Selene, Zephyr and Aboleth's battle shook the compound.

  Alarms were blaring across the refinery. Search lights scanned the area for any motion and locked onto it.

  Meanwhile gunfire and screams sounded which could be heard at any point in the colony as over a dozen scantids began to assail the compound. As well as a few munlocs who had broken through the chain gate.

  Chaos had quickly erupted well into the night and most of the colonists weren't even aware of what was happening until moments before dying.

  It was like a miniature apocalypse taking place around them. April, Desmond and Carl fled into the jungle as the flames spread. Like many colonists.

  At this point the Zykra queen was toying with her two allies.

  She was far more powerful by every metric.

  At one point Aboleth had tried to hide in the forest of pillars and supporting structs beneath all the machinery, slithering over the many crisscrossing truss's as she did so. But Selene just stared at her confusedly, as if wondering what she was accomplishing by that.

  Then utilized her claws, tail and own body to slash through the supports while on a direct course for her.

  The refinery groaned above them as iron bolts blasted off from the added stress and much of the colossal machinery began to lean.

  Safe to say their plan to use subterfuge to gain access to the resources they needed was ruined. Not that it mattered now, in this life or death battle. It would take a miracle for them to win. To subdue Selene. It was foolish to even try, but what other choice did they have?

  Go along with her psychopathy until the proper opportunity came up?

  It sounded smart, but that kind of thing was easier said than done. In the moment they only saw a monster in Selene's place and wanted to bring the old Selene back. It wasn't rational, but people weren't always rational when their friend was in trouble. Both Zephyr and Aboleth felt many conflicting feelings during the battle.

  Though Selene seemed perfectly content smacking them around.

  Aboleth swatted Selene with her hulking tail, severing a few supports herself in the process. It was effective. At least in moving Selene. Her tail smashed Selene into a pipe about two meters thick. It dented inwards and emitted steam as Selene cartwheeled over it.

  They did their best to counter the queens speed, but there was only so much they could do. The steam from the leaky pipe flooded the area and Selene ambushed Aboleth through the cloud while her guard was down.

  Just as Selene had reached Aboleth Zephyr shot forward and used her telepath ability.

  An impermeable barrier appeared around them about a room large.

  It was almost comical how the Zykra queen bounced off it and landed on her ass. She looked up at it with surprise more than anything else.

  Zephyr's shield only lasted so long before the preserver device improved it. But she didn't need it for very long. The supports around them were in shambles and the section of refinery machines above came crashing down around them.

  The rubble fell onto the shield and everything around it. The crash was deafening. It definitely killed at least a couple workers who were up above during their night shifts.

  All was quiet for a moment. Then they heard Selene speaking plainly somewhere in the destruction.

  "Okay I'm mad."

  Selene was beginning to wonder if she'd be trapped in this nightmare forever.

  It was the only reason she pursued the shadow man. Nothing here seemed to hurt her, so facing her fear seemed to have little consequence. It could be the only way out. Or maybe the Zykra version of herself was making her dreams unpleasant to torture her and keep her distracted while she did horrible things in the real world.

  She cradled the unhappy Pipsqueak in her arms as she climbed down from the balcony that laid partially collapsed. The temple itself was showing wear on the outside now, unlike before.

  Tall grass grew up between cracked stone and concrete around in the courtyard and gardens around. A tall wall separated the rest of the city but it too had fallen in places.

  Statues around displayed historical figures with quotes of theirs written on placards.

  The largest one—the most intact—was man who wore his own coat on his shoulders like a blanket, his arms not being in the sleeves. His arms held a cane in front of him, and he wore spectacles. Selene read the inscription as she passed it;

  'Gentry Oderon 236061'

  -

  'Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy that has not murdered itself.'

  The rain was seeping into the cotton of her hoodie thoroughly now. Despite this only being a dream — it felt so cool against her skin. She held Pipsqueak closer for warmth, who began lightly slapping his antenna across the sides of her affectionately.

  Overgrown hedges loomed to her sides now, as she walked around the overflowing fountain. Cracked and fallen into disrepair.

  The shadowed man sat slumped forward with his elbows on his knees at one of the many stone benches that were scattered around the courtyard gardens. He wore a rugged cowl which obscured his face and his clothes were heavy. Road leathers and baggy canvas pouches. Daggers could be seen sheathed on his hip, chest, and ankles.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  A belt of bullets was strapped across his chest and he had what looked to be grenades tucked within his robed cowl.

  "I had to see for myself."

  He said, his voice was tired and worn. Graveled.

  Selene was tired too. Her hair stuck to her face, matted from the rain. The mascara around her eyes was beginning to smear downwards with the ran that flowed off her chin.

  "Which nightmare are you?" she asked, ready for the latest iteration. She was betting that it was her dad, but infested.

  The man hardly moved; "I'm with the resistance. You missed your meeting."

  Selene just stared at him in confusion.

  "..What?"

  Pipsqueak snapped towards the man angrily but Selene pulled him back and gave him head pats.

  He scoffed; "Guess I have to explain myself a bit..." he hung a hand from his knee lazily, gloved in thick leather and began to count off fingers. "I'm a telepath. My abilities are astral projection orientated. I can enter peoples minds. I'm here to check up on you."

  Wow. Telepaths could be that powerful? She supposed if sensing a persons feelings was possible, sensing their dreams wasn't so far out of the question. But still, it left her wondering just what other telepaths were capable of. The man allowed her to connect some dots on her own silently, but then continued speaking after a moment;

  "Your dad shared a bit. About the Zykra. But we'd like to know more."

  Selene was reeling from this revelation. She sat on the edge of the fountain; "You couldn't of called?"

  "We have. That scientist of yours said something about rescheduling our meeting as if it was a book club. So we wanted to speak to the source. Immediately. We want answers. Isn't that fair considering all the investment we've placed in you?"

  This was her only chance come to think of it. If he was telling the truth. But first she had to know exactly what he knew.

  "Okay... What did my dad tell you exactly?"

  "That you can command so many Zykra because you're part Zykra yourself. And apart from that, he doesn't know himself."

  That made sense for him to reveal. It was impossible to hide that fact after their battle on the desert planet, and it's been weeks since then, which meant the higher ups of either side would likely know by now. Probably the reason why they wanted that meeting so bad they had their astral projecting telepath do it.

  "Sure. That's true. I am part Zykra... How does that make you feel?"

  "Like I said, I had to see for myself. You seem human enough. For all that crying you did."

  "Oh... Y-you saw that? How long have you been watching? Wait, was this the first dream of mine you're saw? Because I can explain-"

  "Heh, I didn't see you secretly betraying us and that's what matters. But what I can't seem to figure out is why did you try to reschedule? Do you have any idea how stupid that is? I know you're a kid, but... Damn. Do you appreciate the gravity of the situation you're in? It's hard to trust a person who is so flippant about things. That doesn't cut it. Not at this level kid."

  Selene set the scantid down.

  "I don't like him anymore than you do but... No biting, okay?" she told the little scantid. He looked up to her from the cracked stone pathway of the courtyard. Then back to the shadowed man. Then back to her. Then sat.

  "Good boy." Selene said, crossing her arms and stepping in front of the man. She took a deep breath before speaking in as a calm and concise manor as possible. Respecting the fact that this man represented the whole of the resistance at the moment. An organization that managed to challenge puck for decades.

  "I... Get what you're saying. And I'm sorry. I messed up. So here are my excuses. At the start all I wanted was to keep my family safe, so I worked with puck. But then I accidentally became part-Zykra. Which tied me up in a deal with them. Turns out they're a sentient race of super powerful aliens who want me to take over this sector on their behalf, or else. And guess what? They're not the only ones. I have a deal with these other ones too, I call them preservers. 'Cause of something they said. They seem nicer but I'm not sure, just like I'm not sure about you. The resistance. Another freaking group I'm making a deal with, again- to protect my family and this sector. I'm being pulled in every direction. And yeah I mess up, it's not because I'm young, or I came into my power recently. Anyone would have trouble juggling all this. I've actually done pretty good considering. So... Cut me some slack, you know?"

  At some point during her monologue she became frustrated and began venting at the man. But by the end of it she felt a bit foolish for sharing so much.

  Pipsqueak chittered proudly almost as if to say; 'Yeah! What she said!'

  The man pulled his cowl back, revealing his dark features. One of his bushy eyebrows were parted by a thick scar that ran across his face. His brown almost black hair was long and tangled. She saw his steel eyes peering at her as lightening flashed in the sky.

  "Fine. That cleared up a lot... So we'll accept your little 'reschedule' but don't do it again kid, or you'll sorely piss us off. Why the fuck did you call it off anyways?"

  Selene bent over and gave Pipsqueak some head-scritches. This was actually a blessing in disguise, the resistance finding her here. As crazy as it was- this was an opportunity.

  "..Oh, about that.. Could I ask you for a favor? Like, the resistance?"

  The refinery was reduced to wreckage. Sparks and flames emitted all over, the maze of fallen machinery had crushed the town beneath it.

  Their smooth and mostly moral plan — had failed.

  Selene's handful of Zykra were enough to begin culling the population of the compound, not that she needed them.

  Zephyr and Aboleth laid defeated a distance from each other. Beaten and bloody. The armor Zephyr wore was shimmering blue, losing cohesion. Her helmet's visor was cracked and many of her armor plates were missing or broken.

  Aboleth had many lacerations and the scythes on her hips had been torn off at some point.

  They laid on a pile of smoldering rubble.

  Selene sat on top of Aboleth with a tablet. She was speaking with Dr. Bryant.

  "They tried to leave, really? After everything I've done for them?"

  "Yes your majesty. I assure you, your grace; my loyalties are not so fickle. I've rendered them unconcious by putting the ship on lockdown and cycling out the life support."

  Selene let out an exasperated sigh then, crossing one leg over the other as she sat. "Some subjects need to be reminded of who they serve. Tell me, do you think the device could be removed if the wearer is killed?"

  Dr. Bryant considered for a moment. Then answered.

  "I believe the risk is acceptable my queen. If you kill Ms. Erikson and the device is destroyed in the process I would deem that as an acceptable outcome when considering our goals."

  Selene nodded as he said so. "Yeah, I think so too."

  She stood up from her Aboleth-seat and moved towards the unconscious Zephyr. If she was awake Selene would say some witty remark about how she should've bowed to her queen. But there was no point like this.

  So instead she raised a foot above Zephyr's head. Then brought it down.

  The helmet cracked with a flash of blue light and Zephyr's blood spouted upwards through the broken shards of glass that made up the visor.

  She wiped the side of her high-heel shoe of insectoid exoskeleton onto the side of Zephyrs body.

  "Come to think of it, Ku'senai had this 'Evolutionist' variant who gave Aboleth her human side back. I'd like to create one of mine own who could do the opposite. It'd would also be nice to make some more in-depth changes to some variants."

  "Excellent idea your grace. I know of the variant, highly intelligent but most importantly- adaptable. It'll take a few days to incubate. In the mean time, might I suggest that we collect whatever intact bodies we can, so you can create beings like Aboleth to keep up appearances that we may not attract any attention."

  Selene scoffed; "I think we're going to make a good team doctor."

  "I'm pleased you think so, my Queen."

  A blue arc of electricity struck Zephyr's body, causing that portion to dissipate into glowing blue mist. Which surprised Selene. Because it was similar to the sparks coming from all the broken machinery. But the preservers body also disappeared this way.

  Other sparks struck her, evaporating Zephyrs body. It seemed that there would be no way to recover the device. Oh well, it didn't seem so powerful anyways.

  She shrugged and moved to where Dr. Bryant was now landing the ship.

  The Sequester was alight in the flames of the colony, shadows of numerous Zykra were cast about as they sifted through the wreckage. Consuming whatever biomass they found within.

  Behind The Chapter...

  <<<>>> SHOUTOUT SECTION <<<>>>

  VAMPIRE NINJA

  He’s a vampire. He’s a ninja. And he’s here to kick ass.

  Rick never believed in vampires, until one drained him dry the same night he just wanted to boot up his brand-new game. Dying should’ve been the end. Instead, it was the tutorial. Now he’s isekai’d into a game world that feels like a Souls-like nightmare, with a special class modification that turned his choice into something unique: Vampire Ninja.

  With Gabriella, a fiery cleric carrying secrets of her own, Rick will carve through monsters, duel cult fanatics, and grind for the XP that might just keep him alive. The stakes? Higher than his Blood Level.

  Dark, brutal, and laced with sharp humor, Vampire Ninja is a LitRPG where every level-up is written in blood.

  “LET THE BLOOD SPILL!”