//------------------------------// // Chapter 68: War for the World // Story: Shy and Aggressive // by Johng117 //------------------------------// The air was filled with mechanical whirs and buzzing from plasma energy. In a large room, there were hundreds of vacuum sealed containers. They all contained a grey fluid inside and were kept cold. One of the containers was lowered down, after an orange fluid was introduced to the vat from a tube. The fluid was absorbed into the grey mass, which caused the biomass to bubble and take shape. Slowly, a humanoid figure formed from the biomass, constructing bones, muscles and vital organs underneath. The container opened, revealing the grey figure lying lifeless and naked. Laura approached the body. She and Harold lifted it onto a metal table, connecting pins into its temples of its bulbous head. The being had an almost leathery skin texture. It bore four appendages on its hands and feet. Harold placed tubes into the nostrils of the thick nose of the life form, pumping it with gas for the blood to circulate to keep the brain alive. However, there was no consciousness. "Initiating transfer," said Laura, typing away at her wrist hologram as the nodes in the temples of the being flashed. The heart monitor beeped, and the brainwave activity monitor instantly spiked, only to settle down shortly after. The alien creature opened its large, blue pupil-less eyes. It groaned. "Vitals stable, brain activity stable. How are you feeling?" asked Harold. The alien blinked, looking at the two looking down on him. "I... like I've been asleep for a long time," said the alien with a weak smile. Laura and Harold looked to each other with a smile. "High Commander, regeneration was a success!" said Harold. From a room, the High Commander stared at the monitor. How wonderful it was to witness such a miracle. He then looked to a screen, where footage of two helicopters that were approaching the lake was depicted. "Restore as many as you can. Soldiers, prepare for combat," said the High Commander. From inside of the room, multiple machines stood, with their optics igniting. There were over a hundred of them, all shifting gears under their armored shells. The helicopter blades of MONARCH transport choppers roared through the air. The sun was setting over the horizon. Senior doubled checked the settings of his rifle that he was given, courtesy of Koizumi. His safety was on, and his fire setting was set to 'burst'. He found Koizumi and Inoue dressed in their combat armor, armed with their own weapons. The two were seated across from Kumonga, Baragon and Manda, who wore Kevlar vests and their own weapons. Senior found Amber resting on his shoulder, as her fuzz blew through the wind. "We're coming to the drop zone!" said the copilot from the cockpit. "I can sense him near! I even sense the presence of a few of the children!" said Amber. Senior hardened his expression as he kept a tight grip on the rail from the ceiling of the chopper. The two choppers descended down near the lake, their blades still spinning through the wind. The group hopped out of the chopper, as three armored figures hopped out of the second chopper. They jogged over to join the group. These soldiers were not like any Senior had ever seen. They were tall and grand in stature, standing near 7 feet. Their armor looked to be made out of pieces of some sort of metal, likely heavy considering how much of it covered their bodies and how thick it appeared. They looked as though they were ancient Olympian warriors, with their helmets' visors shaped as a 'T'. There were few gaps in their armor, mainly near their shoulders and pits, and their inner thighs. One of the soldiers removed their helmet, exposing her strong feminine features in her cheeks. "Sergeant," greeted the soldier as the three stood at attention. "Bitchin'. You guys are these 'Olympian' super soldiers? I see they spared no expense on your equipment," said Koizumi. "I haven't heard of anything about MONARCH having 'super soldiers'," said Senior, turning to Koizumi. "It was classified. Until now," said Koizumi. Senior noticed one of the super soldiers stepping up to Senior, appearing with a much larger stature compared to his counter parts, including Senior himself. He stood at over 7 feet tall, his armor seemingly more bulky. His weapon even comprised of a light machine gun, which was carried easily as though it was a mere rifle. His head raised and lowered, sizing up the Transmutant. "Hmph. Thought you'd be taller," said the soldier in a gruff voice. Senior cocked a brow as the heavy soldier walked off. "What's the game plan, sarge?" asked the second male Olympian. "We find the entrance, then we search and destroy any alien son of a bitch we see," said Koizumi. "Hold on, we should scout it out and get the kid out of there. We don't know what these things are capable of," said Baragon. "And they know nothing of what we are capable of," said Senior, switching off the safety, his expression hard. "Alright, let's move out!" said Koizumi. Amber remained on Senior's shoulder. "You didn't have to come along," said Senior. "Nonsense. Junior is in danger. Besides, I want one last adventure with you," said Amber. Senior smiled at her in response. Eliza's eyes shot open. Her vision was blurred as a light shone down over her. She found a feminine alien figure looking down over her. "Welcome back to the physical world, Eli'za," said the alien. Eliza raised her hands, finding her slim arms and her small hands, covered in residue from the dead cells that made up the biomass that her body once was. The nodes in her head were removed, causing her to grunt. She shakily stood off of the table, panting as she took her first breaths on her own. She pulled the tubes out of her nostrils. Her heart and mind raced, attempting to process her heightened senses. "Easy. Your body needs time to settle. After all, it hasn't functioned in many years," said Laura. Eliza found her reflection on the surface of metal. She had soft, feminine features and her face was round, common for teenagers of her kind. Her eyes were violet, bearing no pupils. It had been so long since she had seen this face. She almost didn't recognize it. Eliza staggered to her feet, feeling the cold metal floor against the soles of her feet. She panted as she took a few steps forward, her muscles weak. She gasped as she fell but was caught by Laura. The older Millienian helped her up. Eliza panted as she shakily stood. Around her, she found more and more Millenians being regenerated from the puddles of biomass, and being revived by the medical drones that contained the consciousness of the doctors that fled with them when their planet fell. Eliza covered her hands over her beasts, shivering. "Get dressed, dear. The Revival of our Empire is at hand," said Laura, sitting Eliza down on a hover chair, which carried her out of the room. Eliza found herself passing a few other regenerated Millenians, who were already dressed and were either walking or riding hover chairs. These clothes were nothing casual of the sort, by her people's standards. These were the clothes of nobles or high class citizens that fled their dead planet, aboard this long since grounded mother ship. The clothes were ether leather or of a soft and delicate fabric. Eliza was brought to a room, where a few naked female Millenians took clothing from metallic lockers in the walls. Eliza scanned the lockers, finding her name in her native tongue on the locker. She placed her palm against the pad on the locker, causing it to beep and open. Eliza took out an outfit and proceeded to dress herself. She placed on a top, almost dress-like that reached to her knees. She then placed on a pair of dark leggings and boots. Eliza shakily stood up and stared at herself in the mirror. Her clothes were befitting for a young noble. She felt her clothes, which was soft. The closest thing similar to it was the silk on Earth. She couldn't imagine herself wearing anything like this after the few years she spent awake and marooned on the planet. Eliza slowly began to make her way out of the locker room, feeling having returned to her legs, although she did wobbled a bit. Eliza came across a drone that pushed a metal bed, carrying the body her consciousness once dwelled in. "Eliza!!" cried a familiar voice. Eliza jumped, startled. She realized that she was near the lab, where the humans were being kept. She made her way to the entrance, as Rodan banged his fists against the field, watching as the drone carried what he perceived to be her away. "What's wrong with her?! Come back here!" shouted Rodan. Fluttershy gasped in shock as she spotted the alien girl, coming through the doorway. The teens stared at Eliza, taking in her appearance. "That's what they look like?" whispered Fluttershy. Eliza stepped through, her expression soft. "Rodan... It's me," said Eliza. Rodan's eyes widened, recognizing her voice. "What you always perceived as me was just a puppet, designed to mimic human biology. This is what I truly look like," said Eliza, a hand over her chest. Rodan stared, his eyes wide. Eliza bit her lip, her violet eyes soft. She turned away, holding a hand on the back of her skull, which bore a shape that protruded in the back. "I... I must be hideous to you," said Eliza in a small tone. "Are you kidding?" scoffed Rodan. "You're beautiful." "I- What?!" exclaimed Eliza in shock. Her face reddening. Junior raised a brow at Rodan but decided to keep his mouth shut. "I mean... I might just be the weird one here. But I look at you and I just..." Rodan chuckled shyly as he looked away. "I just see you," said Rodan with a smile. Eliza softly gasped. "Aww," said Mosura and Fluttershy in unison. 'Alright, I'll admit that's better than his usual pick-up lines,' thought Junior. "Rodan..." Eliza sniffled as she teared up. The things she was doing nagged at her. She was leaving her friends prisoner here as their planet was about to be changed to suit her own kind. No matter how much she tried, she could never ignore what the consequences of colonizing Earth would have on its inhabitants. "I can't do this!" said Eliza as she walked off. The teens watched her leave to the other side of the room. "'Liza?" called Rodan. "There's people on this planet! Friends, even!" cried Eliza, typing away at a console. Suddenly, the field dissipated, and the cuffs that held Junior unlocked, allowing him to get off the metal bed. He grunted as he rubbed his wrists. "You're letting us go?" asked Mosura. "Yes. We never thought about the inhabitants here. We just wanted a new home," said Eliza, turning to the teens. She approached Rodan. "Eliza..." Rodan fell silent as Eliza pulled him into a kiss. Fluttershy and Mosura gasped and squealed at the scene. Junior was silent. "Isn't this a little weird?" whispered Junior. Mosura smacked his shoulder as she continued watching Rodan and Eliza kiss. "Don't spoil the moment," whispered Mosura. Junior merely rolled his eyes. Eliza broke the kiss, staring at Rodan shyly. "Please...call me, Eli'za," said Eliza. Rodan chuckled. "I'll try. But I'm bad at breaking habits," said Rodan. Eliza took his hand. "Come on, I'll lead us out of here," said Eliza. As the teens began to follow, Fluttershy stopped and looked back at Xenjira, who remained quarantined. "Wait... what about Xenjira?" asked Fluttershy. Mosura looked back at the man with furrowed brows as Junior bore a hard expression. "He's infected with a virus that destroyed my home world. Releasing him would be unwise," said Eliza. "Considering what he's done, it's no skin off my nose," said Mosura. Fluttershy looked as Junior stared at Xenjira, whom glared back at him. Junior turned to the exit. "Fuck him," said Junior as he walked off. Fluttershy reached out to Junior but fell silent. She looked back at Xenjira, who bore a hard expression. The girl deeply frowned. She then began to follow the others out of the lab. The teens sneaked passed guards and passing Millenians in the halls. "Eliza, you know that you're pretty much committing treason against your people, right?" asked Junior. "I don't care. There were other ways to save ourselves that didn't involve displacing humanity. I won't be a part of the destruction of my friends," said Eliza, holding Rodan's hand tightly. "But we're still gonna die! You guys said you were going to change our world's atmosphere!" said Junior. "Indeed. We can't survive on your gases for very long. But i know where the seeder will be to launch the terraformer," said Eliza. "Wait... did your people have anything to do with that thing that was in the sky on Christmas?" asked Fluttershy incredulously. "Correct. That was a test run. Now it’s guaranteed to convert your atmosphere to be like our home world as it once was," said Eliza. The teens rounded a corner, only to stop as they found the Guardians and soldiers of MONARCH before them. "Dad?!" exclaimed Junior in shock. "Junior!" cried Senior and Amber in unison. "Look out! E.T. spotted!" Said Koizumi as the soldiers raised their rifles at Eliza. The alien girl gasped in fright, but the teens quickly got in front of her. "No, don't shoot! She helped us!" cried Mosura. "Really?" asked Inoue, lowering her weapon. "Don't fall for it! How can we trust this thing?" asked Koizumi. "She knows what they're up to and wants to help!" said Fluttershy. "It's true! Please, your species is facing extinction!" said Eliza, desperately. The soldiers were tense, unsure whether or not to trust this alien life form. "Lower your weapons. Guardians, escort the children out of here. Koizumi, you and the rest are with me," said Senior. "Hey, you don't get to order me around! Hey, do... what he said!" said Koizumi, taking point. Senior approached Junior and wrapped an arm around him. "I'm glad you're safe," said Senior. "Dad, what are you doing?" asked Junior incredulously. "We still need to recover Xenjira. He was abducted as well, correct?" asked Senior. "Yeah, but why? Just leave him to the aliens! I heard they were going to dissect him later anyway!" said Junior. "No. It's not right leaving-" Senior was interrupted as gun fire filled the air. Senior turned and found the soldiers firing upon machines in the hall. "Go son! We'll join you soon!" said Senior as he ran to join the soldiers. Junior found his friends following the Guardians and Amber out of the cave. Junior gasped as he found that his father joined the Guardians and soldiers, with a Millenian coming out of a corner from the hall. In reaction, Junior sprinted to the alien, who was flanking the humans. The boy tackled the guard to the ground, slamming his head onto the metal ground. Senior skidded to a halt and turned, finding Junior panting as he stood up from the unconscious alien. "Whoa, look at this," said Junior in awe as he picked up the alien rifle from the ground, which was chrome and bore small yellow lights near the barrel. "Son, be careful with that. We don't even know how that works!" said Senior. Junior was looking over the rifle but his finger accidentally pressed on the trigger, which shot a plasma bolt at a mechanical guard that appeared from the corner. The drone dropped to the ground as its 'head' sparked and smoked. "Whoops!" said Junior, looking back at his father with wide eyes. "Boy, what did I just say?!" exclaimed Senior. "Hey! The trigger on this thing is sensitive!" said Junior defensively. "Hand off the trigger if you don't plan to shoot, Junior! Off the trigger! Now get out of here!" yelled Senior as he rejoin the soldiers. "Does that mean I get to keep the alien gun?" asked Junior, looking at the weapon. He then noticed another mech coming out of the corner, raising its arm cannon. Junior yelped as he raised the rifle and pulled the trigger multiple times, feeling the kick from each shot. The mech caught a couple of shots into its arms and chest. The machine twitched and dropped to a knee, raising its arm. Junior quickly aimed at the head, causing it to drop dead. "Agh. Alright time to go!" said Junior as he was about to run to the exit. "Kid, stop him!" shouted Koizumi. Junior whipped around, finding Xenjira sprinting his way, bleeding from his wounds from dissection. Xenjira slammed his shoulder against Junior, causing him to fall and drop the rifle to the ground. He growled as he shot up and grabbed Xenjira's ankle, tripping him. The bastard son grunted in annoyance as he kicked Junior's face, who painfully stood up and locked his arms around Xenjira's neck. "You little-" Xenjira grunted as he threw his head back, hitting Junior in the nose with the back of his skull. Junior cried out in pain as his hold loosened. Xenjira threw him over his shoulder and out of the hall, to where the walkway stretching across the massive room lied. Junior rolled off the edge of the platform, hanging from the edge. He panted as he found the long drop to where conduits were plugged, powering the mother ship. The drop was at least 50 feet. Junior gasped as Xenjira stepped over to him on the walkway. "Just stay out of my way. I'm not going back!" said Xenjira, running across the platform. Junior grunted as he pulled himself back up to the walkway. He began to run after his half-brother. "Junior!!" called Senior from the hall. He grunted as plasma bolts whizzed by him. He turned back and began to fire back. The soldiers found themselves pinned by the drones and regenerated soldiers firing at them. "We're at a massive disadvantage, Sergeant!" said Inoue, firing off her rifle. "Seems so! Remember kid, a smart man knows when it’s time to run away like a little bitch!" said Koizumi, grabbing a grenade. "Sounds like common sense to me!" said Inoue. "Big guy, put that LMG to use!" said Koizumi, pulling the pin to the grenade. "Suppressing fire!" yelled the heavy Olympian. He popped out of cover with his light machine, spraying a hail of bullets at the Millenians. The aliens began to take cover from the bullets. Koizumi tossed his grenade to the aliens, which exploded. Some were killed or wounded, while drones were damaged by the shrapnel. "Alright let's pull back!" shouted Koizumi. Senior began to run back to the catwalk. Meanwhile, Junior was sprinting after Xenjira, who staggered through the metal halls. Xenjira was tackled by Junior, who forced his head against the ground. Xenjira elbowed him off, knocking Junior away. "You just don't know when to quit!" said Xenjira as he grabbed Junior by the collar of his shirt. He then began to slam him against the wall, but Junior gripped him by the shoulder. Junior thrust himself from the wall and kneed Xenjira in the stomach. He then reared back his fist and struck Xenjira's jaw. Junior sent two more strikes against his half-brother, who then caught his fist. Xenjira snarled as his face bled. Junior released Xenjira's shoulder and was about to send forth his other fist. However, Xenjira caught that fist as well. The two growled as they began to use their strength to overpower the other. Their hands were locked as their muscles tensed as they pushed against one another, like rams locking horns. "Still sore about the mix up, little brother?" asked Xenjira, his veins popping. Junior snarled as he dug his heels in place. "Bringing me in won't change anything! You're nothing but a freak to them! A good for nothing mutie! You aren't even considered a full Transmutant among our kind! Turning me over would look like treachery to our race!" said Xenjira. "Yeah? Well, fuck them too! I'm taking you down for what you did!" said Junior. Xenjira laughed mockingly. "This is about those girls, isn't it? Little brother, if they weren't willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, then were they ever truly your friends?" asked Xenjira. Junior growled as his eyes became reptilian. "If you were smart, you'd ditch the rest of them before they turn on you as well!" said Xenjira. He forced one hand forward, causing Junior's hand to be forced back, stumbling from the thrash. Xenjira slugged Junior in the face and then swiftly punched him in the gut. The bastard son went back and forth from punching Junior's face then his gut. He repeated this process three times. "Just. Stop. TRYING!" yelled Xenjira punching Junior again. The boy dropped to his knees, panting as he spat blood as his face bruised up. Xenjira stood over him, panting as his fist bled. Junior shuddered as he stood, wiping his face. As Xenjira was about to deliver the next blow, he found Senior appearing from a corner. Xenjira snarled as he ran off. "Get back here!" yelled Junior as he began to run. However, Senior grabbed him by the shoulder and held him back. Xenjira stopped by a breached wall, where a dark tunnel lied. He glared at the two. "COWARDS! You're both too weak to face the real problems! To think I ever-!" Xenjira grunted as bullets came flying nearby. He found the Guardians and MONARCH soldiers appearing from behind the two, firing off at him. Xenjira dove into the tunnel. "Damn it! He's getting away!" growled Junior. "He's not worth the time. We have much bigger problems," said Senior. The group begin to flee, out to the natural cave tunnel that Xenjira had fled through, just as Millenians began to fire upon on them. Soon, they found themselves outside of the cave. They moved from the path behind the waterfall as the choppers spun their blades, preparing for take-off. The group began to rush to the choppers, finding the rest of the Guardians and teens already on board. They began pile into the choppers. Soon, the air crafts began to take off, leaving the area. Adrian groaned as she rose up, covered in dirt. She coughed from the dust and smoke in the air. She found herself rising among tons of rubble from the concrete base and the rocks from the mountain it was built into. Adrian found the bodies of her comrades buried beneath these rocks. She gasped she heard coughing. Adrian began to stagger her way through the rocks, her breathing ragged and her body aching terribly. It was a miracle in itself that she survived. Young woman found Dreadnought lying under rubble, coughing. She began to move rubble around, allowing him to raise himself up. He groaned as he held his side. "Are you alright?" asked Adrian. "I'll live," said Dreadnought. The two found a few Purists rising, some helping others out of the rubble. Dreadnought stood and began to navigate the base, which was now nothing more than a tomb. He made his way into a room and found Scar lying on the ground, coughing. Adrian staggered through the halls. She wanted nothing more than to collapse back into unconsciousness. As she moved on, she found Alexandra and Stinger lying on the ground. "Alexandra!" called Adrian, kneeling next to her comrade. Alexandra groaned as she painfully looked to Adrian. "I feel like a house was dropped on me," said Alexandra. Adrian chuckled in relief. She then noticed Stinger sitting up against the wall, panting. Meanwhile, Scar was standing at a laptop on the table. The screen was covered in dust. His brow bled as he slammed the table in frustration. "I can't get through! Not even to Crimson!" Said Scar in frustration. Dreadnought rubbed his bleeding arm with a wince. "Let's worry about after we gather survivors," said Dreadnought. The MONARCH choppers had landed some miles from the alien base. They were in an open field, with its passengers outside. The soldiers and Guardians stood with the pilots, conversing. Koizumi had a long range radio resting in the chopper. Meanwhile, the teens were hanging around the second chopper. Junior watched the scene between the Guardians and soldiers. He looked to Rodan, who was sitting beside Eliza, who wore a mask that covered her mouth and nose. Rodan held her hand firmly as he watched the soldiers. "I don't trust these guys with Eliza," said Rodan. "Do you really think we can't trust them?" asked Fluttershy. "How can we? They answer to the government. They don't know Eliza like we do," said Rodan. "You're right," said Junior, crossing his arms. "Well, it's not like we can do anything about it," sighed Mosura. "It'll be fine. If they know that your civilization is in danger, they would have no choice but to listen to someone who defected, such as myself," said Eliza, reassuringly "Eliza, let's say that it all works out. We stop your people's conquest and we keep you safe. What happens when you can no longer sustain yourself on our world? I mean you're bound to run out of that gas soon," said Junior, pointing to Eliza's mask. "I am capable of consuming your food, Gojira. And the water. Also, the gas I breathe isn't impossible to find. It'd have to be produced since I wouldn't be able to use our plants to produce these gases given your atmosphere's composition," said Eliza. "Things will work out. I know they will," said Fluttershy with a smile. Meanwhile, Senior stood as the radio crackled. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to recover Xenjira. But we did confirm that these things are hiding out here. We just had a taste of their fire power," said Koizumi. "Then they are definitely hostile," said Hayato over the radio. "One other thing. One of them seemed to have defected. She seems to know what they're planning," said Koizumi. "Are you certain?" asked Hayato. "Hell if I know. I think we should just put her down and carpet bomb the area. Hell, drop a MOAB," said Koizumi. Inoue gasped. "Sergeant, she's just a child!" said Senior. "She said our species is facing extinction! They're all a threat at this point!" said Koizumi. "Takeshi, what are your thoughts?" asked Hayato. "If this life form is telling the truth, she'd be more useful alive. I do agree with Koizumi's assessment on having a military strike however," said Senior. "Then find out what she knows. For now, I'll be informing my superiors of this," said Hayato. Koizumi sighed in annoyance. "And what does your bug friend think of this?" asked Koizumi. Senior looked to his shoulder, where Amber rested. "I was unaware of another species being present on Earth. I'm not omniscient. However, I sense no ulterior motives," said Amber. "So wait, you at least knew that there were aliens out there? What else don’t we know?" questioned Manda. "There are many things that you aren't aware of. Even on this planet," said Amber. "Sergeant, as much as I enjoy getting creeped out by the talking butterfly, we should continue our objective," said the female Olympian. "I'm a moth! And I'm not creepy!" said Amber indignantly. Koizumi sighed. He began to make his way to the teens, whose attention fell on him. "Alright, alien. Spill the beans, what do you know?" demanded Koizumi. Eliza found herself surrounded by the other teens, who looked ready to act should anything threatened her. "My people are attempting to colonize your home world and terraform it to our planet's conditions. Cooler temperatures, manipulation of your atmosphere, and then finally displacing your biome for our own," said Eliza, slightly shrinking back. "And what the hell did you need our planet for? It's in use!" said Koizumi. "W-We weren't thinking of that. We were only looking for it to be sustainable. Our homeworld was destroyed and we were marooned here," said Eliza. "If you're serious about helping us, then I expect answers. How are they going to terraform our planet, when, and how do we stop them?" questioned Koizumi. "They're going to be starting soon. We've restored ourselves with Gojira's G-cells and will need the planet to be hospitable for us as soon as possible. The house I was stationed in, should have the data that you'll need for a counter strike. But we must move quickly!" said Eliza. She grunted as she felt her head throb. "Eliza?" called Rodan worriedly. "I'm fine. My body has been mere biomass for so long that I must be..." Eliza winced as she felt herself becoming off balance. Rodan held her up. "The seeder... it must be destroyed before it's used to change your world," moaned Eliza. "And where's that?" questioned Koizumi. "Canterlot. To be launched from the tallest structure." Eliza began to grunt in pain. "Are you OK?" asked Inoue worriedly. "I'm fine," said Eliza. However, the teens bore unconvinced looks. "The tallest structure? Then that must be Trojan Tower," said Koizumi. He turned to Inoue. "Kid, you'll take a chopper to the location of where our visitor was stationed. Take the rest too. We'll be investigating the city in the meantime," said Koizumi. Inoue nodded in response. "Junior, do not put yourself in any unnecessary danger," said Senior. Junior nodded to his father in response. Soon, the groups began to split and depart into their respected choppers. Inoue was riding in the chopper with the teenagers as Koizumi rode with the Olympians and Guardians. During this flight, Eliza was panting as she began to sweat. Her head was throbbing as her vision blurred. She heard the humans calling out to her, finding her looking visibly ill. Inoue was looking her over, her voice echoed in Eliza's hearing. "Pilot! Take us down!" called Inoue. As the chopper began to descend, Eliza suddenly felt herself overtaken by anxiety. Her body itched, burned and ached. "Eliza!" cried Rodan from his seat. Eliza slumped next to Junior, who was sitting next to her. Eliza began to remove her mask, gasping for air. Her mouth began to salivate. She suddenly bit down on Junior's arm. The Transmutant cried out in pain while the rest reacted in shock and horror. Inoue began to pull on her as she kept her jaws locked on his arm, her teeth drawing blood. "What is she doing?!" cried Fluttershy in horror. Eliza growled as she bit down harder, as Junior and Inoue attempted to pry her off. "Eliza stop!" cried Rodan. It was here that everyone began to notice that Eliza's skin grew more rough. Her violet eyes turned to orange flame-like orbs. Her teeth grew sharper and her body increased in size. She tore through her seat belt and smacked Inoue back. The young soldier cried out as she stumbled back against the sealed door of the chopper. Eliza's growing mass began to affect the balance of the chopper. "What's going on back there?!" shouted the pilot. He grunted as he felt himself losing control of the chopper, which began to tip. The alarm blared as Eliza lunged for Junior, attempting snap her jaws at him. Junior held her head back as Fluttershy and Mosura were screaming in fright as the chopper began to spin out of control. Rodan grunted as he attempted to unbuckle himself as Inoue latched onto Eliza's back, attempting to pry her away from Junior. The alien girl's body began to morph and change, her head developing into a reptilian-like structure. "Oh God! Oh God, please! Please, no!" cried Fluttershy, clenching the straps to her seat tightly as she felt the chopper spin as the alarm blared. Junior cried out in agony as Eliza bit down on his shoulder, his eyes becoming reptilian as his flesh hardened. Eliza gave animalistic grunts as long oval-like pupils appeared in her eyes. "We're going down! Brace for impact!!" cried the pilot. Everyone in the chopper cried out as the chopper spun and descended to the ground, crashing into the earth. Its propellers were destroyed as they contacted the earth. From within the Hive, fully regenerated Millenians stood in a room, where an older male stood. The High Commander stood before a holographic image that depicted the Earth. "My brothers and sisters, now is the time that we rise. We may have lost our world, but we shall conquer a new one to call Home." The High Commander gestured to the hologram, which depicted Canterlot City. "Already the Seeder is being prepared for use. Soon we will change the world's atmosphere and displace every biosphere with our own. We have the plant and animal life necessary preserved. We merely lack the climate," said The High Commander. He raised his hands as his robes moved through the wind. "The Millenian Empire shall reign supreme again!" said the High Commander. The Millenians gave cheers, their voices echoing out through the mother ship. "Unfortunately, the humans have become aware of our presence. We intercepted their communications and discovered that they plan to root us out from our rightful place!" said the commander. Everyone gasped in shock, growing with dread. "But fear not! For we our superior to these animals! We will survive!" said the Millenian. "Go now! Soldiers, prepare to take the city! Let the humans know who shall rule this world!" said the High Commander. From the room, every regenerated soldier began to take off from the room. They made their way to the armory, placing on sleek chrome combat armor, plasma rifles, and other alien weaponry. From the lower levels of the Hive, a hangar area was filled with a few sleek chrome ships, almost bullet shaped if not for their misshapen forms. A few Millenians entered into these objects, which hummed to life and began to hover off ground. From the command center, the High Commander of this empire stared at the monitors, where soldiers were seen marching into the hangar, along with a few of their mechanical drones who had yet to undergo the regeneration process. He found the aircraft preparing to leave as soldiers boarded them. The High Commander turned to find Chris, Harold, and Lor'Rah to be behind him. "Our empire is in your debt. You will be praised for generations to come," said the High Commander. "We are honored, father," said Chris, bowing his head. "Although, Eli'za will not be remembered as well for her treachery," said Harold. "How incredibly disappointing, much like her parents," scoffed the leader. "They were fools to align themselves with the insurrectionists on our home world in a time of crisis. She should've been grateful that I, her uncle, took her in," scoffed the High Commander. Chris bore a hard expression as Harold appeared solemn. The High Commander then pointed to the three. "Go back to your station and destroy everything that may be used against us. And bring her to me," ordered the leader. The soldiers and Guardians rode in their chopper that flew towards Canterlot City. Senior was looking through the window, finding the tall buildings below. During this flight, Koizumi was checking his rifle. "OK, we drop in and take out any hostiles in the building. Our priority is the Seeder thing or whatever. Make sure to watch your fire for any civilians," said Koizumi. Manda was looking through the window, finding the Trojan Tower to be up ahead. The building stood tall, where a massive sculpture of a golden horse's head stood. They were nearing their destination, when suddenly, the pilot's eyes widened. "What in God's name is that?" asked the pilot. Koizumi made his way to the cockpit, his eyes widening at what he saw. Floating in the air was a large object, with its chrome surface and misshapen bullet form. It hummed as it floated over the city. From below in the streets, civilians stared in shock and awe at the object as it hovered over some buildings. The alien aircraft began to give a low hum as it remained stationed in place. From its sides, waves of energy pulsed and shot all around it. The waves shattered the windows of the upper floors of the tallest buildings in the area. Civilians cried out in panic and fled as shards of glass rained down upon them. "Ah shit!" exclaimed Koizumi as he grabbed onto a rail. The chopper was hit by the wave, shattering its windows and causing its systems to malfunction. The propellers began to slow their rotation as the chopper spun out of control. "Hang on!" cried Senior as the chopper descended and crashed into the street. Civilians screamed as they fled the scene. From the chopper, the Olympians and Transmutants burst out of the side door. Senior hauled Koizumi out, who groaned in pain. Baragon carried out the dead pilot, lying him against the chopper. "Shit," said Baragon, wiping his brow as the chopper smoked. Kumonga looked up and found the ship to be descending down. From under it, many figures materialized. A platoon of Millenians, armed to the teeth. "For Glory!" shouted a Millenian as he raised his weapon and began firing upon the civilians. The humans screamed as they fled, while being shot down by the plasma bolts by the soldiers. The aliens began to spread out through the city, shooting at cars and humans. They found themselves firing upon police officers that dared to challenge their fire power. "We need to get out of the open!" said the female Olympian. "Diesel, take point!" said Koizumi, looking to the largest Olympian. He grunted with a nod and took his LMG and ran to an alley. The rest of the group began to follow the Olympian as the invaders advanced through the street. "And here I was hoping this mission would be a breeze," said the second male Olympian. "Now where's the fun in that, Hutch?" asked Koizumi with a pained chuckle. "Can you move on your on?" asked Senior. "Yeah, I'm good. Vale, how far is the tower?" asked Koizumi. The female Olympian turned to Koizumi. "I'd say roughly five blocks," said Vale. "Yeah, and a shit ton of aliens in the way," said Baragon. "Doesn't matter. We must get to the tower or we'll all perish," said Senior, gripping his rifle tightly. Amber remained on his shoulder, her antennae twitching. "Then I shall assist. Since I am smaller, I'll scout ahead and signal for you to come if it's clear," said Amber, fluttering off. "Finally she does something useful," scoffed Baragon. Amber flew out of the alley and across the street. She made sure that she wasn't seen and that her position was roughly in the same direction of the tower. She found Millenians marching through the street, as a tank-sized object moved behind them. It looked like the aircraft but smaller, bearing long metallic squid-like legs that carried it through the street. From a tube in front of the object shot a large yellow beam that crashed into the street, sending explosions with its blast, "This may be a bad idea," said Amber to herself. Nonetheless, she knew that they had to keep going. The fate of the world depended on them. She turned to the alley of the humans and flashed her antennae twice. The Guardians and soldiers began to run across the street and into the next alley with Amber. "This is Director Yoshi. Sergeant Koizumi, do you read?" asked Hayato over the COM. Koizumi placed his hand against his ear as he signaled the group to remain still. "I read. By the way, there's been a delay to the mission," said Koizumi, peeking over the corner of the building. "I know. It seems that our visitors are no longer taking chances," said Hayato. "Yeah, no shit. They have an army massacring civies down here and we're trying to get to the objective on foot!" said Koizumi in annoyance. "We already have the national guard moving into the city. We even have the nearest MONARCH bases deploying their units. You just focus on getting to the tower. Godspeed." said Hayato. Koizumi sighed in annoyance. "Fuck it. It's ride or die, motherfuckers," said Koizumi, raising his rifle. "I always wanted to go out fighting an alien invasion," said Hutch. Vale glanced at him. "Really?" asked Vale. "No, of course not. This scenario never even crossed my mind!" said Hutch. "Well, we're in it now," said Kumonga. Senior looked to Amber, who took off fluttering across the street, over to the next city block. She flashed her antennae, signaling the group to sprint to the other side. This street had a wider opening. They found scorched streets and cars in place. From the air, they heard loud explosions over a block back. Meanwhile, the national guard had mobilized to the street. A platoon comprised of main infantry and anti-air vehicles came in through the street as civilians fled their direction. "Stay out of the street!" shouted a soldier as he raised his rifle and began to fire. The civilians remained on the sidewalk as the soldiers advanced towards the alien soldiers, firing their weapons. The sound of rapid bullet fire from their rifles echoed through the city streets. "Move up!" shouted a soldier as he fired several shots at a Millenian, who cried out and dropped to the ground from the bullets piercing his armor. The aliens fired back, their plasma bolts lighting up the dark streets as the sun was setting. The gunfire from both races created a light show as they fired on one another. A few humans were shot down, scorched by the hot plasma that impacted their bodies. The soldiers took cover behind abandoned cars and fired off into the open street, where the aliens stood. "Tango down!" shouted a soldier, popping an alien's helmet off with a shot from his rifle. A tank began to advance, with a gunner on the turret. "Eat lead!!" shouted the gunner, firing off at the aliens. The Millenians fled for cover, where some were unfortunate to be hit by the blast from the tank's shell. Meanwhile, the soldiers looked on in shock as the walking pod stepped down the street, humming as lights glowed on its surface. The Millenians began to move out of its way. "Shit! Take that thing out!" shouted a soldier. The soldiers shot at the Walker, which deflected the bullets from its surface. A couple soldiers stepped out with a rocket launcher. The rocket was fired and soared at the walker. As the rocket exploded, a blue distortion appeared around the walker, as though an invisible field was there. The tank rose its barrel and fired upon the walker. Again the walker was unaffected, though the distortion appeared to cover more of the field. As the soldiers fired on, the walker's side lit up and fired a beam that dragged across the street and towards the tank. The street suddenly exploded along with the tank. Soldiers were blown away by the blast, some totally annihilated by the heat "Fall back! Fall back!" cried the leader of this platoon. He was suddenly gunned down by a Millenian, who walked over to his body and stood over him. "Move forward! Earth will belong to the Millenians!" cried the alien soldier. The aliens gave war cries as they advanced forward, firing upon the retreating platoon. Fluttershy found herself lying slumped in her seat in the now downed chopper. She heard sparks in the air as the alarm continued to blare. She winced in pain as she came to. She found the sky had darkened to almost a full evening. She felt her forehead sting as she bore a small wound over her brow. She looked around herself and found Inoue being pulled out of the chopper's now missing side door. "Fluttershy, are you alright?" asked Mosura, bringing Fluttershy out of her dazed state. The female Transmutant bore bruises and some cuts. "Wha..." Fluttershy was unbuckled and pulled out of her seat. She was carried out of the mangled aircraft and led away from it. Mosura sat Fluttershy down, who stared in shock. She noticed that Inoue lied on the ground, panting as she lied in pain. Junior was sitting next to the pilot, who was bandaging up Junior's shoulder and arm. Rodan merely stared at the wreckage. "We're lucky to have survived that," said Mosura in relief. "Eliza. Where's Eliza?" asked Fluttershy, snapping out of her shock, but winced as she held her arm. Suddenly, the sound of metal crashing drew everyone's attention. From the wreckage emerged a creature with large and long arms and hands. It had a gorilla-like stance, but appeared to be mixed with the reptilian beast that Junior turned into. It had rough skin and jagged scales, and a mouth with sharp teeth protruding out. The beast stood on short stocky legs and wailed at the group. "Eliza?" called Rodan. Fluttershy's eyes widened in shock. Now she remembered. That thing was their friend. Eliza snarled and leapt off of the wreckage, fleeing the scene. "Eliza!" cried Rodan. He was about to run after her but Junior held him back. "Let go!" said Rodan. "Rodan, no! You'll end up a lot worse than me!" said Junior. Inoue sat up as she winced. "The hell was that?" asked Inoue. The pilot staggered his way over to the downed chopper. "The radio may still be functioning. However, it may take hours for help to arrive. Hell, they may not even come at all if there are aliens invading," said the pilot. "Doesn't matter. We still have a mission to do," said Inoue, struggling to stand, while Junior helped her up. They then noticed several military jets to be flying overhead, towards the city. It was here that they noticed that the sky above the city was appearing red. Everyone stared in shock and horror. "Looks like we're at war," said the pilot. "Dad..." said Junior, his expression turning to worry. Suddenly, some dark choppers came flying by. Inoue's expression lightened up. The pilot quickly drew out a flare gun that he managed to salvage and shot it into the air. The flare slowly descended as it reached its maximum height. One of the choppers broke off from the flock and began to descend over to the group. They approached the chopper as its blades spun over them. Junior held Fluttershy close as she held her ears. "Our chopper was brought down! We need to get to Ponyville! We think we may have intel on the enemy!" said Inoue, shouting over the helicopter's spinning blades. "Intel?! What the hell are you talking about?!" asked the commanding officer, who had stepped out of the back of the chopper. "The enemy has an outpost that may contain vital information! Please, we need to get there as soon as possible! At least allow us to get these kids as close to home!" said Inoue, pointing to the teenagers. The commanding officer looked confused, understandably. He gestured for the group to get inside. "Fine! But you're with us until this is over, soldier!" said the commanding officer. The group began to pile into the chopper, where they found a few other soldiers inside. A couple of soldiers got up and held the railing above to allow the girls to buckle in. Meanwhile, Junior and Rodan stood with Inoue. Junior looked to Rodan, who looked to be having anxiety. "Hey, it's gonna be alright man! We'll get through this!" said Junior, holding his shoulder. Rodan didn't answer. Junior drew out his phone and found his mom having texted him several messages, asking where he was. Junior used one hand to quickly respond to let her know he was alright. He then began to text Twilight. His text read, 'Do you have contact information for Principal Celestia?' Later, Junior was texted back. 'Yes, why??' the text read. Junior began to reply. 'We need Eliza's address. She's in trouble'. Canterlot City had devolved into a war zone. What was once a city full of life and lights, was now a battlefield full of death and fire. F-22 jets soared over the city, where the alien aircraft hovered. They began to fire their rockets at the ship, but had little effect as the ship's image was distorted by the deflector shield that encompassed it. The jets were forced to fly passed the ship and to make another run. "That thing isn't even dented!" said a fighter pilot, looking at the ship over his shoulder. "Keep at it! It can't hold up forever!" said a pilot over the COM. The jets managed to turn and began to make another run, however the alien ship began to give off a low hum. As it did earlier, it shot off waves of energy all around it. The waves made contact with the jets. "Shit! I lost control!" cried a pilot in alarm. His jet descended and crashed into a building. It exploded, sending debris to the street below. The rest of the jets began to crash as well, while some pilots were quick and fortunate enough to eject and parachute down to the streets. Meanwhile, the Guardians and soldiers continued to navigate their way passed any patrolling Millenians and their war machines. They were nearing the city block where the Trojan Tower stood among this chaos. Senior stopped near a corner, finding a group of Millenians hauling human civilians and a couple of officers to the street. The civilians cried out for help, being silenced by being struck by the alien invaders. Senior hardened his expression as he griped his rifle tightly. Memories flashed to his days during the 2nd world war. A burned village, a band of soldiers surrounding prisoners taken, at the mercy of the ones who captured them. But Senior recalled that there was no mercy, especially when it was him in the position of power. "What's the plan Sergeant? The tower is right there. We can sneak passed them," said Hutch. "Are you insane? We need to help those people!" said Manda with a glare. "Mission comes first. If we waste any more time, then we're all dead," said Vale. "But they're right there! We can take them!" said Kumonga, getting in Vale's space. Koizumi sighed in annoyance as he looked to their destination and the aliens that lined their prisoners up on their knees. Senior then shot out of cover, much to Koizumi's alarm. "Hey, I didn't say-!" Koizumi faltered as Senior came rushing with his rifle raised. He fired several shots. The first Millenian was shot dead from the back and dropped. Senior then quickly popped several shots at the head of another alien, who failed to raise his rifle on time. Senior then sprinted towards the remaining Milennians, who were now alerted to his presence. He struck the closest one with the butt of his rifle, causing him to stagger back from the blow. Senior held him as he used him as a shield and fired off his rifle at the two remaining soldiers. The civilians were crying out as they tucked themselves under on the ground. As the remaining aliens died, Senior dropped his rifle and grabbed the alien he had in his arms by his head. Senior grunted as he snapped the alien's neck, who dropped to the ground. "Holy shit," said Vale in shock as the rest of the group stared while in the alley. The group began to make their way out to the street, while Senior looked at them in annoyance. "Now's not the time to hesitate!" said Senior. "You could've gotten us caught!" said Koizumi in annoyance. Senior hardened his expression. "At least give me a chance to give the order!" said Koizumi. Senior sighed heavily as the civilians and few officers got up to their feet. "We're being invaded man! We gotta go!" cried a civilian. "Yeah, go on without us. We got a mission to finish," said Hutch. He turned as he sighted a squad of Millenians appearing, with their rifles drawn. They began to fire upon them. "Contact!" shouted Hutch, pushing a civilian back. The Guardians and Transmutants turned as they were fired on. The civilians cried out as they fell back. Koizumi tossed an officer his side arm. "Here! You'll need it!" said Koizumi as he went back to firing. As they fled, the soldiers and Guardians spread out and took cover behind rubble and cars. As they fired, the Millenians grew in number. Diesel began to fire off his LMG, forcing the aliens into cover. "There's too many of them!" shouted Manda, turning to Senior. "Stand fast!" said Hutch. He grunted as he was struck in the shoulder by a plasma bolt and fell to the ground. Vale turned her head up to a nearby apartment building roof, where three Millenians stood and fired from. "Finish them!" shouted one of the aliens. Suddenly, they were shot from behind and fell to the street below. Vale bore a confused look. The approaching Millenians suddenly found themselves struck by lightning, which connected with several of them. They cried out in agony as the electricity scorched them. Some were crying out in agony on the ground as they were swarmed by red particles, eating away at their flesh. "What the fuck?!" exclaimed Koizumi. Senior stood out of cover as his eyes widened. "It can't be," said Senior. The rest of the few Millenians began to flee from the area. The group began to emerge from cover. The red particles began to swarm and form into a large masculine figure. The particles fused and formed into none other than Destoroyah. "Oh shit!" said Hutch, raising his rifle. The soldiers and Guardians all raised their weapons, including Senior. Destoroyah smirked as he stood, half naked and his flesh partially covered in a red carapace. Next to him, Gabara dropped to the street, sparking with electricity. "The hell are you doing here?!" demanded Kumonga. "Gojira, please tell your peers to calm themselves," said Destoroyah. Senior merely kept his expression hard. Destoroyah sighed heavily. "I see you need some persuasion," said Destoroyah. The Guardians and soldiers than noticed that from the roof tops, over a dozen Revolutionaries appeared, armed with their own weapons. Manda slumped her shoulders. "Well, shit," said Manda. Senior growled as his eyes darted around. "Come on, we can get out of this," said Koizumi. His eyes widened in shock as Senior lowered his weapon. "I'm not going to risk any lives," said Senior. The Guardians looked at him in reluctance and then followed in suite. Koizumi bore a look of disbelief. "You're welcome to challenge them. But I wouldn't recommend it at this point and time," said Senior. Koizumi groaned in frustration. "Fuck you and everyone here," said Koizumi, begrudgingly lowering his weapon. The rest of the Olympians followed in suite. Destoroyah and Gabara began to approach. They stepped over to Senior, who bore a cold look. "That's no way to greet old comrades," said Destoroyah in mock disappointment. "I told you, the past means nothing to me now," said Senior in a low tone. "Clearly not, big guy. You're hanging around these jack-offs. And here I thought we had something deep from the war," said Gabara. "What do you guys want?" demanded Baragon. "Easy, shorty. For once, humans and Transmutants are on the same page here," said Gabara. Baragon growled as he was about to step forward, but was held back by Manda. "You mentioned that there was an enemy that threatened us all. You knew, didn't you?" demanded Senior. "How the hell do you know that he knew something?" questioned Koizumi. "Indeed I did. My Revolutionaries discovered that the device they had in the North late last year. We only recently managed to steal it once we realized what it was capable of. Unfortunately, your human friends got in our way," said Destoroyah, glaring at Koizumi. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I wasn't deployed to the border and there was nothing mentioned about an alien device," said Koizumi with a glare. "We never said you stole it. You just got in the way. Some Purist fuckers stole it," deadpanned Gabara. "And the aliens stole it back," said Manda. "So... what now? Are we just gonna stand around with our thumbs up our asses while aliens take over?" asked Koizumi in exasperation. Destoroyah smirked as he looked to Senior. "You're proposing an alliance, aren't you?" asked Senior. "Clever as always," said Destoroyah. "Yeah, no thanks," said Koizumi. "I rather die," said Hutch in a low tone. "Wait," said Senior, raising a hand. He looked to Destoroyah, with a hard expression. "Just know that I'd never willingly fight alongside you again. This is under circumstance," said Senior. "You can't be thinking of actually..." Manda's eyes widened. Destoroyah chuckled with a sinister smirk. Senior kept a hard expression. Suddenly, the alien aircraft flew overhead, as rockets rained down upon it from the sky. The field became distorted, sparking. "If we don't, then we all die!" said Senior turning to Koizumi. The mercenary groaned in exasperation. Today was just not his day. "Whatever! But I'm shooting one of you at the end of this!" said Koizumi. Destoroyah turned to the Revolutionaries on the roof tops. "Go and eliminate any of these invaders that you find!" said Destoroyah. The Revolutionaries began to leave the area, disappearing from sight. "I'll take point," said Senior, running down the street, with Amber on his shoulder. Destoroyah chuckled. "Just like old times," said Destoroyah, as he and Gabara ran after him. Koizumi sighed. "Sure take point. Why not? No one listens to me anyway," deadpanned Koizumi as he and the rest of the group ran after them. Senior ran ahead to Trojan tower. He fired a few shots at the Millenians standing guard at the entrance. As a few alien soldiers jumped out of cover to flank him, Gabara shot towards them like a bolt of lightning. He struck the closest alien with an electric charged punch, and then he shot his left hand forward and launched a lightning bolt against the second Millenian, knocking him to the ground. Destoroyah lunged over to an approaching Millenian, slamming his rifle against his skull. He then began to fire his rifle at the last Millenian guarding the door. The three made their way into the building, followed by the rest of the group. Eliza staggered through the evening. She was completely naked, shivering in the cold. She found a sheet to be hanging from clips in the yard of a house. Later, Eliza found herself continuing her journey, wrapped up in the sheet she had seen. The girl made her way to a lone house that sat on a hill. She pressed a hand against a pad. It flashed red as it beeped. Eliza grunted as she slammed her fist against it. The pad was smashed in and it sparked. The gate began to open, allowing her to stagger to the house. She forced the door open and staggered inside. The house was cold and dark, seemingly abandoned. She made her way over to a counter and rested a trembling hand on it. She pressed her hand against a panel, which prompted the room to shift and change. The furniture was replaced by metallic tables, cabinets, and screens. Eliza panted as she held her aching sides. She staggered over to a metallic table and tripped. She cried out in pain as she felt her bones shifting and breaking, reassembling into new forms. Eliza found her four fingered hand beginning to shift. She groaned as her hand began to slightly grow as her fingers were pushed aside, where a smaller finger began to grow. Eliza screamed in pain as she clutched her head, feeling her skull restructure itself. Soon, the pain had stopped. Eliza shuddered as she shakily pulled herself up to the table. Eliza stared at her hand in the dark room, unable to see it clearly. However, she felt a fifth appendage. "Lights. Lights on!" Eliza managed to say through her pants. The lights came to life in the room. Eliza winced from the sudden brightness. She then gasped as she found her hand. She had confirmed that she now had five appendages on her hand. She brought up her other hand and stared. Aside from having ten fingers while originally having four, her skin was now soft and peachy in tone. Eliza dropped to her knees, panting as she trembled. She found her reflection on the metal surface of the counter. Eliza froze as she shakily reached for her face. Eliza at first thought that was was staring at someone else. However, she realized that the human girl reflected on the metallic surface was her. Eliza's facial structure had become a bit more round, her eyes having become smaller, but slanted. Her eyes were amber, with violet tinted rims. Her head was no longer shaped in its bulbous way, and she now bore dark long hair. Eliza couldn't help but crack a smile. Her eyes ran with tears as she held her face. Most would likely be repulsed by this and her experience. However, she felt joy. Eliza grunted as she held her head, which began to throb. Her heart raced as her pupils disappeared from her eyes. She blinked, only for it to return. Eliza struggled to her feet as she felt her skin grow irritated. "What's happening?" asked Eliza. She began to stagger over to a workstation, and jumped with a start as a cage began to rattle from a counter. Her eyes widened as she found a creature that looked to be a hybrid of a rodent and reptile inside. It had a rat-like body, but was about the size of a small Chihuahua. Its body was covered in thick dark scales and bore jagged dorsal plates along its back. The creature snorted as its fiery eyes darted. Its mouth bore sharp two front teeth and smaller sharper teeth sticking out of the flesh of its mouth. Eliza knew what this was. This was the lab rat taken from GeneCo. "Oh no..." Eliza's expression turned to dread.