Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Spencer's Estate

The sound of Amaranth Chatter’s alarm, an energetic anime song, woke her up. She got up and stretched her arms, looking outside. The sun wasn’t even out. She shivered, feeling Nightstalker oozing out of her back. It stared at her as she yawned.

“Morning, Amaranth, ready for your workout?” It greeted.

Amaranth smiled confidently. “You know the answer to that.” she got out of her bed and walked to her dresser opening its drawer and took out her workout clothes. After putting on her clothes and brushing her teeth, she went downstairs. Under the stairs was a door that leads to Jon’s workout area. A punching bag was in the top right corner, a workout mat in the middle, a treadmill on the right side, and a bench press with weights and dumbells on the left side.

‘So, where would you like to begin?’

Amaranth thought about it. ‘I think a run would be a good warm-up before we get serious.’

‘Alright, remember 5 miles in 40 minutes or less.’

Amaranth walked over to the treadmill and stretched her legs and arms to loosen herself up. She hopped on the treadmill and pressed the start button. The track started to move slowly, but Amaranth kept increasing the speed until she was going 3 miles per 30 minutes. It wasn’t the most intense workout, but she felt sweat forming on her brow and her heart racing. After running 5 miles in 40 minutes, she turned off the treadmill and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from her face. She then went straight towards the punching bag and took out a pair of wireless earbuds. She began hitting the bag as soon as the energetic and high power song started.

‘Right Jab’

“Poison Sting!”

Amaranth jabbed with her right fist, making sure to punch with her body and not with her arm knocking the bag back.

‘Left jab.’

“Shadow punch!” Amaranth did the same with her left, keeping the bag knocked back. Amaranth kept hitting the bag following Nightstalker's instructions.

It had been a few weeks since the clone who thought he was Joseph had died. Since that day, much to her parent's confusion, she began training at 5 AM every day, three hours before tutoring. His death added more fuel on the fire that burned in her heart. Every punch, every kick, was fueled by determination and the anger she felt thinking about how many others like Joseph, his family, Daisy's family, were hurt. How many families were broken and destroyed?

‘Left kick.’

“Crescent Moon blade!” Amarant lifted her leg into the air in an arcing motion, knocking the bag back again.

‘Right kick.’

“Instant Strike!”

Amaranth performed a roundhouse on the bag with a loud ‘smack.’

For the past few weeks, she had trained with Nightstalker and it helped her learn to fight. It taught her some martial art it had learned from its previous host called Shadow Doku. Though her quirk of naming her attacks perplexed Nightstalker, it tolerated it as long she as didn't do it while sneaking. In truth, Amaranth just thought it was cool, it pumped her up. Amarnath chuckled, remembering Daisy’s parents' reaction when they had walked on her shouting attack names. Jon had an amused and knowing look on his face while Amy's face had turned white with comedic horror, then a shade of red. When asked why, Amy looked embarrassed and slightly horrified, muttering something about ‘getting it from her.’ Amaranth asked Jon about it but said it was nothing after getting a glare from Amy.

Amaranth stepped back, putting her left leg out while keeping her right leg on the ground. She then kept her right hand in while having her left out, using it as a guard.

“Rapid sting!”

Amaranth performed a series of punches, one after the other at a speed that shouldn’t have been possible for an average person. The bag flew back, then came back down, swinging on its chain. Amaranth smirked as she went back into her fighting stance.

Amaranth relaxed and let out a sigh, turning off the music. She wiped her brow; and in doing so, she saw a noticeable bicep on her arm.

Thanks to Nightstalker’s body chemistry manipulation her recovery time was significantly reduced combined with her strict diet, she had made a good amount of progress in a short amount of time. Plus, it was making her taller, maximizing her growth spurt while she was still going through puberty. She was quite fit, even seeing the formation of abs, but she still needed to keep training. The stronger she was as Amaranth, the stronger she was as Nightstalker.

‘You did pretty well. You’re making great improvements. Though I never understood that attack name thing you do.’

Amaranth shrugged. ‘It pumps me up, and everyone knows that calling out your attacks makes them stronger!”

‘Humans.’ it muttered. ‘Whatever you say. So what do you want to do next?’

“Let’s see-” Amaranth heard the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs. Jon strolled down the stairs in his blue pajamas. He had an amused smile on his face.

“Morning, my little anime protagonist,” he joked. He looked behind her at the worn-out punching bag. “I see you gave my old punching bag quite a beating. Then again, I am not surprised based on all the shouting.”

Amaranth blushed and looked down, finding the floor suddenly interesting. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”Jon chuckled and waved her off.

“Don’t worry about it, but you should have seen your mother. She had her head in her hands in embarrassment,” he said with a chuckle, on the verge of full-on laughter. He then looked her up and down. “You know you're getting taller. Keep growing like this, and you’ll be as tall as me.” he laughed.Amaranth chuckled with Jon.

“Hey, Dad, why does Mom act so weird about my interest in anime?”

Jon placed a hand under his five o'clock shadowed chin as if deep in thought. After a few moments he turned around, going up the stairs. “Come on, I have something to show you,” he said, waving for her to follow him.

Curious at what he wanted to show her, Amaranth followed him up the stairs through the living room, and into the library. It was a well lit room with a high ceiling that had a chandelier. There was an electric fireplace, a desk where she did her schoolwork and bookshelves that lined the walls and contained books on a variety of genres. There was even a section for her sizable manga collection. Amaranth smiled. Aside from the dreams, anime and manga provided a temporary escape from the condition she once had. Heroes that, despite their weakness, moved bravely forward towards their goal to defeat the villain or save loved ones with the help of their friends much like her and Nightstalker.

Jon locked the door and went to his bookshelf to move a couple of books aside. He put his hand to the back of the shelf and rubbed for a few seconds until a piece of film scraped off, revealing a hidden compartment. Jon opened it and pulled out a book. “Now, don’t tell your mother I have this; otherwise, she will kill me,” he said with a tinge of nervousness. “She doesn’t want people to know about her ‘phase.’ He walked over and handed the book to her.

Amaranth was now even more curious, and studied the book. It was a simple black book- the size of a handbook- labeled ‘Memories.’ Amaranth opened the book and turned to the first page. Inside was a bunch of photos of Daisy’s parents when they were younger, likely in high school. What caught her eye was how Amy and her friends were dressed. they stood in front of a sign that said ‘Fairfields highschool’ wearing retro outfits from ancient 1990s manga. They all wore Japanese school uniforms called a ‘sailor fuku’ with extremely long skirts, long sleeve blouses, black penny loafers, and neck scarfs. The outfits were black with a flame pattern design painted on. Amy was in the middle, obviously the leader of the group. She wore her uniform differently with her blouse hung on her shoulders, revealing her torso covered by bandages from her stomach to her breast. She was wearing a flame pattern surgical mask and her hair was dyed to look like fire. In her hand with the blade resting on her shoulder, was a bamboo sword. Written under each girl were nicknames like ‘Torchstar,’ ‘Shadowsun,’ ‘Blackstar,’ ‘Starfire,’ but under Amy was the nickname ‘Spitfire.’ Amy’s young face showed confidence and rebellion. In short, she was very unlike the woman she was now.

Amaranth looked at Jon with a bewildered expression. “Dad, explain.”

Jon, with a smile, began to explain. “You see, when your mother and I were in high school, a lot of phases came. Some stayed and were fondly remembered, while others not so much. There was this one when those old school sailor uniforms you see in your animes went into fashion and every girl dressed in one. Now, your mother and her friends were, how do I put this nicely? Hmmm... were a little enthusiastic. Especially for the ‘banchou’ and ‘sukeban’ genre, so they formed this gang based on that. Even gave themselves nicknames.”

‘Well, that explains your ‘quirks’.’

Amaranth’s mouth hug opened, imagining Amy. Amy, who didn’t like her hobby, loving the same hobby. Then another thought came to her.

“Wait, Mom was in a gang!” blurted Amaranth.

Jon shushed her. “Hey, not so loud. You might wake your mother again. Don’t worry, it wasn’t one of those gangs. More like the type that hangs out around the corner, causes petty troubles, pranks, that kind of thing. They never got violent, but let me tell you-” Jon shook his head while rubbing his chin. “She lived up to her nickname, Spitfire. Amy had quite a temper back in the day, before she mellowed out. Even punched me so hard she knocked me off my feet. Though, to be fair, I did make a raunchy comment towards her.” he explained fondly.

Amaranth shook her head. She couldn’t believe Amy used to act like this. She looked further through the book, seeing photos of Amy with her friends doing different poses. There was even one where Amy was shouting with her bamboo sword held high. Jon looked at the picture and tried to keep the laughter out of his voice.

“Your mother also had a quirk where she would call out her attacks. Raging Demon! Dark Lance! Omni Crusher!” he said, doing a move to go along with each ‘attack.’”

‘Well, that sounds familiar. Another thing you got from her.’

‘No kidding, but I wonder why she was so ashamed of it?’

“Dad, why did Mom want to keep this a secret?”

Jon ruffled Amaranth’s hair. “Well, to her, it was an embarrassing time of her life. She described it as an ‘extended eighth-grade syndrome.’ She got into a lot of fights during that time. Now she sees it as childish and worries that you will follow her footsteps..”

Amaranth giggled loudly, remembering that day and how confused she had been as to why Amy had appeared so terrified. Now she knew. The thought of Daisy’s mother being a wannabe Sukeban was so hilarious.

Jon went to her side and took the book from her hands. “Let me show you something else,” he then turned to the back of the book. Amaranth noticed that the back cover was a couple of inches thicker than the front. He scratched on the inside of the cover and peeled back a section of paper revealing a hidden compartment. He then pulled out a circular device the size of the palm of her hand. It was a holo-still. Though relatively cheap, they were still more expensive than regular photos. They were not as hardy, and ran on batteries, so they never replaced the trusted medium. Jon then pulled the two ends of the circle apart, and between the two ends, a holographic picture appeared. Amy and friends, in their Sekuban outfits, were facing off against Jon and four of his friend,. dressed in Japanese school uniforms. Jon was a bonchou with his shirt hung on his shoulders exposing his muscular chest wrapped in bandages. His arms were folded with a stern expression on his face. A straw or some sort of weed hung from his mouth.

Amaranth failed to hold back her laughter at the image. “I didn’t know you were into that stuff too, Dad.”

Jon rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. “Well, not exactly. I did it to impress your mom. We’re married, you're here, so it worked pretty well.”

Amaranth forced a laugh but internally winced when reminded of Daisy. Amy didn’t give birth to her, but to Daisy. She was just something grown in a test-tube. Jon closed the holo-still and put it back in the hidden compartment, making sure to cover it. He closed the book and placed it back in its hiding spot.

“Remember, your mother can’t know about this.”

Amaranth nodded. “I won’t tell, Mom. I promise.” Amaranth then suddenly felt Nightstalker’s hunger.

‘Amaranth, I hunger.’

‘Alright, let's get some food. I’m feeling hungry myself.’

“Dad, I’m going to get some breakfast.”

Jon made a disgusted face. “Another one of your ‘smoothies’?” he said.

Amaranth nodded and internally winced. “Yes, it's part of my diet,” she said, only telling the half-truth.Jon let out a sigh and shook his head. “I can never understand how you like the stuff much less the brains it’s made out of.”

That was another thing her parents were perplexed about: her sudden appetite for animal brains. At first, they absolutely refused to buy her any. They were worried about the health ramification of eating brains. It took her finding at least thirty articles from credible sources and a few from the UEG food and drug administration to prove it was perfectly safe to eat if cooked. After some convincing, they relented and started buying her some. They got it for cheap from the local butcher shops due to the brains having such a limited customer base, and it helped that most of them were leftovers that didn’t sell. She blended them together with some other ingredients trying to mask the taste in the ‘smoothie.’ It was Amaranth's attempt at making it easier to get down.

It didn’t help much.

“Well, don’t let me keep you. Go get some breakfast before your tutor arrives. I will join you shortly,” Jon said, waving her off.

“Alright, Dad.” Amaranth exited the library and went to the kitchen through the den. She turned on the TV waited for it to connect to waypoint. It went straight to a news streaming site, which was doing another piece about the ‘Miracle girl.’ That was another thing that had been happening for the past three weeks; she was getting a lot of attention from the news. While most reporters respected their answer if they said no to an interview, others, not so much. The excitement had died down after three weeks; however, they still got nosey reporters or doctors who wanted to perform tests despite all previous results returning normal.

She went straight toward the fridge and opened up its door. She dug through its contents until she pulled out a fully sealed plastic container with chunks of cooked pig brains cut into pieces and a bottle of chocolate milk. Feeling Nightstalker’s anticipation, she walked over to blender on the counter by the stove. Behind the mixer sat an assortment of protein powders, a box of chocolates, and a jar of chocolate powder. Setting the chocolate milk asideAmaranth opened up the pitcher and began to make Nightstalkers ‘smoothie’. She added the brains, several scoops of chocolate powder, a few pieces of chocolate, and finally a prayer to not throw up. She put the lid back on the mixer then turned it on. After a minute of blending, it was ready. The sight of the brownish-gray liquefied mash made her stomach churn. She pinched her nose, put the pitcher to her lips, and downed the unholy concoction.

A trick she had learned was just chucking the thing down as quickly as possible, so that way she only had to deal with the aftertaste. She gulped down the gelatinous smoothie as fast as possible until the pitcher was empty. What came next was the aftertaste, and she nearly gagged from the chocolatey iron flavor. She snatched the bottle of chocolate milk from the counter and chugged it down, replacing the chocolaty iron taste with pure milky chocolate. After chugging the entire bottle, she let out a relieved breath.

‘Well, that was a nice breakfast. Chock full of hormones.’ Nightstalker said pleasantly.

“Glad you enjoy it,” Amaranth said dryly, sitting down at the kitchen table.

“Who are you talking to?”

Amaranth turned around and saw Daisy’s father standing in the doorway. “Oh, I was just talking to myself. That’s all.”

Jon just shrugged and walked towards the fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs and a box of sausage patties. “So, do you want some eggs and sausages?”

Amaranth nodded, that was another thing about having Nightstalker inside her, she was eating for two now. “Yes, scrambled, please.”

“Coming right up,” Jon took out a skillet and cracked some eggs into the pan. Within minutes the smell of eggs and sausage permeated the kitchen. At that moment, summoned by the smell of the bacon, Amy entered, still in her nightgown, entered the kitchen.

“Good morning, honey. Good morning, Daisy.” Amy hugged Amaranth and pecked her husband on the cheek. She then examined Amaranth. “So how was your morning exercise?” she asked.

“It was alright. The same routine, I just didn’t get to the weights.” Jon came to the table, set down three plates of eggs and sausages, then sat down.

“I still can’t believe all the progress you made. Come on, show me what you got!” he said, rolling up his right sleeve and flexing his mountain of a bicep.

Amaranth smiled and did the same, showing off her small hill of a bicep. Amy was shaking her head, clearly amused.

Jon barked out laughing. "HAHAHA! You have my genes, alright! It reminds me of me after I finished Bootcamp. I was built like a brick house going in, then built like a Marathon-class coming out!" he said, rolling his sleeve back down. He turned his attention to the sausage on his plate.

Amy shook her head at her husband's boisterous antics. She loved that about him even if it could grate on her nerves a little.

"Calm down, Jon. You’re too loud." She then turned her attention back towards her daughter. "Now, Daisy, be careful. It has only been three weeks. We don't want you to push yourself too hard," she cautioned.

Amaranth took a bite of her eggs, savoring the paprika and Italian spices, so much better than Nightstalker’s breakfast. "Alright, Mom, don't worry, I will be careful."

“Well, anyway, let’s see what’s on the news.” Jon took the remote off the table and turned up the volume.

The family ate and talked, mostly about what they had been up to and the news at the. They spoke about topics ranging from the sudden barring of all trips to the outer colony of Harvest to the robbery that was stopped the night before by Nightstalker- which the newswoman was talking about at the moment.

“-and thanks to the efforts of Nightstalker, the criminals were thwarted, and our brave men and women in uniform apprehended them. In other news-” Jon turned down the volume.

‘Heh, that was a fun night.’

Amaranth smiled a little. That was another thing she had done for the past few weeks. She was going out stopping criminals as Nightstalker, performing stunts in the city, and practicing fighting using the symbiotes abilities.

“Well, it looks like Nightstalker cleaned the streets again,” she said, trying to keep the pride out of her voice.

“I still think she shouldn’t be doing this. It might encourage others to follow in her footsteps,” commented Amy. Jon shrugged.

“As long she isn't killing the criminals and is working with the police, I don’t think it is a problem. It’s a load off their backs, especially with how little they get paid these days.” Jon took a sip of the coffee when his chatter rang. “Looks like an important number. I better take it. Honey, can you have the ‘conversation’ with Daisy. This might take a while.”

Amy nodded. “Yes, I can talk to her about it. Go on.”

Jon excused himself and went out into the den, leaving Amaranth with Amy. Amy turned her attention back to Amaranth.

“Mom, what do you and Dad mean by ‘conversation’?

“So, Daisy, how would you feel about going to a private school?” asked Amy.

Amaranth cocked an eyebrow. The question had kinda come out of nowhere. “I don’t know. I guess it would be nice. Why you ask?”

“Well, your father and I feel with your improved condition we could send to a private school, so you can spend time with kids your own age. Or do you want to continue with homeschooling?” she asked.

Amaranth thought about it. She wanted to go and would love to have the chance to go to school and experience the joys and pains of going to school, but on the other hand, she felt she shouldn’t. She felt she would be stealing more of what should have been Daisy’s.

‘Amaranth, you shouldn’t punish yourself like this. And I think Daisy probably wouldn't want you either. Take the opportunity.’

Amaranth contemplated Nightstalker's words.

“I don’t know,” she said, answering Amy and Nightstalker.

Amy nodded understandingly. “I know this is a big change. Take your time. We have until the end of the year to sort everything out.”

Jon came back and sat back into his chair rubbing his temples.

“I just got an interesting phone call.”

Amy gasped. “Did something happen?”

Jon shook his head. “No, nothing like that. It was just another doctor that wanted to interview our Daughter and run some tests.”

Amy cocked an eyebrow, confused. “If it's another pushy doctor-”

“It's not that. In fact, she was very considerate, saying she will compensate us for the trouble and that it will be completely private. From my understanding, she is not interested in fame, just figuring out why our Daisy suddenly got better. I think we should humor her. She promised to stop at any questioning that makes us feel uncomfortable. But it's up to our daughter.”

Amy turned her attention to Amaranth. “Do you want to see this woman?”

Amaranth shrugged. “If Dad says she is different, then I will humor her. Can’t be worse than the other fame-seeking doctors.”

“Well, since that's settled, I will give her a call. She said she can be here at 4:00 pm today. An hour after your tutoring ends.”

The doorbell rang. Amy got up. “I will get it,” she said.

She left the kitchen, and after a few moments, she came back with Maxine in tow. Maxine wore a casual outfit and her hair was tied into a ponytail. Amaranth excitedly got up and hugged Maxine. “Maxine, you're here!”

Maxine chuckled and hugged back. “Good morning, Daisy,” Maxine let go of Amaranth and examined her. “I see you were exercising. How'd it go?”

Amaranth smiled. “Well, I did half of my usual routine. Some running and beating upDad’s punching bag,” she said, doing a couple of jabs in the air.

Maxine chuckled and ruffled Amaranth's hair. “And it was only three weeks ago that you were in a wheelchair. Look at you now, walking and running around like nothing and getting taller. I can’t believe it… I’m glad you’re better.” she let out a sigh. “Daisy, there is something I need to tell you.”

Amaranth didn’t like the way she said that. “Is something the matter, Maxine?”

When Maxine didn't answer right away, Amy stepped up. “You see, Daisy-”

“No, I can do this.” Maxine let out a sigh as if preparing herself. “Daisy, I am moving to Earth,” she said.Amaranth stared at her friend in shock.

“What… Why?” she asked finally.

“I was given a job opportunity earlier this year and rejected. A couple of days ago, I was given the same opportunity again.” Maxine bent down. “The reason why I rejected it the first time was that I... didn't want to leave you and your parents alone when... Well, it didn't happen, so... ", her words drifted away as she avoided looking a Amaranth in the eyes.”

‘Such loyalty is commendable. You were lucky to have her as a nurse.’

Amaranth couldn’t agree more. Maxine was willing to give up a high paying job just so she could be by Amaranth’s side in her final moments.

“Thank you, I… I hope you do well.” Amaranth took a moment to hold back her tears. “So, when do you leave.”

“Tomorrow morning, in fact. They want me to start right away. And I still have some more packing to do, but I had to stop by to tell you all. I had a wonderful time being your nurse, and you’re like a little sister to me.”Amaranth smiled sadly.

“I’m going to miss you. I don’t want you to leave, but I am happy for you.”

Amy spoke up. “Don’t worry, sweetie, you can still call and email her. And with your improved condition, we can travel to Earth and visit her.”

Maxine nodded then hugged Amaranth. “That’s right. But now, I have to get going and finish packing.” She then hugged Amaranth again. “Thank you all for the opportunity and a good time, and before I go... here.” Maxine dug into her pocket and pulled out a card handing it to Amaranth.

Amaranth took the card and saw it was a drawing of her as Nightstalker swinging through the city. It was a trading card, and it had a bio and everything. Amaranth and Nightstalker were impressed at how accurate the drawing was. Whoever did it had a good eye.

“Thank you, I don’t know what to say.”

Maxine smiled. “You’re welcome, I know how much you like Nightstalker, so I got you that card as a final gift before I leave.

“We also have a gift for you before leaving,” said Jon as he typed something on his chatter.

Maxine chatter rang, she checked it, and her jaw dropped. “Mr. Spencer, this is too much! I can’t take-”

Amy stopped her. “We are not taking no for an answer. You gave up a promising job opportunity so you could spend time with our daughter till the end. For that, we can’t express how grateful we are. Consider this a token of our gratitude and, besides, you’re practically family.” Maxine nodded while wiping a tear from her eye.

“Thank you, Mrs. Spencer. Well, I gotta get going.” She then turned her attention to Amaranth. “Come visit sometime, okay. Also, congratulations, you will make a fantastic big sister,” she said, smiling.

Amaranth blinked a couple of times, processing what Maxine just said. “Big… Sister?” she said slowly then looked at Jon and Amy. Jon was rubbing the back of his head, chuckling nervously while Amy had a nervous smile.

“Maxine, we haven't told Daisy the news yet,” said Amy.

Maxine covered her mouth and gasped. “Oh, I am so sorry. I thought you had told her,” she said, her face turning red.

Jon let out a sigh. “It’s alright.” he then turned his attention towards Amaranth. “Daisy, you see your mother always had trouble conceiving, but lately she hasn’t been feeling well, so she went to the doctor, and we found out-”

“I’m pregnant.” interrupted Amy.

Amaranth just stood there, shocked.

“Well, that was unexpected,” added Nightstalker.

(a few hours later)

Catherine Halsey looked out the open window of the car riding across the bridge, engrossed by the endless blue water of the Sargasso sea. It was a beautiful sight to compliment a perfect afternoon. The sun was at just the right angle, the wind was blowing just right, and the temperature was pleasant. Catherine let out a sigh, it was just like she remembered it from all those years ago. She never thought she would be returning here, especially after what she had done, much less visiting the family she had wronged so horribly. Despite her personal reservations, she had to go. It was her sin, so it was her responsibility to right what had gone wrong. The situation worried Catherine. The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. The very fact that the flash clone had lived longer than expected was one thing. Being one-minute terminally ill then healthy overnight was another matter entirely. There was a tiny chance a flash clone would be born healthy, but it would have been healthy from the beginning. The miracle child, that was what the flash clone was called. Catherine didn’t believe it was a miracle. There has to be a logical reason for the clone’s recovery. Hopefully, it was nothing that she should worry about. Perhaps the knowledge she would gain from this visit could be used for the other surviving clones. To minimize suffering. She pulled out her tablet and unlocked it, going through all the reports Jackboot had sent her.

“We are almost at our destination, Doctor.” said her escort driving the car.

“Alright, remember your part. We are from a Medical University from Earth, and you're my assistant, I am a professor.” She took a name badge for the University of Stanford and clipped it to her white vest. It was a fake, but so cleverly fabricated that only those who dug really deep could even figure it out.

“Yes, Doctor,” he said professionally rubbing a hand through his black hair.

Catherine simply nodded. Her escort was very taciturn, but very professional, and did as told. She looked out through the front window and saw the Spencer Residence coming ever closer. She took a deep breath and tried to bury any guilt she was feeling.

Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Spencer's Estate

Amaranth laid on the living room couch with a box of chocolates and a datapad scouring waypoint, trying to find anything that could give her a starting point for finding Daisy. Unfortunately, she wasn’t making much progress. It had been almost an hour since the end of her tutoring sessions; and, throughout the day since Amy dropped the news, one specific thought had been going through Amaranth’s mind.

Amaranth placed her manga down. ‘I am going to be a big sister. Or rather, Daisy is going to be a big sister.’ She dug into her box of chocolate and popped one into her mouth feeling a flash of guilt.

‘Despite your origins, I think you will be a good big sister to future sibling based on what I know of human sibling relationships.’

‘It is not that. It's just-’ Amaranth let out a sigh. ‘Daisy should be here experiencing this, not me.’

Amaranth felt Nightstalker’s frustration and empathy. “Amaranth, I told you, you need to stop punishing yourself. I understand it’s hard, but you need to just live.’

‘I know, it’s just hard with what I know. But no matter what, I will be the best big sister I can be!’

Nightstalker chuckled. ‘Now, that’s what I want to hear. Anyway, ready for another doctor visit?’

Amaranth shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I mean, I am used to it, and this one wasn’t pushy about trying to see me. I just have this worrying feeling.’

The doorbell rang.

“I’m coming!” yelled Jon, followed by the sound of his footsteps.

Curious. Amaranth got up, cleaned up her mess, and headed towards the front door. She straightened her workout clothes on the way. She entered the hall leading to the front door and saw Amy and Jon welcoming two people in. One was a man, Amaranth assumed was the doctor's assistant, And in front of him was a woman of average height but shorter than Amy. She carried a large shoulder bag and wore a pair of glasses over her blue eyes that seemed to analyze everything. Amaranth felt uneasy from looking at the women. But not only that, she also felt an instant dislike- almost hatred- towards her.

‘Is something wrong, Amaranth? You don't seem to like our guest very much.’

Amaranth narrowed her eyes, glaring daggers at the woman. Why was she feeling this way? She didn't even know the woman, yet she felt such negative emotions. ‘I don’t know, there’s something… familiar about her, and I don’t like it.’

Amy saw her just standing there and waved her to come over. “Daisy, come over and meet Dr. Holly and her assistant. They’re from the University of Stanford on Earth.”

Hesitating for a second, Amaranth walked to meet the doctor. Amaranth noticed that she was as tall as her. Dr. Holly... For some reason, that name didn’t fit the woman.

Dr. Holly placed out her hand out for a shake. “You must be Daisy. It’s nice to meet you,” she said pleasantly.

Amaranth tried to put on a convincing smile, and reluctantly shook Dr. Holly’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Holly,” she said, lying through her teeth.

There was a glint in Holly’s eye before she turned towards Amy and Jon. “How about we begin with an interview.”

“Alright, let's do this in the living room. It would be much more comfortable than the hallway,” said Amy.

“That will be perfect, Mrs. Spencer,” said Dr. Holly.

The group went into the living room. Holly and her assistant sat on the couch on the left side of the main couch while the Spencers sat on the main sofa. After Amy brought out refreshments and everyone got comfortable. Dr.Holly took a data tablet with a camera out of her bag. Her assistant just sat quietly with his back straight, which unnerved Amaranth for some reason. After typing some stuff into it, she nodded.

“Now, I will be asking some questions. If any of these questions feel too uncomfortable, feel free to let me know. Understand?” Dr. Holly said kindly, but professionally almost like she was trying to keep her distance.

“We understand, ask away,” said Jon.

Dr. Holly nodded. “Good, Now be aware this interview will be recorded for future references. Is that alright?” Once the Spencers agreed to it, the doctor continued. “Now, until recently, Daisy suffered from an assortment of autoimmune and genetic disorders that were… terminal, correct?”

The mood shifted slightly as Amaranth, and surely Jon and Amy remembered.

“Yes, for eight years we watched her suffer.” Amy wiped a tear from her eye. “We devoted everything we had to help our daughter live better and to find a cure. All the doctors said the same thing: that she would be lucky to make it through another year.” she choked as Jon and Amaranth comforted her. “But, it is okay, a miracle happened, and Daisy is as healthy as ever,” she said, regaining her composure.

Dr. Holly typed on her datapad, but Amaranth noticed that she was typing a little slower, and there was something in her eyes. Amaranth could have sworn she saw… guilt? After typing, she went on to her next question.

“Was there anything out of the ordinary that happened to your daughter before her miraculous recovery?”

Amy and Jon shook their heads. “Nothing happened, the only thing that happened that day was the meteor shower,” said Jon.

“Well, Daisy did go to bed early that night, but that’s about it,” added Amy.

“Yeah, it was a boring day,” added Amaranth. ‘Except earlier that day, I met the real Daisy and suffered, actually I’m still suffering from an identity crisis. And later that night, I became Nightstalker’s host and beat up some thugs.’ she thought.

Dr. Holly hummed as she typed the information into her Datapad. “Now, from what I read from previous interviews, Daisy made some lifestyle changes and made quite a bit of progress since then?”

Jon nodded proudly. “Yes, I am proud of my little girl. She got her new lease at life and is taking advantage of it. She exercises every morning, even cutting down on sweets which considering her massive sweet tooth…”

“Though we worry she might be pushing herself too hard,” added Amy.

“Yes, I wanted to ask about that.” Dr. Holly turned her attention to Amaranth and studied her from head to toe. “I can see you made some progress with your body. What is your exercise routine and diet usually like?”

‘Be sure to fudge a little on your daily routine. Give her the routine Jon and Amy think you do. Don’t want her to suspect anything more.’

‘Okay.’

Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling, she answered the question. “Well, I get up at 5:00 am every morning and start with a 3-4 mile run. And as of now, I do 100, 200 in reality, sit-ups, push-ups, and squats. And some weightlifting with 67-72 pound weights, in reality, as of recently it was more like 150 pounds. As for my diet, I drink a protein smoothie every morning after my workout.”

Jon and Amy shivered a little at the mention of her ‘smoothie’ Amaranth also noticed that Dr. Holly had a look of interest and worry? But it was gone as soon as it came.

Dr. Holly typed on her Datapad at a rapid pace before turning her attention back to them. “That brings me to my next question. What does Daisy’s diet look like now? Has there been any changes?”

Amaranth coughed tried to figure out how to tell Dr. Holly about Nightstalker’s hunger for brains.

“Well, I can eat more now. My tastes, for the most part, stayed the same. I just cut back on the sugar and increased my protein intake.”

“She practically eats for two,” added Jon with an amused smile. Dr. Holly nodded as she typed some more on the datapad.

“Now, I am curious, what do you put in your smoothies?” she asked. Amaranth rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, the usual: Chocolate, different protein powders, vitamins, and... brains.” Holly blinked as she suddenly stopped typing.

“Excuse me, can you repeat that for me?”

"She-" Amy coughed. “She developed a taste for-um-brains. She puts them in her smoothie for protein. It was quite a surprise.” slowly explained Amy. Dr. Holly cocked an eyebrow before typing in the information.

“Yes, I heard that, but I thought it was- nevermind. Okay, on to the next question-”

For the next hour, Dr. Holly asked multiple questions about Amaranth’s lifestyle, sleep habits, more questions about her diet, and more questions about any strange behavior since her recovery. One story that seemed to catch her interest was the story of where Amaranth met Joseph and how she reacted. For some reason felt a wave of anger at the woman when the story was told. She didn’t know why and quickly buried it. After she asked her questions, she requested to see Amaranth do some exercises. Amaranth agreed to it an, and the group led Dr. Holly and her assistant to Jon’s personal Gym. Amaranth was asked to do some simple weightlifting. She held back and only doing a little over half of what she could do and some running on the treadmill. After three sets and 3 miles of running, Dr. Holly decided that was enough for that day, but before she left, she requested a blood sample. The decision was left up to Amaranth since it was her blood. After some thought, she let the doctor get a sample figuring she wouldn’t find anything except for a few ‘harmless anomalies’ like the other doctors had, since Nightstalker could filter most of the extra hormones. After getting her sample, Holly and her assistant left, setting up another appointment for the next day at 6:00 pm. Since dinner was around that time, she was invited. Holly accepted the invitation and left.

(Later that Night.)

Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Fairfield Luxury Hotel

Catherine sat on the relatively luxurious hotel bed staring at her laptop’s screen with a laser focus, looking through her notes made during her interview with the Spencer’s. She also went through the clone’s medical records going back months, while Jerrod, her personal micro-AI, was analyzing the blood sample she had placed in the analyzer attached to her laptop. Catherine let out a tired sigh. She wanted this to be a simple anomaly. A rare case of a flash clone that could live a full life and have a family being spared from further grief and heartache, but instead, she was concerned. Very concerned.

Catherine took a sip of dark roast from her cup as she looked through the part of her notes that worried her. It was apparent she hadn’t told her ‘parents’ her meeting with her donor. That was one worry off her ever-growing list. She didn’t want to know what ONI would do if the clone had told them, but there were other worries.

Since her recovery, she went from barely under a hundred pounds to almost 130, gaining approximately thirty pounds in muscle in little over a month! Her parents attributed that to inheriting it from her father and mother. She was well built and both sides of the family had a medical history of having an easier time building muscle. And being tall was a natural assumption to make; but even then, gaining that much even with the strictest of training regiment and dieting in such a short amount of time was out of the norm. Typically, such a thing was impossible. She also seemed to have hit a major growth spurt. Based on her medical records, she was only 5’4 previously, but had grown to almost 5’7 in a little over a month, and seemed to still be growing. It didn't escape Catherine's notice. It was very similar to the effects of the Spartan project's thyroid implant augmentation. Assuming she kept growing at this rate, she would be 6’2 within a few months. Her strange diet was also of concern. Not only she was eating almost double what a 14-year-old should, but she developed an appetite for brains. She didn't buy the ‘for protein’ reason. She was also eating a large amount of chocolate and other protein-heavy products.

From what her parents had told Halsey, besides those things, she acted more or less the same. Still, Catherine couldn’t help but notice that the clone acted apprehensively around her, and when she thought Catherine wasn’t looking the girl kept glaring at her. Her eyes were full of loathing. The same look Daisy-023 had given her, but that was impossible. There was no way the clone would know her. There were so many red flags that the Spencer’s should have known something was off with their ‘daughter.’ Then again, they were probably so relieved that their daughter wasn’t dying that they were ignoring these strange occurrences. Based on the notes from the previous doctors, they all viewed it as an anomaly that would set itself straight after puberty. If only they had dug a little deeper.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her laptop’s mini-hologram projector came to life, and a sparkling ball of light with a formal butler tone appeared. “Ma’am, the blood analysis is complete, and I believe you will find the results quite intriguing,” said the Micro-AI.

“Show me,” said Catherine, and at that moment, the blood analysis results popped up. It was a quick and easy analysis. Not as in-depth as a full scan, but it was enough for her needs. And the results caused her to raise an eyebrow. “Interesting,” she whispered as she stared at the results. If she was reading this correctly, the clone’s hormone levels were a bit higher than the average for a person her age. This wasn’t too unusual. It sometimes happened, especially with a family medical history like the Spencers’, but she also noticed that all the hormones related to growth and strength development were a little higher than the rest. “Growth hormone, Luteinizing hormone, Follicle-stimulating hormone, Thyroxine stimulating hormone, Adrenocorticotropic hormone, estrogen, and other growth hormones,” she said, listing the results on the screen. Plus, in total, everything was slightly higher than in previous results. To someone with her medical knowledge, it was evident that her pituitary gland and hypothalamus were being stimulated to an excessive degree. It would explain the clone’s growth spurt, increased strength, endurance, and muscle development; but, it didn’t explain the rate of those developments.

If that had been the case, then she should have been suffering from some health complications ; so there had to be something more to this. She had a feeling it was all related to Nightstalker’s appearance. It was too much of a coincidence. ‘Nightstalker, Daisy’s mood swings, and the clone’s sudden bout of health... How are they connected?’

“Show me the genetic analysis,” she ordered.

“Right away, ma’am.”

A detailed readout of the clone’s genetic structure appeared on the screen along with a readout from a couple of months prior. It was as Catherine thought. The clone’s genetic structure was somehow repairing itself, or something was fixing it. Either way, it was fascinating and worrisome.

The sound of the room door opening alerted Catherine and her escort ONI agent. Lieutenant junior grade Josh Conner, walked through the door with a hot cup of dark roast and a bag of Chinese food.

“You’re late,” she said simply returning back to her laptop. The Lieutenant cleared his throat.

“Sorry, Doctor. I had a feeling I was being followed, so I took an indirect route. Had a damn bird poop on my jacket,” he said, showing the white clump on his jacket’s front. “I’m going to have to wash this later.”

Catherine let out a sigh.

“Well, at least you brought the coffee,” she said, taking the life-giving nectar from him after giving him a quick thank you.

“So, what did you find out about our target?” Conner asked, hanging his coat on the rack by the door.

“She has an abnormal amount of growth hormone in her system that was not there before. That Would explain her unusual growth spurt, among other things.”

“So, what are you planning?”

“For an ONI agent, you ask a lot of questions.”

“Part of the job description,” he replied.

“We will personally keep an eye on her for a few more days, and once we leave, I will assign an agent to keep watch for as long as needed,” Catherine explained, scrolling away on her laptop, multitasking going through the blood sample results and medical records.

Connor simply nodded. “I am going to get some sleep and let you work. Goodnight, Doctor.”

Catherine gave her escort a quick goodnight. He might not be the most enjoyable to be around, but he knew when to leave her alone and let her work. And there was much work to be done. She took a sip of her fresh coffee and cringed. He brought the wrong brand. She needed to go out and get her own coffee.

(Outside the room.)

Unknown to them, they were being spied on. The piece of bird poop, sensing no one was looking, slid down the jacket and landed onto the carpeted floor. It slithered its way towards the door and squeezed under it. It went right through, and down the hall. Fortunately, it was empty except for one individual who was just getting off the elevator. The piece of poop quickly slithered towards the elevator. The man was patiently waiting, and once it arrived at the front of his shoe, it changed color from black and white to a reddish-brown.

“Let’s see what you have to tell us.” the man said, bending down to absorb the small piece of his symbiote. He had been assigned to watch the Spencers and to keep an eye on any doctor that visited them to make sure they didn’t find anything too suspicious. He had tampered with a test or two, but overall he had made sure nobody snooped any deeper.

Once it was absorbed, the man processed the information, and his face turned white. “This is bad, ONI is involved. I am going to have to report this to the boss. Damn…” The man quickly pulled out his chatter to report his findings.

Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Downtown

Amaranth swung through the streets of town, tendrils extending from her arms with each new swing. She wasn’t in the best of moods. Usually, she enjoyed swinging through the city. When she swung, flipping and somersaulting, feeling the air through her ‘hair,’ she felt free and unbound. But she wasn’t feeling it right now. In fact, throughout her patrol, something had been bothering her. That woman, Dr. Holly. She seemed so familiar... Every time she thought about the woman, she felt a wave of hatred and anger towards her. But why? She had never met the woman before that was for sure, so why did she have negative feelings towards her?

‘Penny for your thoughts? Usually, you feel elation during our nightly patrols. ’ a concerned Nightstalker asked using a human phrase it picked up.

Amaranth retracted a tendril performing a flip, and landed on the wall of a skyscraper before crawling up the wall. Once she reached the top, she flipped onto its edge and crouched, looking over the city. She took a minute to take in the sights, for no matter how many times she had done this, it always took her breath away.

“It just… I can’t get my mind off that woman. There is something about her….”

‘I see. You sure you never met her before? Maybe she just looked very similar to someone you know,’ it suggested.

Amaranth shook her head. “No, and I don’t think so. I would know if I met someone that looked similar to her.”

‘Hmmm, well how about you do that thing you do when you look over the city. That will make you feel better.’

Amaranth chuckled. Maybe a little roleplay would help distract her. Amaranth cleared her throat and began her short speech. “We are the monster that goes bump in the night; We are the nightmare of all evildoers — the nocturnal hunters of evil. We are the emissaries from hell! Nightstalker!” she yelled from the rooftop, followed by a roar and posed as she pulled her arms back and extended her stingers. It made her feel a little better. Though she did think she needed to rewrite the speech a little.

‘Better?’

“Not really,” she said, retracting her stingers and looking up at the starry night while the wind gently blew through her hair. Sargasso’s two moons floated in the black sky.

‘Hmmm, you know, I know a lot about you, but you don't know much about me. How about this, ask me any question and I will answer to the best of my ability.’

Amaranth thought about it. It was right, she didn’t know much about it beyond what it had told her when they had first met and some other minor tidbits. She was interested in learning about its past. “Alright, let’s start with something simple. How old are you?”

‘By human standards quite old, but by Klyntar standards quite young. We don’t keep track of our age. Quite redundant after a while, but if I were to guess somewhere between 200-500 years.’ it said after a moment of silence.

Amaranth was shocked, she knew it was old, but not that old. And it said it's young by its kind’s standards. “So, you must’ve been through a lot of hosts?”

‘I have been through many hosts. A couple stood out from the rest.’

That piqued Amaranth's interest. ‘Who?”’

“One was part of an insectoid race. His name is too complicated for the human tongue. He was a brave and honorable warrior. He taught me a lot about those two things. In fact, I gained the stingers from him. And my name.”

‘Wait, so you didn’t originally have stingers?’

‘My kind can acquire useful traits from our hosts. Such as the stingers I acquired from my insectoid host.’

Amaranth hummed in thought. ‘Whatever happened to him?’

‘He sacrificed himself to save a ship full of people. But before he did that, he forced me to separate from him and jettisoned me into space so I wouldn’t go down with him. I ended up on an asteroid along with a few others of my kind, and went into stasis. Eventually, we were found by our captors.’

Sensing Nightstaker’s sadness, Amaranth decided to change the subject. ‘So, who was your second memorable host?’

‘She was a marine who ended up homeless. She was kidnapped off the streets and used as a test subject by my captors. She taught me much about your kind and about the Shadow Doku fighting style. She was a good woman and an excellent warrior.'

‘What happened to her?’

Nightstalker was quiet for a moment, speaking again. 'We tried to escape a few years ago and failed. They deemed her too much of a risk and…'

It didn't need to say anymore. She understood what happened next and felt Nightstalker's sorrow. ‘I understand, and I am sorry. ‘

'Don't be, it’s a fair exchange. We both understand each others’ pain now.'

Amaranth, feeling overwhelmed, tried to think of another question that didn't dig up painful memories. ‘Um, so what are others of your kind like? Do you guys have a home planet?’

'We are very much like you humans: varied in personality, abilities, and appearance. We do have a homeworld, but I don't know exactly where it is. I was born in space.'

Amaranth was about to ask another question when she felt pain in her stomach. ‘Time for a midnight snack. What do you think we should eat tonight?’

'Pizza with bacon, chicken, and chocolate.' It said without hesitation.

“Alright,” Amaranth lifted her left arm, and a cheap disposable chatter appeared from her symbiote skin. To avoid the risk of losing her Chatter, which contained all of her information, she took a cheap disposable one found in gift shops and started bringing it with her on patrols mostly for this type of situation. The claws on her fingers morphed into regular fingers to avoid damaging the touch screen. She dialed the number to her favorite Pizza Joint, Mickey’s Pizza, the best place in Fairfields. She had saved Mickey, the owner, a few times, and as a thank you, she was given free pizza. It didn't take long for Mickey to pick up.

“Mickey’s Pizza.” said a rough voice coming from the chatter.

“Hey, Mickey, its Nightstalker.”

A boisterous laugh came from the chatter. “Hey, Stalker, you sound hungry. Oh, who am I kidding, you always sound hungry. What can I get ya?” he joked.

“Yeah, the usual,” answered Amaranth.

“Okay, so a large with extra chicken and chocolate bites with extra chocolate sauce, right?” he surmised.

“Yes, please.”

“Pick up or rooftop delivery.”

Amaranth thought about how the pizza place wasn't too far, and she wanted to do a bit more swinging. “Pick up, be there in a few.”

“Alright, it should be ready when you get here,” he said before hanging up.

The chatter went back under her symbiote skin, and her claws returned. She stood and stretched. “Alright, partner, let's go get some pizza.”

‘I can already taste the chocolate.’

Amaranth jumped from the roof and extended a tendril. It latched onto the side of a building, and Amaranth swung, extending another tendril, going from building to building. She somersaulted, then performed a forward flip before extending another tendril. She could hear the few people below shouting, and saw them taking pictures of her. She had to admit she enjoyed the attention. Amaranth kept swinging until she heard the sound of breaking glass. She stopped swinging and latched herself onto a nearby building. She looked toward the source and heard yelling coming from a convenience store. Amaranth jumped off the building and landed onto the street. She activated her camouflage and walked towards the front of the store, then crouched. There were four people inside: the cashier, a criminal pointing a handgun at said cashier, and Dr. Holly and her assistant with their hands raised.

‘What are they doing here?’

“I won’t ask again! Give me the money!” she heard the criminal yell through the glass.

‘That can wait. We need to take care of that scum before he hurts somebody.’

Amaranth studied the man. He looked scared and unsure, which meant this was going to be easy. Prey like him usually only required a little scare to be set straight. As Nightstalker taught her, ‘Intimidation can be your greatest asset.’ So, while he was distracted, she just had to enter and take care of him.

‘Good, apply the lessons I taught you.’

Amaranth stood at her full height and deactivated her camouflage. She opened the reinforced glass door, ringing its electronic bell in the process. The criminal turned around, pointing his gun at her, and as soon he did, she extended a tendril and latched it to his gun arm. She then twisted his wrist, forcing him to drop his gun and began slowly walking towards him. She added a little extra weight to her steps, emphasizing their size difference. She looked down on him, smiling wider and farther back than usual, exposing more of her black teeth and the criminal was now sweating profusely and breathing hard, his poorly shaven face completely soaked. Good, that meant he was scared, implying no further violence had to be used. Amaranth could smell his fear through her symbiote ‘hair’ tendril. They could smell and sense vibrations in the air allowing her to ‘see’ around her and find any hidden prey.

Amaranth grabbed his shoulder, her grip tight enough to be uncomfortable, poking his chest hard enough to get her point across. “You come here again or go anywhere in this city hurting and threatening innocents-” Amaranth opened her mouth and let out an elongated tongue, licking around the criminal’s face causing him to whimper. “I might find your brain mighty tasty and bite your head off. Do you understand,” she said after retracting her tongue.

The criminal nodded his head comically fast.

“Good. Now it's clear you didn't want to do this, so I am going to go easy on you and let you go. I highly suggest you rethink your life. " Amaranth let him go, and he immediately ran out the door..

Amaranth let out a sigh, wondering if she went a little overboard. But she hoped he would choose a better way of life because of her actions.

‘Either way, he won't be committing any more crimes anytime soon. Let’s check on the hostages.’

Amaranth turned her attention to the cashier. She could see from the girl’s name tag that her name was Arin. She was relatively short, about Amaranth’s height when she had been sick. Arin was staring at her wide-eyed and mouth open, looking at her up and down; she was trembling and hyperventilating.

Amaranth stepped closer to the counter. “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

Arin breathing steadied as she calmed herself down. She nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m alright, I just never thought I would be held at gunpoint or saved by the famous Nightstalker.” she shook her head. “Sorry, I’m a little woozy.”

“It's alright, I will check on the others. Take a minute to get your bearings.” Amaranth then turned her attention towards Dr. Holly and her assistant. She walked towards them, burying her immediate reaction of dislike for the woman. Amaranth noticed as she walked towards them that Dr. Holly was studying her like she was a specimen of a science experiment. It was understandable. The doctor had never seen something like her and was likely coming up with a million hypotheses on how she ticked; but it didn’t make her any less unnerved. “Are you two okay?

Dr. Holly nodded. “Yes, thank you, Nightstalker.” She looked at her, examining every part of her body. “Fascinating, your skin seems to be made of some oily substance, and your body is extremely malleable.” she hummed placing a hand under her chin. “If you don’t mind, I would like to ask a couple of questions.”

“Uh, sorry, I have places to be and a patrol to complete, but maybe later if I run into you.” Amaranth turned around ready to go and get her pizza, and leave Dr. Holly. That’s when Arin called her.

“Hey, before you go, I got something for you.” Arin bent down behind the counter and, after a few moments, came back up with two boxes labeled ‘Extreme Choco bars: Now with extra coco’ “Take them as thanks. They are extras sent to us by accident. I heard you love chocolate.”

‘Take them. We can eat a box on the way and save the rest for later.’ Nightstalker said excitedly.

Amaranth chuckled and walked to the counter and took the boxes of chocolates. “Thank you, I will enjoy these. I have to go, stay safe,” she said as she headed out the door. She latched a tendril on the nearest building and swung in the direction towards Mickey's Pizza where her dinner for the night awaited.

(Back at the store.)

Catherine stared at the store door deep in thought. As unexpected as tonight's events had been, her encounter with Nightstalker had proved to be very informative. It was almost 7’0 tall and made of some oily substance that was extraordinarily malleable and elastic. It was also quite strong, its body displaying a muscular frame. Her claws and elbow blades seemed quite sharp. It had large inhuman eyes that were devoid of pupils; so it was possible she had some sort of advance eyespot. If so, how good was its eyesight? And what about her other senses? These were questions for later, but three things stood out to Catherine: its apparent fondness for chocolate, threatening to eat someone’s brain, and its voice that despite being distorted and having a reverb sounded familiar.

‘Chocolate. Brains. Just like… No, it couldn’t be, could it? Then there’s the voice…’ Catherine turned towards her escort who was taking a datapad out of his jacket. While Nightestalker, the cashier, and the thug were distracted, she had signaled Cooner use his datapad camera and mic to record the whole thing putting it away before Nightstalker turned towards them. “Did you record everything?” she asked quietly.

Conner simply nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”

“Good. We need to hurry back to the hotel,” she said before quickly leaving the convenience store heading straight for the hotel.

(Sometime later)

Year: 06/4/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Fairfield Luxury Hotel

Catherine sat on her bed working on her laptop and datapad as her escort slept beside her. while her escort slept beside her. She went through notes on the clone’s condition, recovery, and her blood results. She also watched the video footage and recording of her encounter with Nightstalker, as well as playing a recording of her voice.

“Play it again,” she commanded a third time.

“Yes, doctor,” answered Jarrod.

“Are you okay?” Nightstalker’s voice came from her Laptop’s speakers.

Catherine placed a hand under her chin in thought. “Hmmm, play again, but try to get rid of the reverb and distortion.”

“That would be difficult ma’am since this isn’t an edited recording, but I will try. One moment please,” he said.

It didn’t take long for the Micro-AI to finish its edits. Once done, it played the recording again but this time it was a lot less distorted, and the reverb was virtually gone. “Are you okay?” said a familiar voice of a certain physically and mentally 14-year old girl.

Catherine's eyes widened as she just stared in shock. “Play it again,” she said.

“Are you okay?” repeated the familiar voice.

“Again,” said Catherine in further disbelief.

“Are you okay?” said the voice of Daisy or, more accurately, her flash clone.

Catherine just stared at the screen. She couldn’t believe it, but the evidence was there, and it made sense. If the flash clone was Nightstalker, then it would explain her sudden recovery, her rapid growth, and her appetite. But the question now was: what exactly had happened to the clone and how was it all connected.

“What is happening? I’ll need to keep a close eye on the clone tomorrow.” Halsey whispered, hoping she was wrong. If she was right and reported this to ONI, she knew what they would do. And the Spencer’s would suffer more heartache.

“Is something wrong, Ma’am?” asked Jarrod.

“No, I’m fine. I just need to get some sleep.”

“Alright, Ma’am, have a good night.” wished Jarrod before turning off.

Catherine nodded and closed her laptop before laying back in her bed. But she couldn't go to sleep. Her mind raced, hypothesizing on what was happening to the clone ranging from possible infection from a new disease to some sort of parasite, and the worry of the consequences of what she had learned.

Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: Life Foundation Research facility a few miles from Fairfields

Ronald shook his head at the news brought to him. And to think that the night had been going so well too. “Alright, so you’re telling me that ONI is sniffing around the Spencer’s residents, and are interested in the suspected host?” he said, wiping the drops of sweat from his forehead.

“Yup, boss, that’s what I hear. So what are you going to do?”

That was a good question. What was Ronald going to do? There was only one thing he could do. “Bootstrap, keep a closer eye on the ONI agents and notify me of any suspicious activity.”

“On it, bootstrap cutting off.” said bootstrap before disconnecting.

Ronald narrowed his eyes. He was going to have to send them in. “Sentry, send the order to the retrieval team. Began retrieval tomorrow night around 7:00 pm. Have them do a complete cleanup and make sure it looks like an accident.”

“Orders sent, Director.”

“Good,” he said as he let out a relaxed sigh. With Juri on the retrieval team, he had nothing to worry about. She always got her target. Ronald leaned back, smiling to himself. “Mr. Drake gets his symbiote back, and I avoid losing my employment or worse. Now, he needed to make preparations to have that area blocked off and have containment and biohazard protocols put in place for their returning guests. Hopefully this time there won't be any problems.

Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Spencer's Estate

Amaranth was struggling.

Sweat was pouring down her brow, her face crunched in intense concentration. Her eyes were focused, squinting with intense concentration at the challenge she was facing. This was the last trial, and after this, her torture would be finally over. Amaranth gripped her pencil tighter as she went deeper into thought. She only had less than 30 minutes to complete the challenge. She couldn’t fail; otherwise, her freedom would be in jeopardy. And for some reason, Nightstalker wasn’t helping!

‘Amaranth, I am not going to do your math homework for you. You have to do this on your own. I have given you enough hints,’ chided Nightstalker.

Amaranth let out a mixture of a sigh and sputter, laying back in her chair and looking around the family library/classroom. ‘But you know how bad I am at math,’ she thought, sitting back up and staring down at her last math problem as if the answer was going to appear if she willed it hard enough.

‘Which is why you need to do this on your own. You made it to the last question, and the sooner you get it done, the more free time you get later to read your mangas or work on your speech. Plus, Dr. Holly will be here in a few minutes.’

‘I know’ Amaranth let out a sigh. She wasn't looking forward to meeting her again and worse, she was staying for dinner. She still couldn’t figure out why she had such negative feelings towards her. It was so confusing and frustrating! Amaranth tapped her pencil against her desk, when it suddenly hit her. She scribbled down her answer and how she came to said answer. Once done, she slammed her pencil down and stood up in triumph. “I did it!”

‘See, I knew you could do it. Now you have the rest of the day free.’

Amaranth smiled to herself. ‘Yeah, after Dr. Holly’s visit,’ she thought with some exasperation. She looked down at herself, she was a mess. She checked the time on her chatter and saw that she had a little over 25 minutes to change and freshen herself up. She quickly exited the library, going through the living room and while passing by the kitchen, could hear the sound of clanging pots and pans. The aromatic scent of seasoning hit Amaranth's nose as she passed. Amaranth headed up the stairs straight to her room. After closing and locking the door behind her, she went straight to her drawer and rummaged through it. She felt Nightstalker’s oily goopy form ooze out of the pores of her back to hover next to her face.

“What should I wear? This one, or this one?” she asked, pulling a white shirt and a midnight blue shirt that had a black collar and sleeve cuffs.

“You should go with the blue one with a pair of black pants and those new shoes you bought.”

Amaranth smirked knowingly. “So, pretty much dressed like your color scheme.” she chuckled. “Hmmm, it is getting a little chilly, and I really like the design of your jacket form… Yeah, let's go with that.”

Amaranth took out her outfit and put it on. She was now wearing a midnight blue shirt with black pants and black shoes with midnight blue soles. “Now for the finishing touch.” She felt Nightstalker coat itself on the top half of her body, shapeshifting into a midnight blue and black zip-up hood. Amaranth looked at herself in the mirror then nodded in approval. She then brushed her hair, with Nightstalker helping with the hard tangled areas.

When she was done, she opened the drawer containing her candy stash. She pulled out one of the new Choco bars and headed out the door.As she walked downstairs, she heard the doorbell ring.

“The doctor is here, great,” she muttered.

Once she made it down the stairs, she saw that Jon and Amy were talking to Dr. Holly and her assistant. Amaranth took a deep breath and walked towards them while munching on her chocolate bar. Amy noticed her enter the room and greeted her, “Ah, Daisy, we were about to call you. Dr. Holly was just about to tell us what she had planned for the interview.”

Dr. Holly nodded towards Amaranth with a smile. There was something different about her. She seemed to be looking at her with a more focused eye.

“Hello, Daisy, I hope you’re doing well.” Her eyebrows knitted at the sight of Amaranth’s chocolate bar. “Excuse me- if you don’t mind me asking- what are you eating and what brand?"

"Um, Choco brand chocolate. Why?" she answered, not liking the frown that creased the doctor’s face. But it disappeared just as it came.

“I see.” Holly said before clearing her throat before turning back to Jon and Amy. “Anyway, I was thinking of having you do some more of your exercises. Specifically, some more weightlifting and running. Then we can test your reflexes. Nothing too extreme, just a simple game of catch. Also, I would like to ask some more questions.” She looked over at Amaranth. “But, I see your daughter isn’t wearing her workout clothes, so I believe it would be best to start with the questions. Also, that is an interesting choice of colors.”

Amaranth smiled. “Thank you, I just bought this outfit the other day.”

“Hmmm, I see. The color scheme and pattern remind me of your local vigilante. Nightstalker, I believe her name was.”

Amy sighed. “Ever since she appeared, Daisy has become an instant fan. She never misses a news report about her.” she chuckled. “She, as you can see, bought an outfit based on her color scheme.”

“I see, well I believe we should go get comfortable. I have a small list of questions to ask.”

Like the day previously, the group went into the living and sat down across from each other. After getting comfortable, Dr. Holly took her datapad out of her purse while her assistant just sat quietly. She tapped on it a few times then adjusted the camera on the pad.

“Alright, now the first question is for Daisy and it is quite… personal,” Dr. Holly’s let out a sigh; it was strange that her eyes seemed so full of guilt. “How did it feel when you started to walk after eight years? What did you feel when you miraculously recovered?”

Amaranth was quiet, her fists clenched as she tried not only to formulate the best way to explain her feelings. Why was she so angry at the woman for a question she was able to answer with no problem before?

“It was the greatest thing I ever felt. Eight years. Eight years of unending pain. Eight years of feeling my body slowly shutting down.” She choked her eyes, becoming blurry as tears poured out. “Eight years of a growing list of needles and pills. Eight years of my parents watching me silently suffer as they watch me waste away. Eight years of ever-increasing helplessness. And I am free from all of that!” she cried her shoulders shaking.

“Daisy,” said Amy, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

‘Amaranth.’ comforted Nightstalker.

Amaranth kept talking as she wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry for my outburst, but you have no idea what it was like to be in that state. Growing weaker by the day, knowing I was going to die very soon.”

Dr. Holly looked down and looked guilty?

"I am sorry…. I should have known my question would bring strong emotions out of you. Would you like to take a minute before moving on?"

"No, I am alright now. Go on."

For over thirty minutes, Dr. Holly kept asking questions. Some were minor, like inquiring about Amaranth's interest, but some were more personal, like how everyone was doing and if there were any problems. It was strange. It was like she cared on a deeper level than expected for a stranger. A loud ringing sound was heard from the kitchen. Amy got up from the sofa.

“Oh, the roast is ready. Excuse me, but I have to set up dinner. Can we stop for a minute?” she asked.

“No problem. In fact, this would be an excellent time to take a break. I admit I was getting hungry,” said Dr. Holly.

“Glad to hear it. I’ll get the food out. Daisy, can you come to help me set up the table?” asked Amy.

“Yes, Mom,” Amaranth said quickly.

Amaranth got up and followed Amy into the kitchen, the smell of roast hitting her nose. While Amy finished up the main dish and prepared the sides, Amaranth was setting up the table. Throughout the entire thing, she couldn’t help but think about the questions that Dr. Holly asked.

‘What’s wrong, Amaranth? I can feel that you’re disturbed by something. It’s Dr. Holly again, isn’t it?’

Amaranth placed a plate on the table.

‘Yeah, I feel like she’s lying about something, and she seems a little too interested in my personal life. I don’t know, maybe I’m just being paranoid, but something feels off.’ Amaranth placed the last plate on the table.

‘Don’t doubt your instincts. If you feel that something is ‘off’ about her, then keep a close eye on her.’

‘Yeah, I guess that’s all I can do for now.’ thought Amaranth as she finished setting the table.

(Meanwhile…)

Three large black vans crossed the bridge in the middle of the starry night, speeding towards the Spencers estate with the full moon high in the black sky. In the back of the lead van were two figures. One was a young woman of Korean descent with purple eyes, and hair dyed a crimson red. She wore a black and crimson collared catsuit with a black widow pattern on the back, a black high-neck sleeveless top underneath, and black fingerless gloves with crimson designs. This was Juri Han, codenamed Widow. She had been ‘hired’ by the Life Foundation to be used as one of their first guinea pigs, and later their personal agent for matters that required a person of a specific nature. The second person was a muscular behemoth of a man standing a little over 7’0 tall. He had tanned skin, brown eyes, and short curly hair. He had a blank expression on his face and wore a black shirt with a pair of slightly worn brown cargo pants and work boots. This was Hugo Armstrong, codenamed Bludgeon. He had been the simple muscle for hire on Imber before being hired by the Life Foundation.

Juri looked at her nails before a black and crimson oily mass secreted from her skin and covered her hand glove, replacing her nails with crimson claws. She flexed her claws, a predatory grin spreading across her face. This was the first time that she was sent to retrieve a symbiote with a host. She and her symbiote, Widow, were looking forward to seeing it and its host struggle to avoid capture. And she was going to have so much fun with the witnesses.

‘Can I eat them?’ asked a distorted feminine voice.

‘No, we need to leave something behind for the police to avoid raising eyebrows,’ Juri felt Widow’s disappointment. ‘But I am pretty sure one body won’t hurt.’

Widow was elated at that news. ‘And we get to play with them before killing, right?’

Juri let out a cruel chuckle. ‘Of course,’ she answered.

“Remember, Juri. We are here to retrieve the symbiote and possibly the host, so don’t waste too much time.”

She looked at her muscle bound partner. The new guy Hugo, despite his appearance and demeanor, was far from a simple-minded brute. He was just straight to the point. Do the job and don’t waste time; no more, no less. In short, he was no fun, and to him, this was a job. His partner was the same.

To Juri, it was playtime, a chance to let her crueler side out and revel in the agony she and Widow were about to inflict.

“I know,” she sneered and crossed her arms. “You know you should have that stick removed from your ass. It can’t be comfortable.” Widow took a blood-stained knife out of her catsuit twirling it fondly thinking of all the people she killed with it. Some innocent. Some guilty. But in the end, it didn’t matter. Being able to feel the thrill of the fight is all that mattered to her. Hugo let out a ‘humph.’

“I treat it like a job, not a field trip. I suggest you do the same.”

‘Killjoy.’ remarked Widow.

Before she could give a smartass remark, the driver spoke to them through the intercom system.

“We are almost to target’s destination. ETA:5-10 minutes. Prepare to disembark.”

Juri let out a dark chuckle. “And the fun is about to begin.

Hugo narrowed his eyes. “Remember, get the girl, clean up, and get out. No playing around.”

Juri rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. “Alright, whatever you say, dad.” she mocked.

Hugo merely let out a gruff confirmation, and the two spent the rest of the trip in silence.

Year: 06/14/2525

Planet: Sargasso

Location: the City of Fairfield, Spencer's Estate

Amaranth took a few bites out of her pot roast before moving on to the mashed potatoes. Dinner had been more or less pleasant. Amy and Jon asked Dr. Holly and her assistant, Jacob- at least she thought that was his name- questions about their lives, schooling, hobbies, etc. While Jacob gave short, simple answers, Dr. Holly's were more detailed, rehearsed almost. But for every answer she gave, in the back of Amaranth's mind, a voice screamed 'Lies! Lies! Lies!'. She didn't know why, but Amaranth knew that the doctor was lying. It took Amaranth a bit of will power to keep herself from calling out the women every time she answered.

"Is something wrong, my little flower? You’re picking at your food,” asked Jon, breaking Amaranth out of her thoughts.

Amaranth looked up from her plate at Daisy’s father. “Oh, it's nothing, just thinking… hmm... about the new manga volume of Mobile Space Knight ShadowKaiser. I heard the next volume is going to be a real plot twist, and they’re going to introduce ShadowKaiser’s power-up form: Black sword saint Shadow DaiKaiser. Since I’m better, maybe I’ll be able to cosplay as the main lead in the upcoming convention.” she said, partially lying.

Amy nearly choked on her food at the remark. “I never understood the interest in dressing up as fictional characters,” she said.

‘I believe the phrase ‘Hello, pot, I’m kettle.’ would be appropriate.’ commented Nightstalker.

Amaranth couldn’t agree more. She understood, after learning about what Amy considered her embarrassing younger years, why she wasn’t too keen on her interests in anime. It was, ironically, funny. Amaranth and Jon gave each other knowing looks when Amy wasn’t paying attention.

Dr. Holly took a bite of mash potatoes before wiping her mouth. “That’s interesting, mind telling me what the story is about, Daisy?”

“Well, it’s about an amnesiac girl who is trying to find out who she is with the help of an AI-equipped, advanced, super robot named Shadowkaiser. Throughout the story, they fight this monster in human skin who kidnapped people and changed them into mindless soldiers to use in his army and fight the rebellion. And as of recent volumes, there are hints and build-up to a big reveal. I heard it will be a real plot twist. I can’t wait for the coming volume set to be released in a couple of months.” she said excitedly, forgetting who she was talking to.

Dr. Holly looked down at her plate of food, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. “I see, that’s… An interesting story,” she said after a few moments.

Jon placed a hand under his chin. “You know, one of my clients is a professional costume designer, and he owes me a favor. I will give him a call tomorrow and see if he can recreate that costume.”

Before Amaranth could respond, the doorbell rang. Jon placed his utensils down and wiped his mouth.

“I wonder who comes out here this time of night. I’ll get it,” he said as he got up and walked out of the kitchen.

(a few moments later)

Jon walked down the hall towards the front door. Whoever was at the door was still ringing the doorbell, irritating Jon a little. Who would come at this time of the night?

“Hold on, I’m coming,” he said.

He made it to the front door and twisted the knob. He opened it up to be met with a surprising sight. A Korean woman with purple hair and wearing a black and red catsuit was at his front door, with a disturbing smile on her face. Behind her were three large vans with fifteen heavily armed and armored men coming out of them, with the biggest man he had ever seen leading them.

Jon stood still, his military training kicking in as he studied the situation. The armored men were wearing a variant of ODST armor and were armed with M7S silenced SMGs. In short, he needed to be careful and avoid giving them a reason to shoot. “What’s the meaning of this? Who are you?” he asked.

The women let out an exaggerated gasp. “Oh my, you’re right, how rude of us. My name is Juri. My associates and I are here to retrieve stolen property that we believe your daughter has.” A blood-curdling smile spread across her face. “Now, would you kindly take me to her.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. My daughter doesn’t have anything that belongs to whoever you work for, so please leave.” Jon said defiantly.

Juri let out a mocking chuckle that put Jon on edge. "Oh, come on now. Your daughter was weeks from being on death's door and then the next day she's lifting weights and exercising like she hadn’t been sick for years. You can’t tell me you weren’t a little suspicious. Or are you that dense? Or maybe just in denial. Now, either take me to her, or I will have to be more persuasive.”

Jon immediately tried to slam the door in her face only to be wrapped in a black and crimson slime coming out of her arm. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that it is rude to slam the door in a person’s face?” she mocked as she lifted him a few inches from the ground. “Now, take me to your daughter.”

“Jon!” screamed a voice.

“Dad!” Screamed another.

Jon turned his head and saw his wife and daughter with Dr. Holly and her assistant, who took out a pistol from his jacket and pointed it at the woman holding him hostage.

Amaranth froze, a massive pit in her stomach formed when she saw Jon being held by black and crimson symbiote goop coming out of the intruding woman’s arm. ‘They found us. It’s my fault. If I had just stayed in my wheelchair-’

‘Amaranth, you need to focus. We need to get your Dad out of her grip and find a way out of this situation.’

‘Right,’ she said, focusing. Nightstalker was right. She needed to focus on finding a way out of this situation. Everything else could wait.

Nightstalker then started softly, almost hesitantly. ‘Amaranth, listen to me. This is life or death, and-’ Nightstalker hesitated. ‘You might have to kill-’

‘What?! No! I can’t-”

‘I know you don’t want to, but she isn’t just your average thug. She has a corrupted symbiote. She is a killer that won’t hesitate to murder you and everyone else here. I hoped you wouldn’t have to face this type of situation anytime soon; but this is life or death, and right now, it is either us or them. ’.

Amaranth clenched her fist. Logically she knew she would one day have to kill in self-defense. Still, she couldn’t even think about it now, despite the people in question clearly being vile- especially the one holding Jon hostage. She just couldn’t do it!

Jon struggled to free himself from his restraints. “Get out of here!” he shouted, breaking Amaranth out of her thoughts. “They are after Dai-” symbiote goop covered Jon’s mouth, gagging him.

“Yap, Yap, Yap. Just keep your mouth shut.” said the woman, making a talking motion with her free hand. She turned her attention back to them. “I would put that down if I were you. You might hit poor Jon-” she said, mockingly shaking him a little. “And besides,” more of the symbiote flowed out of her skin and clothes, covering her. In moments the woman was replaced by a black and crimson spider monster. She was shaped similarly to Amaranth when she was in her Nightstalker mode, except this symbiote seemed to also assimilate her suit. She had a different pattern, with the majority of her body being black with crimson lines, and a black widow symbol on her chest. She had short thick Gorgon-like hair, and her mouth had four mandibles- two on each side- complemented by rows of razor-sharp crimson teeth. Her free hand had crimson claws, and four black spider legs sprouted from her back, each tipped with a crimson talon. “Your little peashooter won’t work on us,” she said to everyones’ shocked faces. “Now, Daisy, come over here. We don’t want your father to get hurt.” Her tendrils tightened around Jon, causing him to groan. “Do we,” she said, her permanent smile somehow becoming wider.

“DAD!” Amaranth went forward.

Amy grabbed Amaranth’s shoulder and pulled her back away from the monster in front of them. “Who are you!? What... Do you want my daughter!?” asked a trembling Amy, keeping Amaranth behind her.

“You can call us Widow. We just want her to give back my boss’s property. Give her to us or else.” she let out a dark, demonic chuckle.

“And if we refuse.” Dr. Holly asked with unusual calm.

“Everyone dies starting with him,” she said, pointing her head towards Jon and squeezing him slightly. “But if your daughter comes quietly we will leave you all alone,”

“No!” Amy cried.

Amaranth heard Nightstalker growl. ‘She is lying! As soon as you give yourself up, she and her allies will kill everyone anyway. Disgusting!’

Amaranth knew Nightstalker was right, and knew what she had to do. It was time, she was going to reveal her secret. The closest thing she had to a family had already suffered enough, and she was going to fight with every fiber of her being to protect them. She was going to fight even if it meant sacrificing her life.

‘Amaranth, I am with you until the end. I will keep the promise I made to you. This is the moment that everything I taught you will be put to the test.'

‘Thank you, Nightstalker; now let us show them why we are the emissaries from hell.'

“STOP!” screamed Amaranth. She stepped forward, ignoring Amy’s attempts at stopping her. “Put him down and leave them out of this! It’s us you want.”

Widow chuckled. “So, you finally decided to make the smart choice, eh? Alright, here you go,” she said as she unceremoniously flung Jon towards the group. He slid a little across the floor. Dr. Holly’s assistant quickly ran to his side and helped him up, allowing Jon to catch his breath.

Amaranth stepped closer towards Widow.

“Daisy, don’t!” Jon choked out.

Amaranth clenched her fist, holding back her tears. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad, I have been keeping a couple of secrets from you.” Amaranth wiped away her tears, and her eyes hardened.

“Daisy, what are you talking about?” Amy was about to step forward towards Amaranth but was stopped by Dr. Holly shaking her head.

“Be a good girl and come with me if you want them to live,” she said.

Amaranth smirked. “I don’t think so. I’m not stupid. You were going to kill them anyway, even if I surrendered, and I won’t let that happen. If you think you’re going to capture Nightstalker and me or hurt them, then you have another thing coming. Prepare to face the protector of the night! The emissaries of hell!” Suddenly, Amaranth’s ‘jacket’ lost its shape. turning into an ever-spreading slime that quickly covered her entire being and replacing the physically 14-year-old girl with the 7-foot tall monstrous protector of the night. “NIGHTSTALKER!” Amaranth jumped forward and rammed into Widow, sending both of them out the door and onto the pavement rolling over a few times as they wrestled with each other.

Widow was able to block the attack with her spider legs and reduce most of the damage. She then used those same legs to throw Amaranth off her. Amaranth was tossed into the air and landed back onto her feet. She suddenly felt movement behind her and dodged right, narrowly avoiding a punch from a fist the size of her torso. She landed on her feet, away from the newcomer and studied him. The newcomer was another host like her and Widow, except for it was obviously a man- an 8-foot hulk of a man. The symbiote covering him was solid blackish green, his arms and knuckles were covered with white bony armor growths, and he had razor-sharp white teeth, and serrated diamond-shaped eyes.

‘Careful, Amaranth, this one is a lot stronger than you, and likely more experienced like his partner.’

‘Right, avoid his punches. Easy enough, he looks slower than us.’

“Damn it, Widow! I told you not to play around, quick and simple!” shouted the green giant.

Widow got up from the ground, no worse for wear. “I did, Bludgeon. The girl pretended to surrender and caught me off guard,” she said in a mocking innocent tone.

“Bullshit, you allowed this to happen. We will talk about this later.” Bludgeon then pointed at Amaranth. “Everybody open fire.”

Amaranth felt multiple presences beside her and heard multiple ‘clicks.’ She looked to her side and saw armored men wearing ODST armor standing in front of their bulletproof vans, aiming their guns at her. Popping sounds filled the air and Amaranth was suddenly bombarded by a storm of bullets. Usually bullets would be nothing but a nuisance to her and Nightstalker, but this time it was different. Pain erupted from every bullet as they pierced her symbiote skin and exploded into miniature flames. They were using some sort of incendiary rounds. Amaranth lifted her arms to shield herself. Her forearms thickened and widened, forming small shields to provide a little relief.

“Quickly subdue her while she is distracted!” yelled the one named Bludgeon.

Amaranth looked through the gap between her arms and saw three of the armored men each carrying a gun by the hip. Each weapon had a dish at the end of their long barrels and was connected to some backpack by a thick cable. Amaranth was hit by a high pitch sound and, letting out a distorted roar, was forced to her knees, covering her head in agonizing torment. The pain was worse than that time she and Nightstalker had been in the MRI machine. Her symbiote skin form rippled and convulsed, but fortunately, Nightstalker was able to maintain shape. The group slowly moved towards her, moving in front of their bosses.

‘We... have... to... take… out... the… source… of… that… noise.’ Nightstalker grunted out.

‘I...know…’ Amaranth tried to focus through the pain and lifted an arm from her head. If she could just form a tendril, she could knock them off their feet and-

‘BANG!’

‘BANG!’

‘BANG!

Two bodies fell to the ground, with one of them being one of the hired guns carrying the sound weapon. The others were distracted, focusing on the source of the gunfire and firing back, giving Amaranth just enough wiggle room to move. She formed a tendril and with a mighty swing, knocked the last of the sound weapon carrying thugs off their feet and into the side of a nearby van, knocking them out. Amaranth instantly got back onto her feet, ignoring the pulsing pain in her head.

“Damn it, Widow, see why I told not to play around! All teams, take care of them!” he gestured to Daisy’s parents, Dr. Holly, and her assistant. “Widow and I will deal with the target.” ordered Bludgeon.

“NO!” By instinct, Amaranth ran towards the nearest thug, unsheathing her stingers. She stabbed the thug, piercing through his chest armor like a needle through a cloth, and lifted him up from the ground. The hired gun croaked before going limp. Amaranth gasped, stepping back. She removed her blood-soaked stingers from the freshly made corpse and it to fall to the ground. Her hands shook as she stared at the body. “What… What have I done…” Amaranth didn’t get a chance to further contemplate her actions when Nightstalker yelled.

‘Watch out!’

Amaranth suddenly felt her body move on its own, dodging Bludgeon’s armored fist.

‘Amaranth, keep focus!’

‘I… I killed him.’

‘Amaranth,’ Nightstalker moved Amaranth’s body, jumping back and narrowly dodging Widow’s claw-tipped spider legs.

“What’s wrong? Was that your first kill? Don’t worry, it gets easier after the first time. But unfortunately, you won’t get another chance.” taunted Widow.

‘I… I didn’t mean to.’

‘Amaranth!’ yelled Nightstalker, breaking Amaranth out of her daze. ‘You need to focus on the matter at hand, or we will die. You will die! Your family will die!’

Nightstalker was right. She needed to focus. Her family was in danger because of her, and she’d be damned if she let anything happen to them. Amaranth took back control of her body and unsheathed her stingers going into a fighting stance. She didn’t want to kill again, but she would if she had to. She would bear that burden if it meant protecting the closest thing she had to a family! Amaranth charged at Widow, stingers ready. She swiped her right then left, repeating the process with an intense fury and determination she never had before.

Widow cackled, dodging and blocking every swipe with practiced grace. “What’s this? Finally got your shit together? Good, it’s more fun when my victims struggle in false hope. And when we incapacitate you,” she chuckled. “I think I will have a little fun with your family. Their screams will-”

“Shut up!” she screamed, landing an angry swipe followed by a high kick in Widow’s face, sending her flying back into a van and creating a large hole. Amaranth chuckled a little, enjoying shutting the psychopath up. She saw as Bludgeon ran to his partner and pulled her out of the truck. While they were busy Amaranth looked towards the hired guns firing at her family. Jon and Jacob were firing back from the front door but they needed help.

‘Amaranth, the body, grab his weapon and use those against them!’

Amaranth, ignoring the pit forming in her stomach, used her tendrils to grab the gun and the owners freshly made corpse. “DAD, take this and take cover!” she screamed tossing the bodies and weapons, aiming for the front door. She then ran towards the group of hired guns, extending an extra-long tendril and performing a broad sweep. She knocked the group down onto the ground, ignoring the pain from the incoming bullets. The corpse landed on the front porch. Jon quickly grabbed the guns and dragged the body inside while their attackers were preoccupied. Good, the extra firepower would help them.

‘That should even the odds for them,’ commented Nightstalker.

Amaranth suddenly felt vibrations in the air behind her. She turned around to be met by a furious Widow trying to claw at her. She narrowly dodged the first attack and barely blocked the second with her stingers.

“I am going to rip you apart for that, you brat,” screamed Widow. She then brought two of her razor-sharp spider legs onto Amaranth.

Amaranth parried one of the legs away and was stabbed in the shoulder by the other, letting out a painful roar. Widow expanded her mandibles, shooting out a gooey liquid that covered Amaranth’s face and her upper torso blinding her. She let out a deafening roar as it sizzled and burned against her symbiote’s skin. It was some sort of acid, and her pain was soon compounded by something slamming her into the ground with the force of a truck. The pain was almost unbearable as she was hit repeatedly until it just suddenly stopped, and she felt a grip tighten around her. Her insides felt like hell and she could feel what she assumed were fractured bones poking her insides while Nightstlaker rapidly knitted them back together, numbing the pain. The acid weakened then lost its potency, allowing Nightstalker to heal itself and her at a faster rate. Amaranth let out a painful groan.

‘I’m healing you, just hold on. We will get out of this.’

Her sight returned, and she saw she was pinned to the ground by the muscle-bound brute bludgeon.

“No-” Amaranth struggled to get free, putting all of her strength into it. She growled and roared like an animal, even resorting to biting, but to no avail. Amaranth couldn’t give up. She would not give up! She got her family and the others into this mess! This was her fault and her responsibility. If she didn’t get out, her family would die because of her.

‘Amaranth, stop struggling. I… I have an idea. It's… risky, but it is our only chance….’

Amaranth stopped struggling. ‘You sound hesitant. What is it?’

‘I was waiting until your body was stronger and further along the healing process, but this situation… Listen, I can induce a fight or flight response in your body and trick your body into using 100% of its strength. That combined with flooding your system with adrenaline and noradrenaline will provide more than enough strength to dispose of these attackers.’

‘So it’s like a limiter release or overdrive. What’s the catch?’

‘Your body will be pushed to the very limit. It will be tearing itself apart with every movement, and you will be in an extreme state of fight or flight. Your mind will only be clear enough to differentiate between friend and foe.’ Amaranth felt Nightstalker’s concern. ‘You will be in excruciating pain. I do everything I can to minimize the damage, but you will have to eat brains to maintain the healing. You.... could die from this. Do you want to do this?’

Amaranth turned her head and saw Jon and Holly's assistant firing their guns at the mercenaries. She knew what needed to be done.

‘Do it.’ Amaranth said simply.

Nightstalker was silent for a moment. 'Alright, it will take a few moments. Prepare yourself. Your body can only handle this for maybe 3-5 minutes.’

Amaranth stopped struggling and took a deep breath preparing herself. If she was going to die, she would do it while protecting Daisy’s parents. She owed them at least that much for stealing Daisy’s life. No, she wasn’t going to die. She was going to protect her family and save Daisy. She was going to make sure Jon and Amy got their daughter back!

Bludgeon turned his head towards Widow, who was standing over Amaranth, ready to inflict much pain on her. “Go help the rest of the team clean up. No more playing around, understand?”

Widow let out a dark chuckle. “Alright,” she then bent down and whispered to Amaranth. “Give up? Good, I am going to enjoy making sure your family dies a quick and agonizing death so I can drag their lifeless bodies out here for you to see or rather what’s left of them.`` She then got up and walked away towards Amaranth’s home.

“No, I won’t let you,” Amaranth said quietly as she felt her strength slowly returning.

Widow stopped and looked at Amaranth. “Oh, what was that? I can’t hear you. Begging for your parents’ life?”

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbXVcu-Jgq

“I said-” With a sudden surge of energy and ease, Amaranth lifted Bludgeon off of her, sending him back into a nearby wooded area. Amaranth wobbly got up onto her feet.

“I WON’T LET YOU BASTARDS KILL THEM!! LIMITOR OVERDRIVE!” she roared with an immense fury and anger as her muscles and veins bulge and her hair suddenly waved wildly like an angry flame.

Widow stepped back.

“What the-” Widow couldn’t finish her sentence as she was suddenly punched with a speed and force unseen from Amaranth before. Widow was knocked back before landing and skidding on the ground halfway towards the house. Still, it wasn’t over. Before she could gather her bearings, Amaranth jumped high into the air and landed onto her, knocking the breath out of her.

“DIE!” Amaranth roared as she began stabbing and clawing furiously like a demon straight out of hell. She tore pieces of Widow’s symbiote off of her, trying to get the monster underneath, ready to claw out her insides. Tears ran down her face as she was in intense agony: her bones, tendons, muscle fiber, and other parts of her body were in a constant cycle of repair and disrepair as Nightstalker did everything it could to keep her body going as it tore itself apart. Her heart and lungs felt like they were going to explode as they worked overtime to provide the necessary amount of blood and oxygen to her unencumbered body. Amaranth suddenly felt multiple objects pelting against her skin, interrupting her savage display. She turned around and saw the remaining mercenaries firing on her. She let out a feral roar and charged at her new targets, her claws digging into the ground, giving her more traction. They fired at her, their incendiary bullets doing nothing to stop her. At this point ny pain she felt was fuel for her rampage. She sliced off one of the mercenary’s necks and grabbed the severed head. She hungrily ate it whole before spitting the helmet back out. Nightstalker was hungry. It needed more brains to keep going. The rest didn’t last long, like a whirlwind of death and fury she tore through them with ease. Her mind giving way to almost primal instinct was focused only on one thing: destroying any threat to her family. It was like she was half asleep, her mind not fully aware of what it was doing.

In less than a minute, none of the mercenaries remained standing or in one piece, all falling like grass to a blade. Blood and guts were everywhere and covered the frenzied Amaranth. Some of the mercenaries’ heads were missing.

Feeling a presence coming from behind, Amaranth turned around and jumped, dodging an incoming swing by Bludgeon. Bludgeon then grabbed one of her legs with his free hand and slammed her back onto the ground forming a small crater. He pulled back both his fists for a finishing blow.

“I’m ending this.” he said sending both fists upon Amaranth. Amaranth was able to move to the side, barely avoiding his fists. She then jumped and looped around his neck and onto his back, stabbing and clawing everywhere like a wild animal, ripping and tearing pieces of his symbiote off. Bludgeon roared in pain, moving about and trying to grab the berserker off his back. He finally caught her and threw her away from him. Amaranth was able to land on her feet after a few rolls.

At that moment she attached multiple tendrils to Bludgeon while he was nursing his wounds binding him completely. She secured her footing and pulled. Her muscles tighten as Bludgeon resisted her. It was like a demented game of tug-o-war between monsters. Every moment she became weaker while her opponent became stronger. Bludgeon was able to free one of his arms, grabbing Amaranth tendrils with a mighty pull . Amaranth's feet dragged across the ground as she was pulled in closer. She needed to end this, now! Amaranth secured her footing even further by attaching multiple mini tendrils from her lower legs to ground. Her muscles bulged further as she with a powerful roar swung Bludgeon launching him in the air out into the distance, likely landing him into the ocean. She was then slammed onto the ground by a recovered Widow.

“I am going to rip the symbiote off of you then-” she didn’t finish as at that moment, Amaranth grabbed her lower jaw and ripped it off with a primal roar. Widow stepped back, covering her face and letting out an angry and painful roar. Taking this chance, Amaranth tackled her into the ground and began using her claws and stingers to rip Widow apart with the intent to kill her. Widow was going to torture and kill her family. She wouldn’t let her. She kept clawing until she removed enough of Widow’s symbiote to expose her real skin then proceeded to stab Widow through the chest. And with a quick swipe, she destroyed her rib cage and in turn, her heart, covering Amaranth in more blood. Widow went limp with only her symbiote twitching in pain.

Amaranth stood up and looked around, checking if there were others to be found. After letting a primal blood-curdling roar she suddenly couldn’t stand anymore. Her body was hit with even more intense pain and soreness. At that moment, everything went black.