The soldier¡¯s face was angular and unblemished, as if he never had been cut or hurt despite his profession. His build was lithe, but the magic he held came off in waves, enough for Chimera to feel the pulse of his power. Silver eyes stared back at her solemnly, and Chimera felt a chill in her spine as she readied herself for battle. ¡°My name¡¯s Chimera.¡± she introduced herself, hoping to buy herself time to think up a strategy. The man flourished a sword staff, one with the pattern of a leaf on its blade that pointed out in five directions. ¡°I am called the Silver Blade, but you may address me as Bargo of the Imperial Harriers." ¡­ Chapter 11 Space Blob Vs.. The Imperial Harriers Oh no. Chimera readied herself for the fight, but in her head she was already trying to calculate how she could escape from this situation. In her defense, she didn¡¯t think the plan through, and having her transfer interrupted by a freaking princess was definitely not something she planned around. But she forgot an even more important factor. This was the Palace of the Empress, next to her freaking army headquarters. Of course they were going to have a few of their elites around to stop people from doing something like, oh I don¡¯t know, breaking in and trying to steal data! With her goal so close, Chimera would admit that she lost sight of the obvious. Now, she wished she had a more subtle approach she used instead. ¡°Well, if you will not begin, then I shall.¡± Bargo, the taciturn Elfari drew his spear back. And launched the thing like a javelin, straight at Chimera¡¯s chest! ¡°Woah!¡± Chimera blocked the spear with an arm, trying to parry it to the side. A massive screech sounded as it slid against her oak-enhanced arms, digging into the durable wood and carving a good chunk of it off of her. Crap! It¡¯s got armor piercing! Chimera tried to grab the spear, only for a shockwave to blast from the thing, sending her flying off into the middle of a courtyard. It was an open area with a few hedges and a massive statue of an Elfari in regal robes. Besides a few walkways and benches, it was flat and surrounded by a wall of bricks and iron bars. Chimera pulled herself up as she unleashed her tendrils, blind firing a salvo while she got behind the statue. Okay, his spears a freaking bomb on top of everything. Got to take him down quick, maybe I should- Her thoughts were interrupted as the spear returned, nested next to where she was a moment ago. Shit! She jumped out of the way as another explosion tossed fragments of statue and walkway made a cloud of dust appear. ¡°Found you.¡± Chimera turned to see Bargo launch a fist at her, wreathed in ice cold magic energy. Idiot, now you''re mine! Chimera launched herself at the fist, grabbing ahold of it while also taking her tendrils and stabbing them into Bargo¡¯s back. Instead of flesh, she met a barrier of iridescent light, which weakly held off her tendrils. However, the same barrier did not extend to the Silver Blade¡¯s fists. Chimera took the full blow of the ice attack, which spread over her like a wave, freezing her to his fist. Damn¡­ it¡¯s spreading. The ice fist didn¡¯t end, clawing its ways into her body and trying to freeze her in place. But Chimera didn¡¯t need to worry about that nonsense if she could get inside Bargo¡¯s body, so she focused on that, driving herself forward even as the Silver Blade tried to rip her off his arm. There! Right under the gauntlet he was wearing, Chimera felt the touch of skin, and forced her whole body inside the Harrier¡¯s body. On the outside, it looked as though her own Elfari child body was frozen, but Bargo realized something was wrong as he felt Chimera traveling up his arm. ¡°Monster!¡± In a moment of diligence the Harrier attempted to slice off his own arm, only for Chimera to block the blow from within, forcing his own skin to become like space oak to stop his hand blade¡¯s attempt. Nope, you''re going down! Now in his chest cavity, Chimera absorbed all the energy he held within, including his own magic, and syphoned it within her own body, setting aside a small amount of his DNA to study for later. Without his magical energy and bereft of his body¡¯s own energy, Bargo fell to the ground unconscious, a soft snore escaping his mouth as Chimera poured out of it. ¡°Crap, that was way too close.¡± Taking a moment to catch her breath and process, Chimera searched around as she prepared herself to run. Only for a barrier to appear all around the courtyard. ¡°Creature of malignance, you will pay for having killed our brother in arms!¡± ¡°Yeah! What she said!¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± Chimera sighed, turning to the source of the new voices as she readied herself for another fight. Clad in specific armor, four Elfari approached her, three female and one male judging from their sizes. Chimera could make out that one of them carried themselves like the leader of the group. Bayleaf was among their number, a conflicted face as she too seemed to ready herself for combat. ¡°Imperial Harriers.¡± Chimera spoke in a whisper, but inside her head she was already calculating her odds. Four mages, the leader uses a sword form from the looks of her, that smaller girl uses gauntlets, and Bayleaf has a staff. That last guy has a big fucking hammer¡­ not sure how I¡¯d fair against that. Do I have to though? Chimera took a quick glance around as the mages began to circle her, leaving no room for her to maneuver. She spotted the point where Bargo¡¯s spear destroyed the ground, leaving a massive crater next to the statue that had a leaking water jet from the fountain near the statue. Maybe¡­ Chimera took a moment to back up, placing the fountain behind her while the mages all circled her. ¡°Chimera, don¡¯t. Just come quietly.¡± Chimera tilted her head at Bayleaf, ¡°and why should I? I got what I need, all I gotta do,¡± She paused as she jumped backward into the fountain jet. She pushed herself inside, only to find a magic crystal at the other end of the pipe. Crap! Shot out from the fountain jet, Chimera turned to fight the mages. ¡°I have to go home! Just let me go!¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Nonsense, monster!¡± The small girl with the gauntlets clacked her fists together as she charged at Chimera. ¡°We are the Empress¡¯ Imperial Harriers, the elite who protect her and carry out her will!¡± The man with the hammer smashed the ground around them. ¡°...to stop those who would threaten the empire.¡± the last girl said in a monotone voice, clearly not wanting to be there. ¡°To¡­ to safeguard the land.¡± Bayleaf said, also clearly not wanting to be there, but not due to lack of duty. The leader, a taller woman with a body modeled after some kind of beauty goddess, snapped her whip. While not as intimidating at first, Chimera could feel that the weapon was more than it seemed. ¡°You will be brought down, by her will¡± ¡°¡±By her Will!¡± The other Imperial Harriers spoke in unison as a flair of magic ignited something in their armor, making magic bleed off of them in roils of power. Chimera jumped to the side as a fist drove into the ground near the fountain, spraying the water around them. In the mist, Chimera shifted, no longer trying to hide herself as she decided right then and there. She was going home damnit! ¡°Yeah? Big shots are you? Well screw this.¡± Chimera unlocked all of her P.E.Gs at once, allowing dangerous levels of energy to flood her now blob form. The energy radiated off of her in a glorious red flame, giving off the impression that she was burning alive. Which if she kept up the form for too long, she very well might. ¡°I am Chimera, the Hero of Asta! Savior of the City of New Terra! And I¡¯m. Going. Home!!¡± Chimera grew to twenty feet tall, gathering a massive fist as she expanded outward, and smashing it against the ground. The Imperial Harriers dodged, most of them taking to the sky as they started to surround Chimera once more. ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Chimera spoke with a reverb as her giant form made her voice carry, and spun around with her tendrils shooting out. She willed the tendrils to face off against each of the four heroes around her, each one tracking their movements, and taking moments to rush out and stab the Harriers. Being as massive as they were, Chimera made the needles on the ends of the tendrils filled with a serum she would use to put them to sleep. She might be fighting them, but she didn¡¯t want these people dead. ¡°Take this, Gravity Gloves!¡± The smaller girl went for her knee as her two gauntlets glowed with a black light. Chimera shifted to avoid them, but felt her leg start to freeze up just as she made to move. She gazed down to see Bargo was up and moving once more, Bayleaf next to him emitting a shining yellow light. Chimera¡¯s leg shatters as the black energy makes contact with the now frozen limb. Overflowing with energy as she was, Chimera simply made a new limb and grabbed the now defenseless gauntlet wearer, sucking her inside as she made multiple needles of sleep serum to knock her out, while also absorbing her DNA for later use. Making the girl travel to the tendril she was using to track the girl, Chimera held the girl there at the end while she turned to face the remaining four, Bargo included. ¡°Melga! Unhand her, you fiend!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fiend!¡± Chimera chucked the girl at the leader in the mask, the little girl landing in the leader¡¯s arms as Bargo, Bayleaf and the remaining black Elfari girl rushed to defend their group. ¡°Use fire, ice and things that would affect flesh, its the only way to take her down!¡± Bayleaf spoke to the group as she turned to help the girl Melga. Damnit! Should have never trusted her! Chimera roared as she summoned the latent skill she received from the space oak, and filled the ground arround her with a massive gravity well. ¡°Try flying now you fools!¡± Chimera snarled as the well sucked them all down to the earth below. In such a state, none of them seemed capable of pulling themselves up, and Chimera felt like she could finally get away. Until the little girl Melga got up, her gloves glowing with a similar energy to her own. ¡°I got you guys, get up quick!¡± Chimera watched as the group, now suddenly free from her gravity well, shot away from the area she affected. ¡°Enough!¡± Chimera grew five tendrils from her body, filling them all with the sleep serum needles and launched them all at once with a mix of her gravity magic and the explosive force of her own biological muscles. The blast covered every inch of the courtyard, and Chimera could see that even with their barriers, none of the group could block needles so incredlibly small. The blast embedded into the earth around her, leaving them sticking out of the ground. Three of the five Imperial Harriers were down, but Bayleaf and the leader were still up. ¡°Bay, grab the group and begin healing them. We just need to hold on for a few more minutes!¡± ¡°Right!¡± Chimera snarled, ¡°you think you can? This ends right now, I''m done playing!¡± With a flex of her own magical ability, Chimera dove deep into the druid magic that she learned about, coming up with a code to end this farce of a fight and get her out of there.¡± ¡°Bring slumbering calm, bring restful night, bring down their rebellion with all my might!¡± Chimera felt the pull of the magic take hold, spreading off of her like a fog as purple mist enveloped the entire courtyard. Shrinking herself as the purple mist covered the entire area, Chimera rushed out towards the city of Cinderbough, her magic doing all it could to cover her tracks and give her the moments she needed to flee. A little more, just a bit and I can get out of this damn place! She heard no footsteps nor did she feel the flex of magic nearby, and as she turned down the road and moved closer and closer to the city limits, she could feel a lightness in her chest. I¡¯m there! I just need- She stopped. Sliding to a halt, she watched as an army of Elfari raised a barrier around her once more, digging into the ground itself to completely surround her. She could feel it in the soil as it closed off the ground around her, and as she witnessed the barrier being fed with the magic of numerous hosts, she watched as seven figures approached behind her. The Imperial Harriers were all up, no less groggy than before and completely healed. No¡­ Chimera felt despair grip her heart as she went through a list of things they could want her for, could use her for. The horrors of those poor heroes she killed flashed in her mind, the ones she devoured while under Monica¡¯s sway for that short time. ¡°No! No! I¡¯m leaving! Aden, Meghan! SARAH!¡± Chimera tried to use her magic, but found it out of reach as the barrier seemed to syphon the energy from her body. She tried to increase her size, but found the seventh member of the Harriers, the one she had yet to meet, shine a peculiar sword staff which locked her body in place. Her body wouldn¡¯t respond, seemingly stuck in a suspended state that prevented all movement. She tried in vain to increase and decrease her size, to push her body in one direction or whiplash herself in another. Nothing. She was a statue, trapped in her own body with no way out. She could feel tears in her eyes beginning to well up as the last bit of hope she felt started to drain away, replacing it with horrors that all held that mocking smile of Monica Ferrous. My little experiment, you¡¯ve come back to me¡­ No! She wouldn¡¯t give in. There had to be a way out of this, she just needed to keep her head. ¡°High General.¡± Chimera looked up to see a few of the Elfari military salute the approaching seventh Harrier, or what she might have mistook for an Imperial Harrier. The woman was a tall Elfari with white hair that reached down to her knees, a flowing tapestry with a silver shimmer to it. Eyes of gold stared at the men around her before flexing the massive sword that floated next to her. It was a greatsword that was edged with rainbow light of all things, and held a pearlescent gemstone in the hilt that seemed to drink in the energy. The taller woman had Elfari features to her, but the most striking was her longer ears, which poked out of her head as if they were antennae, only they were on the sides of her head. ¡°This is the creature that bypassed all of our defenses, managed to copy our celestial star map and fight five of my six Imperial Harriers to a standstill?¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t move a muscle, but her eyes allowed her a glare as she tried to keep herself from losing her mind. ¡°Yes, High General. It wore the guise of a child hiding amongst the group that came to tour the Militarum Arboretum. We still have no idea if it is working for the Verdant Hood or a rebel faction. Captain Bayleaf was able to gain some insight with a new ability she mastered, which allowed us to respond before it could escape.¡± The military man held a thin mustache as he handed a clipboard. ¡°We also believe this was the creature that was responsible for the breach on Yggdrasil Dock 14.¡± ¡°That same one that had the Logistic team baffled? Interesting.¡± the general nodded as she flexed her magic, causing Chimera to forcefully walk behind her. ¡°Captains Yarrow and Bayleaf, you are to meet with me and assist with further assessment of the asset. Master Chief''s Melga, Bargo, and Arrose will begin clean up of the Imperial Square along with your platoon Major Tasok.¡± The mustachioed man saluted and rounded up the man who had just released the barrier around Chimera. She had hoped that would mean the return of her magic, but the source was still cut from her as her body moved against her will. Next to her Yarrow and Bayleaf walked alongside her, Yarrow with a glare towards Chimera, while Bayleaf¡­ Bayleaf was staring back at Chimera as though she wanted to say something. Chimera wanted to glare back, but found herself exhausted once her P.E.Gs started to wind down, now only at the barest minimum levels of power as they began once more to spool energy from her reserves to start their perpetual cycles. She could do no more at this time, so she would wait. I¡¯ll get my chance¡­ just got to not lose my marbles. The laughter that sounded like Monica in the back of her mind did nothing to get her hopes up. ¡­ Chapter 12 Tendrils Wrapped Tightly, The World Sighs In Relief In the massive complex that was the Imperial Palace of Steros, nestled in the capital city of Cinderbough, lay a room that rested in the middle and most guarded area of the structure. It was a massive hall, lined with statues of honored Empresses and Emperors of the past, who gave their all to not only defend, but help the empire prosper into a new age for the Elfari people. The hall was decorated with obsidian marble, lined with vines that grew from the walls of the tree structure. A defense in the very construction of the Hall itself, these vines would seek out those who had murderous intentions towards the elder blood that lived within these walls. In the center of such a hall was a throne fit for an Empress, with golden maple as the base for the grand seat of the Empire. Those same vines wrapped around it protectively, and the wood could be called forth to assault any who would attempt assassination. It would go without saying that to try and murder the Empress would be a folly that none would live long enough to regret. Still, Bayleaf couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she stood at attention near the throne room while her fellow Harriers discussed the ¡®threat¡¯ to security that Mera posed by simply existing. Said prisoner was being held within the Council chambers in the room adjacent to this one, under close watch by the High General and her ancient weapon. Bayleaf hated that it came to this, that her people simply wouldn¡¯t just let the eldritch horror in the shape of a girl go. During her brief time, she knew that Chimera meant no true harm to the Empire, which was why she was so willing to help her gain access to the maps in the first place. The Mana oath pact that she made was a true sign of trust, which after Mera got the maps was released almost immediately. That would mean that Chimera truly considered their pact complete. It hurt her heart to have to bring her in when the General became aware of the situation, as she was honor and manabound to obey her orders. She couldn¡¯t even warn Mera in case she somehow got away, That cloud she made, it was impressive, and most likely would have worked had the General not arrived when she did. Though being of royal blood, Bayleaf wasn¡¯t really suprised she could simply blow the gas away. Which brought her back to the room she was standing at attention in. Her subordinate Melga was talking up their ¡®achievement¡¯ in postponing the ¡®monster¡¯ from escaping long enough for the Imperial guard to arrive. ¡°It was no trouble at all, your Majesty. After we confirmed its strength, it would have only been a matter of time before we defeated it on our own.¡± Melga could be a right ass when it came to boasting about her achievements, doubly so when it was about the group¡¯s effort. She must assume that getting more accolade equates to her efforts, so better that everyone does great so that she looks magnanimous. Bayleaf sighed once more as her junior kept boasting, which caught the eye of Bargo as he moved his wheelchair next to her spot in the group. He pushed his body during that fight, despite having already been damaged from the latest sorty with the Hoods. Fool couldn¡¯t let himself heal properly. ¡°What are you sighing for, Bay?¡± Bay sideeyed him, ¡°oh, I don¡¯t know, maybe its the fool of a comrade that keeps fighting despite the fact he still has injuries that require time to heal. You should have stayed in the medical bay, Bar, what the hell is wrong with you?¡± Why couldn¡¯t you just have stayed in bed and let her get away?! ¡°Duty calls and we must be ready to answer, besides, aren¡¯t you a medic?¡± Bay hit her head on the pillar she was leaning against, the back of her head feeling sore from the blow. ¡°Yet, you outright ignore this medic at every turn.¡± Bargo simply smiled, ¡°only because I know you have my back Bay.¡± ¡°I swear, I am putting restraints on your bed next time.¡± Bayleaf said with a huff. Fool, and his stupid smile. Bayleaf looked away, back at the audience that spoke of their fight with the ¡®dreaded monster¡¯. ¡°It was a strange monster, no doubt part of those detestable Hoods and their metal beasts. Though it is strange for them to create an infiltrator like this. Most reports just have them destroying our bases and ships, not even bothering to check out intelligence reports from what our scouts picked up.¡± That was the adjutant for the star archives, some nobody that Baylead didn¡¯t bother remembering as his role was simply to figure out what Mera had taken. She would be bound to answer, but she wasn¡¯t going to offer the knowledge willingly. After the rest of her squad and the few soldiers who ran into Chimera gave their reports, the room awaited as the Empress leaned on her chair, a strange emotion on her face. The Empress of the Elfair Empire, Traika Elderbloom, was something to behold for those of the Elfari. It was as if she was made to be attractive to their whole race, whether female or male it mattered not. White hair flowed from her head to wrap around her waist like a shawl, tied with various jewels and insignia that denoted her station. While she was shorter than most Elfari, it did not mean she was weak by any means. Bayleaf recalled the time a rogue resource beast had broken free from its recycler, and the Empress simply flexed, crushing the beast with her magical might. Her figure was bountiful, with hips that would serve in her role birthing a new heir, and an ample bust as well. The consorts would likely be more than satisfied with her. Bayleaf shook her head, now wasn¡¯t the time to be having strange flights of fancy. It was hard not to get lost in those red eyes though, and Bayleaf stared at the floor below her throne to help her maintain composure. ¡°This is boring.¡± Bayleaf rose her eyes to hear the Empress¡¯ words, the angelic sounding tilt to her words capturing the entire room. ¡°You give me information on the creature, but has anyone spoken to it? Has anyone tried to understand why it raided our star maps? Does my Empire simply punch first and ask questions never?¡± On¡­ oh no. The Empress was pissed! Why? What did they miss? The vines of the room writhed, stretching and grasping at random things in the room as the Empress rose from her Throne and began to float towards the entrance to the throne room, a trail of the vines flowing in her wake. Bayleaf rushed to be in step with the Empress, trying her best to guage the reason for her Empress¡¯ rage. ¡°My Empress..-¡± ¡°Silence Bayleaf, unless you have something to add?¡± Her mana-oath flared, and Bayleaf wished she could kick herself for her blunder. ¡°I-I do, your Majesty¡­ The creature is benign. It sought our star maps to escape back to its world of origin. I assisted it after determining it was no threat to the empire.¡± The Empress stopped, twisting to stare into Bayleaf¡¯s eyes as a flicker of amusement shown on her regal features. ¡°Truly? A benign being from the stars?¡± ¡°Y-Yes my Empress. It simply wanted to go home.¡± Bayleaf thought she might be saved from her Empress¡¯ wrath, only for the rage to return full bore as the vines writhed around them, echoing the Empress¡¯ ire. ¡°And my loyal soldiers, my Imperial army, harmed this being? No discussion? No attempts at diplomacy?¡± Bayleaf had to answer truthfully, her oath would not allow anything less. ¡°Y-Yes my Empress¡­ it was determined by the High General that this creature was a threat to your life and security.¡± ¡°My life? My security?¡± The vines shot out all at once, grabbing the adjutants, councilors and even her fellow Imperial Harriers in its grip, squeezing them tight for a moment. ¡°In my home?! Are you all mad? We already have an enemy that seeks no quarter with us, and when a potential ally literally comes from the stars, your first thought is to fight it? Tell me everything you know about this being Harrier Bayleaf, leave nothing out!¡± Bayleaf was thankful she didn¡¯t get squeezed like the others, but right now she was worried about her life a lot more than those of her comrades. She could only hope that what she knew of the star-farer might placate her Empress¡¯ rage. ¡­ Chimera was sitting in a room that reminded her of the courts back on Asta, a circular chamber with chairs around a small podium in the middle. Six chairs surrounded the room, with a seventh chair that stood out from the rest. All the seats were currently occupied, and the golden wood of the walls seemed to shimmer with the light coming through the nearby windows, all stained with regal looking Elfari in the pictures. Chimera had no choice but to stare at them, as her body was still locked in place while the six Elfari around her deliberated her fate. ¡°Perhaps a public execution? Morale has been lower than usual and having captured a spy from the Verdant Hood would certainly help boost ours.¡± An elderly looking Elfari spoke, his cadence a wobbly one. Another younger looking Elfari shook her head, ¡°no, this is a chance to study one of those metal beasts. This one seems to be an advanced infiltration unit at that. We must understand its secrets if we are to protect our own from those serpentine freaks.¡± A round of nods went around the chamber, and Chimera could only sigh as she closed her own eyes. Of course its another fucking laboratory. I swear I¡¯m trashing the next one I see. If she could get out of this place. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chimera eyed her jailor off to the side, the supposed High General that even now was using that strange sword staff of hers to lock Chimera¡¯s movements and control them. The High General never kept her eyes off of Chimera since the moment she was in the room, as though she was trying to figure out Chimera simply by staring at her. Good luck with that, knife ears. It was another part to her beauty Chimera guessed, since all of her proportions were of what she would consider beautiful. Hourglass figure, ample size to her chest, muscles in all the right places. The ears shot out of her head like blades, just under a foot out. Chimera wanted to see if they might be sensitive- She mentally smacked herself. Idiot! She¡¯s got some kind of glamour on, don¡¯t fall for it. Chimera turned her eyes back to the center of the room. The magic that surrounded her was like a curtain, but no matter the amount of force she tried to exude, the magic counterbalanced and kept her still. She figured it must be some branch of the gravity magic that she had used, something with space mixed into it. Sadly this room also had some kind of magic dampening built into the platform she was on, so no chance of her using magic to break out here. Chimera took a breath, even though she didn¡¯t really need to, it still helped to center her mind and keep the laughing witch that was her ¡®creator¡¯ out of her thoughts. Experiment- Nope shut the hell up! But- I cast thee out demon bitch! Intrude on my thoughts no longer! Chimera knew her mind was starting to go as soon as she heard what she thought was a ¡®harrumph¡¯ from the voice in her thoughts. I need to get out of this magic! This caused another set of attempts to escape, only for the magic to tighten down harder on her, squeezing her smaller and smaller. Till she was child sized once more. Chimera wanted to gnash her teeth, but even her jaw was locked in place as she stared daggers at the councilors around her. However, as the magic settled and her restraints tightened, something happened that didn¡¯t before. Understanding. Chimera smiled as the magical knowledge of just what was keeping her contained slowly started to drip feed into her mind, bit by tiny bit. She made a face like she was still trying to resist, but inside she was already planning. Once I understand it, I can take it apart. This magic¡­ it¡¯s a physical thing, that''s why it¡¯s working inside this anti-magic disk I''m on. If I can break it down, no magic barrier. Chimera eyed the rest of the people here, counting each and every member around her. Twelve people, thirteen including the white haired hotty over there¡­ nope don¡¯t get lost in her eyes! Control yourself! I need to knock them all out or at least paralyze them. Chimera had a thought just as she figured out the tangible bubble around her. Its holding everything in¡­ but what if I introduce a pressurized environment? Chimera pulled into herself, becoming smaller and smaller until she was nothing more than a tennis ball sized object on the platform. Inside her ball she started to work, growing a huge amount of gases that slowly filled outward. The magic adjusted to her new size, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough to cover her before the gases spread out around her. More and more of her sleeping gas filled the membrane that surrounded her, and although she couldn¡¯t see the looks on the faces of the Elfari around her, she could hear them. ¡°W-What is happening? General!¡± ¡°Quiet Councilor Arborus, I need to concentrate!¡± ¡°I-It''s going to escape, j-just what is that purple smoke?!¡± ¡°Adjutant, go and fetch her majesty at once!¡± ¡°R-Right my General!¡± Chimera reveled in the panic in their voices, looking forward to the kaboom that was soon to follow, and her release from this damn room. ¡°I-It¡¯s spreading too quickly! Everyone evacuate at once!¡± The membrane magic that kept Chimera in place was stretching to the point of a balloon, leaving almost no space for the magic left. Finally, Chimera made an infinitesimally small needle, and stabbed in in multiple locations around the membrane, the needle filling the whole and letting out all of the gasses she had been producing. Rather than a kaboom, the gas displace, sending out a wave of purple sleep smoke that took over the entire room. Using the hole she made, Chimera forced her way out of the bond now that the person calling forth the magic could no longer see her. It would be pretty awful for anyone who had been exposed to that gas, as the sleeping gas was also accompanied by a tear gas to force people¡¯s eyes and mouths shut, allowing the gas to fill their nostrils harmlessly. Now free, Chimera ran to the nearest wall, ready to punch through with her digger form to escape. Finally, at last, she was going to get off this damn planet! She reached it, and crawled up the walls with the digger form, ready to burst out the window and reach freedom. ¡°Mother Tree¡¯s Embrace.¡± Chimera punched at the window, only it wasn¡¯t a window anymore. Vines now surrounded the opening, leaving not even a gap for her to squeeze in. Her digger claws bounced off of the vines harmlessly, and she knew at that moment something stronger arrived. Something that reinforced fleshy looking vines to block her strikes. Enhanced gravity spikes that wouldn¡¯t be out of place launched from a magnetic accelerator cannon, that''s what she made these digger claws out of. And freaking vines are blocking them. Chimera fell back to the ground, smashing the disk that held the anti magic circle she was trapped under earlier. The gas now filtered out of the room, being absorbed by the vines and likely shot out to prevent it from backflowing. Chimera turned to see the Imperial Harriers, all wrapped in vines with their forms in a kneeling position around a smaller Elfari in the center. She held the same features as the High General, white hair with ruby red eyes not unlike Chimera¡¯s own. Her form was smaller, but it still held that strange glamour that the general possessed. Chimera readied herself for a fight, enhancing her body and absorbing as much magic as she could from the surroundings to give her an edge. ¡°So you are the visitor to our world?¡± ¡°Was just leaving actually, the hospitality here is bullshit.¡± The young Elfari actually laughed at that, ¡°I could guess as much, my world has not been very accommodating has it?¡± ¡°Your world? You''re the freaking Empress?¡± The girl bowed her head slightly, ¡°Traika Elderbloom, seventh Empress of the Elfari Empire, Ruler of Steros and its six moons. Greenmother, Elderblood Elfari, and Master of this Domain. Name yourself, alien.¡± Chimera spat on the ground, ¡°Already gave it to you.¡± The Empress flashed a look of annoyance as she stepped forward. ¡°I understand that my people have wronged you, and that you have every right to be upset. But I do not apologize for their actions. We are at war, and our people¡¯s safety comes first.¡± Chimera shook her head and laughed, ¡°sounds like you guys are just bad at apologies. Tell you what, you come up and kiss my feet and I¡¯ll call it square.¡± The bound Harriers and guards, along with the bound councilors all scoffed and raged at the remark, calling Chimera out as a beast that deserved only destruction. Only Bayleaf kept her eyes closed and solemn, which only pissed Chimera off all the more. Come on, the least you could do is look at me after you got me fucked. ¡°Mera.¡± Chimera turned to the Empress, ¡°Mera¡¯s what my friend¡¯s call me, and you didn¡¯t earn that right your majesty.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, I will call you Mera. Mera¡­ my people need help. I cannot take back what they have done, but I can offer you something you desperately need.¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t help herself, ¡°You¡¯ve helped me enough your royal bitchness. Just get out of my way and you¡¯ll never have to see me again.¡± ¡°You wish to leave our world?¡± ¡°Yes! I hate it here, I hate you people and honestly I hope whatever those Verdant Hood assholes eat you all alive after all this crap you put me through! All I wanted was to go home, and your Captain Ironwood decided I would make a ¡®lovely¡¯ tribute to you. I wanted to get the maps so that I knew where to travel, and your Harrier there turned around and told on me as soon as I got the maps! None of you are trustworthy to me! What the hell could you really offer me that wouldn¡¯t be suspicious as hell by now?! Chimera shook her head in anger, her eyes drilling holes into the Empress¡¯ own. ¡°No, I¡¯m done with deals. Either get out of my way, or I¡¯m going to get bloody.¡± The Empress remained stoic throughout all of Chimera¡¯s ranting, and she had to give it to the shrimpy Elfari, she did not beat an eye despite all that vitriol. ¡°Never. The. Less. I cannot allow you to leave until you have heard my offer. Please, be reasonable at least one more time. I promise as Empress, no harm will come to you, no chains, no prisons of magic. Just talk.¡± Chimera was about to launch off and fight when Bayleaf stood in front of the Empress. ¡°Chimera, please.¡± ¡°Fuck you.¡± ¡°We need your help! Damnit I know this looks fucked up, but please listen. You would never have made it out with those maps.¡± Chimera seethed, ¡°so you knew! You knew that this was going to happen and you said nothing to me! What kind of-¡± ¡°-The kind that had to keep you here! The kind that realized that you were our best bet against the Verdant Hood! Chimera, what you did to me, for me, it changed my entire life for the better! I know you can do so much more to help us here. Please listen to the Empress!¡± Chimera warred within herself, her rage at betrayal marking what she had already been thinking since she got to this world. These people needed help. Wasn¡¯t she a hero? Didn¡¯t she help people? What made this any different than before? Chimera didn¡¯t want to hear that logic though, she wanted to go home, she wanted her family back! Why did she have to sacrifice more for people who did nothing but capture and betray her?! She missed Sarah, She missed Meghan and Aden, Pym and Lark. Hell she missed those damn death children Aura and Crysa too. She wanted to go back, to have her friends again! Why am I even here?! Damnit, DAMNIT! Chimera screamed, smashing her fists against the ground over and over, each gravity enforced fist causing dents, but not breaking into the lower levels below. The Empress approached her, slowly, deliberately, as though even the shaking could not dislodge her rightful place in this Palace. ¡°I offer you, Chimera of Asta, Imperialis Amicus, with all the rights involved, as well as a branch ship of your own, if you would help us defeat the Verdant Hood, save our moons and serve our military for the rest of this war.¡± The room seemed to hush, the cursing Harriers, councilors, and even the staff of the Empress all holding their breaths. ¡°Imperials Amicus?¡± ¡°She would have the same title as an Archduke?¡± ¡°Not subject to the laws? A true friend of the Empire? No taxes or obligations to the crown?¡± ¡°A free agent of the Empress¡­¡± The room¡¯s quiet nature snapped Chimera out of her rage, her kneeling position turning to stare at the Empress. ¡°What the hell does that even mean?¡± The Empress turned to Bayleaf, who moved forward to speak. ¡°Imperialis Amicus is a position held to a select few people that states that those people are exempt from the laws of the Empire, are not required to pay taxes nor answer anyone save the Empress herself, and are given rights equal to an Archduke in our nation, meaning your word would hold a great deal of clout in the decisions of this war. Essentially Mera, you would be free to fight this war how to see fit, with the Empire¡¯s blessing.¡± Chimera turned to confirm with the Empress, who nodded regally in response. ¡°No bullshit, you just give me a ship and let me do my thing to stop those Verdant Hood from harming innocents then?¡± ¡°That is correct, Amicus Mera.¡± ¡°...I never said I would accept yet.¡± The Empress only smiled, ¡°I know.¡± Chimera sighed. This is what I¡¯m here for then isn¡¯t it? Maybe it¡¯s some stupid fate, or maybe its some coincidence, but these people need a hero right now. If¡­ if Sarah was here, she would want to help them, want me to help them. In the end, Chimera¡¯s moral compass pointed towards this place and its people. Sure, they were assholes, and sure, they all deserved to be kicked in the ass for how they treated her. But they don¡¯t deserve death for simply trying to live. If these Verdant Hood truly are killing indiscriminately, it would make them no better than the death children. Chimera stood up as she brushed off the debris of her earlier tantrum. After she found herself clean once more, she shifted to her humanoid blob form, holding out a hand to the Empress. ¡°Well, if you truly need me, and you mean what you say, I will accept.¡± ¡­ Empress Traika felt the chains of fate around her within her own manasphere, the aura that her magical might took form in. It was a gift that all Empress¡¯ before her were given by their elder bloodline, the ability to see the tapestry of fate from those near themselves. Her anger for her citizens before was reflected by the fate around her showing the doom of her empire, the end of her species and the destruction of their homeworld. But as soon as she entered the council chambers, as soon as she saw the one called Mera at the other end, preparing to fight to the death for her freedom¡­ The Fates opened before her, chains of duty and responsibly, of heroism and humility, and a hope that blazed so strongly, that Mera appeared as another sun before her prophetic vision, a circle of gold emblazoned on her chest. Very well, I will do what I must then. She would give this Mera anything she desired, whatever she might need. For her future, and that of her people rested in this ¡®hero from beyond the stars¡¯. ¡­ Chapter 13 Shipping a Friend The aftermath left Chimera in a tired state, overuse of her P.E.Gs often did that to her in the past. Yet even as she agreed to help her former captors, she couldn¡¯t seem to relax just yet. The Empress gave her word that Chimera would receive the Harrier¡¯s assistance as well as coordinate with the army for any help she might require in their war against the Verdant Hood. That didn¡¯t mean that she liked them though, or that she trusted them to help or keep up with her. Which meant that there needed to be some¡­ exercises. Chimera was still fighting to keep her energy levels up, but the boring class she happened to be made that difficult. ¡°Okay runts! Your mission is to bring down the alien, coordinate between yourselves and bring her here!¡± Chimera sighed as she and about three grunts were moving along a simulated battlefield, where the ground morphed to turn into an obstacle course that the recruits were required to run through. In truth, Chimera didn¡¯t need to participate in these exercises, but the Empress asked her to, as a way to bring hope to the newer recruits. A propaganda campaign she called it. ¡°Is that?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a little girl doing here?¡± ¡°Idiot! That¡¯s the Empress¡¯ Chosen. She¡¯s here to evaluate us!¡± ¡°¡±Ohhh.¡± I¡¯m not though? Chimera thought as she ran behind cover, pulling one of her slower squad mates as they tripped over a root of all things. In the center of the course they were on was a dryad, which Chimera found out was another type of resident in this Empire besides the Elfari. These people were ship engineers who worked on the ¡®branches¡¯ of the starships that the Empire used in their exploration and war. This one was a war dryad though, a caste of battle warriors that fought using their own trees as clubs and spears. Right now she was trying her damndest to take out the recruits that Chimera was in charge of, using her tree to make javelins to toss at anyone not in cover. Chimera noticed that despite this being an exercise, that didn¡¯t stop a few of her recruits from getting hammered by splinters, some even having full twigs in their arms and legs from the war dryad¡¯s assault. ¡°Come out and fight you cowards!¡± The dryad laughed maniacally over the din of other recruits being peppered by her stick assault. Normally, Chimera would rush forward and just take out the problem, but this was supposed to be a training exercise. It would do nothing for these people around her if she just took out the target herself. ¡°She¡¯s got a scrunched up face, I think she¡¯s thinking about something.¡± ¡°It''s pretty cute honestly, that face of hers.¡± ¡°Reminds me of my niece back home on Ergos.¡± ¡°¡±Hmm.¡±¡± Chimera opened her eyes as she noticed her group was ogling her. ¡°H-Hey! We got to move! This place is getting peppered and its only a matter of time before the dryad destroys our cover!¡± They all made d¡¯aww faces at her, and it was clear Chimera lost them to battle hysteria. It certainly wasn¡¯t because they thought she was cute giving out orders. She took out a crystal with a red center, pressing it once on the top. ¡°Bayleaf, I can¡¯t work like this! I¡¯m a one man commando, an army unto myself! This isn¡¯t how I do things!¡± ¡°That''s Lieutenant General to you soldier, and you only have to do this one exercise . It''s a requirement of anyone in our navy to have at least some boot camp training. Unless you pass, you''re not going to be able to get any of the stuff the Empress is offering.¡± Chimera groaned, ¡°copy that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ¡®copy that Lieu-,¡± Chimera tapped the top of the communication crystal before her ¡®general¡¯ got too big of a head. ¡°Alright guys and girls, I need you all to get a grip and put the baby faces to bed! You two run for the next cover.¡± ¡°Why us?¡± One of the recruits stated, a younger woman with pink hair and a ribbon in one of her braids. The other was lined with vines of all things. ¡°Because I¡¯m going to draw its fire, so you two can make it over safely. Once your there, go for her tree on her back. All you guys have to do is touch it to win right?¡± They all nodded, except the braided girl, ¡°I¡¯m not a runner, let me stay behind and send these two fools.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fool! If anything I¡¯d prefer a jester!¡± Everyone turned to stare at the clown as he chuckled nervously, ¡°tough crowd.¡± ¡°Fine, you two make a run while I lay down covering fire. Once I got her attention, it should be easier for you to sneak around and grab her tree. You, Braids, you¡¯re helping me with the distraction.¡± The woman scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I am already trained in the martial arts of my forefathers and I¡¯ve gotten at least three separate-.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Chimera turned and pushed the two male recruits out as she made a gun out of her arm that she referred to as the Spine Gun. It was more or less the same as her tendril version, only this one was smaller and launched out acid spines along with a few other types, like her knockout darts. Taking two of the Spine Guns out, she started launching a salvo of the tiny needles at the dryad, who turned on her immediately once a few hundred of the needle darts smacked into her wooden shield on her left arm. Her recruits were already working their way around, the circular battlefield littered with sticks and twigs of various sizes, creating a bit of noise as they moved around. Chimera turned to the woman with the braids, ¡°alright, take to the side opposite, and start throwing some magic or flying fists or whatever. Keep her eyes off of the others.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t boss me around, alien, I know what to do.¡± Chimera ignored her comment as she returned fire to the dryad, which starting cackling at her as the spines sunk into the wood. ¡°Is that all you got?¡± She barked at Chimera. ¡°Nope!¡± Chimera answered back as she lobbed a ball of blobby slime overhead, causing the Dryad to shift her shield to block the motar shot. It landed with a splat, covering the area around the Dryad with a stick glue. ¡°Ugh! What is this stuff?¡± ¡°Plant resin, thought you would appreciate it,¡± Chimera taunted back as she saw her other recruits start to make their way over. Only for the girl from her group to take out both of them with a few javelins off of the battleground. Both of them succumbed to the blows, which instantly teleported them out of the battleground, leaving Chimera and the braided girl alone. Chimera was trying to piece together why the braided girl did that, only for her to launch another couple of javalins. ¡°Why?¡± It was all Chimera could say as she dodged what she realized were wooden stakes meant to kill her, not incapacitate like her two recruits. The girl snarled, ¡°Die monster!¡± With a burst of magic, the ground lit up in flames that traveled around the makeshift barriers of the battlefield, setting things alight and destroying most of the cover. Chimera realized now wasn''t the time to figure out why''s and how''s, and instead pushed her body to increase her biomass as quickly as she could. Energy she might be low on, but deep within her was a ton of her full sized body, which she could pull out along with objects that were stored within. She rolled over the girl as she screamed something at Chimera, who was too busy making sure she had the young woman contained before she would even think of releasing her. Landing in the center, which the Dryad was still stuck in, Chimera shrunk down and tapped the back of the tree woman¡¯s bark, thus ending the exercise and sending everyone back to the barracks. Chimera landed with a thump as she rushed over to her two fallen recruits. ¡°Are you guys fine? Took those spears right to the knees.¡± One of the recruits smiled and gave her a thumbs up, ¡°No problems sir, just a bit stiff from the healing. We¡¯ll be fine in a few days.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks for checking on us.¡± Chimera nodded, fist bumping the two as she moved over to her quarry, the third recruit and the one who betrayed them. ¡°Care to explain why you sabotaged our exercise?¡± Chimera glared at the woman as she spat at her face. ¡°Go suck space rock monster, you and those damned Hoods took my sister from me.¡± the woman spoke in anger, but Chimera didn¡¯t really care. ¡°I¡¯m on your side moron, not the Hoods.¡± ¡°All aliens should be put under heel, you even more so. My father and the other councilors won¡¯t let you destroy the empire freak!¡± Chimera heard enough, ¡°I¡¯m not here to destroy anything, but I wouldn¡¯t mind destroying your house and everyone in it. I do have the Empress on speed-dial after all.¡± ¡°Speed-dial?¡± That seemed to confuse the woman for a bit. Which only made Chimera sigh, ¡°never mind xenophobe, it would be too long to explain to your primitive mind.¡± This only seemed to enrage the girl more, ¡°I am a noble of House Greyheart! A mere beast like you has no business in this war!¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t care if you were the Empress herself, you and I are still allies whether you like it or not. Get used to it sweety, or don¡¯t. I honestly don¡¯t care.¡± Chimera shook her head and left, to the screaming of the young bitch of a woman. It didn¡¯t really bother her, but it did make something known to her at least. Seemed she would have to keep an eye out for enemies within their ranks as well as without. ¡­ ¡°Congratulations for passing your boot camp exercise, Archduchess.¡± Bayleaf smirked at Chimera as she presented her a piece of paper, written in gold no less, cementing her noble status for all to see in the small council chamber. The Empress was there as well, her eyes following Chimera¡¯s as if she was trying to figure out what she was thinking about. Joke was on her though, she wasn¡¯t thinking about anything other than to get off this rock. ¡°Great, can I go now?¡± ¡°Not just yet, Archduchess.¡± One of the robed councilor¡¯s, a greying Elfari by the name of Rasen, smiled down warmly at Chimera as he moved a ball next to his desk, showing a screen. ¡°Please select a vessel for your warship, Hero.¡± the councilor spoke, a smile on his face as he pulled up the list. Taking a moment to thank him, Chimera gazed up at the monitor. On the screen was a list of ships that were highlighted, showing the interiors as well as the various components, decks, and quarters. They were small and delicate in appearance, giving off a sort of form over function feel to them. Chimera didn¡¯t really like most of them, as their designs made them feel like a stray breeze would take them out, much more than a cannon or a laser battery. Still, she browsed through them until she stopped on a familiar ship, one she knew a lot better than the rest of the deck. It was a bit bulky, clearly made for something like exploration, but the three guns on the two wings and the underbelly made Chimera fall in love with it, The Vessel was by far the only one that reminded her of the older ships back on Asta, the bulky birds who still went strong hundreds of years later. Her choice made, she turned to look up at the name, and to her surprise, the name read Meras-102-C. ¡°So, this ship is one that I will be captaining?¡± She looked over at the Empress and the councilmen. The Empress was the first to respond, ¡°I have confirmed that Meras stated she would be willing to go through a refit if she could, ahem, ¡®meet up with her alien friend.¡¯ The Holy Treemother agreed to allow her a change, and thus, I wished to see if you wanted to-.¡± ¡°Of course I will, Meras is an awesome ship, and probably the only decent person I met in this whole mess.¡± The Empress nodded, ¡°then the Meras is yours for the length of this campaign. May the daughter of Yggdrasil watch over you well, Hero.¡± Chimera grinned as she imagined what her old friend would say at seeing her again. She¡¯s gonna flip out, I bet. ¡­ Chapter 14 Logistics and Delegating ¡°Archduchess.¡± ¡°Archduchess, this needs your attention!¡± ¡°Archduchess, there are concerns with the troops in the barracks regarding space. How much can we expect from the vessel?¡± Chimera could almost feel her brain begin to melt out of her head as she tried to direct all of these ¡®personnel¡¯ she was now in charge of. Granted she had done something similar, but she also had her sisters to help her out. Another pang of heartache echoed inside her as she thought of Pym and her other clones. She could feel the damage done to her clone ability, and knew it wouldn¡¯t be anytime soon that she could call upon it. Now she was stuck dealing with coordinating and ordering the various people who would be responsible for making the Meras run efficiently. She needed a second in command, or more accurately, someone who knew what the hell she needed to do and would allow her to dump this crap off on. Currently she was resting in an office of the Militarum Arboretum with a door straight to the Empress¡¯ own working chambers, who even now was coordinating with her navigators on which place would be best to send their forces. ¡°Ergos is the closest population center, and it¡¯s within our protection right now. However, the Hood and their dreadnoughts are making moves around the perimeter nearest its area. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to give them a show of force to dissuade them.¡± Chimera heard one of the old council members through the walls, despite the various things made to prevent such things. Wasn¡¯t her fault they didn¡¯t account for vibrations. Being a blobby slime, vibrations were often the first thing she could feel besides actual movement in the air. ¡°You want to send our Harriers and the Empress¡¯ Chosen on a show of force to the enemy? Are you trying to get them all killed?¡± Another spoke with mild irritation in his voice. The laid back councilor who spoke earlier replied, ¡°If there were any who could assault two Hood Dreadnaughts and prevail, it would be the Harriers. It is only pragmatism I am providing, Councilman Whisperwillow.¡± Chimera picked up on Whisperwillow¡¯s tsk* at the other councilman, quickly putting together that the two didn¡¯t seem to like each other. ¡°Enough, both of you.¡± The Empress spoke and the room stilled as she did, making even the vibrations Chimera was picking up still. That¡¯s some massive control¡­ is it magic, or something else? Chimera pondered as she tried to listen in further, placing her ear against the wall to better make out the words. ¡°Ergos has eighteen battlecruisers patrolling it, and is already evacuating the major cities on the moon. A show of force is foolish and the enemy won¡¯t buy it anyway. No, this is where we must send them.¡± A gruffer voice spoke over the other councilors and Chimera made out the feminine voice. That¡¯s the High General from the courtyard. ¡°Wait¡­ that''s'' the forge moon, why is it there you want to send them?¡± The Whisperwillow councilman spoke. The High General placed a hand on some surface Chimera assumed was a star map table, ¡°Torsca is our metal refining center as well as our research and development hub for our newest weapons. Without it, our enemies have us out armed and outgunned. Worse, if they figure out the secret of that moon, we will lose more than the moon itself.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seriously suggest that they would know how to commune with it, do you High General Lys?¡± ¡°The question is not how, but rather, how long councilman. You forget that our enemy has a means to turn our people against us.¡± Chimera heard the group go into silence as one of the councilman said a word. ¡°Calamians.¡± ¡°Is it truly something that is controlling them, or are they just rebels within the Empire?¡± the councilman Whisperwillow spoke, a bit of desperate hope in his voice. ¡°None have been observed thus far,¡± The High General spoke. ¡°One has, if you count it. It involved separating her limbs from the machine that grafted itself to her, but it did work.¡± the pragmatic councilman replied. Chimera was listening intently as she absorbed the details, but the knock on her door interrupted the flow of vibrations, drowning out the conversation. ¡°Come back later,¡± Chimera half yelled as she tried to listen in further. ¡°Archduchess, the Captain of the Meras wished to speak to you about maintaining his position.¡± a timid sounding female officer spoke over the door. ¡°Yeah sure whatever, just go!¡± ¡°R-Right!¡± Chimera focused once more as the vibrations from the young officer left, allowing her once more to hear the council and the Empress. ¡°Perhaps we can rely on the Empress¡¯ Chosen to deal with the Calamians, given her strange abilities.¡± ¡°Her missions must be a priority. While rescuing our citizenry from the enemy is important, it means nothing if we lose Torsca. The loss of life would be incalculable.¡± Chimera tried to hear more, but her door opened to reveal the captain of the Meras Bark Ironwood as he walked in with two of his druid¡¯s in tow. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to meet with me Archduchess Mera of Asta. I know this is a sudden request, but I feel It is necessary to inform you that-.¡± ¡°Damnit, right when it was getting good.¡± Chimera said out loud as the vibrations once again were disrupted by Bark¡¯s arrival. ¡°I¡­I beg your pardon Archduchess?¡± Bark spoke, clearly confused. ¡°Oh, it''s you. Hello again, Bark was it? Right. So what did you need?¡± Chimera said with a lackadaisical air, sitting back on her chair as she turned to look at him. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Bark was holding a confused face for a bit, but recovered quickly as he caught up with what Chimera was saying. ¡°R-Right, as I was saying, I believe it is necessary that I stay on board the Meras to help with its operation. As the Captain for over two decades and five years, I know her inside and out, and have much to offer as standing captain. If you would-,¡± Chimera had already begun tuning him off as he spoke about him being the best ¡®Elfari¡¯ for the job, while a smile decorated her face as another concern she once had suddenly presented itself as a solution. ¡°You¡¯re hired Bark. Despite our past, I¡¯m convinced that you are the man for this job. In fact, I¡¯m placing you as my number two in commanding my vessel. Congratulations are in order eh, Vice-Captain Ironwood?¡± ¡°V-Vice Captain¡­ not captain?¡± ¡°Correct, the Captain¡¯s in charge of the ship, but you will be captain all in name, new Vice Captain! No need to worry about the silly details, just run the ship and if anyone tries to bug me, you take over and get them where they need to be, freeing me up to do what I need to do. Got me?¡± The new Vice Captain frowned for a moment before Chimera smiled back, ¡°Course you are free to run the ship as you see fit Ironwood, all I¡¯m doing is what the Empress needs me to do for this war.¡± ¡°Oh! So¡­ so not much different than what it used to be then.¡± ¡°Exactly, besides the smaller details of having people go to you instead of me for the trivial stuff.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ like battlecruiser duty then.¡± He sighed at that, which made Chimera chuckle. ¡°Not to worry Bark, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be as bad as you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯m just not the one to handle small things well. I¡¯m more of a Commando, like¡­ like Bayleaf! You¡¯ve dealt with her, basically the same thing.¡± ¡°Ah, I see Captain.¡± ¡°Now you get it, my new Vice-Captain!¡± Chimera spread her arms out while she nodded her head, ¡°just let me know what you need, I got five stacks of these damn papers to finish before we can get going.¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ perhaps we can help you then Captain. My two aides here, Tallow and Gris of the House Ironwood, are my own secretaries, and help me often with such work.¡± Chimera pointed at all three of them, making a third arm from her chest, ¡°you''re hired, now get over here and help me make sense of this nonsense.¡± A look of worry passed over the three new soldiers/workers as they moved to help Chimera sort her papers. ¡­ Inside the Council Chambers. Empress Traika Elderbloom was sighing as her war council fought over where her newest ally should be positioned, the star map before them showing various battlefields and stations in its ethereal glow. Stereos sat in the middle of the massive map, with six moons of various sizes, all still smaller than the world itself but easily large enough to support their own ecosystems. It was a wonder to see her empire orbit the home world, the various moons converted into population centers, mining projects, research and development into new vessels, daily improvements. All because of the natures of these six moons, Steros¡¯ greatest power. And weakness. The enemy they faced from beyond the stars, who called themselves the Verdant Hood of the Emerald Mother, or simply the Verdant Hood, were theological in their nature, judging from what her spies and scouts were able to come up with. They lived as warrior priests, dedicating everything to their Emerald Goddess, their Verdant Mother. It was almost poetic in a way, as Steros only believed in the Holy Mother Tree, which resided in Cinderbough, a living Goddess who could speak to them and assist when necessary. These zealots, for there was no better term for them, made statues and erected monuments to their green lady, sacrificing unwilling Elfari, dryads and even the Drakari to the inanimate things. Always while the sacrifice was alive, in the most torturous way possible. Cruelty masked as prayer and worship, it was heinous! But they knew tactics, and they knew where to strike to hurt her citizens the most. Traika pushed those thoughts away, allowing her mind to resettle and focus on the task at hand. She saw within her fate sight, the worry and trepidation that would lead her councilors to make foolish choices, and already made moves to correct them. ¡°She is my agent in this, councilmembers, and I will direct her as I see fit.¡± ¡°My Empress, this matter should be left to the military, and while I am certain your heart is set in the right in all things, we are not even aware of what she is capable of. Sending her out without first seeing what she can do is asking for chaos, something we can ill afford.¡± Traika looked at the man who spoke, a small smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes smirking back at her. Almuhst Featherbrow, how awful to know that you still try to interfere whenever you can. Almuhst was an old codger from the days of her mother, a sly pragmatic ass who enjoyed using his abilities to stir the pot whenever he deemed it ¡®necessary¡¯. He called it ¡®helping airing out the dirty laundry¡¯ when it almost always slowed down the already slow process of making keen decisions in this council. Poking at faults, pushing at supply lines that ¡®needed¡¯ attention. It irked Traika to no end, for the bastard knew that she knew that he was right more often then not. But not in this. ¡°Mera is indeed an unknown, but her powers and how they can be utilized are not something we have access too. She is Imperialis Amicus, and she does not answer to our laws or authority.¡± Tensen Whisperwillow, thankfully one of the few rational and forward thinking minds in her council, spoke with duty and assurance as he conveyed the truth of Traika¡¯s deal with the being from beyond the stars. Almuhst shook his head, ¡°our Empress did declare her as such, but she also maintains a title as an archduchess. She cannot be allowed to do horrid acts and thus supplant the goodwill of her Majesty. A leash is needed.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Traika spoke, her last nerve about to be pinched in frustration, ¡°Mera is not your concern, Almuhst, and neither is it this council¡¯s place to force her into anything. Do not forget that she almost destroyed this very room before I had arrived. It would be¡­ ¡®foolish¡¯ to try and control Mera. We must reason and we must do so as a friend to the Empire.¡± ¡°Understood my Empress, I merely point out what needed to be addressed.¡± Almuhst spoke, a sly smile on his features. Damn Codger, it¡¯s like he exists to irritate me. ¡°Then let me be the leash, for my will is the Empire¡¯s. For now, we must choose who to send with Mera to Torsca.¡± Traika looked over her fleets and the men she would send to their next front, for ill or for good. She sighed as the world weighed its heavy chains of duty on her shoulders. She snuck a peek at her older sister Lys as she met her eyes, a nod of assurance answering her back. That¡¯s it! ¡°Lys, my High General, I will send you with our Chosen to Torsca. Take three Battlecruisers with you as well as a carrier, along with a Phantom. That should be sufficient to check the status of the moon and determine the enemy presence there.¡± ¡°The High General?¡± ¡°Surely you don¡¯t mean to?¡± ¡°At once, my Empress.¡± Lys stood and left the council chamber before she or the other¡¯s could get a word in edgewise, allowing Traika a sigh of relief as the situation was handled. With Lys gone, to help coordinate things with Mera, Traika would be left to handle the councilmen, who without her sister¡¯s presence, would have to defer to the Empress¡¯ will without the excuses of ¡®The military should be the ones to check on this.¡¯ Great her Empire maybe, the red tape and bureaucracy could choke a dragon to death if left to follow its foolishness. Decisions taking weeks that should take seconds at best because none of the nobles and elites wished to be rushed, having lived so long with time on their side. But their enemy would not wait for them, and hopefully, with Mera, action could be taken sooner and with more frequency. Now I just need to corral these old men into understanding this. It was going to be a long meeting, and Traika sighed as she had her handmaids fetch her a meal and something to drink. ¡­ Chapter 15 The Chi-Meras Sets Off! ¡°The Harriers!¡± ¡°The Empress¡¯ Chosen is with them as well!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she a little small?¡± The roar of applause surrounding them made Chimera flinch, the very energy the people gave off almost fanatical. It was a new experience, as Chimera never had the same kind of applause from the people she helped back on Asta. Not a bad feeling, but all new experiences tended to be a bit much to handle at first. Walking with the rest of the Imperial Harriers helped, as she used their taller forms to block the leering eyes of the public. ¡°Hurray! Cheers for the Warriors of our Empire!¡± ¡°Revenge for the Fallen, Victory for the Living!¡± ¡°HOAH! HOAH!¡± So much pride¡­ Chimera couldn¡¯t help but smile at the people around her, their infectious fervor for their people a spell all its own. A few minutes of walking brought them to the space tree port, or as the locals called her, the World Tree Yggdrasil. Mother Tree, Goddess of Nature, and Fertile One. So many names for what amounted to a massive tree that stretched out for miles in both directions, but it did hold an energy to it that Chimera could feel and touch. It held that same energy she felt in the Militarum Arboretum, the druidic magic that seeped into the land. The Tree was jam packed with the stuff, so much that Chimera began to wonder if the Tree was the source of the magic itself. As the group began to split to grab supplies, Chimera decided to test a hypothesis she had about said magic. ¡°Give me thy bounty, Most Holy One, so that I may work through thee.¡± The incantation she used was one from the memories of one of the druids she entered before on the Meras. It was a means of replenishing ones mana from what she could tell, but since her own magic organ produced mana for her naturally Chimera never needed to try. However, as she spoke the words, Chimera could feel a funnel of power flood into her from the mighty space oak. With that energy came a voice, something that Chimera would call motherly if she ever had a real one, and not the insane creator she was built by. ¡°Chimera, Welcome. Meras, Speaks Highly.¡± ¡°Woah.¡± Chimera thought as the flood of what she could only describe as pure emotional thought. ¡°Indeed, most of the young cannot hear me as well as thee. Good, I need a Voice to Help them.¡± Chimera felt her mind start to fix the thoughts into something she could understand, the emotional wavelength becoming translated. ¡°Did you say Voice? That sounds like Work,¡± She conveyed back through the bonc, to an amused Yggdrasil. ¡°Indeed it is, but it is necessary. My Daughter Meras will explain the rest to thee. In recompense, you may draw energy from me freely. No need for My Voice to have to beg.¡± The Mother Tree broke the connection with Chimera, leaving her both dumbfounded and annoyed. ¡°Damnit, I don¡¯t want to be some Voice!¡± She grumbled as she moved to pick up a whole shipping container''s worth of supplies, ingest it, and walk towards the Meras-102 as if she wasn¡¯t carrying around a shipping container''s worth of supplies. The looks she got from the crew around her made her laugh for a bit as she boarded the ship and regurgitated the container. She offered to do another, but the crew waved her off, stating that the vice-captain wished to speak with her about ¡®communing with the vessel¡¯. Chimera shrugged and headed into the ship, figuring that perhaps this was some kind of superstition like when new ships had a bottle of champagne smashed against them on their maiden voyages. Though this ship wasn¡¯t really new, so that probably wasn¡¯t what this was. She pondered a bit more as she walked down the familiar hallways of the vessel she found herself in when she awoke from her stasis. It was being retrofitted, Chimera could tell. The cages that likely held specimens before were now making way for spaces that held munitions, supplies and even more crew quarters. Some cages remained, likely for prisoners, but the rest was clear. The Meras was getting ready for anything. Chimera walked a bit more as she familiarized herself more with her new vessel, though after a while she decided to not keep the not-captain waiting. With a sigh and a spring to her step, Chimera made her way to the bridge, the map in her head leading her there despite the new additions to the ship. ¡°Empress¡¯ Chosen Mera is on the bridge. Repeat, The Chosen is on the Bridge.¡± Chimera heard over the intercom for the vessel as two Elfari soldiers parted the way for her. Walking through, the bridge opened up before her, a long wide hallway separating several pits that centered around a beating wooden core. The pits were filled with four druids who were practicing magic on stems that all connected to the main core in the room. Next to said core was the vice-captain Bark and his adjutant Tarka, the former chief of security for the vessel. Chimera made her way towards them as all the druids and bridge personnel took a moment to salute her as she walked by. ¡°At ease, or keep at your stations.¡± She said back with a salute of her own. The crew complied, some of them smiling back with mirth at her reaction. ¡°Captain¡¯s on deck, salute!¡± The vice-captain matched the earlier druids and their salutes. ¡°No need for that Bark,¡± Chimera nodded back. ¡°Protocols should be observed, Captain, but thank you.¡± He dropped his salute as he turned to motion at the core. ¡°Captain Mera, this is the Meras Core, the heart of the vessel and our primary power core for the vessel. Meras shares that duty with several of her sisters, but she¡¯s the main conduit for the rest of the ship systems. It¡¯s a prerogative that every Captain of a World Tree Branch meet with the main core.¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ pretty sure we met already, ain¡¯t that right Merry?¡± A face appeared on the core, a long haired draped with vines and foliage face that was smirking back at the rest of the crew. ¡°Shoot, I wanted to surprise them. Ruiner of Fun on deck.¡± The ship core spoke back, no small amount of sass in her voice. Chimera laughed back, ¡°sorry about that.¡± Meras stuck her nose in the air, which seemed to elongate as she ¡®hmphed¡¯ back at her. Chimera turned to Bark, ¡°looks like the ship is already going full mutiny on us vice-captain.¡± Bark seemed to sweat on command, ¡°don¡¯t joke about that Captain Mera, there¡¯s been tales about captains being jettisoned from their own vessels.¡± ¡°Woah, well I guess I need to play nice then eh Mera?¡± She turned to face the core, only for an evil grin to meet her. ¡°Oh, I am very aware of that story, Ca-pa-tain. My baby sister got told to abandon the crew for the captain¡¯s sake. So long as you don¡¯t make stupid orders like that, we square.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Chimera gulped, ¡°no worries there.¡± ¡°Good,¡± the placated ship smiled back, ¡°alright Blobby, let''s get this over with.¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°alright, so¡­ what do I-¡± A wooden tendril came out and grabbed onto Chimera, a glow of golden runes appearing on the limb. Chimera could feel magic enter her, but unlike the druid magic of the Mother Tree, this seemed more unique. Like a fingerprint of magic, it imprinted on her body, and Chimera could now feel the power coming from the ship. She could feel everything on the ship at once, the monitors as they spied on the crew, the hydroponics center that was making air and food, the little imprints of shoes on the floor plating. It was such a sensory overload that Chimera was glad that Meras was still holding onto her with the tendril, as she was sure she would have collapsed on the ground. ¡°Woah¡­ this is what you see all the time? How do you not go crazy?¡± Meras smirked back with pride, ¡°primitive meat suits like you and the Elfari can¡¯t measure up to a daughter of Yggdrasil. Besides, this ship is my body, how would I not know what''s going on in it? It¡¯s just common sense.¡± ¡°Maybe for you, I still have problems figuring out my own weird stuff,¡± Chimera shot back, the sensory overload beginning to subside as her body adjusted to it, likely with help from the bond with Meras. With a flex, Chimera found herself in the center of the loading dock. Another twitch and she was in the ship battery room, which was filled with dryads of war variety and another. The others were smaller, but filled with water from the looks of them. She waved at them, and they waved back awkwardly. The waving motion sent her into the engine room, where a bunch of mechanics were screaming at each other. ¡°Ya daft cunts! The hell are you doing to my baby?! A stocky Elfari screamed at the other men around him who were doing their best to fix what looked to be a fire going on in one of the three massive engines. ¡°Sorry sir! We¡¯re on it!¡± they screamed back as they picked up water to put it out. Chimera did them a solid and simply sucked the air out of the area with the fire, snuffing the flames with a bit of vacuum space magic. ¡°You''re welcome!¡± she blurted out before being sent to the prison cells, then to the auxiliary systems bay, where the redundant systems were supposedly set up in case of issues. ¡°Ughh, no more!¡± She tried to say, but the motion of speaking shot her straight back to the bridge, face first on the ground. ¡°So, how did you like the tour?¡± Meras said to her as Chimera acquainted herself with the floor. ¡°Mrph.¡± ¡°It¡¯s always rough the first time, but it¡¯s good to know you can travel throughout the ship quickly, yeah?¡± ¡°Mrpphss!¡± Chimera screamed back, indignant of being thrown around like a party ball for the last minute. ¡°What¡¯s that? I want to go through it again but faster?¡± Meras spoke, mirth dripping from her voice. ¡°No!¡± Chimera finally jumped up in fright as the crew chuckled at her for a bit. Chimera was a deep shade of red for a while after that, and using her new found ability, teleported back to the loading dock to help out with the supplies. It sure beat being in that room with her friend and the hecklers. ¡­ A day and a half is how long it took to fit the ship with the rest of its needed supplies, personnel, and fuel. Even Chimera helping along took about a day and a half¡¯s worth of time off of the three days it normally would have taken. Granted the Meras was being retrofitted into a warship, a much larger and more incredible change from its old purpose of collecting specimens for ¡®energy research¡¯. It took Chimera a bit to figure out that it meant, ¡®finding a use for the creature as a battery.¡¯ She shook her head, now wasn¡¯t the time to think about its old purpose. The Meras was now hers and she was going to need every bit of firepower if she wanted to help with this conflict. Now they were only waiting for the Empress to come and give them their orders. Or rather¡­ Chimera was standing with the rest of the Imperial Harriers at attention. Her outfit, a smaller captain¡¯s attire with a dark green color, tassels that reached down to her arms, and a cap that was much too big for her head, was entirely made from her own blobbyness. There was no way she was getting a child¡¯s uniform when clothing was as simple as thought for her. After about ten minutes of being at attention, the Empress appeared with a contingent of her guards as well as the High General Lysandra. ¡°At ease,¡± the General said. The group stood with their arms behind their back and legs spread in small ways. Chimera tried to copy it, but it only looked silly to her so she simply copied the arm movements and placed them behind her. Not that she couldn¡¯t just move them to the front, but this felt right in the moment. The Empress moved forward as she began to place her hands on each of the Harriers, a pulse of magic rushing through each of the soldiers. She spent a bit more time on Bayleaf, a concentrated effort stemming from the Empress as she performed the blessing. Finally she got to Chimera, kneeling down to place herself in front of her, not in a submissive way but rather to reach her height. ¡°Though I cannot bless you like my Harriers, I thank you once more for taking this charge, Animus. May your mission bring peace to the Empire.¡± Her voice was solemn, almost pleadingly so. ¡°...I will.¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t think of any fancy words to say, but with the Empress in front of her, it only felt right to convey she understood. I¡¯ll save those people, heck, I might have done it even without all of this pageantry. Still, It doesn¡¯t hurt to show her that I can care. Chimera placed her hand on the Empress, a small tendril inserting into the Elfari woman¡¯s flesh. ¡°Well, maybe this might help, if you want it.¡± Chimera spoke. The Empress gasped, ¡°is¡­ is this similar to what you did to Bayleaf?¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°this should help you a bit with your magic, though it''s going to hurt like hell in the morning. I recommend taking the day off.¡± The Empress smiled, and that strange pull of attraction that Chimera felt before was amplified. ¡°Thank you, Mera.¡± The words were genuine, but Chimera had to push the feelings down as the pull tried to get her to kneel. ¡°Happy to help, but you have to turn down that scent. It''s very distracting.¡± Chimera, Imperialis Amicus of the Elfari Empire and Empress¡¯ Chosen, realized too late that she had said those words outloud, to the ears of all the Harriers and the High General. Who was now fuming with rage, her normally paler skin a flush of violent red. ¡°W-Wait, I mean that the attraction thing is just a bit too strong you know?¡± She tried to explain, which only The Empress only stared at her dumbfoundedly. Oh, oh shit! Maybe they don¡¯t know?! I just told them that their Empress smells! ¡°J-Just forget what I said!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay?¡± The Empress said, confusion on her face as she stood up to leave. However, before she did, she turned to speak to the group who were all staring at her with worry and confusion. ¡°The High General will be joining you for this mission, but ultimately will be there to foresee and relay my commands. The rest will be up to the Amicus to decide. Carry on.¡± She spoke with finality, but as she was walking away with her entourage, Chimera noticed her sniffing her robes as she made her way to a hover car. I am going to die. She turned slowly to the High General, whose face had taken on a deeper shade of purple since she last stared at her. ¡°Hey! Soletsgetgoingshallweokayweshall!¡± She turned to run, only for the General to teleport in front of her in a moment. ¡°Did you just say that my sister smells?!¡± The irate General spoke, her normally calm voice a slowly rising roar. Chimera was so thankful that despite the General¡¯s teleportation ability, it didn¡¯t compare to Meras¡¯ as she begged her ship to take her to the bridge. In amusement the ship obeyed, sending her through the ship and landing in her captain¡¯s chair, which sat besides the core. ¡°Thank you Merry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I do.¡± the ship said back, speaking directly into her mind. Chimera could almost imagine her looking cool with some gum in her mouth. Chimera laid back in her chair as the ship began its start up sequence, the crew moving to get the ship powered and nominal. Chimera despite her earlier situation couldn¡¯t help but smile as she felt the ship come alive around her, the link giving life to the many systems and sub-systems. ¡°All readings are green Captain, the Meras is ready to depart.¡± Chimera nodded to the vice captain as she sent out a hand, ¡°Raise us up.¡± ¡°Aye Sir.¡± ¡°Make sure everyone is situated for atmospheric burn.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Chimera felt a rush as the ship began to climb up, the magic from the Mother Tree pulling the entire vessel upward. ¡°Meras is docked at the launch bay. Beginning engine sequence test burns.¡± One of the crew spoke as Chimera felt the engines come alive, a surge of power suddenly filling the entire vessel with life. ¡°Engines One, Two, and Three all testing positive. Beginning atmospheric jump in one minute.¡± Chimera tapped her head against her chair as she sent an intercom message to the crew. ¡°All crew prepare for atmospheric jump. T-Minus 30 seconds!¡± Chimera laughed a bit as the Elfari tilted their heads in confusion at her message, but the gist of it came through as she felt the crew prepare by securing harnesses and seat belts. Even the fuming General was stuck in her seat as the engines began to ignite. ¡°Launching in 5, 4, 3, 2-¡± ¡°Wooo,¡± Chimera shouted in glee as the engines roared, launching themselves off of the Mother tree in a blast of magical might, sending the Meras deep into space. Her journey to save the Elfari had just begun. ¡­ Chapter 16 Meeting of Missions Chimera could feel the pull from the vessel as it began to lose its initial thrust, slowly but surely resting at a normal pace by the ship''s standards. Being connected to Meras, everything from ship systems to thrust to gravity fed its information to her in a way her mind could comprehend. It was like hearing a new language but understanding it immediately as it was spoken to her. She sifted through the details as she made out the heading for their first mission, the moon that was tinged red with a grey overcast. Torsca. The word brought to mind a place filled with metal deposits, gemstone mines, and forges that were entire cities. Apparently the place was about the size of a planet, though smaller than Steros proper. It was their metal mine, their metallic moon. It was also a major refinery for their weapons and buildings, the ones that couldn¡¯t be grown by using the Mother Tree or her daughters. The Elfari that lived and worked there were also different from the normal stock she had come to see, stockier, and shorter, but thick of arm and trunk. Most of them still had the ears and the pale complexion, but others that came up in her feed were tinged red or even black. Seemed that the planet¡¯s atmosphere allowed for some kind of change to skin tone. Nevertheless, the important figures were what they were being sent to do, and so she sent a ping to the High General and the Harriers for a meeting. ¡°Vice Captain Ironwood has the chair, set a course for Torsca and inform me of any changes or updates immediately.¡± Bark saluted her with a nod, ¡°yes captain. Should I inform the crew?¡± Chimera thought about it for a second, ¡°yes, but keep the details for now. I¡¯m heading to the briefing room with the High General to confirm the mission details from the Empress. Keep her running till we get back, yeah?¡± Smiling back, he finished his salute, ¡°will do ma¡¯am.¡± Chimera did a half salute of her own, taking two fingers and shooting them upward as she turned to exit. When the door closed, she squealed a bit as she started to run down the halls. Sarah always wanted to enact being a captain for a starship, and I totally get why! That was so freaking awesome! A happy memory of Sarah playing with a toy set in the shape of a spaceship appeared in her thoughts, and Chimera nodded to herself. The real thing is soo much better Sarah¡­ I¡¯ll tell you when I get back. Chimera filed away the feeling she had in a new place in her mind palace. It was a work in progress, but it was also a sort of last ditch attempt at something she had in mind. In case¡­ in case she ever came close to death again, Chimera wanted to send her family a care package, something that Sarah could access to understand what had happened to Chimera. A black box, with all of Chimera¡¯s memories inside. She hoped she would never need it, that she would return safe and sound with a spaceship to show off to her family. Hope for the best and plan for the worst right? She shook her head, moving past a few crew members as she teleported the rest of the way to the briefing room. It was a square room with chairs all aimed around a table in the shape of a ¡®C¡¯ which left a middle area for a projector of sorts. It was a hologram device meant to connect the ship with the Imperial Palace back on Steros, a newer addition added for this very mission. Since it was likely that the Meras would be sent to multiple fronts to fend off and attack the Verdant Hood, getting updates from the capital and most importantly the Empress, would be paramount. Chimera sat in the seat closest to the edge of the ¡®C¡¯ shape, giving her leg room and a way of seeing everyone as they entered. The first to arrive was a newer Harrier to the group, one that had not been a part of the battle she had in the Militarum Arboretum. She was a wide-eyed looking lass with twin pig tails of a verdant color, that moved past her shoulders down her back. Turning her head would cause the tails to sway, giving them a willowy branch like quality. ¡°Greetings''s Archduchess Mera of Asta.¡± the new recruit spoke, a high tilt to her voice giving her a strange pixie-like voice. It caught Chimera off guard, ¡°wha?¡± The pixie recruit tilted her head in confusion, which is all Chimera needs to realize she flubbed her greeting with this new face. Noticing her, Chimera shakes her head, ¡°Uh yeah! Greetings¡­ who are you again?¡± The pixie girl sighes, ¡°of course the High General didn¡¯t say.¡± Straightening her gown and giving an official salute, the pixie girl completes her pageantry with a pose that looks like her hands are a bird. ¡°I am Master Chief Sargeant Arrose, Combat Marksman and Recon Specialist for Her Imperial Highness¡¯ Imperial Harriers. It is my honor to meet the Empress¡¯ Chosen.¡± Chimera, having never been taught anything remotely close to etiquette, does her own salute as she introduces herself. ¡°Erm, I¡¯m Mera of Asta, Captain of this ship and leader of this task force. It¡¯s my pleasure to get to know you, Arrose.¡± ¡°Likewise Captain,¡± the smaller Elfari belts out, a bit of red appears on her ears as she takes a seat. Chimera smiles back as the newbie tries to look dignified despite her obvious nervousness. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not a stickler¡­ wait, I mean I¡¯m not really too worried about etiquettes and the right things or words to say, so feel free to be as blunt with me as possible. Trust me, it¡¯ll save us both time.¡± ¡°...If you say so sir,¡± the Master Chief Sergeant said, her face growing redder by the minute. Noticing, Chimera raises an eyebrow, ¡°is¡­ something up Master Chief Sergeant?¡± ¡°...cute.¡± Chimera leaned in, ¡°sorry, didn¡¯t catch that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so freaking CUTE! How are you this adorable?! The Captain said that you''re an amazing fighter, but I never thought you would look like a kid. It¡¯s almost too much!¡± The verbal onslaught caught Chimera completely off guard while another Harrier entered. This one Chimera recognized immediately as Bargo, the first Harrier to attack her. His lanky body and silver features gazed at both Chimera and Arrose before sitting down. ¡°Couldn¡¯t wait a day before showing her your weird side, eh?¡± he smiled snidely back at Arrose. It gave the impression that Bargo regularly did this to the smaller pixie-like Elfari, which gave Chimera enough time to recover from her earlier conversation. ¡°Do what exactly,¡± Chimera questioned as the two turned to her. Bargo kept his smirk on his face, a far cry from his colder countenance when they first met, ¡°Rose over here loves cute things to an embarassing degree.¡± ¡°Shut up you¡­ you!¡± Arrose, or Rose, was turning a bright pink as she sputtered. Chimera was about to comment just as another Harrier arrived, Bayleaf making her strides to sit next to Chimera. Chimera felt an itch to push her away from her, remembering their tense conversation in the council chamber before Chimera agreed to help in their fight. Sighing, Chimera turned to face Bayleaf. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t like what you did. I don¡¯t handle¡­ that very well, but we need to be able to work with each other. I got to know I can trust you on our missions. You can¡¯t do that to me again. Be straight with me and no more bullshit because you think I need to do something.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Bayleaf turned her head to face her. ¡°I can¡¯t promise that.¡± Chimera snarled, ¡°just wait one moment before you open your gob. I need to be able to trust you, or I¡¯m not working with you.¡± She turned to the other two, ¡°same goes for you as well. Be straight with me or this won¡¯t work, and I¡¯ll send your asses back to the Empress.¡± Bayleaf opened her mouth, ¡°you don¡¯t have that authority. We answer to the High General, and if she deems that we keep silent on certain intel then we must.¡± Chimera shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you. I¡¯m not even questioning your orders. All I am asking is that you don¡¯t keep me in the dark when it matters. If you''re going to hobble me, then you might as well leave.¡± Bayleaf opened her mouth to respond, but after staring back at Chimera for a short while, closed it and sat back in her seat. Silence filled the room for a few minutes before she decided to speak once more. ¡°We needed help, but I¡¯m sorry that I deceived you Mera.¡± Chimera turned her chair away from Bayleaf as she spoke back, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can forgive you right now, but thank you for that.¡± The rest of the Harriers arrived shortly after, none that Chimera recognized from the fight. She was sure she would get to know them later, and so kept the silence until the High General arrived. Unlike her dress uniform, the General was wearing a combat attire, with armor and leg plates to protect her vitals. She kept a helmet that seemed tailor made for her large ears under her arm while she held a data slate that glowed green and white with text. ¡°Thank you all for coming. Be seated.¡± The rest of the Harriers that weren¡¯t already took chairs around the table as the High General took her place in the center of the room next to the hologram device. Turning it on with a flick of magic, the device came to life as it depicted the face of the Empress, her countenance stern and regal as she spoke. ¡°Greetings my Harriers, and welcome tidings Mera.¡± Mera nodded back as the Harriers made their own salutes and shows of fealty. ¡°The time is short so I shall be brief,¡± she spoke as the holographic device shifted from her face to a star map showing their destination and their heading. ¡°Currently the trajectory has you arriving at Torsca in two days.¡± The map zoomed in onto the Meras showing a dotted line that led to the moon. She continued, ¡°as far as our projections go, Torsca has not been under assault, but that may change based on the recent reports from the Militarum. Something has happened with the most recent skirmishes between us and the Hood.¡± The projection shifted to the nearby moon, showing a planet moon that was mostly water based, with a string of islands and one massive land mass. Chimera noted that the world was labeled Cerula. It showed a few ships that seemed massive in scale compared to the smaller Elfari battle branches that she witnessed before on Steros, which Chimera realized from her melding with Meras that these were the battleships of the Elfari fleet. However, the ships next to the branches were something to behold. Coated in a green design on the hologram, Chimera noticed the ships were massive, almost certainly some type of ark ship from the domed design and rounded exterior. It was like comparing a twig to a boulder, the difference in size between the three battleships and the one massive Verdant Hood vessel. ¡°Cerula has seen the disappearance of one of the Hood¡¯s mother-dome vessels, and a large contingent of their forces have departed along with it. We don¡¯t have details about where the vessel is, but its closest trajectory could only be Torsca.¡± The Empress shifted back to Torsca, showing the moon and its grey overcast and red tinted soil. ¡°It would take the mother-dome about three days based on current projections to make it to Torsca, but we can¡¯t rule out that they sent a vanguard fleet to make way for their arrival.¡± The Empress shifted back to her face, turning her head to face the Harriers as she spoke. ¡°My soldiers, my brave heroes. Torsca is defenseless against a mother-dome vessel, and a vanguard fleet would defeat any orbital willow casters that we have if they are not warned in time. I¡¯m sending reinforcements as we speak, but it will be a week before they can reach the moon in time.¡± She turned to face Chimera, ¡°I know I am asking a lot of you, but please, protect these brave men and women. The forces coming will number greatly, and the time table doesn¡¯t allow for quick responses. You are the only card we have to play right now.¡± Chimera looked back at the rest of the Harriers before settling back on the Empress. ¡°I could get us there sooner, maybe even by the end of today. I would have to change the ship to do so though, and that would require a great deal of magical energy. If you let me use the Harriers, I can make it work.¡± The Empress held her shock, but Chimera could see her iris¡¯ dilate at the news. ¡°Truly?¡± Chimera nodded, ¡°it would change the Meras a bit to be more like me, but I think I can have it done if I got the energy. Might even give us more options against the Hood.¡± Oh man, the things I could try with Meras! She had been wanting to try and modify the ship, especially since it was a ship that had biological material as opposed to metal parts to work with. Though that wasn¡¯t much of a problem, as the melding with the ship gave a power that Chimera had been missing for a while back. Technopathy. It slotted in just as soon as Meras connected with her, which made sense as what she and Meras did was very similar to what she used to do with human tech like the Bottys. Energy was the problem there though, she would need a colossal amount of bioenergy to try and morph the Meras into a ¡®Chi-Meras¡¯. The Harriers were some of the strongest mages of the Empire, and she also had a massive crew that she could also tap into. However, these were the Empress¡¯ people. She might be an archduchess in their society, but she couldn¡¯t really order them with the High General here. She needed the Empress to okay it. ¡°What would it cost to do?¡± The Empress was skeptical, which was fine with Chimera. ¡°I would likely drain most of the people here, but luckily Bayleaf here has been upgraded as well. She can have them back up in no time.¡± Turning her head to the doctor of the group, Chimera made out the slightest nod from the woman before the Empress nodded in return. ¡°I will agree, but there is a clause I wish to add.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± The Empress turned to the other Harriers in the group, ¡°my warriors, given the choice would you undergo the procedure that gave Lieutenant Bayleaf her increased power? Would you sacrifice your old flesh to defend the Empire?¡± ¡°Yes, Empress!¡± the choir of voices almost shouted back. The Empress nodded before returning to face Chimera, ¡°allow my soldiers to receive the boon that Bayleaf Bristlebranch had received from you. I will allow you to call upon the vessel¡¯s magic and modify it as you see fit, as long as you grant them this boon.¡± ¡°No take backs, I¡¯m likely going to change it into something completely alien. I¡¯m willing to give your people the boost, but I need to know I have your complete approval to call on them to help me with the changes.¡± Chimera stood as she said this, staring at everyone of the Harriers as she conveyed her words. ¡°We do this, you all got to help. We¡¯re a team here.¡± The Empress tilted her head in approval, ¡°very well.¡± The High General tried to interject, but the Empress held up a hand on the projection to silence her. Jackpot! Now I can get a lot more P.E.Gs from the residual energy. Hell, I can make a ship sized one and power the entire vessel! Oh baby I can¡¯t wait! Chimera hummed to herself as she spoke, ¡°its a deal Traika. I¡¯ll have your Harriers supercharged, and in exchange, they¡¯ll help us super power-up the Meras. Win-Win for us both.¡± ¡°And another blade to add to our sheaths,¡± The Empress smiled back, ¡°thank you for agreeing to this arrangement Mera.¡± ¡°Don''t sweat it,¡± Chimera spoke back with a smirk, ¡°It serves me as much as you to make sure these guys aren¡¯t as squishy.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the Empress giggled, which made a lot of the Harriers gape in amazement. Chimera got the impression many didn¡¯t see this side of their leader. ¡°Well then, seems our objectives are clear then. Get to Torsca before any of the Verdant Hood show up and set up defenses before they arrive. If not, hold them off until reinforcements arrive. Did I miss anything?¡± Chimera tilted her head as she walked around to face the hologram directly. The Empress made a grimace as she spoke. ¡°Eliminate any that land on Torsca, we¡¯ve been informed that they have some kind of device that can mess with the minds of the populace. We can¡¯t have them being turned against us as well.¡± ¡°Not a fan of mind control, dealt with something similar before,¡± Chimera spoke, a tinge of anger in her reaction. Anything that reminded her of Monica or Mona did not sit well with her. ¡°Good to know. I will leave the dealing of those devices to you then Mera. Priortize protecting the populace, but make sure to destroy any devices that appear as well.¡± ¡°Confirmed.¡± Chimera gave her a thumbs up, which confused the dignitary before she returned the gesture. ¡°Awesome. Better get to work then, anything else?¡± The Empress shook her head, ¡°good luck Mera, and to you as well my heroes.¡± ¡°For The Empress, For the Empire!¡± The Harriers saluted back as the Empress¡¯ screen cut off. After the image flickered off, the High General turned to address the group. ¡°You all have your orders, report to the medical bay for¡­ ¡®augmentation¡¯ and be ready to assist the Captain once you have all recovered. Dismissed.¡± Chimera couldn¡¯t help but laugh as the group saluted back, giving one of her own before she grabbed Bayleaf and teleported them both to the med bay. It was a sterile looking room with white wooden walls and a clean fresh smell that reminded Chimera of mint. Apparently it was used to calm patients according to Meras. Sitting down at the nearest chair, Chimera plopped down as she motioned for Bayleaf to take the chair next to her, the bed chair stretching back flat. ¡°Well, lets get started Bay.¡± She smirked back. ¡°W-Wait, didn¡¯t you already do my augmentation?¡± She spoke a bit more fearful than before. ¡°Oh, That?¡± Chimera smiled evilly, ¡°That was nothing compared to what I can do now.¡± Bayleaf watched as a horde of tendrils grew from Chimera¡¯s hair, each tipped with needle like protrusions that screamed ¡®I¡¯m painful¡¯. ¡°Y-You¡¯re not still mad at me right? Trust and all that yeah?¡± Bayleaf said with a sheepish smile, trying to hide her fear, and failing to do so. Chimera¡¯s only answer was a tiny stab to the back of Bayleaf¡¯s neck and what Bayleaf thought was evil laughter before she passed out. ¡­