Chimera was flying over New Terra, which might as well have been another world entirely.

The destruction below had leveled the port district to the ground, with only the shipyards and storage facilities safe from the turmoil.

She felt a pang in her heart at the loss of the place she called home for the last months.

The Iguana was tearing a path towards the headquarters of the heroes, and despite a massive shield surrounding it and the college, it left much of the housing district nearby in ruin.

Of course the financial district was covered in a similar shield, and Chimera could see much of the area was still lit with electricity despite the black out the residents near the Hero’s League headquarters.

Typical.

She didn’t think much of it, as she and her brother were living in that financial area. Sarah wouldn’t have dealt with what those poor folks below near the HQ.

It is not like I didn't know I had it good Chimera. All employees of ChemTech had this much protection.

Chimera sighed.

“Even if we helped them, the heroes might just come after us instead of the lizard. I just…”

Wish you could help them?

“It’s not a matter of if. I could help them…”

It’s a kind thought Chimera, but you got to remember. We’re fugitives. You’re a labeled bio weapon ready for a Class Z event. They will kill on sight.

“Personal experience?” Chimera said lightly.

Hush you.

Chimera chuckled, causing Lark to tilt her head.

She reached out and grabbed a hand.

“Hey, what’s funny?”

Chimera, rather than speak it, shared the conversation she had with Sarah.

“Sheesh, this is so weird, but yeah that was pretty funny.”

“Right? My alpha personality might as well be a-”

I said hush children!

Chimera and Lark chuckled for a bit as they spotted something flying up towards them.

Chimera felt her not heart spike for a moment, before she recognized the green light of a familiar machine intelligence.

The Botty, who had four small propellers, flew towards Chimera and landed on her head, latching to her with a few clamps.

“Creator Chimera, I have been sent by the matriarch Jade to lead you and your companion to the Creator.”

“Oh, Okay… wait, so you're not Jade?”

“Correct, I am an offspring of designation ‘Jade’ and the super intelligence known as ‘Printy’, designation Malachite.”

“Oh, wait what?!”

“I am to assume you believe the speed of the relationship is in question?”

“Well yeah…”

“I would counter by looking over at your new companion and telling me you are not also rushing this? I would also second that, pardon my phrasing, you humans-like beings tend to be awkward to the point of self-defeating. Machine intelligence and AI do not share this failure.

“It became apparent after my father-designation saved my mother-designation from the ‘heroes’ sent to capture the prime Creator, that they had feelings for one another. He had used a particle cannon using his keyboard and mouse to fire at them, and saved my mother from being terminated.”

Chimera nodded along as she heard the story, a warmth in her heart.

“Good for them, and you I guess.”

“Your well wishes will be conveyed, Creator Chimera.”

“That’s so sweet!”

Chimera looked over at Lark, realizing that she was still holding her hand.

“Uhh…”

“For the record, awkward is pretty pointless with thought transference, yeah?”

“All of the drama nerds would hate you, you know?”

“Let them deal with it, I’m sure it will get their rocks off.”

Chimera felt her nonexistent heart beat faster.

“A-Anyway, lead us there Mally!”

“Mally… understood.”

Chimera felt the Botty detach from her head as it activated its rotors once more.

After a small wind up time, Malachite flew towards a cabin covered in dense forest.

Chimera went through a memory in her head as she recalled something Meghan said about her father.

Meghan’s father worked with the native wildlife after Asta had been colonized, and the forest was one of the safer places to work.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

He spent so much time out there that, according to Meg, her mother said he should just build a cabin there.

So he did.

Chimera smiled at Sarah’s memory of the scene when Meghan told her about when her mother found out about it.

Touching down on the ground as the forest of white pines and yellow bushes appeared below, Chimera felt Sarah seperate from her and run towards the cabin.

Chimera followed along with Lark still holding her hand.

“Umm, you can let go, you know…?”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Alright then.”

Chimera ran after Sarah, a stretchy limb still holding tight to her left hand as they walked inside.

It was like running into a hunter’s hut, with a big common area and bunk beds on and along the walls. It smelled of the pines outside, and the floor had pelts from various animals for rugs and flooring. A small kitchen, with an even smaller fridge sat next to a small table that would fit only four people.

Chimera walked in and spotted Sarah staring at Meghan with a confused look on her face.

Meghan had a backpack attached to her power armor, a few bruises were on her eyes and cheek along with a few singed hairs.

“So, you must be Chimera then… and Lark?!”

Chimera turned distractedly to the largest man she had ever seen.

Despite being around superheroes with impressive physics, Chimera in all of her memories had never seen someone as large as this man.

He stood at eight feet, with muscles like the trunks outside. Dark tanned skin with a beard that reached his chest. His hair was peppered with salt greys and deep brown. He wore a bag on his back that was almost as tall as he was.

He was an impressive man to say the least.

Chimera felt her jaw extend to the floor.

“Wha?! Who?!”

The man laughed, a bellow that spoke of a hearty life.

“I get that a lot actually. Names Mark Schumann, forest ranger.”

Lark walked in behind Chimera as she stared at the man, “oh, Mr. Schumann?”

Chimera felt Lark send a packet of information to her.

“Oh, so he was your old boss?”

“Yup.”

“Why did you leave him to join the Sifters then?”

Lark looked off to the side.

“Bad choices, and promises of a better life.”

Mark moved up to kneel next to them, “it’s alright Lark.”

Lark nodded, “yeah, it’s better now anyway… still hate myself for stealing that phone you had.”

Mark chuckled, “always wondered where that went, but I'm sure you needed it more than me.”

Lark walked up and hugged the man, whose massive arms wrapped around her easily.

“Let it out girl.”

Chimera felt a bit strange, what with her hand still connected to Lark’s and feeling a wave of sadness rolling off of her sort of girlfriend.

That wave turned into a whip of energy that smacked Chimera in the brain.

“Okay, actual girlfriend, sheesh.”

Lark’s next hit was a soft energy of relief, which made Chimera smile.

Chimera decided to give the two a moment as she walked over to Sarah and Meghan, who were sitting on the couch in the center of the room.

“-Any word Meghan, you got to have something right?”

“I’m sorry Sarah, when the attack happened, Crysa and Aura ran off with Aden. I was holding the heroes off at the time, but it didn’t give me a lot of time to chase them down.

I got the Botty’s on it, but I don’t have anything concrete at the moment.”

Chimera decided to chime in as Sarah bit her lower lip.

“What’s up?”

Meghan sighed, “it’s Aden and the others… they’re missing.”

Chimera tilted her head, “but they wouldn’t just leave. Not with Monica and Pox still out there…”

Meghan shook her head, “Chimera, they should have contacted us by now, which means three things.”

Meghan held up her fingers, “one, they got away but can’t answer because they’re in a bad spot.”

She held up two fingers, “two, they’re safe but they don’t have a communicator anymore and can’t reach me.

She finally held up three, “they can’t answer because they are captured… or they betrayed us.”

After crossing her arms Meghan continued, “There is no reason that two would be the case, because I had a Botty with them, and all of them can speak to each other in a five mile radius. Communication would not be destroyed that easily.”

Chimera could feel the weight of the conversation, “so you mean that they either can’t answer or… the death children betrayed us and captured Aden?”

“It could also be the heroes that captured them, we don’t know, and I don’t have more at the moment because my lab was destroyed and Printy’s still in parts right now!”

Meghan took a breath, “Sorry about that… I’m really stressed out at the moment.”

“We get it Meghan… sorry about the labs.”

Meghan held her head and started massaging her temples, “at least one hundred hours of data still stuck in Printy’s databases and I can’t even look through it! Not to mention that those bastards wrecked our warehome. I’m going villain on them.”

Sarah and Chimera both raised their eyebrows at Meghan as she gritted her teeth.

“Is this a joke or are you for real?”

“Yes, we need context!”

Meghan looked over at them, “what? We already are blacklisted, and I doubt the bastards will listen to us and our reasons. Remember what I said? They were going after all non registered heroes. If you aren’t with the Hero’s League, you are a vigilante, or they claim anyway.”

Chimera sighed at that.

It was true, what Meghan said. Now with their secret known to the heroes, and the likelihood that something has infiltrated the League and is using them for their own purposes, heroes couldn’t be trusted.

Sarah shook her head, turning both Meghan and Chimera in her direction.

“We just need to find Aden, stop Pox, and end his plans once and for all. Villains, Heroes? It doesn’t matter anymore what we call ourselves. We’ll do what we need to.”

Chimera nodded as Sarah as Meghan got a devilish look on her face.

“Nice thinking. I’m going after Pox then.”

Chimera nodded, “I’m going after Pox too.”

Sarah closed her eyes, “let's have the clones go after Aden then, and we three will head to ChemTech to find Dr. Poxus.”

Chimera looked up at Sarah in worry, “are you sure you don’t want to go after your brother?”

Sarah nodded, “I don’t know what I would do if… something went wrong with Aden. I’ll leave it to the clones. We need to stop Pox from whatever plan he’s got hooked up for us.”

“It might be a trap.”

Sarah nodded, “It likely is.”

“We still don’t know if we can stop Monica and whatever mind power she has.”

“That is also true.”

Chimera held Sarah’s hand with her left hand, which had been released by Lark earlier.

“Sarah, I’m with you on this.”

Sarah smiled down at Chimera, “thank you, Chimera.”

“Hey! You got my axe too, you know?! Let’s go wreck some supervillains.”

Chimera felt warmth as the three set their goals in order.

Whatever comes, we’ll be ready for it.”

…