Chimera felt the worry Sarah was radiating through their bond as they began to depart for their mission.

Likely their last mission to stop Pox and Monica from their plan.

Chimera shook herself as she grew a set of wings, preparing herself for take-off.

“Chimera…”

Chimera blinked as a set of arms hugged her from behind.

“Lark?”

Lark pulled her close until she rest her head on her shoulder, a feat that should have been rather difficult given Chimera’s new wings.

Still she nestled there as she spoke.

“I’m not sure why you’re doing this. If what Sarah said is true, this is her fight, not yours. So why are you doing this Chimera?”

Chimera grabbed one of Lark’s hands and held it in her own, turning around to face her.

“I don’t know.”

Lark tilted her head, “are you serious?”

Chimera nodded, “for all intents and purposes, you’re right. I have no real skin in this game, so to speak.”

Chimera turned to stare at their connected hands, “but somewhere out there right now, is a mad man and his daughter, who want to take away a lot of people’s lives and enslave them.”

She squeezed the hand, “I may not have a stake in this, but Sarah does, and she’s the reason I’m even here touching your hand. That’s enough reason, I think.”

Lark grabbed her other hand, “for your friend?”

Chimera smiled, “she’s more like an older sister really, since we’re all based on her.”

“That’s a mental disease I am not qualified to touch.”

“What, you don’t share a head space with four other people, who constantly have thoughts pulling yours in different directions?”

Lark smiled, “only the one, and Lefty is much cuter in comparison.”

“More than me?!”

Lark pushed forward to pull Chimera close, “no, but its a close second.”

Lark pecked her on the cheek as she finally released Chimera, turning around to look at the cabin.

“I’ll be here, so come back, alright?”

“Is that an order?”

“A Prime Directive, come back Chimera.”

Chimera saluted her with her wings, “yes ma’am.”

Lark giggled as she waved back at her, which Chimera returned.

“Done flirting yet?”

Meghan walked over looking a sight better as Chimera heard a hiss from her suit.

Meghan’s face was pure bliss after the hiss ended, “that is the stuff.”

Chimera lifted an eyebrow at her, “yes I am done flirting thank you, but what's with you and why do you look like you just relieved yourself?”

Meghan laughed, “that, dear Chimera, was a cocktail of healing juices from my now finished medical suite. Sarah supplied the necessities, but it’s all self operating now, and God it feels good.”

Chimera nodded at that, “your bruises look like they’re already healing.”

And they were. The black and yellow discoloration was slowly beginning to fade over her eyebrows and cheek, and the spot of blood near her chin was scabbing over.

“This is what I need, a self contained suit with all the amenities, and a healing factor.”

Chimera smirked, “you could just be a blob like me and Sarah, you know? Would fix that right up.”

Meghan spat to the side, “nope, I’m fine with my transhumanism, thank you very much. I’d rather have a robot lung and memory banks in my brains than all of that genetic gunk you no doubt are suffering from.”

“Hey! It’s called growing, thank you very much!”

Meghan smirked, “see, that I don’t get.”

She clearly did, and wanted to mess with Chimera, who despite knowing this huffed in annoyance.

“Where’s Sarah anyway?”

Meghan pointed with a thumb behind her, “talking to dear old Dad about using this place as a safehouse once the fights are over. Most likely won’t need it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Chimera looked over to see the giant of a man hugging Sarah and nodding, which seemed to make Sarah happy.

Sarah finally came over after a few minutes of embracing.

“Alright, we ready?”

“Only waiting on you, dad stealer.”

Meghan grinned over at Sarah who was staring at the ground in embarrassment.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Only because he’s awesome.”

Meghan barked a laugh at that, “I know, that’s why you only get to rent him.”

Sarah smiled, “good to see you’re still able to laugh.”

Meghan nodded, “despite everything. I almost couldn’t after what happened at ChemTech so long ago. Dad helped me then, and you helped me after.”

Meghan grabbed Sarah in for her own hug, “I’m with you on this Sarah. Let’s end this once and for all.”

Sarah nodded, and Chimera felt herself getting pumped up after seeing that.

“Let's mess with their plans!”

“End their tyranny.”

“And Raise some Hell!”

Knocking their fists against each other, they all launched into the air, the skies above parting away as if to welcome their flight.

…

Aden slashed outward as a bolt of ice landed a few feet away from him, taking out one of the mind controlled heroes.

He was still getting used to the abilities he now seemed to possess, but it seemed that as he was fighting and dodging Crystal's attacks, something within him was learning and adapting.

He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t have the luxury to question it right now.

Crystal’s blue blob form smashed into the walls he happened to be near at the time, puncturing the solid metal like it was tissue paper.

“Come on, brother! Make this fun for me!”

It was taking most of Aden’s concentration to keep up with the blasts of frost and metal crunching pressure as Crystal assaulted him.

Aden was doing it on purpose though, as his eyes glanced at the two death children still tied to the tables in the center of the room.

I can’t let them get hit by the attacks, and Crystal’s clearly not going to stop herself for morality’s sake.

Aden felt his heart clench as another hero became a casualty of their fight.

The only door leading the way out of the room was guarded by Captain Asta and Ms. Magicka.

Aden had tried to move the fight out of the room in the beginning after the first hero died, but the two controlled heroes simply pushed them back with a magical shield and a physical shield of the Captains design.

Aden wasn’t without options though.

Due to something he didn’t really understand, he felt the water filtration systems below the room, and the electrical currents that ran along the room’s walls.

If he could time it just right… he might be able to knock Crystal out and end the fight.

He shook his head at the thought of getting answers, as he knew that whatever plan that she and Monica hatched probably involved keeping him here, and answers were as much distractions as they were useful.

Getting out of this place was a priority, along with getting Aura and her sister.

Answers could come later, after he met up with Sarah and Chimera.

A tendril of frost smashed into his side as he caught it, bracing himself from the pain as he took his own tendril and tried to sever the frozen appendage.

A wave of pain shot through him, but the tendril dislodged from the ice, freeing him enough to move.

“Oh my, did that hurt big brother?! I’m sooo sorry… heheheheh!”

Yeah… that laughs just like Sarah…

Except his sister wasn’t a psychopath.

She was definitely crazy though.

Grabbing a metal sheet from the floor, Aden pulled it up to block another frosty tendril, absorbing the blow and saving himself from the freezing appendage.

The metal sunk into his blobby flesh, lining the soft jelly substance below with a protective coating.

Huh, that’s different.

As the metal shifted below, he imagined a sword forming from the sheet, and was now sporting a massive claymore that was tied to his tendril.

As his murderous relative started to sport multiple freezing tendrils, Aden armed his own with copies of his makeshift swords.

“Oh, hmm… brother were you always into metal?”

Crystal launched a salvo of ice bolts, along with a flurry of blows at Aden.

Aden grew shields from his flesh to blow the bolts, and spun the swords around like a fan to shop the appendages.

Seeing that his defense worked, he moved to try and cut up Crystal’s freezing tentacles.

A mimicry of his own swords was growing over the tendrils Crystal had, a freezing copy of swords and shields. She spoke to him with a mocking tone as she brandished the new weapons.

“Brother, can we play knights and robbers together?! HAHA!”

Aden felt mental strain as he tried to fight with several tendrils at once, only being able to trade blows with the freezing copies for a few seconds before he was on the defensive.

The plan he was coming up with was almost ready, he just had to keep her occupied for a bit longer…

Aden threw a spear of metal at Crystal’s direction, only for a magical shield to block it from hitting Crystal dead center.

“Damn, I had to cheat for that one. Nice save Magicka!”

Aden growled as he pushed to toss more spears, only for them to be intercepted over and over again.

It’s fine, she’s almost there…

“You can’t win brother, but I’ll entertain you for a little bit longer…”

Aden felt his tendril below start to gather what he needed, a liquid pouring into the limb's form

He kept it below, making sure to keep it from Crystal’s senses for just a few more seconds.

Almost…!

NOW!

Aden stabbed one of his tendrils into the wall, causing an electrical current to start to travel up his tentacle.

He released the water he was building up, the tendril from the filtration system below their feet bursting just below Crystal's body.

Connecting the two points was his tendril which was pulling the electricity and water towards…

“W-What the hell?!”

A second of contact was all it took for the electricity and water to enter Crystal and electrocute her.

A brief scream escaped her before she slumped over, her blob form replaced by her human one.

She was knocked out, a slight shock going through her at regular intervals as the ice and strength seemed to leave her.

Aden slumped over as his own blob form regressed back into his body, his human appearance returning.

Without a moment to lose, he rushed over to grab and release Aura and Crysa.

Breaking their harnesses and restraints, he pushed towards the exit of the room, both girls over his shoulders as he sprinted past the unconscious forms of the heroes and Crystal.

As he ran out into the hallway, Aden followed the overhead exits for the building he found himself in, smashing through doors and walls as he rushed past people in hero uniforms and people.

Can’t believe that worked… but now’s not the time to worry. I gotta find Sarah and warn her.

Aden felt that what he just witnessed before Crystal was clearly a message.

Sarah and Chimera were walking into a trap.

…