Chimera rushed over to help Aura as the next set of vials injected themselves into the death child’s body.

It was a viscous fluid, but other than that Chimera couldn’t tell what exactly was being pumped into her.

Aura let out a scream as the last of the fluid entered, only for another set of vials to reload into the harpoons and syringes.

“No more… please…”

Shit, she’s losing consciousness!

Slamming her foot to the ground, Chimera summoned Aura’s own power, lifting her and the water into the air with a tug of her arms.

The water obeyed, gathering up the fluid in the pool, and dispensing Aura next to them in a moment.

“Subject has escaped, beginning purge protocols.”

“That… sounds bad.”

Clonemera grabbed a hold of Aura as she began working on the syringes that were still attached to Aura’s skin.

Meanwhile, Sarah was walking towards a monitor near the equipment.

“Chimera, give me five minutes to shut this down.”

Chimera turned towards the woman with a huff, “suuuure, you get the easy part.”

Sarah took a moment to stare back with furrowed eyebrows and a deadpan look on her face.

Damnit, she’s right, I hate trying to figure that stuff out.

“A-Alright, just got to dodge some harpoon launchers, should be fun!”

Sarah sighed back as she got back to work, “they’re targeting Aura you idiot.”

“Oh…”

Chimera turned to see the harpoon launchers doing just that as they jerked over to where Clonemera was working.

“I’m healing here! Get to stopping the death forks if you would?!”

“Got it!”

Chimera launched in front of the two as a salvo of sharp silvery harpoons rudely started to invade their personal spaces.

With pointy things.

Chimera slammed a foot on the ground as a wall of tile and dirt jumped up to intercept the harpoons.

Most were blocked, but one managed to get through and land next to Clonemera.

“Too close, too close!”

“Yeah I know!”

Chimera jumped forward when the next salvo came, this time hardening the stone from the earlier walls and expanding it around Clone in a circle.

Unlike before, this time the harpoons deflected off of the shiny stone, slamming into walls and nearby power outlets.

One was channeling the energy of the building through it, giving off a blue haze as the electricity crawled over it’s surface.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It took Chimera only a moment to create another wall around Sarah as she saw the power arc on the wet floor, sending an arc of brilliant light towards the nearest conductor.

Chimera opened up her bio plant within her, sucking in the excess energy until the harpoon melted off the outlet.

“Nice, just the kind of pick me up I needed.”

The launchers shut down a few moments later, giving off a whirring noise as the internal mechanics winded down.

“Down and done, I got the map as well.”

“Sweet! Clone, how's Aura?”

Aura peeked out of the dirt fort, her head shaking as she did.

“It’s not good, the chemicals in her are trying to shut off her powers. It’s burning her insides as well.”

Clone already had a few tendrils inserted into Aura’s body, a clear fluid injecting behind her.

“I’m going to need to stick with her a bit to get it out of her.”

Chimera nodded, “are you going to be okay?”

Clone smiled, “I got this, go get vengeance or whatever.”

After waving back to her, Chimera and Sarah rushed forward as Sarah pulled out a Botty from within her.

“Hologram.”

The Botty whirred to life as a map appeared in the light ahead of them.

“We’re here Chimera.

The light fixture showed a red dot and a pink dot in what looked like a pool room.

Chimera followed Sarah’s finger as two dark green signatures appeared on the hologram.

“There’s two more major power draws coming from these dark green structures. It’s sucking all of the energy out of the building bit by bit, and I bet my left tit that its where Pox and Monica are.”

Chimera swiveled her head as she looked at the fork leading to the two separate rooms.

“Do you think that Crysa and… Aden, are back there too?”

Sarah clenched her teeth.

“It’s more than likely, but the computer didn’t reveal anything besides this map.”

After hearing that, Chimera pointed towards the right fork.

“If they’re going through the same shit that Aura was, we don’t have time to think about it. I’ll go right, you go left, yeah?”

Chimera was about to walk off, when Sarah grabbed her arm.

“If its Monica…”

“I know, run first.”

“Chimera, you don’t know her like I do, even if you have my memories. She’s ruthless… don’t let her get into your head.”

Chimera smiled back, even as she felt fear rise from within her, “that’s the plan right? Don’t worry, go. I got this.”

Chimera began to walk away, but deep within her, a contingency she placed was already activated.

It was a last resort, the sort of stuff she would never even dreamed of doing had she had any other choice.

But if Monica’s powers were truly like the vision she saw with Aura, and Chimera already had some kind of… trigger, hopefully, this would snap her out of it.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.

Chimera forced herself to run as she sprinted down the fork and veered to the right, making her way to the place on the hologram.

I won’t lose anyone, including myself!

…

Sarah watched as Chimera sprinted down the hallway, her super speed making her appear like a blur after a few seconds.

She stared up at the ceiling, her thoughts mixed with worry and fear.

But she swallowed down those dark feelings, pushing them back as she let her mind run through the possibilities.

She wouldn’t be caught off guard, not by Pox or Monica.

Tonight, it ends. Either they die, and burn in hell… or I die, and take them with me.

This nightmare will end, one way or…

She thought briefly of Chimera, Meghan, and the clones she thought of as sisters.

She smiled as the radiant image of her parent’s faces came to her.

Sarah, we love you.

Remember, family is a choice.

Sarah opened her eyes as they adjusted to the dimming lights in the hallway.

I know Mom… Dad… I won’t lose anyone else, including myself.