Chapter 1: Partnership

Year: 05/18/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Spencer's Estate

Daisy was running as hard as she could, faster than she ever had. Sweat was pouring down her face as she passed by alleyways and different streets. She ran until she made it to the town square, a popular location among Fairfield residents and tourists alike. The square was surrounded by shops and cafes that sold local specialties - particularly, dishes made from a tropical fruit exclusive to Sargasso and a significant source of revenue for the city. There was a fountain in the middle of the square; elegant, but simple. It was a favorite spot for local couples and children. Daisy slowed down and walked towards it.She remembered how she used to play around the fountain and throw coins her parents gave her to make a wish. She tore something from around her neck; a metal necklace with two dog-tags attached. Daisy looked at the tags with a scowl, then threw them into the fountain before continuing to run. She ran for what felt like forever, taking alleyways to avoid detection until she made it to a bridge. The bridge that would lead her home.

A sickly, pale girl with blond hair suddenly opened her blue eyes, breathing hard as she looked around. She was still sitting in her wheelchair in the middle of the family garden that surrounded her home. She must have fallen asleep when tending to the daisies and amaranths. Daisy watched the flowers as they bent slightly with the gentle breeze then let out a sad sigh.

"It was just another dream…," she muttered, clenching her hands with a frown forming on her face.

Ever since she was a little girl, Daisy remembered having dreams that didn't quite feel like dreams. Dreams that felt so real and yet so far away. Where she was stronger than she’d ever been before and could do things she could no longer do. Sometimes she was running a track, dodging obstacles, and feeling the exhilaration of adrenaline pumping through her veins as she overcame challenges with the help of people she didn't know but felt she should. Or sometimes, she was fighting someone bigger and stronger than her, and taking him down without breaking a sweat. Daisy always welcomed these dreams, especially as her sickness got worse.

According to her parents, it started when she was six, a few weeks after her kidnapping. It began so insignificantly. Daisy remembered feeling weak with aches and pains in different parts of her body and she was often short of breath. It got worse and worse until she finally suffered a seizure. That’s when it went from bad to worse. Daisy doesn't remember much from that time, just her legs gradually weakening and the sight of her mother crying as her father comforted her.

The doctors said her condition was due to a faulty fertilization treatment that her mother took in order to conceive. As a result, her parents had become overprotective, which significantly increased when she fell ill. After successfully suing the company that provided the treatment, they received a large settlement of which they devoted every penny to find a cure for her. Despite the amount of time, money and effort spent on helping doctors find a cure; the only thing they could offer was a cocktail of expensive drugs to treat her symptoms and improve her quality of life. Despite their best efforts. But, her health continued to slowly deteriorate. She went from a cane and braces to a wheelchair before the age of thirteen. She was only able to walk with great difficulty thanks to therapy, but after a few steps her legs would just give up. Every breath was a struggle. Her aches and pains would often return, ravaging her body. The only feelings the young girl knew anymore were weakness and sickness.

Her family and friends were very supportive, providing as much emotional support as they could. Especially her parents, who spent a fortune to make sure she could live comfortably: retrofitting the house to be handicap accessible, hiring tutors so she wouldn't suffer the stress of traveling in her condition, and making sure a personal nurse was always on-call to monitor her. They always attempted to help her keep going and live life as normally as she could, and though the dreams allowed her to escape from reality, she couldn't help but feel off. It was like something was wrong with her. Not her sickness, but on a deeper, more subconscious level; like she was different. The ominous feeling came over her every once in a while. She never talked about it with her parents, never quite knew how to put it into words.

She would be lying if she didn’t admit to being bitter and frustrated about her situation. She hated the feeling, her condition, and the varying degrees of pain she felt every day. She missed being able to walk and run. She wanted to live without taking a cocktail of drugs every day or always be dependant on someone else for virtually everything. She hated being a burden. She hated knowing that she would likely die before her 20th birthday. She hated seeing her parents silently suffering as they watched her waste away, working overtime just so they could afford the growing list of medications she needed to prolong her sad existence.

Daisy’s morbid thoughts were interrupted when she heard a familiar jingle coming from her wrist. She glanced down to see her Dad trying to call her on her chatter. He was very likely checking up on her for the hundredth time since he and her mom were both at work. Her Dad sold leisure air-crafts to and had been working extra hours to pay for her treatment. Not only that, he was futilely trying to invest in research to find a cure for her condition. Her mom sold flowers to tourists in the town square as a part-time job and she too dedicated all of her earnings to her daughter’s treatment and research.

Daisy answered her chatter. "Hey, Dad," she said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She loved her Dad, but he could be a bit of a worrywart at times.

"Hey, my little flower, just calling to check on you," His baritone voice chimed.

Daisy let out a sigh.

"I'm alright, Dad, just in the garden getting some fresh air. Maxine is inside making some snacks and yes, I took my medicine," she answered, anticipating her dad's next question in advance.

A chuckle came from the chatter.

"Alright, I know that calling so many times in a short period is a little annoying, but you can't blame a father for worrying. Anyway, I won’t keep you. Gotta get back on the road. Don't forget to get some rest, we don't want you to miss the meteor shower tonight. And keep your life alert on you at all times."

A small smile spread across Daisy's lips. "Alright, I will. Love you, Dad. And don't worry, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It is a once in a lifetime event."

“Love you too, my little flower.”

Daisy pressed a button on her chatter, ending the call. She brought an amaranth flower closer to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent and smiled. The garden always had a calming effect when she started feeling bitter. It made her feel at peace and aided in forgetting her troubles.

Then suddenly, she felt a presence. She couldn't describe the feeling it sparked in her, but it felt eerily familiar.

Daisy turned her head towards the source of the sensation, shock spreading across her face. Walking towards her was an exact copy of herself; but unlike her, the look-alike was tall and robust, wearing a red, tight-fitting uniform that displayed her muscular figure. She had cropped blond hair and a pistol in her right hand. The look-alike sauntered forward until she was standing right in front of Daisy. In the next moment, she raised her gun, pointing it at the wheelchair-bound girl's forehead.

[https://www.halopedia.org/images/6/69/Daisies_-_Homecoming.png]

Daisy knew she should be panicking and calling for help. At the very least, asking why she looked so much like her. Instead, she was strangely calm. An odd sense of familiarity crept between the two of them. A bond that was only between them. They stared into each other's eyes without a word. Daisy could feel the uncertainty, sadness, and faltering determination in the girl before her. At that moment, a wave of understanding rippled between the two.

Daisy understood who this look-alike was.

For as long as she remembered feeling wrong. Fake. Deep down, she knew the reason why but she could never place her finger on it. With the look-alike standing here in front of her now, something clicked and clarity set in. She was the look-alike. The girl in front of her was the real Daisy:the source of her strange dreams.

After another long tense moment, the original lowered her pistol, turned around, and walked away as if in defeat.

Something in Daisy couldn't let her go. She didn't know the exact reason, but she needed to say something.

"I-...it’s always the same dream!” she yelled. Her counterpart stopped, turned around, and looked intently back at her. “I dream I'm strong. Stronger than anyone...Like you. Just like you are."

Daisy dug into a compartment in her wheelchair and pulled out a small teddy bear figurine attached to a thin necklace. It was a gift given to her--the real Daisy--by her mother for her sixth birthday.

"Here. I want you to have this," she said in an impish tone.

"But why me?" asked the girl.She stared at the bear, eyes filling with longing.Daisy smiled, focusing on the small trinket as well.

"I don't know, to be honest with you,” she admitted. “It’s just, something tells me that I should. I want you to take it."

The “original” Daisy walked back and hesitantly took the bear, then simply turned and left. No more words were needed. They both understood that it had to be this way. The clone tilted her head upward and noticed an aircraft hovering in the distance, flying in the same direction the original was going. Daisy couldn't help but wonder: how long had that aircraft been there?

She abandoned the thought and wheeled herself back into her home. It was modest by wealthy standards. It was comprised of two stories with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, not including the library which served as a classroom for tutoring sessions.

She heard the sound of clanging metal and ceramic coming from the kitchen. Moments later, out came a woman in her late 20s wearing white medical scrubs. Her long black hair was tied into a ponytail and her slightly tanned face was donned with a pleasant smile, adding to the calming aura that seemed to exude from her.She was carrying a tray of purple bars topped with oats. It was Maxine, Daisy’s personal nurse. Her sweet soul and heart of gold suited her well for her job as a nurse. She got along so well with the Spencer family she was practically Daisy's aunt. One of Daisy’s favorite things about Maxine was that she always gave her space to do things on her own and as independently as possible.

“Hey, Daisy, back inside already?” she asked. “I was about to bring out some snacks so we could eat them together in the garden and enjoy the weather.” She lifted the tray for emphasis. Atop the tray lay (#) of her ‘world-famous’ multi-fruit bars beside a pile of napkins. Maxine knew they were Daisy’s favorite.“But since you’ve come inside, I guess we can enjoy them here.”

The clone smiled. She usually would oblige, but after what happened she just wanted to go up to her room and be alone for a while. A shiver of dread shot up her spine and suddenly she was glad Maxine wasn’t outside with her. Who knows what would’ve happened if she’d seen what transpired.

“Actually, I’m a little tired,” sighed the clone. Internally she thought this was the understatement of the century.“I will just take some with me to eat when I wake up.”

“Oh, is something wrong?” Maxine asked worriedly. A look of concern washed across her face. “You seem a bit down, Daisy.”

The girl in question shook her head. “No, I’ll be alright. Thank you, I just need some rest,” the clone re-assured.

Maxine gave in with a sigh. “Alright. If you need anything give me a buzz, ok?”

“Alright,” agreed the girl. She wrapped a few bars in a napkin for later then moved to the platform at the base of the staircase. She pressed a button on her wheelchair, prompting the platform to slowly lift her up the stairs. When she started having to use a wheelchair, her parents installed this special elevator so she could go upstairs without relying on others. After about half a minute, she made it upstairs. She wheeled into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, turned left and went to the end of the hall to the door across from the master bedroom.

She opened the door, wheeled inside, and made sure to close it behind her. Her room was simple:; a bed blanketed by white sheets and a purple cover, a rug, a shelf that contained her teddy bear collection, a window that looked out into the Sargasso Sea and a short dresser drawer with a mirror. The vanity mirror was littered with photos of her and her family from throughout the years. She rolled to the dresser and moved the bottles of medication to the side to make room for the fruit bars. She grabbed a picture of her with her mom and dad. They were behind a cake with an 8-shaped candle on top.

If she really was a clone, then everything finally made sense:the feeling of being fake, the dreams, the lapse of memory from when she was kidnapped, the illness. She didn't know much about cloning aside from the little taught by her biology tutor, but she did know cloning a full person was an unstable process. It could be done in theory, but the clones usually suffered from an extensive list of health issues… Sadness and dread washed over her as she realized this described her condition perfectly.

And if she was truly a clone…

"They’re not really my parents, are they? They’re...hers," She murmured quietly as she looked at the photo.Most of her life had been a lie--deep down she knew this fact--but then, how could it be she remembered her-...Daisy's father tending to his daughter’s knee? That happened the day before her kidnapping?

It didn’t take her long to put together that they must have found a way to copy the real Daisy's memories into her. Whoever did this managed to clone a full human being, so the idea wasn't too far-fetched.

But, why go through the trouble? Why kidnap Daisy?

She could surmise that the government ,or a similarly powerful organization, was involved based on the uniform her original was wearing. But still, why?

And why her?

The clone stared at her hands, contemplating her existence. She wasn't Daisy, so who was she? Her entire purpose was to replace Daisy...and then slowly fade away and die. When she dies, no questions can be asked. But now more than ever, she wanted to avoid that part of her fate. Knowing now that she was in fact a clone, the cloned Daisy wanted to be her own person.She wished to have something to call her own. Not just a copy, not a mirror image.

Her own being.

She wanted to live as herself; whoever that self would turn out to be.

Despite her wishful thinking, fate had other plans. Her body would continue to degrade until her premature death. There was really nothing she could do at this point. In fact, she had to keep pretending to be Daisy for her parents' sake and safety. Not only would finding out the truth break their hearts, but it might endanger them if they decided to investigate the whole ordeal. She knew they inevitably would.

It was very likely the military, or whoever did this, wouldn't come after her for seeing her original. They knew she would die soon. Plus, besides her parents, who would believe such a far-fetched story anyway? Even if she did tell someone she would be declared insane, and her words dismissed as a symptom of her worsening health. The least she could do was pretend to be their daughter to make up for replacing their real daughter. She may not truly be theirs, but she still loved them all the same. She couldn't help but think of them as her parents and herself as Daisy.

It’s all she’d ever known.

The Daisy clone’s eyes felt heavy. She needed to rest. All of this had taken a lot out of her frail body. The clone laid her head on her dresser using her arms as a pillow before almost instantly drifting into a deep merciful slumber, welcoming its embrace.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in her room or in her wheelchair. Instead, she was in a jail cell sitting on a cot. In front of her was a woman wearing a white lab coat and a long skirt. She had skin so pale it was almost white, jet black hair, and icy blue eyes covered with a pair of glasses. The glint in the light gave her eyes a cold, intelligent gleam. There was something familiar about her that the clone didn't like. For some reason, she felt anger, hatred, and revulsion towards the woman. She was saying something but it was incomprehensible gibberish to Daisy’s ears; like she was trying to speak through glass.

"Daisy!"

The clone suddenly shot up, fully awake and alert. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was another dream or memory from the real Daisy..

“Who was that woman? Why did she seem so familiar?" The clone heard a knock to her left.

"Daisy! Are you awake?" A voice called out from beyond her bedroom. She sluggishly looked out her window and saw it was dark outside. The clock on her chatter read 8:50 pm.Daisy sat up straighter.

"How long was I asleep?" She murmured to herself.

"Daisy!" Another knock banged against the door.

"Coming!" she called out, shaking the last bit of sleep from her voice.

In a few swift pushes at her wheelchair, Daisy was across the room. She opened the door to be met by a man she knew like the back of her hand. He was about 6'2” with a muscular physique, short blond hair, and blue eyes. He had a rough-looking face that was painted with a gentle expression. This was Jon Ann Spencer, Daisy's father. A businessman and former marine who spent ten years in service he left the military, after being offered a job at Aerotech selling luxury space crafts, to spend more time with his family. Despite the change in his life, he still maintained his physique and avoided the creeping fat that struck most businessmen.

"Daisy, I was checking if you were awake. I checked on you earlier and saw you were sleeping, so I left you alone for a while longer." He looked down at the clone as she was rubbing one of her eyes. "I didn't wake you up did I?"

"No, I just woke up. Still rubbing the sand out my eyes, you know,``she joked. Jon nodded in understanding.

"Alright then, hurry and straighten yourself up then come on down to the garden. The meteor shower is supposed to start in about 10 minutes."

The clone smiled widely. "OK, Dad. Be down there in a sec."

"Just don't push yourself, honey. Take your time, don’t want you to injure yourself.” said Jon as he closed the door.

"I won't, Dad," the clone reassured.

Daisy rolled her wheelchair back to her dresserand stared into the mirror. Thinking about it now, there were differences between her and the original besides athleticism and hair length. For one thing, the real Daisy’s skin was a little darker, while the clone was pale due to her condition. Then there was something about her eyes: a hardness she couldn’t describe.The clone shook her head and focused.

"Alright,” she whispered to herself, “I guess it's time to continue to pretend to be Daisy. You can do this...clone? Daisy? Daisy clone? It doesn't matter, you just have to continue to be Daisy! Just act natural...for them." She looked at the pictures of her parents strewn across her desk. The only family she’d ever known.

"For them," she breathed.

She rolled her chair to the door, then down the hall. Once she reached the stairs, she took the elevator down again. She quickly went past the living room and kitchen, then out the front door. With the property lights off, a breathtaking starry night greeted her. Humid air filled her lungs as the Daisy clone looked around for her Mom and Dad. Their silhouettes were sitting in a couple of beach chairs set up on the white pavement by the garden's greenhouse. The cloned rolled her wheelchair toward the couple. As soon as she saw Daisy, she got up to give her a hug. Mrs. Spencer was taller than the average woman; about 5’10 with dirty blond hair and chestnut brown eyes. She was slightly plump in the face but her body was pretty lean.

"Daisy, how was your day? Was it tiring? You were asleep for quite a while," her mother asked in rapid fire.

‘Oh, besides meeting my original, questioning my place in life and having a bit of an identity crisis, everything was just peachy.’ The clone forced herself to smile.

"It was just a little boring, so I took a nap to pass the time until the meteor shower," she admitted.

"Better a boring and safe day than a dangerous one," her mother sighed in relief as she sat back down on the lawn chair. "Now come on, the shower will start any minute now."

The clone looked around, noticing someone was missing. “Where’s Maxine?”

“Oh, she went home for the night. She had to help a friend of hers with something,” Her mother responded as she continued peering up at the starry night sky.The clone nodded her head. She remembered the nurse mentioning something about ‘making sure someone doesn’t do anything stupid at the club’ tonight.

“It would have been nice to have her here,” she said too quietly for her parents to hear.Her father pointed at the sky. "Look, it’s already starting!" he exclaimed.

The young girl regarded the sky and saw the trails of light flying through the air. They were beautiful and a sight to behold that only came every 100 years. A once in a lifetime event. The Daisy clone glanced over at the two people who were the closest thing to family she had. She couldn’t help but contemplate the fact that she was not their daughter at this moment. hey were ignorant of the fact she was just a cheap knockoff of their true Daisy. But to her, they were still her parents. She always loved them. She still enjoyed her time with them, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty. She was living the life that should have been Daisy’s; birthdays and holidays, the good and bad times, everything in her life she unintentionally stole from the original.

“Is something wrong, dear?” asked her mother, breaking her out of her thoughts.

The clone shook her head.

“No, I’m alright. I’m just more tired than I thought. I think I will go to bed a little early tonight,” she reluctantly announced.

“Oh, okay. Then I will help you get into your nightgown, and I can tuck you in.,” Her mother stated. She got out of the chair, ready to follow her inside.The clone smiled and waved both hands dismissively.

“That’s alright, Mom, I can get ready for bed myself. I don’t want you to miss any more of the shower.”Her mother was about to protest, but her father gave his input.

“Now Amy, she is a big girl, and she has her life-alert. If she needs any help she can call us,” he soothed getting up from his chair to stand beside her. Amy let out a frustrated sigh.

“Alright, just don’t push yourself too hard.If you need to call us don’t hesitate. We’ll be right here.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Mom, Dad,” she said driving her wheelchair closer to her parents and gave them both a hug. “I love you, and thank you for everything.” Thankfully she managed to stop herself from crying right then and there. She had never meant those words more than she did now and was so tempted to tell them the truth, even if they wouldn’t believe her. But she couldn’t risk their safety. She felt her parents hug back, their arms wrapping her in warmth.

“We love you too, sweetie. Goodnight,” her mom whispered.

“Go get some sleep. Tomorrow, it's back to school and therapy. Love you, my little flower,” her dad said softly.After that she turned around and headed towards the house, trying her hardest not to cry. If only they knew the truth.

Pretending was going to be harder than she thought.

(Meanwhile….)

The car’s movement finally stopped, meaning it was time for the slime to get off the vehicle that hit it. But first it took the time to search for every last bug it could find gathering energy to survive a little longer. After an hour of searching and eating the slime the fleshy mass detached itself from the car and landed on the ground to examine its surroundings. There was a massive structure in front of it, likely the home of the owner of the car. And based on one of its previous host’s memories, if there was one human, there were probably more.

It looked for a way inside the home when it felt distant vibrations coming from the ground. Something was coming. The blob of flesh hid under the car in the shadows. A few moments later, a female human in what it believed was a wheelchair passed by stopping in front of the house. She looked and smelled weak and sickly, the blob smiled internally. She was just what it needed in a host, for now. Someone that couldn’t resist it’s bonding to him/her and who would listen to what it had to offer. The girl was stopped in front of the door; it had to act fast before she got away, but it was too weak to move quick enough. It needed a host to use for transportation. The blob looked around until its sight landed on a medium-sized rodent nearby, a type of rat if his previous host’s memories were correct, and it had its back turned. The slime crept and slithered its way to the unsuspecting rat that was eating a crumb of food. The rat lifted its head sensing danger, but it was too late. The mass jumped up and covered the rat, thoroughly soaking into its skin and taking full control. It wasn’t the most compatible, but it would do.

Acting quickly, the creature forced the rat to run towards the wheelchair ignoring the cries of panic in the rat’s mind. Its mind was simple, nothing but basic instinct. Halfway there, it could see the girl opening the door. It pushed its temporary host harder, enhancing its muscles. Just as the girl opened the door, he jumped then separated from the rat, and landed on the back of the wheelchair. It squeezed itself into a crack of the battery pack housing to hide.

The clone entered the house, automatically taking the elevator up the stairs. Getting off, she went down the hall to her room and went in. She had a lot on her mind and just wanted to go to bed and temporarily forget everything in a hopefully dreamless slumber. The teenage girl rolled to her dresser and opened three medicine bottles, taking a pill from each. She took her medicine and began to get ready for bed. Unbuttoning her sweater vest and set it aside. The clone then reached behind her back and undid her zipper. She proceeded to pull her arms through the dress sleeves. She pulled the dress down her body until she reached her waist. Taking a deep breath and with some difficulty, she lifted herself up slightly using her armrest as leverage. While keeping one arm on the armrest, she used her free arm to pull the rest of her dress down like she was taking off a pair of pants. After sitting back down and letting out her breath, the fake folded her dress then placed it on her bed before taking off her shoes and socks.

The clone grabbed the nightgown off her bed and slid it over her head, letting it fall down over her, as she put her arms through the sleeves. After straightening her gown, she leaned to the right side of her wheelchair where a compartment used to store a collapsible walking cane was located. The sickly girl took the cane out and extended it to use as support. With some effort, the clone lifted herself out of her wheelchair and transferred herself onto the bed. The copy laid down and shifted to make herself more comfortable. She closed her eyes, letting herself drift into a deep slumber, thankful for the drowsiness side-effect of her medicine.

Unknown to her, the fleshy, oily blob, sensed that she was vulnerable. Carefully, it oozed it’s way out from the wheelchair's battery pack, dripping onto the floor. It slithered to the bed of its prey, grabbing onto the blanket to climb its way up. The black mass finally reached the young girl’s exposed hand and began to bond. She was a great match, but her genetics were a mess. There were signs of degeneration and uncontrolled growth of damaged cells starting to form. Fortunately, it was something that could be fixed.

The clone opened her eyes and jumped up finding herself surrounded by dark fog ; fog so thick that it resembled the blackness of tar and oil. The only light was coming from an unknown source above her. Goosebumps rose on her skin caused by a chill in the air that made the hairs on her neck stand straight up. She looked around and studied her surroundings. Where was she? How did she get here, and what was that feeling in her stomach?

“Hello!” she called out. “Is anyone there?”

“Fa….kee….rrr….”

The clone turned around to look behind. “Hello? If anyone is out there, I am lost. Can someone help me?”

“Th...ief….”

“Imposter!”

“Wha…. what? Ok, who’s there?!” The flash clone looked around and noticed that the darkness was getting closer and the voices were getting louder. “Stay back!”

“Imposter!!!”

“FAKE!!!”

“THIEF!!!”

She stepped backward, desperately trying to get away from the darkness encroaching like a creature cornering its prey.. As she stumbled backwards, the voices got louder. They were everywhere yet nowhere, coming from all directions like an echo.

“HELP!!!”

“IMPOSTER!!!”

“THIEF!!!”

“FAKE!!!”

“I didn’t mean to! It's not my fault!” she yelled. Her heart pounded like it was trying to escape her chest.Tears began streaming down her face.

“Not your fault?”

Out of the darkness like a phantom phasing through a wall, a familiar figure stepped out.

“You’re back…,” the flash clone (gulped? quivered?) shaking her head in disbelief.

“Not your fault?” said the real Daisy. A mirthless chuckle escaped her lips as she took a step closer. It ended with an uncanny smirk spread across her face, putting the clone on edge. “You took everything from me.”

“I’m sorry.” she croaked as she stepped back.

“Sorry? You took my life. The life I should’ve had!” The real Daisy took another step closer to her, smirk disappearing. “Birthdays, vacations, life with my parents, every little moment of your life rightfully belonged to me.You stole it, you imposter!”

The clone put her hands on her head and crouched down as she began sobbing. She was right. Her whole life was unintentionally stolen from someone else.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to! I didn’t want to take your life. I didn’t want to replace you. It wasn’t my choice!” She lowered her head further and whispered, “I’m sorry.” She looked up only to meet the barrel of a gun and its wielder looking at her with utter contempt.

“Don’t worry, I intend to take my life back,” Daisy hissed before she pulled the trigger.

The clone woke up in a cold sweat, breathing rapidly she placed her hand across her forehead.

“No hole... It was just a nightmare.” She took a moment to take a deep breath. It was just a nightmare, but it spoke the truth. Even in her dreams, the fact that she was an imposter, a liar, and a thief still haunted her. The wind blew through her hair as she buried her face into her hands. Suddenly, she noticed the atmospheric sound of cars honking in the distance. Amidst the idle city noises, the chime of laughter and people talking kept her company. Confused, the girl lifted her head from her hands, finally realizing that she wasn't in her bed anymore. She rapidly looked around in all directions until her eyes landed on the vibrantly colored billboard that towered above her on the city's rooftop.

“How did I get up here!” The clone blurted out. She paced back and forth, trying to figure out how in the world she went from her bed to the top of some building.

“I could still be dreaming.” She pinched her arm and felt the resulting pain.

“OK, I’m not dreaming…..” The clone looked down and saw something that she hadn't seen since she was a little girl. She was walking on her own two legs with no shaking and no weakness. In fact, she noticed she didn’t feel weak at all, her body felt better. Stronger. It had to be a dream, there was no way she was walking. She pinched herself again only to get pain like before. She wasn’t dreaming, she was walking! The clone jumped up and down laughing, enjoying the sensation that such a simple movement brought. She then jogged in place, ignoring the discomfort of her bare feet touching the ground. She stopped and looked at her hands, laughing with an almost insane amount of joy.

“How is this possible?”

‘That would be my doing,’ said a voice.

The clone immediately straightened up and looked around checking for any sign that she wasn’t alone.

“Hello?” she greeted cautiously. Is someone there? Where are you?” It was weird. She clearly heard a voice that was not her own, but her eardrums said otherwise.

‘I am right here,’

The clone felt the unsettling sensation of something oozing out of her back. It felt like pus rapidly leaking out of the pores of her skin. To her horror, something whipped in front of her: a serpentine mass of oily fleshy goop that slowly formed into a monstrous face with large blank serrated triangle-shaped eyes shaped into a permanent scowl and large sharp jet black teeth. Its ‘skin’ seemed to move and pulse like a snake. The clone screamed, shuffling backwards, as she attempted to get away from the monster that appeared to be following her. She glanced behind herself, realizing that the monster was attached to her back.

“Get Off! Get Off!” she shrieked repeatedly, grabbing the monster by what she assumed was its neck. Her panic skyrocketed as she attempted to pull it off. Her efforts were useless as her fingers kept slipping through the gooey mass. The clone kept trying until suddenly her body locked up, her arms forced to her sides. Caught by surprise, she was shocked into silence. The monster’s face looked at her and started to speak, every word being occupied by a mixture of clicks, growls, and distorted breathing.

“Now that you are being more cooperative, I have a proposition for you, Daisy. Or do you prefer I call you clone.”

The clone’s eyes widen. “Ho…. How? Wha….. What are you?” she managed to choke out.

The monstrous serpentine-like creature chuckled as if she just asked a question with an obvious answer.

“I am a Klyantar, but your kind gave us the name ‘Symbiotes.’ You see my kind bond to compatible hosts to survive, and among other things, that bond allows us access to the host's memories. Don’t worry, we can only access surface or recent memories, anything older requires ‘digging’ so to speak. But, I was able to glean enough to know about you.” The creature leaned forward and circled the clone like a predator examining its prey. “And I know all about you, you’re not Daisy, but a clone, a damaged copy. A clone who was sick her whole life and unable to do anything on her own. You were created to replace Daisy and die. Your identity was forced upon you. A death sentence forced upon you. Your whole life is a lie.”

The clone tried to calm herself and think of a way out. This thing knew a lot about her, and if what it said was true, what did it want with her? That’s when she realized something.

“You brought me here, and…. you somehow allowed me to walk.” she deduced, then remembered something from her biology lessons. “You said your kind are called symbiotes, that means if I allow you to use me as a host.... I get something in return.”

It chuckled, sounding impressed.

“How astute, yes. Here’s the deal.” It got closer until it was inches from her face. “Allow me to use you as my host, and in return, I will grant abilities you can’t imagine. For example, I can fix you.”

“Fix me?” The clone asked, suddenly very interested.The symbiote slid back, giving the clone some space.

“Simple, I can heal your damaged genetics. Though it will take time, a long time.” it said. “But I can also do more. I can make you stronger, more durable, and more resilient. I will even help you find Daisy and learn the truth. All I ask for in return is a place to stay and food. You can’t say my offer isn’t more than generous.”

The clone simply stood there pondering. It was tempting. All of her life she was weak and sick, watching helplessly while her parents suffered silently as they watched who they thought was their daughter rot away. Then there’s the fact she was a copy who stole everything from her original, with nothing to call her own. With this symbiote that could change. She would no longer be weak, sick, or a burden. She would find out the truth and most of all; change her fate. But before she would agree to anything, there were a couple of questions she needed to ask.

“All right, before I agree, I want to know a couple of things.”

The symbiote tilted its head then nodded. “Go on,”

“Well, first can you, um….” The clone tried to move her arms.

The serpentine creature’s eyes widen surprisingly enough. “Oh, apologies.”

Instantly the flash clone could move her arms again. She stretched them, bending her elbows to get the soreness out as she took a calming breath.

“OK, first off, where did you come from?” she asked.

“It is a long story. A long, long story. But to condense it into something less time consuming-” the symbiote then tilted its head upward towards the night sky. “I came from up there.”

The clone's eyes widened as she looked up at the sky, her mouth agape before she and the symbiote exchanged glances.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that you’re a space alien? As in a real space alien?” she questioned. Her legs began to wobble with unease so she slowly sat down shaking her head. She couldn’t believe she was talking to a real bonafide alien! She was the first person to meet-

“Wait, a sec. Earlier you said my kind called you symbiotes. I am not the first to meet your kind am I?” The symbiote was quiet for a second staring, studying her as if it were thinking.

“A saying I picked up from you humans is that ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ Honesty is the foundation of a symbiotic relationship." then a pause, then "When I arrived I was caught and sent to a research facility of sorts, run by evil people."

“A research facility? Evil people?”

The symbiote simply nodded. “Correct. I know very little about my captors, but they have more of my kind and are very thorough. They kept forcing us to bond with hosts that were ... less than ideal.”

“Less than ideal?”

“We are a generally benevolent race and only wish to help. We do this by bonding to like minded hosts ; but, the mental bond is a two-way street. If we bond with evil or insane hosts it…. corrupts us. That’s why we are very picky when it comes to hosts.”

“So... these ‘evil people’ forced you and some of your kind to bond with unsuitable hosts,”

“And it drove some of us insane, making them more predatory until they drained their hosts dry. And some of us who maintained our sanity still became more aggressive and violent. Normally we reject unsuitable hosts, but they purposely starved us, so we had to bond just to avoid death and ... sometimes we overdo it and inadvertently kill our hosts by accident.” It looked away for a moment in what the clone could only guess was shame.

“Fortunately, some of our hosts were more ideal, keeping some of us sane enough. But even a forced perfect bond leaves a mark. I managed to escape when they tried to move me somewhere else. I got hit by your progenitor’s - or as you call him father's - car, and he inadvertently took me to his dwelling. Then I saw you, and here we are.”

“Who are they? Are they going to come after you? I don’t want my family to get hurt any more than they already are,” she stammered.

“Your concern is understandable. I don’t know much about my captors. They made sure that I didn’t see very much and stayed too hungry to focus. They won’t really put much of an effort into finding me ....”

It looked away for a moment. Something like sadness crept into its voice as it continued.

“They have more of my kind and more pressing matters to attend to from what little I was able to gather.” It then looked at the clone. “If you agree to be my host, I promise that I would not only protect you, but also your family. One thing you should know about me.” It leaned forward a few inches from her face. “I always take care of my host. Now, do we have an agreement?”

“And what if, I refuse your deal?”

“Then I leave and hopefully find another compatible host; but, I get the feeling you won't.”

The flash clone closed her eyes and took a deep breath, it was almost too much. An alien was attached to her and took her out of her home to some roof. On top of that, it was also running from somebody and wanted to use her as a walking safe-house. In return, it would heal her and grant her ‘other abilities.’ It also promised to do everything in its power to protect her , her parents, and to help her find the truth about her and Daisy. But what these ‘abilities' would entail, she hadn’t a clue. Then again, she was going to die soon anyway. This could be her one chance to live, to make amends, and to find out the truth. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as the saying went.

“Al… alright, I will be your host,” she said, trying and failing to sound confident. “Since we will be working together, do you have a name I could call you? Are you a... male? ... female?”

The symbiote chuckled, a sound that was mixed with growls and clicks, giving it an almost sinister quality. “My kind doesn’t have individual names or gender, but one of my hosts in the past gave me a name I’ve taken a liking to. You can call me, Nightstalker.” It leaned back. “Now, are you ready?”

The clone nodded then gulped.

“Yeah, show me... what you have to offer,” she said nervously.

“Alright, but be warned you will experience a strange sensation, so try not to panic” it warned. It went back into the clone’s skin. The feeling of semi-liquid matter soaking through her pores caused the clone to shiver uncomfortably.

“I don’t think I will ever get used to that,” she said.

Suddenly the feeling returned but this time she felt it all over her body. Midnight blue and black goop started to cover her body like a swarm of attacking ants. To her horror the goop rapidly covered everything from the neck down and began covering her face. Before she could scream it completely covered her head. It happened so fast that she wasn’t given enough time to resist it in any way, and just like that, it was over as quickly as it began. The clone knew that she was completely covered in the stuff yet she could see, but not through her own eyes, but the symbiote’s ‘eyes.’ Just like she was breathing through the symbiote’s ‘mouth,’ standing on its feet, and feeling through its ‘skin.’ It was surreal. It didn’t feel like she was wearing anything; she almost felt naked. When she lifted her hands, they were clearly not her own. Her extremities were covered in the oily fleshy goop with razor sharp talons tipping each finger. She studied the rest of her arms. Her forearms were midnight blue up to her elbow, which had shark fin-like protrusions under them, while the rest of her arms were predominantly black with streaks of midnight blue. The colors were the same on her legs and her toes were tipped with claws. Her torso was mostly midnight blue with black around her neck area, the pattern made it almost look like she was wearing a one-piece bathing suit.

She needed to find a mirror. Looking around, she spotted an old full body mirror covered in dust and grime. She didn’t know why it was up here and she didn’t want to think about it, she just needed to use it. She quickly walked towards the mirror and wiped the dust and grime off until it was clear enough to see her reflection. She stepped back in surprise. Staring back at her was a humanoid creature. Its body was her size and shape with a few distinct changes. She was taller, almost as tall as her dad if she were to guess. Her body was also more lean and muscular.The greatest difference was her face. Staring at her was something monstrous much like Nightstalker’s face.The jagged triangle-shaped eyes and lipless mouth that hung open slightly in an alarmingly large smile showing many pointed black teeth.. The monster had perfectly mixed black and midnight blue hair styled like hers.Each strand of her hair was made of oily flesh, but wilder and with more volume.

She touched the side of her face and with her other hand touched the mirror; the monster in the mirror doing the same.

[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/c8c5c09a-c12a-440f-a3ae-9badb3d467d3/degi8wa-af299776-02e9-4427-925f-9d7459ff7f6b.jpg/v1/fill/w_1280,h_1813,q_75,strp/i_made_you_stronger_2_0_by_mechafan1224_degi8wa-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3siaGVpZ2h0IjoiPD0xODEzIiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvYzhjNWMwOWEtYzEyYS00NDBmLWEzYWUtOWJhZGIzZDQ2N2QzXC9kZWdpOHdhLWFmMjk5Nzc2LTAyZTktNDQyNy05MjVmLTlkNzQ1OWZmN2Y2Yi5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.JxxTAWL_5-0r9jsjdSqn_FDYkz4lcWPoG9JAdhR8CCA]

“Is that me-” she then touched her throat in surprise. Her voice was different, distorted, with a reverberating echo to it.

“My voice-” she lifted her hands, looking them over, touching each claw.

“What happened to me?” She asked, looking back into the mirror.

‘I made you stronger.’ The oily symbiote goop on the right side of the monster’s face slid and contracted to reveal her real face underneath. The clone’s eyes widen, her mouth forming a nervous frown.‘As I promised.’

“Wait, but how am I supposed to go like this,” she said, waving her hands over her new form for emphasis.

“I don’t think my parents, or people in general, would appreciate an almost 7-foot tall goop monster walking down the street.” Suddenlyshe felt herself shrink, becoming shorter.The symbiote receded back into her skin until there was no trace left. Her nightgown was surprisingly perfectly intact. This time she didn’t really feel anything; she guessed she got used to it.

‘Does that answer your question?’ it asked almost condescendingly.

“Yes, and no need to be a smartass,” the clone snapped back. She was glad her mother wasn’t here; otherwise, she would give a tongue lashing for her vulgarity.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Nightstalker manifested itself from her shoulder and looked at her, chuckling. “Now, do you want to, as your kind say, go for a test drive?”

The clone shivered slightly remembering the feeling of the symbiote covering her entire body, but at least she knew what to expect this time. “Alright, let's see what you can do.”

“What we can do. Remember, we are bonded to each other, so we are partners.” Nightstalker then melted into the clone’s skin as if it were never there. Just like before the clone felt the symbiote cover her quickly, like a swarm of ants or living mercury. This time she didn’t feel any panic.She looked at her - their - clawed hands. She felt much better than before, filled withenergy, like she could take on the world.

“Well, partner, let's go for a test spin. What can you do?” She asked in her new voice.

‘You will know, just as the bond allows me access to your memories, it also allows you access to my instincts. In short, just do something. It will come to you.’

The clone looked around the rooftop and settled on the wall of a neighboring building. That building was a couple stories higher. Scaling that wall felt like a possibility, so she turned towards it. It was like she could sense the symbiote's thoughts and instincts, and it could feel hers. She took a few steps back to give herself a running start. Taking a deep breath, she ran towards the building, reaching the wall than she expected. The increased power in her legs surprised her as she instinctively jumped. She screamed with joy as she realized she jumped 10 feet in the air. Her claws dug into the building’s concrete wall, securing her in place. She then took a leap forward onto the rooftop.

There wasn't much out of the ordinary, just some air ducts and air conditioning units. The only thing that stood out was the large radio antenna. She walked to the other side of the roof and stared at the street below. Something told her to remain still. Suddenly her ‘skin’ changed color to match her surroundings, mimicking the night sky and the antenna behind her making her practically invisible.

“Invisibility? No, some sort of camouflage,” she surmised in awe. When she moved her hand too fast there was a slight delay before her skin changed color to match its new background.

‘Correct. Works best when moving slowly,’ it cautioned before falling quiet for a few moments.

‘Your city is quite beautiful.’

“Yeah, it is,” She responded softly.

They peered over the side of the building, examining the busy sidewalks. Some people were walking into buildings with huge neon signs and long lines, others walked into buildings that were obviously theaters with a jumbo screen showing what movies were playing. There were also a few shops and restaurants with chairs and tables outside occupied by couples young and old. If the clone were to guess, they were in one of the downtown sections of the city, the part filled with nightclubs and other adult entertainment. It was a popular spot for late night dates, , but for attracting - per her mother's words - ‘ruffians and thugs.’ Cars and buses drove on the two-way street heading to destinations unknown or dropping people off. She had been here during the day a couple of times, but just passing by with her parents. At night it was completely different. The neon lights bustling people made it more lively and beautiful.

Then an idea popped into her head. She turned around and jumped onto the radio antenna, grabbed one of its support rods, and pullei herself up. She crouched on top of the rod and jumped with all her strength to the next tower. She repeated the process and enjoyed every minute of it. After some time she reached to the very top of the structure, hanging on with one arm and her feet. Once she settled herself, she looked over the multi-storied city buildings spread across the land. Each one displayed many lights and signs on their surfaces. She looked to her right and saw the Sargasso Sea in the distance with her island home, though it was just a tiny dot.

That was another thing she noticed was that her eyesight was enhanced. She could see farther. Without the enhanced eyesight she probably wouldn’t have been able to see her home at all. All in all, this new perspective gave her an appreciation of how beautiful her home and the city was.

‘So is there any other name I can you call by besides clone?’ It asked, interrupting the serene moment. ‘From my understanding of human mentality, calling you clone could be considered derogatory.’

The clone hummed in thought. She didn’t want to be called Daisy because that wasn’t her. Being dubbed a clone also seemed derogatory, as Nightstalker said. So what other names could she go by? The girl pondered for a few seconds before remembering her - or rather Daisy’s - Mother telling her she was almost named Amaranth. She said it means never-fading flower. It was believed to represent immortality and longevity. They settled on Daisy because it represented innocence and purity. If she were honest, she liked Amaranth much better. It was ironic that whatever happened to Daisy, she had lost her purity and innocence a long time ago. If her parents had named her Amaranth, her sickly condition would have heavily contradicted the meaning.

‘So, Amaranth then? ’

The clone was surprised for a moment then remembered that the symbiote had access to her memories.That logically included her thoughts. She liked that name, it was better than being called Daisy. Then suddenly another idea came to her.

“Why?”

Amaranth felt Nightstalker’s curiosity piquing. ‘Why, what?’

“Why me? When anyone nearby like Mom and Dad would be a better host than a sickly imposter?”

‘It's quite simple. It’s because of your genetics.’

“I don’t understand. My genetics? My genetics are a mess!”

Nightstalker chuckled. ‘Exactly, in my weakened state your progenitors could rip me off the minute I try to bond to them before I could make my case. But you with your weak genetic structure, well that wouldn’t be a problem.Your genetics are like looking at the slightly faded ink of a copied document. Your genetics are a mess I can clean up. That creates a balanced partnership of give and take of equal worth. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I couldn’t offer that to your parents.’

“You heal my genetics and enhance my body, and in return, you get food and a place to live.” Amaranth surmised. The reasoning was brutally pragmatic, but it made sense. A person with her condition would do almost anything to be free from it.

‘Correct. When I enter a partnership, I make sure to give just as much as I take.’

Amaranth mulled over Nightstalker’s words. So far, this partnership had been an equal exchange, nothing but fair and respectful. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sirens in the distance. She looked down and saw several police cars speeding down the road, passing by the building they were on with their sirens blaring. An ambulance and a fire truck followed close behind. Amaranth wondered what happened to need of all those emergency vehicles. Was there an accident? A robbery? A fire? Whatever it was, that many first responders meant something terrible had happened.

‘Then why not see what happened and try to help them,’ Nightstalker said, reading her thoughts.

Amaranth did a double-take. “What?! I mean that’s the police’s job. I can't, I'm just a 14-year-old girl. What can I do.”

‘Correction, a 14-year-old girl that has me. Think about it, while you have me around helping you find the truth, why not help people along the way? Together we can do so much.’

Amaranth’s eyes widened, she never thought of that. “You’re right... but what can I do? If it's a robbery, then I will have to fight, and I’ve never fought before.”

Nightstalker chuckled. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll help you. Now let’s see what’s happening.’

“You seem eager to do this. Aren’t you worried that you might draw unwanted attention?”

‘I don’t like scum running around doing what they want, or the innocent getting hurt. You could say it's a trait I picked up from my previous host. As I said before, my captors had other things to worry about. My recapture is a low priority compared to whatever they are doing. Now, let’s go before they get too far away to follow.’

“How are we going to catch up to them in time,” she asked.

‘I will handle that. You just have to trust me,’ it added.

“Ok, I trust you. Let’s go,” Amaranth said as Nightstalker took control of her body. Multiple oily tendrils extended from her arms and back latching onto the antenna. Nightstalker moved Amaranth’s body into a crouching position, bending her knees as far as they could, aiming towards the next building. It felt weird; like invisible strings were moving her like a puppet. The symbiote’s skin returned to its standard color.

‘Ready?’

Amaranth offered a reassuring nod before Nightstalker’s tar-like tendrils propelled her through the air with ease. Within seconds, the conjoined pair had landed on an adjacent building a few blocks away. As they gained momentum, her newly adjusted legs began running towards the next rooftop.

‘Take control, enjoy the chase.’

Just like that, she took control and felt her body move under her own will as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Her heart was pumping hard with adrenaline pulsing through her veins. She was running faster than she ever could, perhaps even more than in her dreams. The exhilaration of it all quickly became addictive. The strength, the power, the speed, everything. Seeing it was taking too long. Amarnath had an idea relating to the tendrils produced earlier. She headed towards the street and jumped off the edge, her right arm extending multiple oily slimy blue tendrils from her forearm and attaching them to the building in front of her. Using the momentum from the resulting swing to push herself forward, she retracted the tendrils and repeated the process with the other arm.Along the way she made sure to remain high enough so no one could notice her. Throughout the whole thing, Amaranth couldn’t help but smile. Never did she imagine that her wildest dreams would come true. She flipped her body as she swung, somersaulting before shooting out another tendril. She could feel her heart racing with glee. It was a fantastic feeling that she’d only dreamt of.

Finally they arrived at what looked like a nightclub along the street. She swung herself into an alley and latched onto the side of a building. Digging her claws in, she climbed up to the building. Once she reached the edge she jumped onto the roof. She quickly ran to the opposite side of the roof and stood at the edge. The symbiote’s camouflage kicked in and blended them into the environment.

She saw police cars and armored SWAT cars surrounding the entrance of the two-story nightclub. The night club itself was nothing peculiar to Amaranth. It had a neon sign that spelled out ‘Sargasso Waves’ withhad curved neon lights that were supposed to mimic a tidal wave beneath the name. Behind the SWAT and police cars were police officers using the vehicles as cover. On both ends of the block more emergency personnel kept bystanders away. One of the officers behind a police car took a small box-shaped thing out and spoke into it.

“Alright, Mcdonald, what are your demands,” the officer said his voice coming out of the speakers. A rough voice answered him from the nightclub, likely through its speakers. “What I want is for a clean getaway from the city and the planet along with 2 million unmarked credits. For every hour we wait we kill a hostage. Send anybody in, we kill all the hostages.”

“Alright, it will take time to get everything-”

“You have 1 hour before we start killing hostages,” demanded Mcdonald. A thump emanated from the club, signalling that the speakers had been unplugged.

‘So our prey are holding innocents hostage. This will be challenging,’ commented Nightstalker with a tinge of excitement.

Amaranth, on the other hand, was feeling a bit of doubt. If this was simply a robbery or anything else that didn’t involve hostages or innocent people being put in harm's way she may not feel so unsure. But if she messed up, innocent people could get hurt. If she stayed back and let the police handle it, then they would probably go in too late, and civilians could still get hurt. If someone died because of her-

‘Amaranth, calm down. We can do this. Now we have less than an hour to get inside. We need a way in that they wouldn’t suspect. Try checking the rooftop.’

Amaranth looked up. The roof would be an excellent place to look for a way to sneak in. Amaranth aimed her right arm at the edge of the nightclub’s roof and shot forth multiple tendrils, latching them onto the side. Like a grappling hook, the tendrils were absorbed back into her arm, launching Amaranth towards the roof of the nightclub. Flipping over the edge at the last second she made a perfect landing with Nightstalker's help.

“Oh, that feels so good.”

‘Focus, there should be a way in, up here,’

Amaranth looked around. Thanks to Nightstalker, she could see as bright as daylight. There were a few ventilation shafts, some trash on the ground, and a cheap sleeping bag that she was pretty sure was put there by employees for ‘side activities.’ After a few moments of observation, she noted the shed-like structure behind a ventilation shaft.

“Bingo,” she said running towards the shack’s door. She was over halfway there when the doorknob shook. She looked around for a spot to hide, and noticing that the door opened towards the right, she stepped to the right side of the shack and crouched with Nightstalker’s chameleon ability hiding her in plain sight.

‘Good, blend in with your environment, and hide in the shadows. Wait for your prey.’

The door opened and a man stepped out, closing the door behind him. He was wearing a neatly pressed white suit with a black ski mask. In his hand was a pistol. His back was to her. Amaranth was hesitant. She knew they could possibly be armed, but hadn’t fully considered whether they could shoot her or how that would affect her if she were shot. Would Nightstalker be able to protect her, or would the bullet pierce through and hit her? If she or Nightstalker slipped up, they could both die. Her heart clenched, she was scared. She stepped back accidentally kicking an empty bottle, causing the man to turn in her direction.

‘I will take care of this. Watch and learn.’ At that moment Nightstalker took control of her body and like a predator that had waited long for its prey, pounced on the man. Together, they grabbed the man’s gun wielding hand and twisted hard. His arm cracked easily under the force and he screamed in pain.. The weapon clattered to ground.Before he could call for help, a spike-like object shot out of Amaranth's forearm, piercing him through the chest.

Nightstalker then used it to inject something into him - a paralyzing venom. Within seconds the man stopped moving. Only his frantically moving eyes and intense breathing indicated that he was still alive. Thanks to their bond, Amaranth felt Nightstalker’s emotions.She was taken aback by Nightstalker’s predatory nature, ruthlessness, efficiency, and the thrill it got from this. She felt it, and most disturbingly of all, she partly enjoyed it. It scared her to her core, but there was something else.She felt its hunger. Nightstalker’s next words made Amaranth’s stomach drop.

“Before we take care of your friends.”

Amaranth felt her face lean down to the man’s She could see the primal fear in his hazel eyes and the sweat on the exposed skin around them.

“I will have a little snack.” The man groaned frantically, like a trapped animal that realized its fate.

Amaranth’s mind began racing. It wasn’t going to eat the guy, was it? But to Amaranth’ horror, she felt Nightstalker extended ’their’ mouth wide open in preparation to eat the man’s head. But at the last secondAmaranth screamed mentally.

“Stop!”

Nightstalker halted, closing its mouth. ‘What’s the problem?’ it asked puzzled.

Amaranth sputtered with confusion. “Wha… What’s the problem?! You were going to eat him!”

‘He is a criminal scum. Nothing more than useless junk that preys on innocent people. They are only good for food,’ it said, a matter of factly.

“Food…. Nightstalker what do your kind eat exactly?” asked Amaranth shakily. She berated herself for not asking earlier, so caught in the events and excitement of being able to stand that she forgot to ask the most basic of questions. Nightstalker looked at the criminal who was sweating bullets.

‘My kind eats meat preferably, but we can eat almost anything. Hormones are what we really need, which we get from our hosts. But sometimes we need more than usual. Hormones produced during times of fear, excitement, pleasure, and joy are vital in our diet. The brain is usually plentiful of such deliciousness.’ Nightstalker was quiet for a moment.

‘You disapprove.’

Of course she disapproved! They may be criminals, but she didn’t want them dead, much less to have their brains eaten.

‘Look, no killing or eating anyone. Just knock them out,’

‘I’m hungry and need sustenance. Your body is still too weak for me to take any more than I already am. What do you suggest?’

Amaranth thought about it. Nightstalker said it's kind needed hormones to survive, particularly those found in the brain produced during times of fear, joy, pleasure, and excitement. If her tutors taught her correctly, then fear and excitement resulted in the production of adrenaline. Gratification often results in the release of phenethylamine which could be found in certain foods - chocolate first to come to mind. ‘Normal’ food replacements for adrenaline, Amaranth had to figure that one out later.

‘Look, we have a treat called chocolate and it's filled with one of the hormones you need, the one that is produced during pleasure. You can eat those instead.” negotiated Amaranth.

‘OK, and what about the other hormone I need? And how do you know these ‘chocolates’ would provide a sufficient amount of the hormone I need?’

‘I don’t know, but please, I don’t want to kill anyone. We are partners and partnerships include compromises. Please, hold off until we try it my way.’

Nightstalker was quiet for a moment. ‘Your right, partnerships require compromises, so we will try the methods you suggest for your sake. And I promise no killing.’ Nightstalker then gave control back to Amaranth.

Amaranth let out a sigh of relief, then examined the slightly curved triangular spike coming out of her arm. It stretched as long as her forearm and was midnight blue in color. She had to admit it was pretty cool. She thought about retracting the spike blade, and to her surprise it did.

“What was that?” she asked.

‘Stingers, they can be used as weapons, and inject paralyzing venom.’

Amaranth heard a groan. She redirected her attention back to the pinned criminal, who was now unconscious.

“Well, that takes care of him.” She then smelt something acidic and fowl in the air. She looked further and saw a wet spot followed by a small puddle around the seam of the criminal's pants. He had wet himself. “Ew.”

‘Hide the body, we don’t want any of his friends finding it.’

Amaranth got up then swung the unconscious man over her shoulder. It was like he weighed almost nothing. She hid him behind one of the ventilator shafts, making sure he was in such a position that nobody would see him unless they knew he was there. Amaranth quickly made her way back to the shack’s door. It led to a dimly lit stairway.

‘Remember, stay within the shadows. Use the element of surprise to your advantage,’ it reminded.

‘Alright, stay in the shadows. Got it,’ she thought. Amaranth kept its advice in mind as she went down the stairs. Nightstalker knew more than her, so it was best to take its advice. Nightstalker’s camouflage ability kicking. At the bottom she checked her surroundings. It was a reasonably large room with a couple of sofas, tables, and chairs. On the right side of the room was a sink,a coffee machine, and a microwave. The left side of the room contained a door with more dimly lit stairs. Amaranth heard the sound of a jiggling doorknob.

“Not again.” She looked around for a place to hide.

‘Jump and latch onto the ceiling.’

Amaranth immediately jumped and grabbed the ceiling with her claws. Next she lifted her body so her knees were touching the ceiling. This allowed her feet to latch on as if she were crawling. The door opened and two armed men entered, both of them wearing ski masks. One was wearing a gaudy suit, the other a cheap tracksuit. They both seemed angry about something.

“Man, I told Johnny we shouldn’t have sent that ADHD dumb fuck to the roof. He knows how easily he can be distracted! Now we gotta bring his ass back down here,” growled the man in the gaudy suit.The man in the tracksuit shrugged his shoulders.

“You know he’s always been a screw-up,” the man commented apathetically. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s why he was sent to the roof in the first place.”

“Eh, you’re probably right,” snorted the man in the suit. He pointed his gun towards the stairway. “Come on, let’s see what’s taking that dumbass so long.”

The two started to head towards the stairway. If they found their partner's body, they would alert everyone else.

‘We can’t let them go to the roof!’

‘I know!’

‘Find a way to turn off these lights and strike them from the dark. I won’t be helping you with this one.’

‘Wait, what? I told you before, I don’t know how to fight!’

‘Like I said before I take care of my host, which includes teaching them to fight on their own. Don’t worry, I will give instructions when needed. Just follow the instincts you gained from me. It's just two people. It should be easy for you. Also, keep one of them conscious. We need information.’

‘Alright,’ Amaranth scanned for a way to turn off the lights until she spotted a switch by the door the two men came through. She sent a tendril from her back towards the light switch while the two men weren’t looking and pushed its lever down. The room fell into complete darkness.

“Hey, what happened to the lights?” questioned the one in the tracksuit.

“God Damn it, Franky if this one of your pranks….,” the one in the suit swore. He took out a flashlight. attached it to his shotgun, and turned towards the switch.

‘Trust your instincts. Focus and strike when the opportunity presents itself.’

“Ok, Amaranth, focus,” she took a deep breath focusing her mind on letting Nightstalker’s instincts kick in. The man in the suit was coming closer. Amaranth’s muscles tensed, ready to launch into a pounce.

‘NOW!’

Letting her instincts take over, she jumped from the ceiling with a battle cry. It Came out as a mixture of a roar and screech. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, fueling her to fight. The man screamed and quickly aimed his shotgun at her before firing. Amaranth couldn’t dodge in time.In an instant was hit by the shotgun shell square in the chest. She flinched expecting intense pain and blood, but she barely felt so much as a tickle. She landed on the man, pinning his shotgun to his chest, and locking his arms under it. The man twisted and screamed louder, trying to use his shotgun as a bludgeon to knock her off; but her enhanced size and strength made it a futile gesture.

‘Now paralyze him with the venom.’

She clenched her hand, forming a spike on her forearm before then injected the criminal with the paralyzing venom. He stopped moving instantly. A light shone on her as several gunshots rang out.. Amaranth felt something like pebbles hit her head and body.

“Nicky, I got ya’! Come on you freak!” the man screamed as he fired a few more shots from his rifle. Nearly all of his shots missed due to trembling hands. Suddenlyl there were only clicks from a now empty gun.

Amaranth acted fast, rushing towards the man, and grabbed the rifle. She crushed the barrel like paper and tossed it to the side. The man tried to run, but Amaranth grabbed him by the collar of his track jacket. She turned him around to face her. She could smell and see the sweat coming through his mask. His fear was palpable.

‘Good, he is afraid of us, that will make him more willing to talk. Now it’s my turn. Let me show you how to get answers.’

‘Okay, but remember, no killing.’ Amaranth reminded.

‘I know.’ It said with slight irriatation.

It took control and chuckled maliciously at the gaudy man causing him to whimper.

“Now, I want answers, and you’re going to give them to me. And if you refuse or scream,” Amaranth felt Nightstalker widen its mouth then placing it over the man’s head causing him to squirm and panic.

‘Hey, you said you won’t kill anyone!’

‘I won’t, trust me.’

“OK, I’ll talk, just don’t eat me!” the man squeaked. Nightstalker removed its mouth from the man’s head and brought him to eye level.

“How many people, how many hostages, and why? Talk fast,” it growled.The man gulped.

“There’re 10 of us. We had 20 hostages, but we released 10 as a sign of goodwill - well that what the boss said - and we wanted to rob the safe and use the people here as ransom. That’s all I know, I swear! Don’t eat me!” he cried.

Nightstalker jabbed him with the venomous spike, paralyzing him, then unceremoniously dropped him to the floor. Amaranth felt her control return and looked at the two guys then at her hands. She, with Nightstalker’s help, did all this. Amaranth looked down at her chest, seeing no sign of damage at all. To think a short time ago she was stuck in a wheelchair barely able to move and now she felt ... powerful.

‘Focus, we have little time. Their friends will come to investigate thanks to the commotion.’

“Right,” Nightstalker was right, they needed to act fast to save the hostages. Amaranth ran out the door that the two criminals came through, entering a well-lit hallway. The hall was long and narrow. Pictures of people and different parts of Fairfields adorned the wall. The camouflage subsided as she ran quickly down the hall. The next door was open just a crack.he was about to open it all the way but stopped when the possibility of more people being on the other side crossed her mind. She crouched, and the camouflage returned. She pushed the door gently hoping that anyone on the other side would assume that it merely moved by itself. After a few seconds, it became evident there was no one inside. The room was empty except for what looked like audio equipment lined up against the walls and a console facing a large window.

‘Looks like the coast is clear,’ Amaranth walked over the console and examined it. It was covered with buttons, sliders, and dials with a computer screen displaying a list of songs.

“This must be the DJ booth.” Amaranth looked out through the window and saw it overlooked the club’s dance floor. Neon colored lights encircled the flashing squares tha made up the dance floor. Tables and chairs flanked the left of the dance floor while a bar and elevated VIP area flanked the right. On the dance floor sat a group of tied up people. Four masked gunmen guarded the hostages. Two more were in the bar area stealing bottles of alcohol and another watched the entrance. Of the four guarding the hostages, one of them talked and pointed while the other three nodded.

“That must be their boss, Johnny.”

‘Then we take him out first, then everyone else.’

“And how would we go about that? As soon as we go down there, they’ll see us and start killing hostages.”

‘Find a way to turn off the lights, use the darkness to our advantage.’ Nightstalker chuckled ‘Now the real fun begins.’

Amaranth didn’t like how eager Nightstalker was. “OK, but remember we are not killing or hurting them too much.”

‘I know.’ Amaranth could feel Nightstalker’s annoyance.

Amaranth nodded, then looked over the console.There must be something here the DJ used to control the lighting on it. Eventually she spotted what she was looking for: a series of dials labelled ‘lights’ . Amaranth readied herself and turned the dials down to off, plunging both rooms into darkness. The people on the dance floor began to panic. The hostages looked around with worry while the leader began shouting instructions. Flashlights began shining in every direction, Amaranth felt Nightstalker’s excitement on top of her own apprehension.

‘Now the hunt begins.’

Brushing off Nightstalker’s comment, Amaranth looked at the dancefloor, trying to figure out a plan. She would see if the DJ booth windows could open, and then she could climb out, sneak down, and take them out one by one. It should be easy, she hoped. They didn’t have night vision. If she stayed out of their flashlight’s radius. then she could sneak up on them easily. She examined the windows, looking for any way to open them, but to no avail. Suddenly she noticed that a balcony lead up to the DJ booth from her right side, so she went to the door on her right. She opened the door and went onto the balcony to hear the criminals in the middle of a conversation.

“Who turned off the lights?”

“I don’t know, probably that dumbfuck screwing with something he shouldn’t have.”

“Well, the lights outside are still on, so it's not the power. He probably hit the off switch by accident. I gave them a simple job to get him back down here, and somehow they screwed that up.” The leader pointed at one of the criminals. “Phil, go upstairs and see if you can turn the lights back on.”

Amaranth was alarmed.She couldn’t let them turn the lights back on. They would see her and that would endanger the hostages.

‘Remember to hide in the shadows and wait for your chance. Try hiding in a corner. Also, make sure you cover his mouth to muffle the screams.’

Amaranth nodded and crouched, activating Nightstalker’s camouflage ability. She felt like a predator on the prowl, stalking her prey. She climbed up the wall that the balcony was attached to and in the corner between the DJ room and the balcony's wall. From there she the criminal walk up the stairs, flashlight in hand. He made it to the top of the balcony and rounded the corner for the DJ room.

‘As soon as he enters sneak behind him, grab him with a group of tendrils and cover his mouth. Then jab him with a stinger, or knock him out with them, either one works,’ Nightstalker instructed.

As soon as the man passed by her, entering the room, she crawled down and followed him in. She was about to jump him when her foot stepped on something making a loud crunching noise. The man turned to point his gun and shining the light on her. He just stood there with shock evident in his eye.

“What the-” Amaranth cut him off with a tendril across the face. The force of her tendril caused him to fall over. His gun rattled out of his hand. He wasn’t moving at all.

Amaranth dashed to the man and was relieved to find that he was breathing. She had tried to hold back to avoid killing him. She picked up the shotgun and snapped it in half like a twig. She had seen too many movies where leaving a working weapon by an unconscious body caused trouble later.

‘Impressive. A little sloppy, but pretty good for one as inexperienced as yourself.’

“Um, thanks?” Amaranth responded, not quite sure how to react to the praise. “Anyway, that takes care of that. Let's move on.”

‘Agreed.’

Amaranth went out the door and climbed back up the wall, following the path of the balcony. Their eyes remained locked on the criminals and hostages. Now only three criminals guarded the hostages on the dancefloor. The other three remained at the bar and front door. Amaranth followed the stairs and crawled down to the floor.she crouched, studying the criminals.

“We need to take them out one by one without alerting the others. This will require a more experienced hand. Let me take control.”

‘Alright, but remember no killing.’

‘I know how to restrain myself, no need to repeat it so often.’

‘Sorry,’ said Amaranth as she relinquished control

Nightstalker Remained crouched and snuck around the tables, inching closer to the criminal by the door. Amaranth could hear Nightstalker’s thoughts. It was fascinating and scary how methodical it was. Like a hunter, no, a predator.

Meanwhile, the criminals began wondering what was taking the man upstairs so long, ignorant of the fact that he was unconscious. Nightstalker grabbed an empty glass from one of the tables they passed by. It looked around until their eyes landed on the perfect spot in its mind to throw the glass cup at. It aimed the glass at the bar then threw it across the floor where it shattered on one of the bar stools.

“What was that?” asked one of the criminals nervously. They all turned their flashlights toward the noise. Nightstalker moved closer as quickly as possible, making sure to keep its steps quiet. Once it was only a couple of feet from the man’s back, it surged forward with lightning-like speed. First it grabbed the man’s gun in it’s left, then covered the man’s mouth with her right hand. The gun barrel crushed as easily as the others. The man tried to struggle free, but they were too strong for him. Nightstalker extended a stinger from her left forearm and poked the man’s side with it piercing through his suit and his skin. The venom performed its function and the man instantly went limp, dropping his gun with a ‘clunk.’

“Hey, what’s that noise?”

Nightstalker instantly shot a tendril from her arm and flew to a wall before the flashlights hit them. Nightstalker dug their claws into the wall and watched as two criminals from the dance floor ran towards their paralyzed friend.

“Holy shit, Joe, what happened to you?!” one of the criminals said as they both bent down to lift their paralyzed friend. The paralyzed man could only groan and moan.

“Hey, look! He’s looking over in that direction.”

The two men immediately pointed their rifles and flashlights in the direction that their friend’s eyes were pointing, shining a light onto Amaranth. She may be camouflaged, but that does not hide a shadow. Nightstalker deactivated its camouflage and jumped onto the floor with a roar.

“What the hell is that thing!” One of the criminals yelled.

“I don’t know,just kill it! Boss, We need-” the criminal choked on his sentence as Nightstalker wrapped it’s slithering tendril around his body, unphased by the bullets that pelted the pair. It then flicked the entrapped criminal to the side, knocking him into his partner then the nearby tables. Glasses and utensils fly everywhere. The two laid unconscious. Quickly, Nightstalker crushed each of their guns with it’s powerful tendrils. Nightstalker turned their attention towards the boss. He was shaking but trying to put on a tough act.The hostages, tied up and gagged they tried to scream in terror. A pretty logical reaction when a 7-foot monster, impervious to bullets, appears and starts knocking people out.

Nightstalker took a step forward, only to be met by several rifle shots to the torso. Every shot felt like nothing more than mosquito bites. Nightstalker chuckled, a mixture of hers and its, a sound that deeply disturbed Amaranth. Based on the looks of the criminal and hostages, it bothered them too.

“Jack! Chris! Help me deal with this thing!” yelled the boss with fake bravado.

At that moment the lights came back on giving a detailed view of the Night stalker and Amaranth. As expected, everybody panicked more. The leader's eyes widened in fear and disbelief as he struggled to regain his composure . Nightstalker moved with near impossible quickness and smoothness. It rushed forward, grabbed the leader's rifle, crushed the barrel, and lifted the leader above their head.

“Stop! Please, don’t hurt me! We didn’t kill anybody! We swear!” he said fearfully.

Amaranth felt Nightstalker’s amusement at how pathetic he was. It looked up at the DJ room and saw the guy Amaranth had knocked out earlier standing up with his hands on the console and a massive bump on his head. He was frozen in horror. Nightstalker’s gaze must have scared him because he fell backwards. On his way down, his arm hit something on the console that made the speakers produce a continuous high pitched screech. Amaranth and Nightstalker let out a loud mixture of a roar and screech dropping the criminal leader and clutching their head. To Amaranth, the pain was like a migraine radiating throughout her whole body. In a fit of apparent anger and desperation to make the pain stop, Nightstalker grabbed the leader before he could crawl away. He lifted him by the leg and in perfect sync Amaranth and Nightstalker yelled with an almost bestial sound. The symbiote goo covering Amaranth rippled as Nightstalker tried to maintain form.

“MAKE THE NOISE STOP!!!” Nightstalker tightened its grip. “NOW!!!!”

The leader, almost comically, waved his arms around. “Someone turn it off before this thing kills me!!!”

The guy in the booth leapt up and began muting all the speakers. Amaranth and Nightstalker let out a relieved sigh.

‘What was that!?’ asked a weary Amaranth.

‘My Kind has a weakness to loud sounds and intense heat. Normally for me, a sound of this frequency would serve only as an annoyance or a very mild headache; but due to my weakened state, it caused more damage than it should. But since it is now off...’ Nightstalker looked towards the bar. The two criminals who were stealing alcohol earlier were on the ground with their hands above their heads and their guns out of reach in front of them. Nightstalker then turned its and Amaranth’s attention back to the criminal leader.

“Back to business,” Nightstalker growled. It unceremoniously dropped the man and stood over him To his credit, the boss knew it was better to shake and whimper instead of trying to run.

“Here’s what’s going to happen. I will check on your hostages, while all of you go over there and wait for the police.” Nightstalker bent her body down until the criminal leader had a good look at Nightstalker’s face.

“If you and your buddies try to run, I will eat you.” For emphasis, Nightstalker lifted Amaranth’s right arm and extended a stinger.

The criminal leader whimpered and nodded. Amaranth flinched at Nightstalker's words and felt a little sorry for the guy, but then again he deserved a slight scare for taking hostages. Nightstalker looked up at the DJ booth. It pointed at the man, then pointed to the bar. Getting the message, the criminal quickly got downstairs and joined his boss by the bar.

‘Now that they are behaving, I will let you check on the hostages.’ it retracted the stinger back into Amaranth’s forearm.

‘Wait, can’t you check on them? I don't know what to do.’

‘You will do a better job than I would. My experience dealing with hostages is limited, and I don’t trust my grasp of human culture and social expectations.’ Thinking about it, Nightstalker might be right. The people held hostage had enough to deal with as is without the almost 7-foot tall goo monster unintentionally scaring them to death.

“Alright, I will check them. Alright, Amaranth, Let’s give this a go. Hopefully, you won’t scare them too much.” Amaranth turned her attention towards the group of hostages who were gagged and tied up by the wrist and ankles. Amaranth approached slowly to avoid scaring them. Unfortunately, it didn't help calm their nerves if the muffled screaming was something to go by. Amaranth stopped then raised her hand in what she thought was a reassuring matter.

“Hey, I need you all to calm down. I am here to help. But, I need all of you to trust me. I won’t come closer unless you trust me.”

The people in the group looked at each other as if they were sharing their thoughts. After a few moments and to Amaranth’s relief, they nodded.

“Thank you for trusting me. Now let’s free all of you.”

‘Good job, see you did better than I would have.’

‘Thanks.’ thought Amaranth as she walked the rest of the way towards the hostages. She bent down and started to cut the first hostage loose when she suddenly froze. It was Maxine. Amaranth almost didn’t recognize her due to the makeup running down her face from crying. She was wearing a blue blouse with matching jeans and her hair was in a simple ponytail. It was bizarre, seeing who she considered a friend like this. She was so used to seeing her dressed all professional like a nurse. Amaranth immediately used her claws to cut Maxine free, starting with the cloth around her hands and then her ankles. Once free Maxine loosened her gag and pulled the piece of cloth free from her mouth. Before Maxine could speak, Amaranth spoke.

“Are you ok? Are you in any pain? Did they hurt you?” Amaranth surprised herself with how threatening she sounded when she said the last part.

Maxine looked taken back before she gained her bearings.

“I…. I am alright. They surprisingly didn’t hurt any of us.” She then looked Amaranth over with a cautious and fearful eye. “Who…. What are you?”

Amaranth thought about it for a moment trying to think up something to say before finally saying.

“I am just a good Samaritan that came to help, but if you want you can call m- us Nightstalker. Now go help free everyone else.”

Amaranth and Maxine went to work freeing the rest of the hostages. They were more cooperative after Amaranth proved she wasn’t going to hurt them. A few even got over their wariness and even thanked them The former hostages dragged the remaining incapacitated criminals to the bar area. As soon as they freed the last person the front doors exploded open. Amaranth turned around and saw what looked like SWAT members coming through the door. He looked up and saw SWAT members already on the balcony. The moment they saw her, a symphony of clicks echoed through the roomThirty red dots appeared on Amaranth’s body.

‘Prepare to run.’

‘I can’t just run out here, I’d have to go through the police! Criminals are one thing, but I don’t want to hurt the officers. They’re just doing their jobs. We can find another way! WE ARE NOT FORCING OUR WAY THROUGH! PERIOD!’ she mentally screamed.

‘We won’t have a choice. Besides, they will live, a little banged up, but alive.’

Before Amaranth could respond Maxine along with other rescued hostages stood in front of her, acting as her shield.

“Don’t shoot! She...” Maxine looked at her for confirmation, Amaranth awkwardly nodded in response. “She saved us from those criminals!”

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for Nightstalker, who knows what they would have done to us.”

There was a chorus of agreement throughout the former hostages. The SWAT officers looked towards an older man with graying hair and a mustache wearing a standard officer uniform. It was the officer from earlier who had spoken on the microphone. The man in question raised a hand, and the SWAT officers lowered their guns with hesitation. The man looked at the former hostages, then at Amaranth, then at the criminals at the bar all the while maintaining a stern and critical eye. He then holstered his gun and pointed at a group of officers.

“Alright, you five get the hostages to the paramedics, then meet with me! The rest of you double-check the building,” he ordered.

The rest of the officers began double-checking the building while the five cautiously approached the former hostages while giving Amaranth a wide berth. The group slowly followed the officers outside to get medical treatment. Maxine looked back at Amaranth with a worried expression before going out the door.

The older man approached the teenager and stopped directly in front of her. He looked her over until their eyes met, causing Amaranth to feel a little self-conscious.

“My name is Jordan Smith, Commissioner of the Fairfields police department,” he introduced before giving her one more scan.. “I’ve seen many things in my thirty years on the force. A hostage situation resolved by a 7-foot tall creature tops the metaphorical cake. But these people vouch for you, so thank you... Nightstalker, was it?”

Amaranth nodded.

“Well, uh,” Amaranth covered their mouth and coughed.

“You’re welcome. Um, it's all in a day- eh night’s work. I’ll just be going.” Amaranth mentally reprimanded herself for how stupid she sounded right now.

Mr. Smith raised his hand before she could walk away. “Hold up, while I appreciate the help. You acted outside the law and performed acts of vigilantism. So, protocol dictates I arrest you.”

‘Quick, run, and force your way out.’

‘Wait a moment.’

Mr. Smith continued to speak, placing a hand under his chin.

“But, those protocols were made with humans in mind, so they technically don’t apply to you. I’m going to talk to my superior about this, and it could take a while. A ‘long while.’ Which might be just enough time for someone to sneak out while everyone else is busy.” he said, turning his back towards her and talking into the chatter on his wrist.

Amaranth understood what he was saying. She activated Nightstalker’s camouflage and let it take control. It retraced their steps, sneaking around the police until they eventually reached the roof. When they reached the roof, Nightstalker made sure there were no police and then gave power back to Amaranth. She immediately ran to the edge and jumped. She shot out tendrils and swung a few blocks away from the club before finding a secluded roof to land on. Once Amaranth made sure there were no prying eyes, she let her ‘mask’ slither back, revealing her face.

“Oh, my God! Oh my God!” she shouted as she walked back and forth, rubbing a clawed hand through her symbiote covered hair. “I can’t believe all that happened. The chase, the hostages, criminals, YOU!”Nightstalker extended itself from Amaranth back and curved its serpentine body around to meet Amaranth’s face.

“I take it you enjoyed your night?” it asked, though it sounded more like a statement.

Enjoyed? She loved it, every experience. The rush of being able to do things she was told could never do because of her degrading health and more. Even with the hostage situation, this was one of the best nights she ever had. The power and the speed! Amaranth looked at her hands covered with Nightstalker claws. With Nightstalker’s help, they were able to stop a hostage situation and free the hostages. It felt right. Together, while searching for the truth, they could help protect the innocent and take criminals off the streets. This was it, something to call her own, something that wasn’t taken from Daisy.

“Yeah, I did. We make a pretty good team,”

Nightstalker chuckled. “You’re not a bad host yourself. Though there is one issue we must resolve: my hunger.”

Amaranth looked up in thought. Of course. She had to find an alternative source for its daily dose of hormones. It preferred to eat brains, so animal brains would work, right? The thought of eating animal brains didn't sit right with Amaranth. Not because she was against it morally speaking, it was just weird. But compromises need to be made. She would try it later. Fortunately, there were some butchers nearby that imported animal brains for the more exotic restaurants. Right now, she should try her chocolate experiment.

“OK, hold on, I have an idea, we just need to go ho-.” Amaranth cut off. She frantically looked at her wrist. The symbiote skin moved out the way, revealing her chatter. Her eyes widened even further, and her stomach dropped when she saw the time. It was 3:00 am. She was out almost the entire night and tutoring started in seven hours! She had to get home. “Nightstalker, I have to go home now before my parents wake up!”

‘Alright, let me take control. I can get there within an hour.’

Amaranth gave Nightstalker control without hesitation. It ran to the edge and jumped, extending a tendril one after another swinging every and jumping from roof to roof running and swinging. After almost an hour they made it out of the city to the suburbs, through the forest area, and around the populated areas until they reached the bridge that led home. Then Nightstalker did something that answered the question of how it snuck her out of the house. It jumped into the water and swam towards the island, avoiding setting off the security system on the bridge. It swam at speeds that weren’t humanly possible, heading straight towards the island.

It was a strange experience for Amaranth, while underwater she could breathe with no problem. It was likely that Nightstalker was filtering the oxygen out of the water like gills on a fish. Also, she could see through the water quite clearly. Amaranth made a note to go swimming later just to see how deep she could go. After a couple of minutes of swimming, Nightstalker made a slight left turn going around the island before lunging out of the water and latching onto the rocky cliff behind the island. Nightstalker extended a tendril from Amaranth arm up the cliff and attached it to the stone fence surrounding the island. The tendril retracted back, pulling them up over the wall, allowing them to land in the forest-covered area behind the house. It activated its camouflage and made its way through the woods and after a few minutes, they arrived at her bedroom window.

It climbed up the wall and into the open window. Once there it gave control back to Amaranth and retracted back into her body. Amaranth examined herself. Surprisingly, despite everything that happened, her nightgown was in the same condition that she remembered it to be. She looked around the room. Everything was the same: her teddy bear collection was in the same spot, her bed was just like it was when she went to bed, and her dresser was the same with the napkin of fruit bars still sitting on top.

She went over to her dresser and opened a drawer. Inside was a few chocolate bars and chocolate drops. Amaranth took out a chocolate bar and unwrapped it. “Here, try this,” she said, presenting the bar.

Nightstalker manifested itself from her back and ate the chocolate whole. Amaranth could feel its satisfaction. “Yes, the chemicals I need are in this food, not as much as in brains, but it will do. You are going to have to eat chocolate quite often.”

Amaranth let out a sigh. She wasn’t looking forward to eating chocolate almost constantly, but it was a sacrifice she was going to have to make. “I also have another idea for your brain problem.” Amaranth suddenly felt tired and weak as the adrenaline in her system wore off. Her body suddenly felt like it was weighed down by rocks and her mind became groggy. Nightstalker looked at Amaranth.

“You’re tired, go to bed.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” she muttered before heading towards her bed. On the way there she passed by her wheelchair. She took a good look at it. For years she was stuck in it, unable to walk or do much of anything. She chuckled imagining getting rid of it, but then another thought came to mind. She was going to have to hide her miraculous recovery from her parents until she found the right time to tell them about Nightstalker. She knew she couldn’t hide this forever. This meant she was going to have to play sick and ride the wheelchair a little longer. At least she wouldn’t need it or her medicine anymore. With that thought, she laid onto her bed and let the blissful arms of sleep take her.

(Within Amaranth’s mind.)

She was walking down a corridor, a somber and sad feeling within her chest. She saw rows upon rows of cryo pods down the corridor as she was escorted by four marines. She wore a form-fitted jumpsuit designed explicitly for use with cryosleep. After a few moments, Amaranth stood in front of a pod. The pod’s door opened, allowing Daisy to enter and lay inside the pod. The door slowly closed sealing with a hiss as anesthetic gas started to fill the pod, numbing Amaranth and causing her to feel drowsy. Then her lungs began to feel like they were being coated from the inside, like a mucus she couldn’t spit-up. Then after some time, it suddenly started to become slightly cool, and then cold. The chill spread through her chest as more of the mucus-filled her lungs, and within moments her eyes closed, too heavy to keep open.

Year: 05/19/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Spencer's Estate

Amaranth suddenly woke up to the sound of her chatter’s alarm clock playing one of her favorite songs to wake her up. She reluctantly opened her eyes and raised her right arm to silence her chatter, checking the time in the process. It was 8:00 am. She lowered her arm and looked out the window. Amaranth was greeted by a sight that she loved to see and hear every morning; the view of Sargasso sea with the sound of gentle sloshing waves and the smell of saltwater with the sun in the middle of the sky. Amaranth then thought about what happened last night and wondered whether or not it was a dream. The fact that her body still felt better than ever before and the first words she heard toss that notion aside.

‘Good morning, Amaranth, how was your dream?’

Amaranth sat up, surprised. ‘You saw my dream?’

‘No, I understand that it's considered a breach of privacy to look at every thought of my host, so I avoid prying too much. Though, I did sense a strange amount of activity in your brain. You were dreaming, but it felt like something more.’

Amaranth was quiet for a moment. Nightstalker was right, it likely wasn’t just any dream, but a memory or vision from Daisy, her original.

‘You know how I’m a clone? Well sometimes I get these dreams of doing things I was never able to do before and being in strange situations. I believe my dreams are either Daisy’s memories or visions from her.’

Nightstalker was silent for a moment before it spoke.

‘I see, that would explain the unusual activity. My kind has something similar when a klyntar reproduce. The parent and the resulting offspring can sense each other when nearby. Same for the offspring of the offspring.’

Amaranth raised a curious eyebrow ‘How does your kind reproduce?’

‘Asexually. And once the offspring is born, it goes off someplace else. My kind doesn't have the same concept of parenthood your kind does. In fact, Klyntars are more or less neutral towards their offspring, or in the worst circumstances hostile. Don’t worry, I won’t reproduce anytime soon,’

Amaranth nodded and got out of her bed. She stood on her feet and took a moment to appreciate the feeling of standing on her own. At that moment, a knock was heard coming from her door, then her mother’s voice came through it.

“Daisy, can I come in?”

Amaranth panicked for a moment then sat in her wheelchair and took a deep breath to calm herself before saying. “Come in,” she said with a slight crack in her voice.

“I believe you humans would say at this moment, real smooth.”

‘Be quiet, and let me talk to her. We can’t have her suspect anything wrong.’

With that, the door opened, and Daisy’s mother came in. It was strange, usually she was on her way to work by now. Then again, considering what happened last night Maxine probably took the day off to recover. So she probably had to wait for the tutor before opening the shop.

“Good morning, my little flower,” she said with a smile on her face.

“Good morning, Mom,” she responded. Calling her mom felt wrong considering who she was, but it was the only thing she’d ever known her by. “I thought you were at work.”

“I was supposed to be, but, dear, I have some terrible news. Maxine was involved in a horrible hostage situation last night. so she won’t be able to come in. She needs some time to recover.”

Amaranth sat up straighter. “Is she alright? How’s she holding up?” She seemed alright when she saved her , but that was a few hours ago.A lot could change during that time.

Daisy’s mother placed a soothing hand on Amaranth’s shoulder. “Oh, don’t worry. She’s doing alright, she is a little raddled. ” She let out a sigh. “Poor thing, no one should go through what she went through. Fortunately, a good Samaritan - or lunatic depending on who you ask - saved them last night.”

“Good samaritan?” said Amaranth, trying to sound as ignorant as possible. Daisy’s mother nodded.

“Apparently some sort of monstrous creature saved them, though I think the rumor is just the result of an overactive imagination. I doubt it was some sort of creature.” she checked her chatter. “Oh, look at the time. Let’s get you ready before breakfast gets cold.”

Amaranth raised an eyebrow. “What about tutoring? Its starts in less than an hour,”

“Due to an unforeseen incident Ms. Reynolds will be a little late today. Since I won’t be at work today, I figured we could eat breakfast together. Your father said he would be home during his lunch break too.” She then walked over to her dresser and opened up the drawer to dig through her clothes.

“But first let's get you washed up and ready for the day.” She pulled out some jeans and a white blouse, showing them to Amaranth. “Would you like to wear these today?”

Amaranth thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, that’d be alright.”

Daisy’s mother nodded, then pulled out some underwear and an undershirt. “Alright, let's go. I already have the bath ready.”

Amaranth turned on her wheelchair and rolled out into the hallway with her mother following behind. She turned left heading towards the bathroom down the hall. It didn’t take long before they reached their destination. The door was open revealing a perfectly clean bathroom with a sink, a small bathtub, decorative towels, and pictures hanging on the walls. On both sides of the bath were two safety bars and in front was a slip-resistant rug. The tub itself was filled with hot bubbly water that filled the room with the smell of lavender.

Both Amaranth and Daisy’s mother entered the bathroom. Daisy’s mother proceeded to take off Amaranth’s clothes, placing them, her life alert, and her Chatter to the side. She then, with an ‘oomph,’ lifted Amaranth and settled her into the soothing water. Amaranth couldn't help but let out a content sigh.

“This feels quite nice.”

“I know,” said Amaranth leaning her head forward, closing her eyes, and letting the soothing lavender soaked through her skin.

“Excuse me?” asked Daisy’s mother.

Amaranth opened her eyes and leaned. “Uhmm, just thinking out loud, Mom.”

Daisy’s mother nodded and proceeded to take a soap water-filled cloth and wash her back. She then shampooed and lathered her hair while Amaranth washed her front and arms. Washing was one of the many things she absolutely couldn’t do on her own - until recently - due to it requiring her to get up and walk across a slippery surface. She didn’t mind this very much. She enjoyed the bonding time that came with the bathing, whether assisted by he- Daisy’s mother, or father (though reluctantly).

‘Bonding time that should have been Daisy’s.’ she thought sadly.

“When I lifted, you felt heavier.” Daisy’s mother then chuckled. “We’re probably going to have to cut back on giving you sweets.” she joked as she rinsed the soap out of her hair.

Amaranth chuckled nervously. The extra weight was probably from Nightstalker now living inside of her.

“Sorry, that was my fault.”

“You also seemed different today.”

Amaranth froze; fortunately, Daisy’s mother didn’t notice. “What do you mean?”

Daisy’s mother shrugged. “I don’t know, you seemed more lively than usual. You seemed brighter, healthier even.”

“Oh…. Uhm, it must be the medicine I’m on,” suggest Amaranth.

Daisy’s mother was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, you must be right. I guess the doctor was right to put you on a new regiment. Alright, close your eyes and hold still.” Amaranth did as she was told and felt warm water wash over her. After drying her off and taking care of other hygienic needs, they went back to Amaranth’s room where Daisy’s mother helped her get dressed.

“There you go, now you’re ready for the day,” beamed Daisy's mother as she grabbed a brush and began to brush Amaranth’s hair. After a few strokes, she was done. “Alright, now let’s go eat breakfast.”

They went back down the hall towards the stairs, Daisy’s mother taking the stairs, while Amaranth drove her wheelchair onto the elevator platform and rode it down. She followed Daisy’s mother through the living room into the kitchen where the aroma of freshly cooked bacon hit her face. Her stomach growled as she felt Nightstalker's hunger.

‘HMMM, Meat.’

Amaranth couldn’t help but agree with the feeling. She drove to the empty spot at the table in the middle of the kitchen. After settling in, Amaranth took note of the table. It was covered with a simple blue table cover with two plates of scrambled eggs, grits, and bacon. Mrs. Spencer sat on the side of the table. She took out a remote and turned on the Waypoint TV. It sat on a small stand across from the kitchen table. After a few moments the tv booted up and connected to a waypoint.he local news channel began broadcasting the weather. It was a family rule that the news channel was allowed to be on in the kitchen as it was usually made a good conversation starter. It was going to be a beautiful sunny day, perfect for going to the beach and shopping.

“Maybe after eating lunch with your father we can go shopping before you continue your tutoring session?” Daisy’s mother suggested.

Amaranth hummed in thought, taking a bite of bacon. She felt that Nightstalker enjoyed the taste, but it said afterward it preferred its meat raw. That wasn’t bad, she likes her burgers and steaks rare. After swallowing her bacon, Amaranth spoke. “I would like that. I also would like to check on Maxine if we can.”

Daisy’s mother nodded. “We can, she should still be at the police station.”

Amaranth nodded and turned to look at the television and to see a news anchor in front of the nightclub she and Nightstalker went to last night. There was a multitude of people and police officers checking the building.

“Looks like they’re talking about the hostage situation from last night.” Daisy’s mother turned up the volume.

“Hello, this is Fairfields news 6 with your friendly reporter Catherine Phillip reporting here today at the Sargasso Waves, where last night this was a sight of a horrific hostage situation that lasted for hours. That is until what eyewitnesses could only describe as a ‘black and blue inky she monster,’ called Nightstalker, came in and saved the day. Now before anyone dismisses this notion, we have security footage from the club’s cameras.”

The scene changed to low-quality black and white video footage. In the video were the criminals talking in the break room and about to head to the roof when the lights went out. That’s when the camera went into night vision mode and a creature suddenly jumped out of the darkness; it pounced on the criminal with the shotgun while taking a shell to the torso. Unaffected, it kept going. The creature landed on the man, crushing his gun before jabbing him with a stinger and paralyzing him. The one with the rifle fired a few shots, hitting the creature but to no avail before the creature pounced on them and tried to eat him. The man then said something, causing the creature to paralyze him like it did his buddy. Another piece of footage showed her sneaking into the DJ booth and fiddling with the controls until the lights turned off and then showed her takedown of the criminal sent to investigate.

Amaranth could feel Nightstalker take pride in how smoothly she performed for - in his words - ‘a beginner.’ And she couldn’t help but feel a little pride in what she did with Nightstalker’s help. Without it, those guys would have torn her apart with no problem. The footage paused on a scene of her crouching. It was blurry and pixelated but clear enough to make out some details, especially the pupiless serrated eyes and the mouth that went too far back forming a disturbing smile filled with teeth. Damn, she was scary. The paused video then shrunk into the corner of the screen, revealing the reporter from earlier.

“Police will release an official statement later today, but who or whatever she is, I for one am glad for her help. Now back to you, Joh-”

Daisy’s mother lowered the volume to a muffle. “Can you believe it? So a lunatic in a costume decided to play the superhero, and people actually think she’s some sort of ink creature.”

‘Well that’s ironic, she is technically calling you a lunatic.’

Amaranth flinched at Nightstalker’s remark. It was right. Daisy’s mother unknowingly called her a lunatic.

“I don’t know, Mom, Nightstalker seemed pretty cool, and she did save the hostages’ lives, including Maxine’s. I mean for a monster, she can't be. Maybe now any criminals will think twice before doing anything.”

Daisy’s mother took a sip of her coffee.

“Daisy, you can’t believe everything you see on TV. I highly doubt that this ‘Nightstalker’ is a monster. She’s probably just some woman who took the law into her own hands. Now, I am not saying she did a bad thing, but this was a matter for highly trained police, not a vigilante - no matter how good he or she is.”

Amaranth nodded, choosing not to argueFor the rest of the time she and Daisy’s mother ate and talked about school grades, the latest fashion trends, and the doctor appointment that was scheduled for later that week. That part worried Amaranth. Every doctor appointment required bloodwork to monitor her condition and adjust medication as necessary. The problem was that now she had a symbiote in her system flowing through her blood.

‘Don’t worry, I know how to hide, your doctor won’t suspect a thing.’

“OK, I hope you're right.”

Daisy’s Mother lifted her right wrist and checked her chatter. “Excuse me, sweetie, but I have to get a couple of things from upstairs. I will be right back.”

“Alright, Mom,” said Amaranth before eating the last bit of eggs on her plate.Daisy’s mother smiled before handing her the remote.

“Since you’re by yourself, I’ll let you bend the family rule and change the channel to anything you like,” She got up from the table going into the living room.

‘She seems nice. She clearly loves you,’

“No, she loves Daisy. Not an imposter who she will probably reject if she found out the truth.”

‘Don’t say that. She doesn’t seem the type to throw you out just because of your origins. After being with multiple hosts, you become a pretty good judge of character.’

‘Let’s just watch some TV,’ she said. She didn’t want to discuss any more of the matter.

‘OK, there’s something we need to talk about anyway.’

Amaranth cocked an eyebrow. ‘Is there a problem? Is it about your hunger?’

‘No, it is not about that. It is about your level of fitness.’

‘My level of fitness?’

‘Yes, you see my kind takes what the host has and enhances it. So the stronger the host without a Klyntar-’

‘The stronger the host is with one. So, you are saying I should try to increase my fitness level and in turn increase my performance when you fully enhance me?’

‘Correct, it would increase your chances if you ever run into stronger enemies. And as a bonus, your health would benefit from it. Listen, I’m looking out for you, if we are going to fight criminals we are going to make enemies, so we mustn’t become complacent.’

Amaranth thought about it and concluded Nightstalker was right. She should take full advantage of her newfound health and abilities. She can’t waste this new lease on life.

‘Alright, but for now let’s relax.’

‘Alright, but we will start as soon as possible.’

‘OK,’ Amaranth picked up the remote and tried to turn the channel, but nothing happened.

“The batteries must be dead.” Then a thought came to her. She could walk now, and Daisy’s Mom was away. She could just simply walk over change the channel real quick and sit back down before Daisy’s Mom came back. Amaranth got up from her wheelchair.

‘I don’t think you should be doing this.’

“Don’t worry, It will be quick, and she won't suspect a thing.” Amaranth proceeded to the TV and pressed a button, changing the channel and searching for something good to watch. After a few moments of browsing channels and searching through a streaming site, she finally found something good to watch: a movie about a superhero wearing a bat outfit.

“Um, Amaranth, you might want to look behind you,” said Nightstalker with a worried voice.

Amaranth looked behind her, wondering why Nightstalker was worried. She froze on the spot. Behind her was Daisy’s mother; mouth agape and pointing a shaky finger at her. Her face was a mixture of disbelief and... happiness?

“You….. you're standing,” she said shakily, her voice cracking. “You’re standing without shaking.”

And for the first time, Amaranth cursed in front of Daisy’s mother. “Shit.”

“Told you so,” added Nightstalker.