The Starstream Adventures! (Sci-fi RP)

[ShadowHounder]

ShadowHounder and ZombieSplitter: Rise My Queen

Tiamat looked around at the various outfits and dresses. "This is quite a fancy place... I like it."

"Glad you like it..." Fafnir answered nervously as the nearby Shinso glared him down. He had taken the group to his home planet, as it was the only place where his currency would still be usable. Misha remained by the entrance, drawing on her notepad while they awaited their ride: Sirius Ravenwood.

A fancy looking limousine pulled up. At least the man new how to travel in style and treat a queen. The driver got out and approached Misha, bowing. "Good day. Are you Ms. Misha?"

Misha looked up before closing her book. "Yes, I am... Our Queen is inside."

The man nodded and waved towards the vehicle. "Mr. Ravenwood will see you whenever you are ready."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The shopkeeper demanded as he glared at the Cartus. "Coming in here acting like royalty, disrespecting your owner, and now you have the gall to not pay? You're nothing but a slave."

The man throw a right hook at Tiamat, who stopped it effortlessly. A green energy slowly began to radiate from her hand. Within moments, the Shinso slowly began to decay and crumble into dust. Tiamat turned her head just enough to glance at the people behind her. "Anyone else want to challenge their Queen?"

Everybody backed away, including her newest disciple Martha, who was still getting used to her new master's scary power. The only one who seemed unfazed was the limo driver, the old man apparently having seen enough to not be surprised easily.

"Martha dear, do me a favor and help Fafnir pack my clothes." Tiamat said as she walked into the dressing room with a pair of jeans and a white tanktop.

Martha snapped to attention. "Y-yes, my queen!" she said and walked over to the Shinso to help.

Once the two apprentices had the clothing folded and bagged, Misha stepped back into the shop and moved the items to the vehicle. Tiamat stepped out of room in her new outfit and followed her followers to the limo. "I wonder how Sirius is doing..."

"He is waiting for you within," the driver said as he politely opened the door for them and bowed his head. "He said he didn't want to waste a moment of your time."

Tiamat stepped into the limo, followed shortly by Misha and Fafnir. Tiamat still kept many of Yip's features... Looking near identical to the assassin. However, alongside her ghostly white hair, Tiamat had developed larger curves and her ears and tail were noticeably shorter.

Sirius sat in one of the seats of the lengthy vehicle. Unlike usual, he wore a white business suit instead of black. He held a martini glass in one hand, and smiled as Tiamat entered. "Unless you are someone new, it looks like everything went as planned. Can I offer you..." He watched as the last of her followers entered, narrowing his eyes. "Didn't you... work for me? I thought you died in the swamp."

Martha rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Y-yes, well... you see, sir, Mr Ravenwood, I... um... work for... Queen Tiamat now?"

"She encounter Fafnir, my first acolyte, during your attempts to capture Misha." The woman answered. "I hope you don't mind... But she's mine now."

Sirius was silent for a moment, then smiled and shrugged. "She is all yours. Can I get you a drink? Water? Milk? Something stiff?"

"I'll take your finest red wine."

Sirius reached into a mini cooler, pulling out bottle, then putting it back and choosing a different one. He poured her a glass and handed it to her, and smiled at Misha. "I see that your mission was a complete success."

Misha remained silent as she returned to drawing.

"Hmph..." Sirius shrugged again and looked back to Tiamat. "Well, congratulations are in order. And I must say, you are looking quite beautiful."

"We should be there soon," Sirius said with a smirk. He could be quite the charmer when he wanted to be. "Though when we get there... there is something I want to discuss with you about our deal."

"Why yes, there is a certain someone you wish for me to retrieve from the Reaper, no?" Tiamat asked as Misha let out a brief smirk.

Martha gave him a surprised look. "Yes," Sirius said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "If you don't want to fulfill our original deal, that's alright. This one is more important."

"No need to worry, my child." The Queen reassured him. "You will get your power, for as long as you serve me. And I will revive this person of interest for you, for it is my duty as queen to please my subjects."

"Right..." Sirius nodded. "So... what more can I do for you that you can't do yourself? You are all powerful now, right?"

"Yes, but I also lack nearly three hundred years of knowledge of the cosmos." She remarked. "You are a man with information and networks. Two things I still lack."

"I see. I'm happy to be of use." Sirius bowed his head. "My people and I are at your complete disposal."

Martha blinked in surprise. Sirius was a good businessman, but she had never seen him so accommodating. Whoever he wanted brought back must have been really important to him...

 

[ShadowHounder]

ShadowHounder and ZombieSplitter: Rise My Queen Part 2

"With all that in order, tell me... Who is it that you wish for me to bring back?" Tiamat leaned forward with a grin. "I'll need to know their name in order to retrieve their soul."

Sirius's expression turned serious. "Her name is... was... Lana Ravenwood. She's... my daughter."

"And you still have her body, no?" Tiamat's features softened. "I will need to see what kind of condition it's in."

"I do." Sirius's eyes shifted about. He was obviously uncomfortable talking about things that made him look vulnerable. "I've keeped her in perfect condition. As... as perfect as they left her... when..." He trailed off and cleared her throat. "She is in stasis on the ship."

"I must warn you, she will not be same as she once was." The mage warned. "Death changes people, alters their soul. And there's no telling what the Reaper has done to her in the afterlife."

Sirius' frown deepened. "I will deal with whatever I have to in order to get her back. She was a perfect angel before, though. I doubt any reaper could change that."

"Someone once said the same thing about me." She let out a dark giggle. "And you can see what I have become after my escape."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and shifted uncomfortably. "Alright... so she'll be different. But she will still be my daughter, right? My... my little girl...?"

"We won't know until I bring her back." Tiamat answered with a grin. "But, I will give you some knowledge. When someone dies... Their greatest flaw, the one thing they lacked, becomes an obsession. For me, I was weak, pathetic and worthless... So I sought power."

"She had no flaws... except..." Sirius looked down. "I suppose... she was a bit naive... too trusting..."

"Then expect her trust in others to... Waver..." Tiamat responded.

From the background of the conversation, Misha's expression changed to a worried, depressed look.

Martha looked over to her. "Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

"I'm fine." The young girl muttered.

"Are you sure?" Martha pressed. "Because if I can help..."

Misha didn't answer the second time. Tiamat turned her gaze to her new pupil. "Don't take it personally, my dear. She doesn't like talking... Even though she has such a beautiful voice."

Martha nodded solemnly, giving Misha one last concerned look. Sirius looked out the window and said, "We're here. I've already made sure to tell everyone to show you the utmost respect. If they don't... do with them what you will."

The Queen's grin widened. "I can't wait to meet them~"

They pulled up to Sirius' main ship, the Starkiller, the massive ship docked in the port refueling. They drove directly up the rear into the back hanger, and the elderly driver got out once more to quickly open the door for them. "Do watch your step, and please enjoy your visit."

Tiamat stepped out of the vehicle. "Your queen has arrived!"

Everyone who was working stopped to stare, not having expected such an announcement. Sirius stepped out and gave them a serious look, and most of them bowed their heads.

"Oh my..." She turned towards Sirius. "They are quite the obedient bunch."

Misha stepped out of the limo behind Ravenwood, followed by Fafnir. He appeared visibly nervous as he offered a gentleman's hand to Martha. He was afraid many of them would not see him as the acolyte to Tiamat, Queen of Chaos...

But as the son of Grimiore Darkmane, the Cybernetic Shinso Tyrant.

Indeed, even more heads turned when he stepped forward, and most everyone gasped, many backing away in fear.

Fafnir lower his gaze shamefully. "It seems that, even now, I am still trapped in his shadow."

"Back to work, the lot of you!" Sirius snapped, and they dutifully returned to their duties. Sirius placed a hand on Fafnir's shoulder. "At least you command respect through fear."

"My father told me the same thing once, his injuries took years to fully recover." Fafnir responded, venom in his gritting teeth. "You would be wise to avoid such a fate... I doubt you'd fair as well as that pathetic excuse of a man did."

Sirius nodded, and stepped forward. "Come. I will show you to my daughter... unless her majesty would rather see the room I have prepared for you first?"

"We can see the room after business is taken care of." Tiamat answered.

"Very well," Sirius stepped forward. "Please, follow me." He led them out of the docks and through the spacious corridors, staying near the back of the ship. They came to a room that Martha recognized as always being off limit to everyone she knew, even to the two guards standing outside it. Ravenwood turned back and said, "I'd prefer if most of you stayed outside. The equipment is extremely sensative."

Fafnir nodded and swipe the ground behind him. A wall of dark energy formed between him and the group. "They will not be able to see what's on the other side."

"Very handy." Sirius opened the door, a lengthy process including a code, a retinal scan, and a long voice recognized code. When they finally stepped in, they found one of the most advanced stasis rooms money could buy, a mixture of older and newer equipment that had recieved every update available over the last six years. It was using quite a bit of energy to power, and had half a dozen built in back up systems. At the end of the room was the single pod it powered, frosted over.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ShadowHounder and ZombieSplitter: Rise My Queen Part 3

Tiamat stepped forward and wiped the frost from the glass, she wanted to see who was contained inside.

She was young, only about twenty when she died. She had hair as black as the night sky and pale, pristine skin. She was a looker, there was no don't abkut that, with smaller features that made her look even younger then she was.

Her beauty was stained, however, by various cuts and bruises that marked her all over, having recieved a beating. Her death had been slow, the source of which was obviously from the bruises on her neck, an agonizing death by strangulation. Other then that, however, she was in incredible condition for being a corpse for six years.

Tiamat looked surprised for a moment, before grinning once more. "Well hello there~"

"W-well?" Sirius stepped forward. "Is she... too damaged?"

"The throat will take some time, otherwise I can mend all of these wounds with my own magic." She replied, glee in her voice. "It'll be nice to see her again."

"Yeah, you... again?" Sirius walked up to her. "What do you mean, see her again?"

"We knew one other, while we were dead." Tiamat answered. "Time doesn't exactly behave on the other side, in case you were concerned about the age gap."

"I wasn't until you said something..." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "What did you two... talk about?"

"She was alone, afraid, wondering why her father never saved her." Tiamat grinned as she replied. "I gave her someone she could trust, someone who could keep her safe. I placed wards on her to protect her from the Reaper... And promised her I would find her father for her. It seems we both get to keep our promises today, Sirius."

Sirius squeezed his fist tightly. "Yes, well... this is... this is good news, right? You should already know where to find her soul?"

"Yes... However, first we must get her out of this.. contraption..." Tiamat pointed at the stasis pod.

"And you'll be able to sustain her even without it?" Sirius asked, moving over to a console. "I-I don't want her to deteriorate anymore..."

The mage queen opened her mouth, before a familiar looking pen gouged open her throat. "Remember when I said I was obsessed with power?" Tiamat asked the mercenary leader. The blood from her injury slowly pulled back into itself and mended. "That obsession paid off. Now I can manipulate the very fabric we call life. Anything organic... Anything possessing a soul... Is a puppet to my magic. This! Is the power I sought!"

A large grin crept onto Sirius's face. "Alright. Good to have you on my side." He quickly typed into the computer, and the pod hissed and slowly opened.

Tiamat quickly took hold of her body, the cuts already beginning to heal as the woman's fingers made contact. Tiamat slowly placed the body down, black mana radiating off of her. Moments passed and, when she stood up, she was in the a darkened cave. Infront of her was the creature of the damned, and being that turns death into torture, the beast that feasts on the weak.

The Reaper of Souls.

"You... Do not... Belong here..." The creature muttered, chains preventing him from moving. "Leave..."

"Sorry hun... But I'm here to pick someone up." Tiamat answered. "You can stay there until I'm done."

"This is unreal," Sirius muttered, too nervous to move.

"Lana~" the mage called out playfully. "I'm back, just like I promised. I even found your father along the way."

"Tiamat?" A voice called out in the darkness. "Is that... really you?" Out of the shadows moved Lana, or at least her soul, a being who's wounds in life looked worse across her astral body, who's eye were hollow eyes were filled with sadness and regret. "You found... my father?"

"Why don't you say hello, Sirius?" Tiamat turned towards the mercenary.

"Lana!" He cried out, stepping forward. "I... I knew if I kept looking, I would find a way..."

"No..." Lana slunk back into the shadows a bit. "Stay away. You... you're a monster! Stay away!"

"No need to worry, Lana." Tiamat stepped forward. "It's him, I'm here to bring you back to the land of the living."

Lana moved forward again, obviously trusting Tiamat more. "You can bring me back? H-how?"

"Since your father was so nice as to preserve your body, I can simply placed your soul back into your body." The mage queen explained. "And if the man who strangled you is still out there, I'll need to make killing him a priority. My kingdom has no use of people like him running around."

"Wait, you can... can you do this now?" Sirius asked urgently. "No need for the Phoenix blood?"

 

[ShadowHounder]

ShadowHounder and ZombieSplitter: Rise My Queen Part 4

"That's only needed if the body is in a unrecoverable state." She replied. "With her injuries, the only concern was decay... And you did nicely preventing that."

Sirius' face lit up in the first genuinely heartfelt smile in years. "Come on, Lana! Let's bring you home."

"Home... I can... go home...?" Lana looked at Tiamat. "I'd... like to leave this place. It has been... so lonely since I last saw you..."

The life mage extended her arm. "Take my hand, and let me show you."

Lana hesitated, but only for a moment, before gladly taking her hand.

The realm of death faded, the group now being in the ship once more. Lana's soul, a small, white orb, now floated above Tiamat's palm. She turned to Sirius. "Give me the word."

Sirius nodded pensively, sweat rolling down his brow. "Please... my ship, and crew, my personal services are all yours. Just please... bring back my daughter. Cleanse me of my biggest mistake and bring her back to me."

"Free this soul of her shackles, allow her to live the life she was robbed from." Tiamat chanted, the orb glowing brightly. "I call upon you, Reaper!"

A flash of light consumed the room, the soul burning with energy. As the light flared, the energy began to flow into the body below the mage.

Sirius watched in fascination and wonder. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he couldn't pull his eyes away as the color returned to his daughter's skin.

The light faded and Tiamat mended the scorch marks on her forearms. "Lana dear... It's time to wake up."

Lana's eyes flickered open, and she looked around. "Where... am I? Is this real?"

"Yes, this is real." Tiamat answered, her new tail flicking back and forth. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel... heavy..." Lana slowly tried to sit up but winced painfully. "It's hard to move." She looked at Tiamat. "Were... you always a Cartus?"

"No, I was cursed, so I had to find a new body." Tiamat answered. "This was the only capatable I could find."

"I... see. Why is it so hard for me to move? How... long was I gone?"

"Six years, Lana." Sirius walked over. He had a look in his eyes tgar said he still wasn't sure this was real. "When I lost you... I also found this bracer. It showed me there were things beyond normal understanding that could be considered magical. It... made me hold on to the hope that I could one day see you again."

He reached out to her, and she flinched at his touch.

"Sirius, perhaps we should give her more time to adjust and recover?" The mage queen suggested with soft, solemn tone.

Sirius frowned deeply but nodded in agreement, taking a step back.

Tiamat turned to Lana. "Your father placed your body in stasis after you died. Though, I'm not sure how freezing a body stops decay... I'm not going to question it for now. I was able to mend your fatal injuries, but it appears your body still needs time to warm back up."

Lana weakly nodded, and smiled at Tiamat. "I am... just glad to be back. You made me a promise, one I thought impossible, but you kept it. If there is anything I can ever do to pay you back, please tell me."

"Just don't be too harsh on your father." She answered. "He seems... Dedicated at the least. Definitely distort by your death. And he does still care."

Lana looked over to Sirius, sulking off to the side. "I... will try." Her eyes seemed to darken as she stared at the man. "I will try," she repeated.

Sirius looked over and smiled weakly. "Maybe we should move her to a room. This isn't the best place to recover. And I still need to show you to your room, my Queen."

She looked to Fafnir. "Could you take her? Your the only man I can trust to not do anything reckless to her."

"Yes, my queen." The Shinso remarked as he moved to lifted the daughter.

She squirmed a bit, looking at Tiamat with worry.

"Don't worry, my dear. Trust when I tell you." Tiamat leaned closer and whisper. "He's not interested."

Lana softly nodded. "Tell the men to take you to the room right next to Tiamat's," Sirius said. After they left, he turned to the queen, looking like he was just barely holding his composure. "You have... given me back the one thing in the universe I... I can't... if there is anything..."

Tiamat placed a finger on his lips. "My room, two hours."

Sirius blinked, and slowly nodded.

Tiamat walked off. "See you soon~"

The Queen followed behind her Shinso follower. Misha closed her sketchbook and moved to follow as well.

Martha looked back towards Sirius with surprise, but then followed after her queen. A shocked Sirius stood in stunned silence before leaving and going to his room, waiting for those two hours to pass before going to Tiamat's room, a lot on his mind.

"You're free to spend the day as you please." Tiamat told her most recent follower.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ShadowHounder and ZombieSplitter: Rise My Queen Part 5

Spoiler: Lewds

"Thank you. I will catch up with old colleagues then. They'll be... interested in what I've been up to." Martha opened the door and nearly walked into Sirius. "Oh! Excuse me, um... sir."

"Sirius is fine. You don't work for me anymore." He placed his hand on her head and smiled before walking past her. Martha stared in disbelief. She never knew such a brooding man could be so cheerful.

Ravenwood shut the door and bowed his head. "I hope I did not keep you waiting."

Tiamat grinned. "Misha, dear, come say hello."

The raven haired mage step out from the corner of the room, her legs visibly shaking and her face red as roses. Tiamat showed the small device in her hand. "Quite an effect little tool, I believe Martha called it a 'vibrator?'"

Sirius couldn't help but grin. "Trying to get your subject to... loosen up a bit?"

"Funny little story." Tiamat giggled. "While she was searching for my vessel, Misha found an certain intrigue to more, intimate interactions. This just happen to be a great opportunity to teach her. She wants to learn, you wish to repay me for my services... And I want to hear her lovely voice~"

Sirius nodded. "Alright? Do you... want me to get a few good men? Perhaps a lady or two?"

"Just one good man will do." She answered. "I would prefer it to be you... But I can understand if this could hinder your creditability."

"A little bit. Not that I'm not tempted, but I am in a loyal relationship." Sirius rubbed his chin. "I have a few ideas. Any preference for race? Human? Shinso?" He chuckled. "Quin?"

"A human will do nicely." Tiamat moved the dial on the device, causing her follower to fall to her knees in ecstasy.

Sirius chuckled, and stepped out of the room. He returned a few minutes later with a tall, burly man, with dark skin, short black hair, and a serious look on his face. "I would have offered this to Abraham but he's out right now."

"Good to hear I'm the silver medal..." The man looked at the blushing woman and smiled. "Not that I'm complaining right now. She's the one?"

"Yes she is." The Queen lifted Misha off of the ground onto the bed. Her undergarments were already soaked. "Looks like she ready too."

The man approached her, slipping off his shirt and crawling over her. "My name is Elijah, my dear. And I'm about to make all your dreams come true." He gebtly messaged between her legs.

Misha let out a soft moan, her body still sensitive from a recent orgasm. Tiamat lowered the top portion of the girl's dress and teased her nipples... The Queen placing a hand between her own legs as she watched and listened.

"You're welcome to join in at any time," Elijah told her, lowering his pants to show off a mighty package he had waiting for Misha, erect and pulsing, ready to service.

The mage giggled seductively and removed her shirt. "Then I would like to taste it before you continue~"

She crawled over her follower and grabbed the man's rod, placing her tongue on the tip. She began licking all over the Elijah's shaft.

Elijah let out a satisfied sigh as her pulled off his shirt, smiling down at her. "You seem to know what you're doing, even though I'm told it has likely been a while for you. I only hope I can... properly perform up to your standards." His fingers slipped deeply into Misha and wiggled around. "Mmm... nice and tight..."

Misha gasped while Tiamat chuckled. The Queen placed her tongue on the base of his groin and slid upward. Once at the tip, she opened her mouth wide and shoved the entire rod down her throat.

Elijah grunted heavily. "Damn, lady... you don't mess around, do you?" It was a heavenly feeling for him, and he felt it only right to return the favor to Misha, roughly fingering her with one hand while the other messaged her breast.

Tiamat removed the man's rod from her mouth, stroking it as she said. "I wonder who will cum first~" before forcing it down her throat once more. She was now vigorously bobbing her head in a rhythmic motion.

The man grunted and groaned, trying his best to make Misha cum first, but it was a losing battle. The queen was just that good. "I'm... gonna..."

Tiamat forced the whole thing down her pipes one last time, cupping his sack to drain as much from his manhood as she could.

He ejaculated down her thoat, large globs shooting one after another to an impressive degree. Interestingly enough, he was still hard as a rock even afterwards. "Damn, lady... you're something else... you sure you don't want me to fuck you?"

Right as Elijah unloaded his cream in her master's mouth, Misha arched her back in orgasmic bliss. She sprayed the mercenaries hand with her juices, panting from the intense pleasure. Tiamat took every last drop from the man and swallowed it all. She used her hand to catch anything she might have drooled out before pulling away from the still iron tool. "Perhaps afterwards I could fuck you. But, for now, this is Misha's day... No need for me to spoil it for her~"

Elijah nodded and positioned himself of Misha, readying his member to penetrate her lovely garden of paradise. "Are you ready, my sexy young lady?" He asked, poking at her entrance in a teasing manner.

"But.. But I... Just..." Misha mumbled, unable to think properly through her flustered body and twitching groin.

"Oh, come on, Misha." Her queen teased. "That just means it will feel so much better. Think of how sensitive you are now~" Tiamat reached over and stretched her lower lips open... Leaving her virgin hole open for Elijah to enter.

Elijah grinned and he slowly pushed in as deep as he could go. "You're hesitant now, but all the girls because cock-hungry sluts when they taste my meat!"

Misha let out a long, loud moan as his member penetrationed her flower. Her insides wrapped around him tightly and squeezed more as he pushed deeper. "It's so... Big... It's... Tearing me... Open..." The young woman said between her cry of pleasure.

He grunted and leaned forward, planting a sloppy kiss on her and whispering, "Once you've had Elijah's wood, you'll crave it until the end of time. And we're just getting started." He pulled his hips back before roughly shoving them forward again.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuu..." Misha moaned out as each thrust sent waves of pleasure up her body. A small bit of blood leaked out, this having been her first time. Each time Elijah's tip reached the end of her insides, she construct even more.

"Yeah! Yeah! Take it, girl! You're amazing! Haven't had a fuck this good in a long time!" He squeezed her breasts tightly and messaged them. "Tell me you love it! Tell me how it makes you feel!"

"It feels good." Misha answered, her insides now starting to become slippery. "It feels hot. It feels like... Something... Something's coming..."

"Hold on to that feeling, baby. I'm close to. We'll cum together." He pumped faster and faster, his tip poking into her cervix. "Where do want it!"

"Inside!" Misha begged. "I want it inside!" It was evident from her voice she couldn't hold in much longer.

"Cum hungry slut! You got it! Every... last... drop!" Elijah shouted as her reached his limit, his hot spunk spraying directly into her womb and oozing throughout her. "Fuck!"

She let out another loud cry of ecstasy as her body was filled with the warm fluids of the man. She panted slowly and heavy, continuing to lay down on the bed as Elijah's seed poured out of her body.

Elihah slowly pulled out of her, grinning down at his handiwork before sitting next to her and sighing. "Damn, girl. You're alright. I could get used to this."

"Still such a timid girl." Tiamat remarked, looking at her unconscious apprentice. "Your duties are fulfilled for now. You are free to return tomorrow if you are still interested in how a queen pleases her subjects."

Elijah grinned, and bowed his head. "Nothing would make me happier." He leaned down and kissed Misha on the cheek before getting up, getting dressed, and leaving, winking at Sirius before going.

Ravenwood stepped away from the wall her had been watching from. He acted cool and unfazed, but a slight bulge downstairs said otherwise. "That was a fun show," he admitted. "If you don't mind, I'm going to find my better half and... celebrate the day with her."

"Have fun~" Tiamat stated. "Tomorrow we can discuss our goals moving forward."

"Of course." He bowed his head as well before leaving the two be.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Fate's Price

Tiamat was in the training room, observing Fafnir teach Martha how to control the flow of mana. "Remember, it's part of you. Don't fight it... Let it move naturally."

Martha nodded, breathing slowly in and out and letting the power flow through her freely. She smiled as she felt it coming to the surface. "It's a... warm feeling."

"Now, try releasing it." The Shinso instructed.

Martha kept her eyes closed as she outstretched her hand. From her palm, electricity started to crackle and pop. She opened her eyes and stared at the sparks on her fingers. "Whoa. And it doesn't even hurt or anything..."

"As long as you have control over your mana, it never will." Fafnir responded.

"Physical Magic... I see." Tiamat mumbled to herself. "With a talent for electrical manipulation... She is more useful than I anticipated."

Martha held her hand out towards a dummy, and a bolt erupted from it, lighting its head on fire. She let out a cheer, but then wobbled a bit. "Whoa... got a bit dizzy there..."

"Since you only recently gained magic, so your mana reserves are quite low at the moment." Fafnir turned to the burning target. "That will build with practice. Give it a few more weeks... And perhaps could will have enough mana to compare to me."

Fafnir extended his hand, black chains being sent to ensnare the dummy. He pulled it towards him and drove a spike covered fist. The chains broke off and Fafnir swipe his foot in a kick like motion, a blade of black mana severing the head from it's body. His actions earned a cheeky, "Show off..." From his queen.

"Maybe, but impressive none the less." Sirius walked into the room, the expression on his face hard to read, though he didn't seem quite as pleased as yesterday. He rubbed his bracer and said, "I wonder exactly how much of this thing relies on technology and how much of it is magic."

"Whatever it is, it has a high radiation signature." Fafnir remarked. "Mana raditation isn't very common from enchanted artifacts."

"I'll take your word for it." Sirius bowed his head to Tiamat. "So... what's our next move?"

"Next, we go to my home, and destroy it." Tiamat answered. "Oh, and capture my son, if you still plan to use his blood for your own gain."

"Your son?" Sirius folded his arms. "That Tobias kid? So you're one of the Phoenix people too?"

"No, I was born outside of that colony." Tiamat responded. "Natherion, one of their council leaders, raised me after my parents were killed by Andromeda."

"I see. So..." Sirius tapped his foot. "He has the mixed blood of a Phoenix and your powerful blood. Must be a powerful little punk. Still, I do want him. Think of how powerful my people could be if they don't fear death." He smiled. "We'll just keep the whole degenerating soul strength thing between us."

"A husk still has value." Tiamat added. "So, how about it? Arthur hasn't returned and Tobias is home with his sister as we speak. And while we're there... I might as well kill whoever Arthur cheated on me with for that brat to exist."

"Vindictive." Sirius' smile widened. "I like that. And a chance to grab the kid without having to deal with Jetstorm and her group of misfits sounds good."

"Now, shall we get going?" Tiamat asked him with a sadistic smile.

Sirius nodded. "Just give me the coordinates and we'll be on our way."

"Misha already gave them to you." The mage answered.

"Oh, that planet... the one in Fee space..." Sirius folded his arms, obviously not a fan of the Fee, but he sighed. "Alright. I'll set a course right away. Let's get in and out as quickly as possible."

"I'll deal with those pixies should they threaten to interfere." Tiamat muttered gleefully.

Sirius headed for the bridge and, much to everyone's surprise, ordered them to enter fee space. Several hours later they arrived at a dangerous looking asteroid field. "Are you sure this is the right place," Sirius asked, looking at the viewscreen.

Misha swiped her hand, and asteroids fading out of view. "An illusion..."

"Sir," One of Sirius' men said from his seat. "We're receiving a transmission."

"Open a channel," Ravenwood ordered. "And be on alert. Who knows what they'll try."

The soldier opened the channel and the crew was met with Melinda. "Listen here, I don't know who you are, but you have some nerve showin' up here. Hand over whoever removed my wards and leave here quietly before I terror your ship asunder."

"Coming in a little strong, aren't we?" Sirius leaned forward. "We'll be going... as soon as we get who we're coming for. I suggest you comply to avoid any unnecessary blood shed." He leaned back again and shrugged. "Or don't. It'll be more fun that way."

An audible growl could be the woman, prompting Tiamat to say, "Why so sour, Melinda? I thought you liked meeting new people."

"No..." Fear choked out her voice with a vice grip. "No... It can't be... Arthur killed you..."

"Arthur was always good at lying." The mage queen reminded the councilwoman. "Now... I would like to meet my son~"

"I suggest you comply." Sirius grinned. "The fact that you look faint means you know what she is capable of."

Melinda bit her lip in frustration and fear. "Fine, I will allow you to land... If only to minimize the damage forcefully crashing your ship would cause."

Sirius chuckled. "Of course. Helmsman, plot in a course for the planet's surface. Take us in nice a slowly. Don't want to scare them by coming in to quickly. Tiamat, my queen, where should we land?"

"Right in front of the guild hall." She answered with a maniacal grin. "Finally! I get a chance to kill him!"

"Anyone ever tell you that you have such a beautful evil smile?" Sirius asked with amusement. The ship descended down to the planet, on high alert in case anyone pulled anything, and gently landed in front of the largest structure on the surface.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Fate's Price Part 3

Once the ship had landed, Tiamat hurried to exit it. She reached the ground, only to be met by a massive hammer shaped rock colliding with her skull. "You think you could attack us without retaliation? You are more of a fool than I thought-"

The Queen grabbed the man by his throat, blood still leaking from her forehead. "I did't just expect you to fight, old man... I wanted you to!"

Guther of the Golden Earth. A honorable man. A stubborn man. He spent countless days find a successor, as the only human among the council. He was the first to die. His body began to decay from behind his platinum armor, leaving nothing but dust when the Queen of Chaos was done with him. "I am Tiamat of the Deadly Rose! The Queen of Chaos! Any who dare challenge me will die!" She shouted, her wound still bleeding rapidly as she let out a spinechilling laugh.

Sirius casually exited behind her, lighting a cigarette. "If that's how it is going to be, I might not even have to fight. But just in case..." He ran a hand over his bracer, and it glowed a bright white.

Melinda stood in shock, while rage built in Natherion's reptilian eyes. "Where did you get that?"

"This little thing? It's just a trinket I picked up from a very stubborn collector that didn't want to part with it. Why?" Ravenwood raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what it is?"

Natherion pulled up his sleeves, revealing two, dark red bracers. He clashed them together, causing them glow a bright red. A wyvern and a drake formed on either side of him. "You will hand that over if you want to leave here alive."

"I didn't know you could have more then one," was all Sirius said to that. "Then again, they do seem ever so hard to find. But look!" He smirked. "I just found two more... as soon as I remove those pesky arms they're attached to."

"You have fun with that." Tiamat answered as she walked away from the building. "I'll be back to destroy this place in a bit. Martha, Fafnir, you two are coming with me."

Martha nodded eagerly, leaving Ravenwood behind. Sirius stepped forward and said, "Do we have to fight? Just because I'm not afraid to kill you doesn't mean I'm an unreasonable man willing to just... take those off your hands without a scuffle."

"Funny..." Natherion muttered as the wyvern took flight. "I was going say the same to you."

Ravenwood cracked his neck back and forth and pulled out a laser pistol. The glow of his bracer briefly moved onto the weapon, and a particularly powerful beam shot out towards the wyvern.

"I am Natherion of the Dragon's Blaze." The mage leader called out, as the wyvern exploded into ash. It quickly pulled itself back together, but this time as another drake. "And I will not sit back and watch another home be destroyed by corrupt powers."

"Sounds like you've had it tough. Well... I'm Sirius Ravenwood of the Starkiller." He grinned. "And I'll destroy whatever I need to in order to get what I want." He fired a few quick shots at the drakes, then one at their conjurer.

Natherion swiped his cape into the air in front of him, the burning material adsorbing the energized round. "You'll be quick to learn that your weapons are weak in the world of magic. I will give you one warning: hand over that bracer and leave... Or I will be forced to take off of your smoldering corpse." His voice was strangely calm given the situation.

"Mmm... no." Sirius pulled out a plasma grenade. "But if you hand over yours, I'll give you this for free!" He activated it and tossed it at his opponent.

One of the drakes intercepted and ate the grenade, flying away from it's master as Natherion charged towards Sirius. He threw a handful of a bright, blue powder on the floor. The powder flared up into a field of golden flames, before Natherion morphed it into a massive hand of fire.

"Ho ho ho! Don't you have an interesting bag of tricks!" Sirius quickly reached into his pocket. "Technology versus magic, huh?!" He threw a small device up and a blue energy shield formed out of it and surrounded him.

The flames consumed the shield, denying Sirius' ability to see behind it. It was quiet for a short moment, the silence being broken by a large, scaled claw clanging onto the barrier. A rasping roar echoed into the air... Whatever beast was outside was massive and fierce.

"Oh, the hell with this..." Sirius held out his hands, his glow intensifying. A dome of energy quickly shot out of him, shattering the shield from within and pushing out against the flames and attacker.

Natherion moved his hands to catch the flames and morph them into five spears that he sent forward. With his vision cleared, Sirius could see the dragon he had pushed back for a moment, before it split into three drakes and swooped down to attack the mercenary leader.

Sirius's eyes widened, actual desperation in his eyes. He balled his fist and threw a punch. As he did, a huge, glowing, celestial fist appeared above him to swing at the incoming attacks.

The fist sent the drakes crashing into the ground and altered the course of the spears. "Do you even realize the kind of power you wield? Do you even know where it draws such energy?" Natherion prodded as he created more flame spears to send after the man.

"Why should I care as long as I can get more and more power?!" Sirius swatted away the spears with one celestial hand and swung at their creator with another. "Just shut up and die already!"

"Ah, but she knows his tricks now. And she is even more powerful then she described being before. And for what she has down for me, I will kill any who stand in her way!" Sirius reached out, the two arms grabbing for Natherion.

Natherion remained silent, moving in slight increments to find the weakness in the form's grip. "It appears you are in quite the predicament, Natherion." A voice stated from behind him.

Zerath walked out from the shadows. A field of water formed underneath the fire mage, liquid tendrils shooting out and attempting to drag the hands into it's swirling maw. "By challenging one guild leader, you challenge all of us." Zerath told Sirius, her voice and face void of any hint of emotion. "Since Gunther is dead and my sister will no doubt follow... It is our responsibility to get rid of you."

Sirius grunted as the strain on his avatar put a strain on him. "Two on one, huh? Hardly fair..."

"Fairness is not a custom one should provide to an invader." Zerath answered, her voice was blunt and monotone. "However, if Natherion wishes to fight this battle alone... I will see to eliminating your crew."

"That won't be necessary. I'll just have to get serious..." Ravenwood withdrew the arms, and they could feel the power in him growing. Expanding. Multiplying. Behind him, a giganitic being took form. It was like an Angel of human religion, shining and radiant, much more celestial and pure looking then one would expect from someone like Sirius Ravenwood. It reeked of corruption, however, black veins around its eyes, and wings of shadows as dark as the rest of it was bright, like they didn't belong. It beat said wings, and great gusts shot forth.

A wall of murky water moved to intercept the wind blast. "Natherion?"

"Yes, Zerath?" The fellow guild leader muttered as his Drakes moved in to deal with the fallen angel.

"What drives this man's arrogance?" She asked, her voice mute of any emotion. "He has caused harm and strife among many people, including his own daughter... Yet he still continues. Shouldn't failure and lose cause him to forfeit these ideals of power and dominance?"

"Some people are just too damn stubborn." Natherion growled, preparing a spell. "There is a reason I hate outsiders."

"Words of wisdom lose their value when spoken from the mouth of a hypocrite..." The female mage muttered.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Fate's Price Part 4

"Are you two having a pleasant conversation?" Sirius asked angrily. "Please, keep me in the loop!" He held his hands together, and the angel did the same, an orb of energy forming between them. It shoot out a beam of light, which it swept across the drakes and down towards the pair of enemies.

"Then, tell me." The dark haired woman turned her attention. "What compels you to demand so much power? What compels you to put your daughter in harm's way?"

"Power and strength are a means and an ends all to themselves," Sirius stated. "You want to know why I want power? Because I used to have none! I grew up with nothing! My family were no ones! My parents were poor folk who had nothing to give me and my siblings but love and respect. I hated them! I swore I would be nothing like them! I would be strong! I would be rich! I would have everything they didn't, and so would my child!" The beam of energy moved to consume Zerath.

Natherion leaped out of the way of the attack before it consumed the fellow mage. "I can sense your arrogance, your hatred, your guilt. I do not understand the reasoning behind these emotions. You claim you wish for your daughter to be powerful... Yet she has already died once. You claim to be the best, yet you can not compare to Tiamat. You claim to have influence yet you lack immortality. What brings a human to such actions? What compels them to such recklessness? Was it truly your family? Or was there something else?"

"Shut up!" Sirius' eye twitched with anger. "Get out of my head! Fucking mind reader! This is why I don't allow any of your kind on my ship!" He cracked his knuckles. "You don't have to worry about the whys and hows. You won't live long enough to care. Just know that humans are complicated beings with complicated emotions and complicated motivations, and stay out of my mind."

"Mind reader?" The mage replied, still standing in the beam of light. "I can only view emotions and memories. The term mind reader is used for those who can listen to the thoughts of other... Unless that definition has changed recently. Nevertheless, I was created for a reason, and I cannot die until I find out my propose."

"Yeah, well, allow me to test that." Sirius ran towards her, firing off a laser pistol and a mag pistol as he ran while the angel took another swing at her.

The bullets and lasers passed through her body, causing blood to splatter across the wall behind the council leader. Each attack from the angel shattered bones, before it was interrupted by a Dragon biting into it's shoulder. "Have you forgotten that I'm still here?"

"Actually, a little. You make such a small impression." Despite his words, Sirius grimaced in pain. The angel reached over to grab the dragon and pry it off while Ravenwood attempted to shoot both opponents. Sweat rolled down his brow as he strained to do multiple things at once while maintaining full power.

Natherion used his cape to block the incoming attacks, though he flinched when one pierced his calf. The Dragon roared a breath of fire in defiance and agony, sharing the pain it's master received. Zerath stood up, her wounds slowly mending. "This is going to take a while it seems..."

----
"Alright, Paps is coming home soon?" Tobias asked his sister.

"Yeah, he had to borrow a shuttle from that Zera lady, but otherwise he'll be home." Abigail remarked. "In the meantime, you have some practicing to do."

"It is still so hard to believe you're some mythical being from Earth's past," JJ stated, recently being brought into the fold. "And that magic is real of course."

"You get used to it after a while." Tobias shrugged. "Everyone here's gotta secret or two... I just happen to not know mine initially."

"I'm just glad this place is a secret." Aya folded her arms. "Can you imagine the sorts of people who would abuse their knowledge of such a place? Of such people?"

"Hey, Toby..." Abigail turned towards her brother from the window. "Did you bring anyone else?"

"No, why do ya ask?" The Phoenix boy asked.

"She look familiar to ya?" She pointed at a white haired Cartus walking up the trial to their home.

"We've never seen her before," JJ said.

Aya tensed up. "You know pretty much everyone who is supposed to be here, right?"

Tobias cautiously walked outside. "Hey, are you supposed to be here? I've been told about reps from other groups... But I don't recall every seeing you."

"It's been awhile, hasn't it... My son~" The woman answered.

"Son?" Aya tensed up even more. Her arm rested at her hip. Was this the "Ex" Arthur had talked about?

"Well.. I had to make some alterations..." She responded. "My old body was insufficient, so I found a replacement~"

JJ glared at her for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. "Y... Y-Yip?"

"Oh? You knew her?" She asked with false innocence.

Tobias clenched his fist. "Why the hell are you here?"

"A good friend of mine wanted to meet you." Tiamat answered. "Have you heard of a man named Sirius Ravenwood?"

JJ grit her teeth and pulled out a pistol. "That isn't going to happen! Give my friend her body back!"

"Or what you going to do? Shoot me? Deny your friend the ability to live at all?" She taunted.

JJ's hand shook a bit. "T-Tobias, do you know anything about this body snatching? Is Yip still alive in there?"

"In order to steal a body, the original soul has to be ripped from it." Abigail answered. "It's too late to bring Yip back... Not that we would want to. Death turned Tiamat into a murderer, there's no telling what your friend turned into."

"Don't you think murderer is a bit harsh?" Tiamat responded. "Not that it matters, seeing as you shouldn't exist..."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" JJ noted. Her eyes briefly dartwd around. She couldn't see Aya. Was she hiding, preparing a sneak attack? "Well... as much as I'd hate to do this, somehow I think Yip would rather me desteoy that body then to have someone else run around in it."

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Fate's Price Part 5

Tiamat glanced at JJ before turning towards Abigail. "Who is your mother, child? Melinda perhaps?"

"I... I don't have one..." She answered while swallowing the knot in her throat.

"Oh, ho ho~" The queen grinned deviously. "You're not human... Are you?"

"What does she mean?" JJ asked, confused. "What do you mean? Of course you have to have a mother... right?"

"I wasn't born... I... I was created..." Abigail admitted.

"Yes, you are an abomination of magic, a creature forged from mana and flesh." Tiamat taunted. "You're nothing but a beast."

"SHUT UP!" Tobias yelled as he drove a fist onto her face. "That's my sister you're talking about, bitch!"

JJ gasped at his sudden out burst, but held her weapon steady. "That... that's right! And you should look in the mirror when calling people abominations, body snatcher!"

Tiamat chuckled. "Not going to make this easy, my child?"

"Fuck off..." Tobias spat at his mother.

"Very well. Martha, dear, capture Tobias while I deal with his bratty friends."

The human woman stepped forward. "Yes, my queen," she said as electricity crackled and arched between her hands. "Make this easy and just give up."

"You'll have to catch me first." Tobias gave the acolyte the bird before suddenly dashing off into the forest.

"H-hey!" Martha ran off after him. "Come back and fight, you punk!"

Tobias merely chuckled as he got as far away from Martha as possible.

"That certainly did not go as planned..." Fafnir remarked as he stepped out of the shadows. "Shall I go assist her?"

"No, I want to make sure she's worth holding on to." Tiamat replied. "If she wishes to keep herself safe from Ravenwood's punishments... She'll be sure to catch him." The queen step forward. "Now, Jackie-Jackie, that was your name, no? You don't seem like the type to enjoy being cornered... So perhaps we could talk this out civilly. There's no need for you to die, yet."

"Civilly? Alright..." JJ smirked. "Does that mean you'll listen if I ask you very nicely to leave us be?"

"No, I need to make preparations and I must start by burning this place to the ground." Tiamat answered in a casual tone.

"Do you mind if I try something out first?" JJ asked.

"And what do you intend on doing?" The mage queen asked with heightened curiosity.

"This." JJ fired her mag pistol at Tiamat's forehead.

Fafnir did not move a muscle at the sight of his queen's injury. He simply watched as she fell back from the bullet before catching herself. Tiamat let out a sadistic chuckle as she stood back up. "A valiant effort, but my mana can heal through that without an issue."

JJ raised an eyebrow. "Did that at least hurt?"

"Yes, but I have grown used to the pain over the years. After all, I was cursed to age rapidly for three hundred years prior to coming here." She replied with a grin.

Jackie-Jackie grit her teeth. "Abigail, how do we fight her?"

"You don't." Arthur voice echoed from the breeze. "I do..."

JJ looked around for him. "We can help. If she's as tough as she seems to think she is, you'll need help."

"No," Arthur appeared behind the group, his hands in his pockets. "What's more important is that you make sure they cannot capture my son. I cannot guarantee that I will defeat her... But I delay long enough for all of you to get out of here."

"Fine... we'll go take that woman out." JJ turned and ran in the direction Tobias had gone. "But we're coming back to help, so don't die!"

Arthur simply nodded before walking towards Tiamat. "I see your back. What's your grand plan this time?"

Tiamat chuckled. "I'm here to kill you, obviously. Though, I'm curious... Why doesn't he remember?"

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Frostlich1228 & ZombieSplitter53
Copies and Old Faces

Shortly after the Kinapping of Aya and JJ

JJ sat in her room late at night, the recent kidnapping of her and her first mate fresh in her mind. She stared at a computer screen, a new mission waiting for her. She never hesitated to take a mission before, but... what if it was a trap? Would she ever be able to take on a mission again without fearing such a thing?

"JJ!" She heard someone call out from the door, it was Lady. "Are you okay!?"

"L-Lady." JJ slowly looked up from the computer. She hadn't interacted with many people since she had got back a d realized she had been neglecting her new girlfriend. "I-I'm okay. Please, come in."

The door opened suddenly, Lady running in her her eyes watering. "Jackie are you okay what happened?"

JJ smiled sadly. "Oh... the usual. I walked into a trap. Barely escaped. L..." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Lost another crewmate because of my stupidity," she choked out.

Lady ran up a just hugged her, "I was so so scared when you didn't come back!"

JJ let out a sob, and squeezed her back. "I'm so sorry. The last thing I wanted was to pull people down with me. I shouldn't have brought Aeshleigh on that mission! I should have never gone on it! I... I should have played along with Solex or something! I could have prevented this!"

"Maybe... Maybe we could've figured something out from there... But we can't change the past." Lady comforted her.

JJ closed her eyes and softly said, "I'm... scared, Lady."

"Shh... Its okay... We'll get these guys. And I'm coming with you next time, you hear?" Lady told her sternly.

JJ shuttered. "But what if I lose you too? Of everybody, the thought of losing you and Yixx, right when I've truly found you... it's terrifying."

"What if we lose you stupid? What if they had killed you or captured and raped you? I've heard what they do." Lady gently brushed the side of her cheek.

JJ sighed. "I... I do want revenge. And more then that, Solex needs to be stopped before anyone else suffers by his hands. I..." She looked away. "I won't be able to do this on my own, huh? I'll have to put everyone in danger, including you."

"Danger is what we do... It's what Aeshleigh did... It's... A risky job..." The Human Girl kissed her cheek, "But t we can't stop him if we play if completely safe."

JJ slowly nodded, and smiled once more. "I'm sorry it took me so long to be with you."

"It's-Okay..." Yixx switched in, planting a soft kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Captain?" Ash appeared in the room, and immediately averted his eyes. "Sorry!"

JJ frowned, and wiped her eyes. "I've asked you not to do that unless it's an emergency."

"Y-yes, well, it... it's kinda an emergency." Ash peaked through his fingers. "A ship is closing in fast, and it isn't responding to hails. We have reason to believe it might be an enemy ship. Possibly bandits or pirates."

"Oh you've got to be... I hope it's not those Yorin..." Lady sighed loudly.

"Whoever it is, they picked the wrong day to mess with us. Ash, ready all weapons, and put the ship on high alert. Lady, if you'll accompany me to the bridge?"

"Right, got it!" She nodded, hopping up and rubbing her bracelet.

The pair were quick to get to the bridge, Aya already there. "They'll be within weapon's range in a few minutes," she stated. "Repeated hails fall on deaf ears."

"We're not taking any chances." JJ sat in her chair. "Recommendations?"

Yyashtra stood beside Aya, sighing, "Well. With that trajectory either they think we'll run and they'll hit us with their forward guns, or they are trying to board. We should get the noncombatants somewhere safe."

"Good idea. Ash, get all non-combatants to the lower decks. I..." The whole ship shook. "What was that?"

"Long range missle attack," Aya answered. "Some kind of stealth weapon we couldn't pick up! Luckily, our shields took the blow."

The entire ship shook again from another blow. "Evasive maneuvers!" JJ shouted.

Lady and Yyastra quickly fell to the floor, the sound of gunfire echoing. The Laepaede Sneered, "They're already in? A... Boarding Pod? Fuck..."

"How did they..." JJ hit the intercoms. "All hands, intruders on board! Show them they picked the wrong crew to mess with." She walked over to a emergency locker and pulled out several rifles. "Let's get them off my ship!"

Lady and Yyastra both took their rifles, nodding. "We have to protect everyone." Lady added quickly.

As she said that a number of pirates ran up onto their view, two Quin and a Human Man, pointing their guns at the trio. "Ms. Starstorm right? Surrender. Now. We can leave without anymore fighting if you give us pick of your crew."

"Oh, is that all you want?" JJ said sarcastically, and opened fire. "You're not taking anyone, slavers!"

A gunfight broke out on the deck of the ship, the human who spoke going down quickly to the barrage of weapons fire.

Yyashtra growled in frustration, "We need to get past these brutes!"

"Perhaps I can help." Ash appeared briefly with a smile. "I have a little surprise, courtesy of Solex."

He disappeared again, and a minute later, the droid they had stolen ran in behind the Quin, bashing one in the back of the head with its fists before turning to the other one.

"Concentrate fire on the down Quin!" JJ ordered.

He fell to the ground, grumbling, looking up just as the assault rifle fire layer into him. The other Quin, realizing his current situation, quickly retreated back towards the steps, throwing a fire bomb to cover his exit and block the stairs behind him.

"Damn! Ash, see if you can put that out!" Aya held her head and sighed. "Let's just hope the others can take care of themselves..."

Meanwhile, Qvibizthah quickly tried to gather up as many of the non-combatants as possible. One of the pirates came around the corner, a Tamaerin man, who the fish woman struggled against in point blank. He managed to overpower her, throwing her down as he reached for a gun, suddenly stopping as she invaded his mind. "Ah! Put down weapon, give up!"

He did as she commanded and laid his weapons down, cuffing himself to a nearby rail.

"Qviy!" Karii Regus ran out from behind some cover, the little reptilian girl looking terrified. "What is happening? Who are these people?"

"Don't Know. Bad people! Stay close!" She gave her a smile, taking her hand as they ran, trying to avoid the majority of the fighting.

All over the ship, the scene was chaos. The crew of the Golden Wind was better trained and equipped, as well as fighting on home turf, but the raiders had numbers. A group of three Shinso stepped into view in front of the pair, aiming heavy assault rifles. "Freeze!" One of them fire a warning shot that barely missed.

"Careful, you idiot!" yelled another. "We don't get paid nearly as much for corpses."

Qvibizthah let out a blast of psychic energy, uncontrolled, but powerful, causing them all severe, splitting pain in their skulls. "Get away!"

They held their heads in pain and started firing wildly. "Get out of my head," one yelled in a panic.

Q quickly grabbed the small syzoth girl and dove out of the way behind a corner, taking off down that hall now. As she did, she quickly picked up one of the pirates guns off of the ground, she had been practicing, but the finer details of how to use it eluded her.

"Why is this happening?" Karii cried out. "I... h-how can I help?"

"Child. Please. No help. Stay safe." Qvibizthah begged almost, peeking around a corner, cursing as both her routes were cut off by fighting.

"O-okay." Karii couldn't help shed a tear, the thought of dying immediately after losing her sister extra terrifying.

"There they are!" The three Shinso from before rounded a corner. "A Syzoth and... whatever the fish girl is. We'll get extra for bringing them in."

Q hissed loudly at them. "I give you fucks! Bad people go! I'll kill!"

They laughed at her broken language, and one said, "What do you take us for? You can't even hold that weapon straight!"

She growled this time, throwing her Weapon into them suddenly and flashing her hypnotic lights, trying to take control of every single one of them. "You! Go! Away! Now!"

The three of them nodded, lowering their weapons and walking away without a word. "Wow!" Karii cried out. "That's amazing!" She was almost as hypnotized as the three men, so fascinated that she didn't hear someone sneaking up behind her.

She was tired as she looked back to check on Karii, only to see a tall, buff human woman with a black ponytail, put her arm around the kid's neck and lifted her up from behind.

"Seems like that takes a bit out of you, but I don't want to take any chances." The woman grinned as Karii uselessly struggled. "You see, I'm the kind of woman who would rather exploit weaknesses then underestimate people like those idiots did. And I'm betting this kid is a weakness seeing as how you were trying to protect her so much."

"Put her down. Please." Qvibizthah begged her, not exact strong enough to try it again for a while. "What... You want?"

"I want you." The woman squeezed Karii a bit. "Fight, and I pop her head off. Surrender and come with us, and I let her go. Simple as that."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

Her head lowered, she had no choice... She enjoyed her freedom while it lasted... The friends... The Fun... "Let go first. Then I'll come..."

The woman dropped Karii, the girl coughing and gasping for air. "Lucky for you we already have a lizard girl." She tossed a pair of cuffs at Q's feet. "Put those on. Should take care of those pesky powers of yours."

She gave Karii a sad look, before she our them on, "Please. Tell JJ... Thank you..."

Karii nodded weakly, tearing up. "I'm sorry," she said sadly, the look in face one of utter helplessness and despair as she could do nothing about the woman lifting Qvibizthah onto her shoulder and walking away with her.

"What... You going to do with me." The Fish Girl asked as she hung her head.

"Don't you worry, fish girl. Just a few experiments. Some blood drawn here, a few brain scans there. You cooperate and you might even get to go free... some day."

"Joy." She replied, she didn't really know what she was talking about, but she had no choice but to follow her lead.

As the woman took Qvibizthah, the pirates seemed to start to retreat, JJ and friends finally managing to put out the fire using an exintinguisher.

As they surveyed the ship for damage and casualties, the four women sticking together. Karii suddenly ran uo and wrapped her arms around Yyashtra's legs, sobbing. "I... I messed up! It's all my fault!"

"Hey!" The Royal hugged her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's Qviy!" The Syzoth girl cried out. "She was fighting them, and she was doing fine, but then they grabbed me and she went with them to save me! It's all my fault! I was too weak to fight back! It should have been me!"

"They took Qvibizthah!" Yyashtra'kari's expression darkened. "It's not your fault. We'll get her back."

"Damn right, we will." JJ walked over to a wall monitor. "Ash, is there anyway we can follow that ship undetected? They have one of our friends."

"They do? Um... we can give them a wide birdth. Our sensors are likely better then theirs. If we stay just within sensor range and match their speed, we should be able to follow them without them realizing."

"Good, do that." JJ turned to Lady. "You're with me."

"Damn right. Anytime." Lady nodded loyally.

"The question is how we'll handle this." Aya rubbed her chin. "I'm sure you would like to hit them hard and fast, but we need to consider Q's safety."

Karii rubbed her eyes and said, "They said... something about scanning her brain and taking blood... i-if that helps."

"Blood and brain scans?" JJ folded her arms. "I figured them for run of the mill slavers. Why the medical work?"

"I... Don't know. I'm surprised they were so ballsy, but I guess it's not surprising considering the GFP is so weak." Yixx chimed in. "But brain scans make me think they want her psionics? And blood... Hmm..."

"Well, for now we'll have to approach it like a regular slave situation." JJ rubbed her wrists nervously. "Maybe we can pose as interested parties like on the Collector's ship. Try and buy her back."

"Except they know who we are." Lady pointed out.

"That's right," Aya said. "They likely targeted us specifically."

JJ scratched her head. "Then... force our way in it is? Unless someone else has an idea."

"Normally I'd suggest getting information before we do anything." Yixx added. "But that means leaving her alone for longer..."

JJ hit her fist into her palm. "The direct approach it is! I can't wait to bust heads and get our fishy friend back!"

"Damn right! ASH, let start following them!" Lady nodded confidently.

"Already started. On their current course, they'll reach Planet Grafery in the Sentar system in two hours."

"Gotcha. We're coming Q..." Lady cracked her neck.

*****

A few hours later, Qvibizthah awoke to find herself on a surgical table. The lights were dim and she could hear the sounds of machines buzzing around her. The sickeningly sweet smell of medical chemicals was pungent. "Ah... you're awake. Good..."

She tried to struggle, but she could barely move, "You... What... Are you doing?"

"Relax, relax. No need to make a fuss." A man walked into her view, an older gentleman of a race she had never seen before, with violet skin and large bumps on his bald head. He had four big, bright green eyes, slanted and somewhat reptilian, that seemed to be able to move independently. He gave her a toothy smile, showing off two rows of sharp, yellow teeth. "I have a few questions for you," he said in a soothing voice, like a pediatrician trying to reassure a frightened child, or the host of a children's show. "If you answer them for me, things will go a lot smoother for the both of us. Yes, they will."

"Right... Um... Weird way to ask question..." She looked at her bindings.

"Just a precaution my dear." He walked away and returned with a large syringe. "Now... what species are you? Where do you come from?"

"I am... A Qvin? We are from outside of your Galaxy..." She answered him honestly.

"Really? You must have an interesting story for how you got here." He smiled again. "I'm going to take a bit of blood, okay? Lay still and it will barely hurt."

"Um... Don't think it'll... Be hard..." She motioned towards the restraints.

The man chuckled and carefully drew blood from her arm. He was surprisingly gentle for a kidnapper, though she could sense there was more to his personality then he led on. "Oh, how rude of me!" he exclaimed, carefully taking the blood to a table. "I didn't catch your name. I am Dr. Jeekels."

"Qvibizthah." She noted simply. "Doctor? What's that?"

"A doctor is someone who has an advanced education, usually referred to as a doctor when it is a medical field. I have doctrines in biology and neuroscience." He lifted a large, intimidating looking object, like a dome hat with a lot of bells and whistles on it. "You have a very interesting brain, my dear. Back in my official days, I could likely make a living just on the study of your unique mind. It is a wonder you were even captured."

"I... Was trying to protect children..." Qvibizthah looked sad

"I see. I am sorry you had to go through that. I like to avoid harming children if possible. You know what they say about finding good help..." He attached the dome to a device at the top of the table and moved it over her head.

"Uh... What's this...?" She replied with apprehension.

"This is a brain scanner. It will make an exact copy of all your neural patterns, from personality to memories." The doctor smiled comfortingly, or at least as comfortingly as one with those teeth could look. "It might be imprecise due to your unique brain patterns and physiology though, so I might have to do some fine tuning and take more scans. It... shouldn't hurt. But be a dear and tell me if it causes any discomfort, okay?"

"Uh..." She laughed awkwardly and nervously. "Okay?"

He switched the device on, the machine buzzing softly as lights danced across her head. "Huh?" he muttered, looking at a screen out of sight. "How fascinating. The part of your brain responsible for your abilities is one of the largest I've ever seen. People will be quite thrilled with you. We are going to make a lot of money... as soon as I can properly download everything."

"Thrilled... With me...? Are you... Going to Enslaver me?" She asked with some dread.

Jeekels chuckled. "Oh no, my dear, do not worry. You will be set free. It... might be a while. I want to be sure I have the proper brain scans and enough DNA to make plenty of copies, but then you will be released. I do not sell people... or clones."

"Clones? Like... Mirror people?" She confirmed.

"Mirror people... yes. That might be a good way of describing them. Individuals who are lab grown, artificially aged, and with implanted memories." He walked over and smiled. "The fake copies make for excellent servants, workers, and soldiers. And you, dare, with produce so many wonderful clones for me."

"But... They're me... Isn't that wrong? They're people?" She questioned, recoiling a bit.

"No, no, no," the doctor said with a chuckled, though his brow dropped a bit. "They're not people. Only copies. They have no real free will. No soul. You wouldn't hold a priceless work of art in the same regards as a copy of it, no matter how accurate, would you?"

"Uh... Okay..." Her eyes darted, she wasn't sure if she really trusted him.

He seemed to calm a bit with her agreement, and pressed a button on a console. "I have to make a few adjustments to the machine. I will call upon you again later."

The door to the room opened, briefly flooding the dark room with bright light. Up to the table walked the woman who had captured her. "How was your little doctor's visit, princess?"

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

"Fine! You... Asshole!" Qvibizthah called out, pouting.

"Oh, ho ho! Princess has some bite in her after all!" The woman reached for her shakles. "That bite going to get you in trouble, or are you going to play nice?"

"You hurt my friends!" She accused.

"No one was killed. Calm down, princess." The large human lifted a fist. "Do I have to knock you out?"

"Please, no violence," the doctor said clamly, but there was a look in his eye that made the woman shake a bit. "My dear, please go back to your room. All will be alright if you cooperate, I promise."

"Fine...." She begrudgingly agreed.

The large thig unlatched her arms and legs and motioned for the door. "This way, my dear."

Qvibizthah nervously followed, she didn't even know where she was, even if she did somehow get out, where would she go?

As she walked down a corridor, she spotted several servants in simple attire cleaning and doing chores, none looking happy. Slaves no doubt. One looked awfully familiar in the brief moment she was passed. No... it couldn't be...

They arrived at their destination. It was a cell, no doubt, with bars and a locking door. But at least the inside looked comfortable, with a nice bed and a dresser with a chair and several books. There was even a pressure tank. A small one, but it was something. "In you go, fishy," the woman said gruffly, opening the door.

"They looked sad. Why did they look sad?" She asked, looking away.

"Because they're slaves. They are treated less then sentient, and they don't even understand why..." The woman's eyes were a bit sad themselves... and knowing.

"But... They do think? You know it's wrong?" She looked at her with some Empathy.

"Of course I know that. I..." She squeezed her fists. "I'm one of them. And I'd be in their place if my original hadn't been fit for fighting."

"You're... A-A Clone? But... Why don't you leave?" Qvibizthah couldn't stop herself from asking. "No. Stupid question."

"It isn't that stupid," she said, and pointed to her head. "One of the benefits of growing us in a lab and having access to our exact brainwaves and minds is the doctor can program us like a computer. I am compelled to stick around. So is everyone else, and most don't even realize it. Besides... where would we go? Most of our originals are still out there. We have no place."

"There should be somewhere... You can make a place." Q suggested casually.

"Maybe... but not as long as the doctor has a hold of us..." She motioned her head. "Inside... please. He isn't above punishing his tools."

She stepped into the cell. "This is very wrong..."

"You don't have to tell me." The large woman closed the door and walked off.

As the aquatic woman looked around her new quarters, she heard someone whisper, "Pst! Hey!"

Qvibizthah seemed confused. "Hellos?"

"Qvibizthah, is it really you?" A reptilian woman in rags walked up to the cell. "Of course it is you, how many of your people can be here? Are you okay?" She was the ghostly reminder of one who was supposed to be dead.

"You're... The Aeshleigh..." She blinked quickly with her strange eyes. "How are you..."

"Here? I don't know." Aeshleigh looked back and forth to make sure no one was listening. "This strange doctor offered me a lot of money to get a few tests down a couple weeks ago. The last thing I remember, he was putting this helmet on me. I must have fell unconscious, and when I woke up here, I was suddenly a slave! I... no one... ever came for me. I was afraid something had happened to the crew. I had hoped they... didn't just forget about me..."

"Ms... Aeshleigh... You..." The Fish Girl walked over and poked her. "No. You're real..."

The reptilian woman chuckled grimly. "O-of course I'm real... why? Did something happen? Is my little sister okay?"

"Sister fine. I stopped bad lady from taking her." Q took a deep breath. "But... That's because... You died..."

"I... died?" Aeshleigh looked distressed, and quickly shook her head. "Y-you mean... you mean they made you think I died, right? Because that would explain why no one came to save me... right?"

"Ms. Aeshleigh. Your... Neck was broken... Not by these guys, by a pirate named... Solis? Solex?"

"That's impossible!" Aeshleigh said, agitated. "I've been here the whole time! They..." She blinked. "Th-they've... been talking about clones! That's it! They must have sent a clone in my place!"

"Are... You sure you're not one of the clone... People?" Q asked.

"O-of course I'm... not..." Aeshleigh looked panicked, thoughts running theough her head. If she could sweat, she would be sweating buckets. "It's not true, is it? A-am I a clone? Is that why I'm here? Am I just... oh, god..." She placed her hands on her head. "That's it, isn't it!? They cloned me... her! God, oh god, oh god!"

"Ms. Aeshleigh please calm down! We can figure something out. Are... They going to clone me too?" Qvibizthah suddenly realized.

The lizard woman looked back and slowly nodded. "I... I think so. We... we need to stop them. They treat them... u-us... like slaves. We're sold like a commodity. We're nothing but objects to them. I-'ll unlock this cage..." She reached for the lock but stopped, her hands shaking violently.

"I... Don't think you can... I think he said he programmed you to not be able to escape..." She shrunk.

"Programmed me... so I really am a clone..." Aeshleigh sulked. She shook her head and said, "I'll... figure something out. I don't care how smart or prepared he is, he couldn't have accounted for everything I might do. I'll get you out of here somehow."

"What about you. You have a sister that misses you... Even if you are a... Clone..."

Aeshleigh lowered her head. "Would she accept me? Would anyone? From what you say, the original me is dead and gone. I'm just... an imitation. A copy." She looked down at her hands. "Do I... even have the right to take the real me's place?"

"Why not? You are her right?" Qvibizthah frowned. "You have love for your sister?"

"Of course I do." Aeshleigh placed a hand over her chest. "I miss her so much. And I am so relieved she is okay."

"If you have love. Then you have a soul. I... It's not her soul... But it's your soul." Qvibizthah tried to explain.

Aeshleigh slowly nodded. "Thank you." She smiled lightly. "Just hang tight, alright? I'll... figure something out."

"Okay. Hopefully our friends come." Qvibizthah nodded.

*****

"That's where the ship landed," JJ stated, looking at a building through binoculars. "In that building, right in the center of town. She must be in there. I... can only imagine what the horrible monsters in charge are doing to her..." She passed the binoculars to Lady/Yixx.

Lady took them and looked through. "It looks so innocuous. Just like any other building. We'll get her."

"Hopefully." Yyastra added. "We need to work quickly."

Aya nodded. "The others will make a distraction in front while we infiltrate through the back. It is an old but effective strategy. Once in, we free any slaves that we can, but Qvibizthah is our priority. We get in, get her, and get out, and leave any clean up to the local authorities. Any questions?"

"Yeah, can I shoot whoever is in charge for attacking my ship and kidnapping my crew?" JJ asked irritably.

"Hopefully we can punish them. But we're here for Q." Lady nodded.

JJ lifted up her communicator. "Prepare the distraction." She yurned to the others. "Let's move out, find a back entrance, and get ready to raise hell."

"I'll follow you anywhere JJ." Lady nodded seriously.

JJ smiled back, and the group got into position, right outside the back of the innocuous building, hidden behind a truck. The two guards looked like lowly security officers from the outside, but a skilled eye could spot some heavy firepower hidden in their jackets. "Now," JJ whispered, and a minute later, there was a large explosion in the front of the building. "Move!" JJ said, rushing towards the guards, their backs turned to the group and looking at the building.

Lady quickly tackled one to the ground, placing a knife against his throat. "Where do you keep your prisoners?"

"W-what prisoners?!" He cried out as his partner was drop kicked by JJ, slamming him into a wall and knocking him out. "W-we're just a... a pharmaceutical..."

"Bullshit you are." She pressed the knife harder against his throat. "Tell us right now, or I'll just kill you and find out from the next guy."

His eyes darted to the other woman, none of them showing any signs of intervening. "O-okay! They're in the basement. Th-there is a hidden passage to it. I-it's locked by a special reader though. I don't have the clearance to open it, I swear!"

"And who does?" She threatened further. "If you lie to me I swear to God I'll come back and tear out spine through ass."

"Please, lady, I just guard the place! They don't even pay me, I'm forced to work for free!" His eyes twitched as his frightened mind tried to work. "The... the manager! A lady name Tiffany Taninbow. Shinso, tall, Dark grey skin with black spots, glasses, air of superiority. You can't miss her! She's one of the ones who works with the doctor directly!"

Lady rolled him over and clamped restraints on his hands. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

"Good work." JJ smiled at her and led them towards the factory. "You're really intense when you need to be. Now let's work that magic on this Shinso lady."

Yyashtra'kari and Lady took the wall to the right side of the door, peeking in with their rifles.

The place was running amok, workers and guards alike trying to make sense of the explosion up front. After watching for a while, they saw their target, a woman matching the description given to them standing on an overhead walkway, shouting down. "Find out what the fuck is happening! Kill anyone who is attacking us! We'll cover it up later!"

"We have to find a way to get up to her..." Lady mentioned.

Aya nodded. "Yyashtra can create a distraction with me. Draw their attention. While we do, you and JJ can get up to her."

"Right. You two slip past first. And try not to get killed." The Royal said, nodding towards JJ

JJ waved for Lady to follow her. They stuck to the shadows, avoiding the wondering eyes of the frantic guards and packers, and placing themselves at the based of the stairs. They could still see their target, yelling obscenities. "In position," she whispered into her communicator.

"Then cover your eyes.' Yyashtra'kari smiled, taking a flashbang grenade off of her belt and lobbing it into the room, leaning out of cover and firing down at the enemy.

Everyone turned towards her fire, as intended. Before they could react, the grenade went off, stunning most of them in one fell swoop. Aya ran to different cover in the confusion and used her powers to mind control one of the guards. The man pulled out his weapon and fired in the direction of the Shinso manager, causing her to flee down the catwalk, in the direction of JJ and Lady.

Lady smiled, quickly running up to block her path, standing in front of her. "Well well well. I'll give you one shot. Give us the key card and you can walk out of here."

"The fuck are you?" The woman glared at her. "Get the fuck out of my way and get back to work!"

"Back to work? You think we're slaves?" Lady leveled her assault rifle up at her. "The Keycard. Now."

Taninbow rised her hands. "Th-the office doesn't need a keycard! Take whatever you want."

JJ lifted her pistol. "The keycard to your hidden entrance. Don't try to lie."

"I... I don't," Tiffany stammered.

"Do you think we're stupid?" Lady fired a plasma round into the floor by her feet. "Would you rather I just melt your head and take it? I'm sure we'd find it ourselves eventually."

The woman yelped loudly, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She quickly reached into her pocket and produced a card. "Okay, here! Just don't kill me!"

JJ looked past her as a few guards noticed them. "We have company."

Lady quickly made her way over, snatching the card out of her hands and pushing her to the floor so she wouldn't be in the line of fire.

JJ opened up, blasting at the poorly equipped guards. Taninbow cried out, squeezing her eyes shut and holding her hands over her head. For such an intense, angry woman, she obviously wasn't used to this situation.

It was then that Lady seemed to be suddenly a little concerned. "JJ... Don't these people seem a little underequipped for slavers?"

"Y... yeah, now that you mention it, it does feel like shooting fish in a barrel." JJ looked down at the Shinso woman. "What's the deal!"

The woman gave her a nervous grin. "Like I'd tell anything to a little Cartus Cheri..."

Lady immediately lost her concerns, reaching down to grab her by the hair. "Well. You're lucky this little Cheri or her girlfriend are both nice enough to not vent your head right now. And believe me I'm very tempted."

"Ow, ow! Please stop! Do you have any idea how much I pay to get my hair this nice, you bitch!"

"Come on. Let's go. Now you be a good little girl and stay here like you're told. Wouldn't want to be accidentally shot now would you? That would be an absolute tragedy..." Lady put her down, "Let's find our girl."

JJ glared down at the woman for a few moments before nodding. "Come on."

They ran towards the back of the building once more, looking for a keycard reader while the other two kept the guards busy. "Maybe we should have taken her hostage," JJ said.

"She's not a part of the whole scheme. She's a secretary." Lady explained. "They don't care about her."

"True." JJ opened a few doors before turning and smiling, pointing into the back of one. "How many janitor closets need key readers?"

"Not many. We'll save as many people as we can, but first, Qvibizthah." Lady told her.

JJ nodded and stepped inside. She swiped the keycard, and a set of lockers slid to the side, revealing a staircase leading down to a dark sub-basement. "Kinda spooky," JJ said as she walked down the stairs. "Keep your wits about you. No telling what we'll..."

She sudden bumped into the large woman who took Qvibizthah, the lady snarling angrily and lifting JJ into the air.

Lady reacted by activating her gauntlet, the fiery apparition of Jinn appeared in a haze of red sulferous smoke. She whipped her hair back sensually, a fireball forming in her hands.

"I'd suggest you let her go..." The Succubus said, "Or things are going to have to get fun."

The woman looked like she was struggling, and said, "I... c-can't..." She tossed JJ at Lady and pulled out a pistol.

"Jinn... Something's not right. Just knock her out." Lady commanded.

"Mmmm... Fine..." The Infernal Woman sauntered up to her, firing a bolt of fire at her pistol.

The large human let out a yelp of pain as the weapon heated up and burned her. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before rushing in head long. "You'll never be able to escape with your friend!"

Jinn blocked her path with a burning hot hand to her chest, "Honey. Has anyone ever told you you're a little fucking aggro?"

The woman held her chest in pain and said, "I don't have a choice, you... whatever you are! I'm programmed to defend this place until I die!" She pulled out a knife and flung it at Lady, but JJ caught it with surprising speed and accuracy.

Jinn suddenly pulled her into a kiss, the Woman's lips burning from the heat as she felt her energy not increase, but decrease rapidly.

She tried to pull away, but her struggles were in vein as she grew weaker and weaker.

"Jinn! Don't kill her!" Lady protested firmly.

"Pfft. Fine." She dropped the hard on the floor, licking her lips.

JJ checked the woman's pulse and nodded. "Remind me not to get on your bad side," she said, and stood up. "Let's go. Look for... I don't know, cages? Cells? Preferably one with a large tank."

She nodded, making her way through the halls and looking for anything that might be a cell.

They walked past a number of servants that gave them scared, nervous looks, all of them dressed in rags and all looking quite fatigued.

"You... All can stop now... We're here to free you." Lady explained simply.

They continued to do their work despite what she said. "Can't stop," one mumbled. "Can never stop. Doctor only one who can let us stop..."

"Are they... Mind Controlled? I didn't even know you could do something like that..." Lady covered her mouth.

"Not to this slave at least. Not this many people with no one around to control them." JJ cracked her knuckles. "Guess we'll just have to find this doctor and make him let them stop. Come on. We'll come back for them. Let's find our girl first."

Lady nodded, continuing to look through the cells until something, someone, caught her eye, causing her mouth to fall agape. "That's... No... It can't be..."

JJ stopped in her tracks when she saw what Lady was looking at. "Is that... Aeshleigh...?"

"She... Died right? You told me she died." Lady looked a JJ for confirmation.

JJ nodded. "I saw her die right in front of me. Her neck was snapped. I... this can't be real..."

"Aeshleigh?" Lady walked up to the cage, looking confused and concerned.

The reptilian woman flinched and turned to face her. "L... Lady? JJ? Is that really you? Or... or are you just... no... you're free. You must be the originals..."

"The... Originals? What are you talking about? Original what?" Lady returned Jinn to the gauntlet.

"Original people..." Aeshleigh shook her head. "I know what you're thinking. How can I be here when I died, right? Well... I did did. Rather, she died. I'm... just a clone. A copy made a few weeks ago from stolen DNA and implanted memories. I'm just a fake. A copy."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

"A Clone... They're... Real?" Lady blinked. "I mean... You always hear stories of someone's friend's cousin's sister that was cloned, but I never thought it was actually possible..."

"I'm proof, aren't I. The real Aeshleigh died, right?" JJ looked away sadly, and the cloned woman sighed. "Just... you're here to find the real Qvibizthah, right? I can... show you the way."

"Um... Okay..." Lady followed her, not sure what to think. "Who is doing this? Do you know?"

"Y-yeah... or I have an idea." The lizard woman rubbed her arm. "This big, purple man calling himself Dr. Jeekels. Mad doctor, really. I... I mean, the real me... was offered some money in exchange for some tests. Blood taken, some kind of brain scan. I... I have all her memories up to that point a few weeks ago. When I woke up, I was... already like this. He must have cloned her and put her memories in me."

"He's the one in charge?" JJ asked, anger growing deep in her chest.

"I-I think so, yes." Aeshleigh rubbed her wrist. "In charge here at least. I have been cleaning in his office, heard him talking to other respectfully, like colleagues, but never like he was answering to someone. Everyone here answers to him. They are all afraid." She looked between the two. "It is a nightmare. Most of us don't even realize what we are. We're just... compelled to stay. Compelled to work, and most don't even know why! I do... now... but I don't know if that's better or worse..."

"Well. We'll just have to take him down and save you." Lady added.

Aeshleigh's shoulders slumped. "I... think you should focus on saving the real person..." She waved her hand towards a cell.

"Qvibizthah!" Lady rushed over upon seeing the Fish Girl swimming in the tank.

"Lady Lady!" She perked up, placing her hands on the glass. "You came! And Jayh Jayh!"

"Are you okay?" Jackie asked. "Did they hurt you, because so help me..."

"I'm... Okay... They did a brain scan on me..." She repeated the words of the doctor.

"Does that mean they're going to clone you too?" JJ looked around. "Is that the point of this place? To produce clones and... what? Use them? Sell them as slaves? That's..." She squeezed her fists tightly in anger. She quickly pulled out a pistol, shooting the cell's control panel. The door popped open, but suddenly red lights flashed throughout the hallway, the faint whine of alarms sounding.

Qvibizthah nodded, opening up her tank and climbing out and stepping onto the floor, but not before putting in suit back on in the tank of course. "Are we free Aeshleigh?"

"Well... you're free." Aeshleigh sighed. "I... can't leave. I want to leave... but I don't want to leave. I can't really explain it, I..."

"Mental conditioning..." JJ's eye twitched. "A type of... physiological mind control, programmed into the mind to condition someone into doing things, even against their own will. The Shinso have been experimenting with it for centuries. I guess it's a lot easier to do if you have control of someone's inception during every stage on the cellular level..."

"So we just have to force the Doctor to remove it then." Lady nodded, reloading her rifle.

JJ nodded. "Let's go find him." She turned, and several guards ran around a corner.

Aeshleigh quickly said, "You got what you came for! Run for it! Just leave me! I'm not even...!"

"Fuck no." Lady cursed. "We need to try and take them down without killing them!"

"We can try." JJ ducked into an open cell to avoid being shot. "Too bad they don't share the sentiment!" She ducked out to quickly shoot one in the leg.

"Dammit... Cover your eyes!" The Human Girl quickly unlatched a flashbang grena from her belt, throwing it and having it roll under them before exploding in a flash of sound and light.

JJ rushed out of cover once the light died down, using her enhanced legs and lungs to hustle over to ths guards and start bashing heads to knock them out. Aeshleigh looked strained, obviously wanting to help, but compelled not to.

Lady nodded, giving Aeshleigh one more look, "We'll save you. Hold tight."

"Thanks. S-sorry..."

"Come on." JJ pointed down the hall. "They came from that direction. Bet there is something, or someone, there worth protecting."

"Lead the way." The Human Girl nodded.

The pair continued forth, fighting more guards along the way. They didn't put up much of a fight. They didn't seem to want to fight, and were no match for trained bounty hunters. They at last came across the room that Qvibizthah woke up in, someone moving about inside.

"Come out with your hands up! I'm serious! Otherwise this'll go a lot worse for you!" The Amber skinned girl called out.

"Oh? Oh, dear me. Whatever could the trouble be?" Dr. Jeekles slowly stepped out of the room with his hands up.

"You attacked out ship and kidnapped our friend. Then we find out you cloned our other friend and made her your slave!" Lady growled.

"Easy, now, easy." The man gave her a big smile, any cheer it might have displayed offset by the rows of shark-like teeth. "Don't fuss, my dear. It is so hard to get volunteers for this work. I assure you, I was going to let your friend go."

"Yeah. No. Not just her, you're letting all of them go. And you're going to disable your programming too." Lady demanded.

JJ nodded. "And make it snappy."

"A-all of them?" Jeekles chuckled nervously. "You... you can not be serious. To lose so many clones at once would be too hard a blow. Why do you even care? They... they are just copies. Duplicates. Imitations of real people." He looked over to Aeshleigh, nervously standing behind the others. "They are little more then biological machines. What does it matter...?"

"Then why give them all their memories? Their personalities? That's what makes a person who they are! You probably just wanted them to feel whatever you did to them you freak..." Lady looked at him, disgusted.

"Well, beings with no memories or emotions would have to be taught so much just to function. It is so difficult to pick and choose memories so intertwined with each other. Believe me, I tried." He frowned. "No need for name calling now..."

"Were you selling them? Huh? Selling them as slaves?" Lady stepped closer.

The doctor took a step back. "Selling them... y-yes. But... but slaves is a strong word for..."

"Where. To who?" Lady pressed.

"T-to a lot of different people. Lords. Land owners. Miners." The man's left eye darted back. "I... keep records if you intend to go on some clone-freeing crusade..."

"Maybe we will." Lady looked over a JJ. "But you are going to remove your programming first."

JJ nodded. "That's right. On all of them."

The man blinked. "Th-that would take extensive hypnotherapy just to do it to one of them! Let alone everyone! You can't expect me to..."

"There is a quicker way..." Aeshleigh muttered coldly.

"Is there?" Lady looked back.

Aeshleigh glared at the doctor. "We won't have to worry about that mental programming if the man who can control any of us on a whim... dies."

"No... We shouldn't... He needs to be turned over to the GFP for his crimes. Death would be too easy for him."

Jeekles took a step back. "The GFP? Surely that isn't neccessary..."

"Put your hand up right now." Lady ordered.

"I... you... clone, kill them!" Jeekles yelled suddenly.

"Aeshleigh suddenly sprang towards Lady.

Lady growled, fighting Aeshleigh off. "You're just making this worse for yourself!"

"Better this then going to jail!" Jeekles ran back into his lab as JJ grabbed Aeshleigh from being and put her in a full nelson to try and stop her.

"I'm sorry!" She cried out. "I... can't... stop myself!"

Lady took off towards the doctor at full Sprint, getting ready to tackle him to the ground.

Jeekles grabbed a large needle off the counter and held it up against his neck. "Stay back!"

Lady stopped. "What're going to do? Kill yourself so you don't go to prison?"

He grinned. "No. Nust wanted you to hesitate for a moment." He quickly injected himself. He let out a loud scream of incredible pain as his flesh started to bubble and expand.

"Oh. Fuck me!" Lady grit her teeth and fired her rifle into him as he transformed.

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

He grew bigger and bigger until he was a hulking mass, bulky and muscular, at least nine feet tall. The bullets punctured flesh but only seemed to annoy him. He darted forward at incredible speed, slapping away Lady's rifle and lifting her by her neck. With a malicious grin and a deep voice, he said, "I have done more then just use the DNA to make clones. I have also made a cocktail of the greatest features of the speicies from around the galaxy. How do you like it?"

Lady choked out a breath, desperately trying to reach over her to bracelet to try and summon Jinn.

"You're a strong willed woman. Would make for an excellent clone. Of course, I'll have to see if it works on your dead brain." He squeezed tighter for a moment before releasing her, a bullet punching through his eye.

"Hands off my Lady!" JJ yelled, running up to them. "Are you okay?"

She coughed and sputtered, holding her throat. In a raspy, voice she stated, "Next time we just kill them..."

JJ nodded and turned to Jeekles, only for him to run up and slam her into the wall, his eye seemingly regenerating.

"Dammit! Jinn!" Lady activated her gauntlet, Jinn appearing through a fiery portal and throwing a spear made of flame into the doctors back.

The man roared in pain and anger and turned to face them. "What... what sort of trickery is this?!"

"No trickery Doctor." Jinn blasted two fireballs into his face. "Magic."

He held his face in pain, the wounds regenerating but slowly. He didn't seem to like fire. "Nonsense! Magic isn't real!" He charged the being, his nails extending into claws as he swept at her."

Jinn quickly and deftly dodged, flipping forward onto his back as a spout of flame poured from her hands directly into his face.

He roared angrily, all he can see for a moment being fire and blood. When the haze cleared, he set eyes on Lady. "You! You control it! We shall see how it fairs when you are dead!"

Lady immediately backed up, firing her gun into his chest as she tried to make distance. "He's not going down!"

"Lady!" Yixx suddenly called out from her head.

"Yixx? Be careful this is really dangerous!"

"I have an idea! He doesn't feel any pain and his adrenaline is continuously pumping! I... I need you to jump on his head."

Lady bit back, "What are you talking about!? What's gotten into you are you crazy!?"

JJ dragged herself off the ground, holding her ribs and firing at the large man. "I-if she has an idea... m-maybe we should try it..."

"She'll die! I'm not going to risk her like this!" Her gun clicked, pulling out a powerful magnum and continuing to fire as Jinn struggled to hold him back.

"Lady!" Yixx yelled inside her head. "If I don't do this... We're all going to die! He seems to have removed the limiter on his adrenal gland, he'll just keep getting stronger and stronger until everyone is dead! I know you care... but I've got maybe... Forty years after this... If I'm lucky... Let me."

"Yixx! You shut the fuck up I'm not letting you do anything like that! This is not the time for a sudden surge of bravery! You're not going to kill yourself!" The Human Girl yelled as tears began to roll down her face.

"Kill... herself?" JJ coughed as the doctor turned to her. "What are you trying to..."

The doctor grabbed her and lifted her into the air. His eyes swell and his muscles tore through his skin as he only seemed to grow stronger. "I'll rip you in half!"

"No! Lady! I'm sorry!" Yixx called out.

"Yixx! Don't you fucking da-" Her eyes faded, Yixx forcing herself into control of the body as she sprinted forward, climbing up on an operating table and leaping off of it onto the Doctor's Back.

Yixx's entire mind was filled with adrenaline, pushing out all the fear she would normally have, her heart was pounding in her chest as she took the Magnum and shot him directly in both of his eyes, trying to blind him once more.

He roared angrily, dropping JJ, lifting his arms to try and swat her off but they were so bulky now he was having trouble. "Meddlesome little pest!"

JJ rolled to the side. "Yixx... whatever you're doing... there has to be... another way..."

"If I die... I want you to know... I love you." Yixx smiled nervously, pressing her head and ear up against the mutated doctor's.

Suddenly, Lady fell off and hit the ground hard, looking up at him with horror. "Yixx!"

Jeekels could hardly feel the tiny slug crawling through his ear in his rage, and it would take her just a moment to drill a hole and gain access to his brain.

Jeekles flinched and pressed a hand against his ear. "What... what did you do to me?" He turned to Lady and lifted a massive foot. "Answer me or I'll pop your head like a fruit!"

"Fuck you." Lady spit up at him, the doctor suddenly feeling something trying to take hold of his mind.

He roared angrily. "Get out, get out!" He yelled, realizing too late what was in his head. It wasn't easy on Yixx. Besides his mind being complicated in its own right, it was made more complex still by the DNA soup sloshing around in it, not to mention the strain of trying to control a body that was so filled with adrenaline and rage. Something caught her attention as thoughts, emotions, and memories swirled about; a syringe nearby that would reverse what the doctor had done to himself.

She buckled done and tried to wrench control, feeling all of the adrenaline he felt as she connected to her senses, she knew it could very well end up breaking her mind, but she had to do this. She tried to blot out the cocktail of drugs affecting her and just push him to grab towards the cure syringe.

His hand slowly reached out for the shelf next to him, grabbing a hold of it. Yixx felt pain she didn't even know was possible, but the man slowly plunged the needle into his arm. "No!" he roared as steam rised from his body and he quickly started to shrink down.

Yixx immediately unbonded her mind with his, but she was immediately exhausted, her energy drained.

As the doctor shrunk, Lady just sat there and watched.

He dropped to his hands and knees, panting heavily. His body was bulgy and misshapen in certain areas, but he was relatively back to normal. He glared up at Lady, all signs of his peaceful and kind nature replaced with malice. "You can't do this? Do you know how many people depend on me?"

Lady stood up slowly, heading over toward JJ. "You alright?"

JJ gave her a pained grin. "Just a few fractured ribs. I'm alright." Her smile faded. "What about Yixx?"

"I don't know." Lady looked back the doctor.

He was slowly crawling away, trying to reach one of his work stations.

Lady walked up, grabbing his arms and finding a some Hardy looking bandages to tie him up with. "You're done asshole."

 

[ZombieSplitter53]

"Wait! We... we can make a deal!" He smiled pleasantly at her. "I am a brilliant doctor. Perhaps there is something I can do for you or someone else."

"You can. Deprogramming them. And if you don't I'm more than happy killing you." Lady looked at him seriously, pulling him up.

Jeekles sighed and nodded. "Very well. Shall I stated with the Syzoth then?"

"Do it. How long will it take?" Lady stood next to him.

"Well... she is a relatively new clone. Her mental programming is only a few days old. I can have her done in a few hours."

"Yixx?" Lady tilted her head, "You okay?"

Jeekles fidgeted, and Yixx slowly crawled out of his ear.

Lady helped Yixx up onto her finger, bringing her over do JJ. "Can you please take her... I need to think..."

JJ nodded, and placed Yixx up to her ear, letting her crawl inside. "Are you okay, Yixx?"

"Y-Yeah... I'm... Okay... Everything hurts..." Yixx replied, "What's... Going on with Lady?"

As Yixx mentioned Lady, JJ turned to see that she had already left the room.

"She... might be really upset that you... did what you did." JJ got up to hurry after her.

It didn't take long for JJ to catch up with her, but Lady just shook her head. "Just... Leave me alone..."

"Lady, please. I... I know why you're upset... but..."

"You don't get it!" She turned around. "Yixx... She forced herself on me... She took control of me without my permission! She could've gotten herself killed!"

"Lady..." Yixx just shrunk inside JJ's head.

"If she didn't do what she did, we might all have died." JJ looked down sadly. "I... I'm sure I can't really know what you're feeling right now, but... she did it because she loves us."

"We could've figured something out. I told her no. And she used me." The Human Woman shook her head. "I need to think..."

"Yes, I... I understand." JJ nodded. "I'll... take care of Yixx for now."

"I'm such a fuck up..." Yixx quietly replied.

JJ shook her head. "You saved us. Just... give her time, okay?"

"Okay... We should check on Yyashtra and Aya." Yixx reminded.

JJ nodded and rushed out to the main hall. It seemed the fighting was over. Something had happened to the guards to cause them to stop. They all stood around, like living statues or machines that were turned off.

"Where is that secretary girl?" Yixx asked.

JJ glanced around, and saw Aya and Yyashtra had her. She ran over and asked, "Any injuries?"

Yyashtra chuckled, "Not really. They weren't much to brag about. What did you find? Did you get her?"

"We got her. Things got... complicated... but we got her." JJ looked at the Shinso. "Why are they all frozen?"

The woman sighed. "Safety measure. In the event that the doctor's brain chemisty changes, anyone who is armed shuts down to prevent them from turning on him. Guess you guys gave him a hard time."

"What is she talking about?" Aya asked.

"All of these people are clones, save for her I'm guessing," JJ explained. "They make them with purchased or stolen brainwaves and DNA and use them as slaves... or sell them."

"Clones..." Yyashtra muttered. "Making fake people... Why play God?"

The Shinso woman laughed. "Why? To profit on disposable labor, of course, and to sell to those who are too afraid to buy normal slaves. Like you said, they are fake people. We can grow them in a lab and no one cares about their rights. Easy money."

"Except that you're still propagating the slave trading industry whether they're real or not." Yasha told her.

"And you think I care as long as I turn a profit?" She folded her arms. "Some people are made to be slaves. Simple as that. Just so happens that these people have literally been made to be slaves. People like you and your little Cheri here should be grateful it's clones and not you."

"Well. You can enjoy that opinion in a GFP cell." Yyashtra shook her head.

"Psh, whatever. We'll see if that conviction sticks..."

Aya looked around. "Where is Lady?"

JJ lowered her gaze. "She's... coming. Like I said, things got... complicated. Also, um... Qvibizthah isn't the only one we're bringing back to the ship..."

"Are we taking the Slaves back? You know... They aren't really people right?" Yyashtra whispered.

It was then that Qvibizthah came out of the back room with some of the slaves, Aeshleigh among them. She looked over and locked eyes with Yyashtra for a moment.

Yyashtra blinked, like she saw a ghost. "Aeshleigh...? I... thought you died... What're you doing here."

The reptilian woman walked over and rubbed her arm. "I... I'm..."

"It isn't... important, right?" JJ smiled nervously. "What's important is we have her back..."

Yyashtra wrapped her arms around Aeshleigh, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you my friend..."

Aeshleigh was unsure what she meant exactly, but had an idea. She closed her eyes and patted her friend on the back. "Don't... don't worry about it. I'm just... eager to come home."

"I've been watching your sister ever since, you know. She's going to be so happy." The Insect slowly pulled away.

Aeshleigh smiled. "Thank you. A-all of you..." She walked back to Qvibizthah to go to the doctor and have her programming removed, afraid to tell her friend the truth. JJ got off the phone with the local authorities and nodded to the others. "Job well done."

"I hope you don't mind if I stay with you a while..." Yixx sighed.

JJ placed her hand to her head and smiled sadly. "As long as need be."

"Thank you... She'll forgive me eventually... Right?" The Yorin tried to cheer things up.

JJ nodded. "Right. You know Lady better then anyone. You should know it is only a matter of time."

"I really messed up..."

"Not as bad as you think. Or she does. She'll see that... with time..."

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Phoenix Down

Tobias positioned himself behind the trees, waiting for his pursuer to catch up to him. "It seems she's able to control and create electrical currents with mana." Tobias muttered to himself. "That could prove troublesome... Seeing as I can't exact redirect it. I'm going to have to just keep the bitch moving for now."

Martha panted lightly as she reached his position. "Come on out and fight me! Seriously, I just got this job, I can't fail my first real order!"

"Do ya really think I'm gonna fall for that?" Tobias told the woman, using his magic to mask the direction of his voice.

"So what? You're going to hide from me? Because I can do this all day. Or..." She blasted a tree with electricity, the heat igniting the leaves. "I could just burn this whole place down!"

A strong gust of wind swarmed the fire, extinguishing the flames before they could spread. "Not so easy without oxygen is it?" Tobias taunted.

Martha practically snarled and started blasting the entire area with electricity, both trying to make multiple fires and possibly get lucky and hit him.

Once Tobias saw his opening, he dashed towards the mercenary. His movement were swift, near impossible to track as he drove an energized fist into the woman's gut and teleported back into the shadows of the forest.

She let out a lung full of air, collapsing to one knee. "C-coward... can't fight me... head to head... little... bitch..."

"I prefer the term, strategic combat." The Phoenix answered. "Ever heard of hit and run?"

The woman sighed and rose to her feet again. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Use what she was taught. Sense his mana, and try and either pinpoint him, or sense when he was coming in for an attack.

That was when the small shifts in air movements became clear to her. Tobias was using the air to keep track of her actions... Only striking once he could find an opening. He had to keep line of sight limited, in order to avoid getting spotted. "She stopped moving..." He muttered to himself. "Has she given up? No... She's planning something..."

She moved with purpose this time, giving him an opening to attack behind her.

Tobias took the bait, dashing into position to send a backwards kick straight into her spine.

Martha smiled as she turned to face his attack and send out a bolt of electricity directly at him.

The eletrical energy covered his shoulder with blistering burns, the Phoenix barely able to teleport away as the magic damaged flesh and bone. He gripped his wound tightly. "Dammit..."

"You won't be able sneak up on me again, so you might as well give up!" Martha said as Aya emerged from her own hiding spot behind the woman, aiming a pistol.

When he felt a second person enter the fray was when Tobias leaned out of his hiding spot to view the battlefield. His eyes emitted shock and grimace as he realized who it was. Shit... She doesn't know that that bitch has magic... I gotta do something...

"You're dead!" Aya shouted, firing her mag pistol. Martha spun around, and with a yelp, reacted on instinct. A electric field shot out of her heads, slowing and stopping the bullet. "Shit..." Aya muttered, firing again and again, but it was no good. The electricity stopped each one.

Martha chuckled and let the bullets drop harmlessly to the floor. "Close. Now... my turn."

Tobias teleporting in between the two woman, intercepting whatever attack was placing Aya in harm's way.

"Tobias, no!" Aya shouted before Martha's electric bolt leapt forth.

The bolt shot straight into Tobias' body, electrifying and scorching his nerves and burning his skin. He stood there for a moment, glaring at his pursuer with determined eyes. The gauntlets on his arms fell off before his whole body dissolved into ash, leaving the red gem behind.

"No!" Aya ran to grab it, but Martha was closer and quicker. As the woman snatched it out of the air, Aya reached out with her mind, trying to ensare Martha's. "Give... it... to me..."

Martha held her head and panted heavily. Even the mental blockings she had been taught were failing her. She smiled none the less and said, "W-what happens to him... i-if I destroy this crystal?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Aya said. "You master..."

"Will punish me for failing to get him either way. But I'm willing to take the chance that she'd rather see him dead then free to thwart her plans. Are... you willing to take that chance?"

Aya scoffed... but she wasn't. She released her hold on Martha, and immediately got a shock that dropped her to her knees.

Martha walked past her, noting, "I got him because he wasn't willing to sacrifice you, and get to keep him because you're not willing to sacrifice him. How touching..."

She ran off, leaving Aya barely able to move as JJ and Abigail ran over from another direction.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Phoenix Down Part 2

"What happened?" Abigail asked. "Where is he?"

"Sh-she took him!" Aya slammed her fist down as soon as she could move again, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I tried to help, but all I did was get in the way! It's my fault! I was supposed to protect him, and now they have him because of me!"

"Come on, we have to get out of here..." Abigail placed a hand on her shoulder. "We can get him back, I promise."

-----
Arthur, now on his knees before Tiamat, found himself chuckling. His former lover growled in frustration. "Why won't you scream?!" She demanded as she ripped another arm off of his body.

"Because I know that you cannot win." Arthur answered, his body no longer capable of feeling pain. "I know that, even if I die here today, you will never rule this galaxy. You plans and ambitions will die... Just like you once did. So, why should I give you such false hope?"

Tiamat roared in anger, thrusting her hand into his heart. She pulled out the glowing red gem, crushing it until it shattered. Arthur faded into dust, a smile on his face. "We'll see just how long your little paladin bot can last when I conquer her people."

"Master Tiamat!" Martha ran up, exhausted and sweating profusely but smiling. "I-I did it! I got the boy..." She helld out her hand to show off the crystal. "Sort of."

"No need to be doubtful." She answered. "He's in perfect condition, and much easier to transport this way." She placed a small rune on the gem. "We wouldn't want him reviving before his prison is prepared, now would we?"

"Stop!" The other three weren't far behind, JJ looking around in confusion until she found a pile of ash on the ground. "No..."

"At least today wasn't a complete failure." The queen muttered. "Martha, dear, let us return to the ship."

"They'll be sure to chase us." Fafnir reminded his master.

"Then see to it that they don't..." Tiamat answered. "But don't kill them... I like them too much for that."

"You're not going anywhere!" Aya floated into the air as her eyes began to glow, a dozen psionic tendrils shooting out of her towards the trio.

Fafnir slashed st the tendrils with a mana infused claw, dark energy dancing off his hand. "My queen has instructed me to keep you here until it is time to leave. I intend to follow that order to the letter. If you choose the have this end in conflict, then so be it."

"You took two of ours!" JJ yelled in distress, rushing towards him while firing a laser pistol. "We're taking at least one of yours!"

"I have no intention on dying today." The Shinso answered while creating a barrier to block the bullets.

Block them it did, but JJ suddenly dodged around the barrier with incredible spped thanks to the enhanced muscle fibers in her legs. She jumped up at the man, going for a spinning kick to the head.

Fafnir moved his hand to block the attack, only to be sent flying into the treeline. Abigail channeled her magic into her pipe, sending the massive hammer into the ground where he dropped.

Aya and JJ both looked at her with surprise. "You have a lot of power in you, huh?" JJ noted.

"The hammer does most the work..." Abigail noted shyfully as the hammer reverted to it's rusted, pipe like state. Her face suddenly changed to shock as Fafnir's claws tore through her backside. Her blood splashing along the ground.

"Abigail!" Aya's power burst forth, her fury unlocking the depths of her energy she didn't know was there. Tobias, Arthur, and now Abigail was too much for her to handle and she felt control slipping away. She let it slip away...

She used her powers to form a massive sword of pure psionic energy, solidifying it beyond what she was previously capable of. As she flew through the air towards her opponent, she attacked his mind at the same time, trying to control him to make him simply stand still.

It was not Fafnir who deflected the attack, but rather Abigail. The blood on the ground was not the normal red of flesh, but rather a thick and greasy black. Oil. "We are going to capture him alive..." She stated as Aya was successfully able to take control of the Shinso. The injury showed exposed muscles, however they were grey and silky. It showed spine columns made of metal-like bone. She wasn't human... but her body was too natural to be machine.

Aya breathed heavily as she slowly regained control of herself. "Are you okay?!" JJ asked as she ran over.

"Yeah... Just hoped that the big reveal didn't involve someone trying to kill me..." Abigail answered nervously. "How... How bad does it look?"

 

[ShadowHounder]

ZombieSplitter and ShadowHounder: Phoenix Down Part 3

"Pretty bad," JJ said honestly. "But not unrecoverable." She stared at her back with awe. "You're a Komunhurusu..."

"If that's what you call a machine given a soul and had their parts turned into flesh, then yes?" Abigail answered, pulling a thread out of her pocket. "Could... could I get some help?"

"You... want me to sew your back?" JJ asked with a grimace.

"Well I can't exactly reach back their myself." Abigail retorted. "This thread is specially designed more my body, I just need of you to use it to sow my skin back together."

"O-okay..." JJ gulped and took the thread and a needle, carefully sewing her back. The entire process made her more then a little nauseous.

"What do we do with him?" Aya asked, finally having her wits about her again.

"Contain him, interrogate him, torture him if we have to." Abigail answered, anger in her voice. "Anything that can get us closer to finding my brother."

Aya nodded. "I am... sorry about your father..."

"It's alright... He was protecting us." Abigail answered solemnly.

"I-I think I'm done," JJ said. She did a pretty good job considering it was her first time sewing up flesh. "S-so, um..." She looked a Fafnir. "You know any magical thingies to keep him from escaping? Somehow, I doubt a simple rope or pair of cuffs will do it..."

"Oh, yeah... I can take care of that." She answered, her mind still dazed from today's events.

"We'll get him back," Aya assured her. "If I have to die to do it, I'll get him back to you."

Abigail's eyes welled up with tears before she hugged Aya. "Please... Get him home safely."

Aya hugged her gently, tears rolling down her own cheeks. Maybe if she could tap into that power she just wielded... "I will, Abigail... I will."

"Unfortunately, we no longer have a home to return to..." An emotionless voice stated as a woman in a dark blue kimono approached them. "Gunther and Melinda have both been killed and Natherion has been injured greatly."

JJ swueezed her fists tightly. "We need to stop them. By any means necessary."

"Even with the strength of your fear you are able to form determination?" The woman asked the Cartus Captain. "How is that possible?"

JJ grinned. "I guess I'm not the brightest person. Because even though I'm scared witless, I'll fight to stop her. What's more, I'll win! You'll see!"

The woman paused. "Then perhaps I shall assist in this matter. My name is Zerath of the Ocean's Abyss. What might I call you?"

"Well, I'm Jackie-Jackie Jetstorm, and this here is my best mate, Aya Me." JJ bowed her head. "We'd be happy to have you aboard."

Zerath bowed in return and looked towards. "What do you intend to do, Abigail of Endless Possibilities?"

"You know I hate that title..." She muttered under breath before buffing up her chest. "I'm going with too! I can't sit back while everyone fixes everything for me!"

Aya nodded. "Then we are together in this. Come on. We need to figure out where this Tiamat would have gone off to."

"She is heading to the home planet of the Fee..." Zerath answered. "I overheard her talking about before she left for your home."

"What could she possibly want there?" JJ wondered outloud.

"Only one way to find out." Abigail answered.

 

[ShadowHounder]

ShadowHounder and ZombieSplitter: A Friendly Chat

As the Starkiller rocketed away from the planet as quickly as possible, Sirius grit his teeth as he stepped into the infirmary. The doctor had not seen him so beat up in a long time, and worked quickly and quietly to patch him up, afraid being to slow or one misplaced word would mean big trouble for him.

"Natherion give you trouble?" Tiamat taunted. "A shame he got away before you could kill him."

"He had help," Sirius grumbled. "Else he would be dead. Though I do hope I at least bought you the time you needed."

"Perhaps I can show you the fruit of our labor~" Tiamat beckoned the mercenary to follow her.

"He is quite..." the doctor started.

"I'm fine." Sirius pushed him aside and stepped over to Tiamat.

Tiamat led him to where his daughter had once been frozen. It had now been transformed into a prison cell, one containing a familiar brown haired mage. The prisoner looked up and simply said. "Yo."

"Hmph..." Sirius folded his arms. "What's keeping him from teleporting away?"

The walls lit up with various symbols lined up in a pattern. "These runes are keeping him in place... Not to mention the chains are bound to his soul... So not even death can free him."

"Excellent... wonderful work." Sirius stepped forward. "Do you know who I am, boy?"

"Sirius Ravenwood, mercenary, politic influencer and a general asshole." Tobias replied in a mocking tone. "I'm assuming you already know what I am as well."

"I do. You know... I could probably make a fortune selling your blood. A miracle tonic that can even bring back the dead. But I'd probably have to milk you dry to be productive. No... no, you're going to be my men's personal insurance policy. As long as I have you, why should they fear death?"

"You have my mother as an ally and you need me as an insurance policy?" Tobias let out a burst of laughter. "I don't know if you're dumb, arrogant, or both if ya think I can can compare to the woman who made the grim reaper her bitch."

Sirius looked over to Tiamat. "Wow, that almost sounded like he respects you. That's the kind of power and influence I strive for."

"You seem rather calm, given the situation." Tiamat noted.

"I mean... I've been in worse situation..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You've died once today, you're trapped, no one can save you, and you're going to spend the rest of your life being harvested for your blood. How have you had it worse?"

"Well, you know my mother, so I think you can guess." Tobias taunted. "Also, you seem to underestimate what the Golden Wind crew is capable of... And the kind of shit they'll put themselves through to save one life. So, yes, there is someone who can save me... Whether they will or not is the question you should be concerned about."

Sirius smiled. "Well... we'll see. Since you insist they will come, I'll just have to prepare for it. Sit tight in the meantime. And fear not. I'm gonna keep you nice and healthy."

Tobias smirked. "Last person to capture me could only hold me for three days... We'll see if you can beat that record."

Sirius shook his head. "Anything more to say to him, my queen?"

Tiamat simply remained silent, her usual grin missing from her face.

Sirius looked a bit concerned by this, but only shrugged. "Alright... let's leave him be for now."

Once the door closed, Tiamat groaned. "He's so much like his father..."

"Arrogant little prick." Sirius shook his head. "We'll see how long that bravado lasts." He walked away from the room with Tiamat, not noticing someone else slip inside. "You're sure he can't escape, right?"

"As long as you do your job and make sure no one enters without authorization... We'll be fine." Tiamat stated, a hint of malice hidden within her sadistic grin.

Back in the room, Tobias noticed he wasn't alone, someone hiding in the shadows behind the machines.

"Yo..." The Phoenix mumbled, showing no signs of concern for his future and well being.

The person flinched, and peaked around the corner, a young woman around nineteen or twenty. "W-who are you?"

"Tobias Silver." He answered. "Supposedly I'm your crews life insurance now. It ain't gonna last long, but I ain't about to burst Sirius' bubble of confidence quite yet."

"Surius... you call my father by his first name." She stepped out of cover. She was quite an attractive youth in life, fair skinned, long, amber hair, and small features. "You should speak about him more respectfully. Mr. Ravenwood. Then perhaps you would not be here like this."

"I doubt your father cares, seeing as I work for his nemesis." The man answered, wiggling his wrist to test the strength of the chains. "Damn... Mom must really not want me goin' anywhere..."

"Mom?" Lana gave him a curious look. "Do you mean Tiamat?"

"Yep," He replied with a grin. "She died, she came back, Paps wasn't happy with what she became, shit went down, Paps cursed her to age rapidly and we never saw her for another three hundred years."

"Three hundred years?" Lana raised an eyebrow. "You're not three hundred years old..."

"You're right, three hundred and twenty-five." Tobias answered once more.

"Pft. Whatever." She narrowed her eyes. "I bet you think I'm pretty stupid. Well, I'm not. Not anymore. I was before, and you know what? It got me killed. So don't try and feed me any bullshit about my father or Tiamat or yourself, because I'm not buying it."

"Me? Think your stupid? When ya managed to sneak in here? When I know how your father does security?" Tobias snickered lightly. "Hope you have a plan for getting out, because my mom will kill him if she finds out someone already snuck in."

Lana studied him for a moment, then asked, "Why are you here anyway? What do you mean insurance policy?"