Luna paced inside the storage room they locked her in. It took Baldric, Solomon, and Shinaki to restrain her after she almost killed the bomber before they could finish interrogating him. In the end, it was Annie who managed to stop her, and they locked Luna in the only secure area where they knew she could not escape from. All that was inside the storage was their luggage from the landraider, Luna, Willow, and Shiny.

No one was foolish enough to volunteer to watch her inside the room, especially when she was enraged. Her hands and fingers twitched and shook relentlessly as she paced back and forth. She heard someone approaching, but based on the footsteps alone, Luna already knew who it was.

"Solomon, open this damn door!"

"We both know what will happen if I do that." He said calmly. "The scouts have returned, and they have discovered where the princess is being held, but we cannot enter with guns blazing. The warehouse is in a heavily legally protected area and it is complica-"

"I don’t care if Demophon himself is in there! When did we care if something was illegal?! They kidnapped Elizabeth! They set a bomb in a hospital and nearly killed mother! If anything, what they did gives us a reason to hit them back!"

"You know damn well that the local enforcers in the border states are Silvus' puppets, and right now, three companies of enforcers, extremists, and rogue syndicate members are guarding the Chimera warehouse. Worse is that they have the law protecting them, and the only course of action left is to wait for an opening."

"Wait for an opening?!" Luna punched the heavy metal door. "Every second we waste here, they are preparing to move Elizabeth somewhere else! Or worse!"

"We have men surrounding the entire area and if they do so much as move the princess, we will be there to-"

"Why can’t we hit them now?!" She repeatedly struck the metal door, causing it to buckle. "Get me out of here!"

"They have enforcers! Soldiers! Tanks! Walkers! Golems! Protecting the entire compound and taking them head on is suicide!" Solomon’s bellows echoed throughout the hallway.

"Let me do it then. Let me act alone."

"Luna, I am begging you to not let your emotions dictate your judgement. You’re upset right now, and you're not thinking straight. Let me handle this."

Luna slammed the metal door.

"You do know this door won’t hold me right? All this is a courtesy I am giving you."

"Even you have your limits, Lunabeth. I will not allow you to kill yourself."

"Why are you protecting them? Do you not remember what Chimera did to us? To me?! The numbers on our arms mean nothing to you?!" Luna slammed the door again.

"I have committed many sins against you, Lunabeth, but I am making amends now. I will not allow you to destroy yourself any further. I will take responsibility for what is happening. Blame me for everything, but I will not allow you to go back to the mindless berserker you once were. I am doing this to protect you from yourself."

"One last chance, Solomon. Open this door now."

"No." Solomon said as he stared at the door. "This is for your own good."

"They struck mother." Luna said after a short silence.

"We will make them pay, but not like this. If Mother wolf is awake, she would tell you that too. When we have an opportunity, we will strike and you will be there. If they even see your face in that compound, they will kill you on sight and punish not just you but the people of Ablan as well. They are using your face to justify an invasion, so please do not make it worse. Until we have a plan, I am begging you to please stay here."

"I do not need your protection or your sympathy." Luna said as she leaned her head on the door.

But Solomon did not reply. The shadowman had already left her alone. She looked around; Shiny cowered behind the disgusting red blob that just stared at her with its numerous eyes. Luna checked their kicked around luggage and found nothing that could be used to get her out of the room. In her frustration, she kicked a black attaché case, and it broke open, revealing a horned skull mask that fell on the floor.

So my face is the issue?

… Fine. They won't see me coming.

=0o0=

Aysha had no choice. They blackmailed her and held her mother and brother captive. The young nurse watched as they wheeled in the princess of Aspana on a metal bed where she was bound in numerous shackles and chains. Elizabeth wore a heavy britus shackle around her neck and iron cuffs on her arms and legs. She was also tied with heavy britus chains and they even put a gag on her mouth as the child had kept on screaming ever since she was taken. Aysha felt sorry for the child as Elizabeth’s skin started to lose color and sweat formed on her forehead.

An adult mage would already be suffering with the amount of binding they placed the child in, and Aysha was amazed the child had not vomited or fainted throughout it all. Together with the armed guards, they wheeled her into a makeshift laboratory where there were already other nurses, doctors, and scientists waiting for the princess.

"Ah! Perfect, she is here!" An old yet vibrant woman with wild, unkempt brown hair and shining brown eyes greeted them all. She wore a full doctor’s uniform that had an armband with an emblem of a human skull inside a lion. Her eyes shined, and she had a large smile as she closely examined Elizabeth.

"Doctor Suvorian." Aysha addressed the woman who carefully prodded and pinched Elizabeth’s skin. "The princess is suffering from the effects of the suppressors. I do not believe this is the best time to perform any... procedures on her."

But the doctor ignored her. Suvorian ordered them all to begin prepping Elizabeth, and soon the nurses brought out an intimidating large machine that resembled a spider. Elizabeth saw that it had massive thick needles and they were aiming it right at her. Suvorian noticed the panicked child and grinned.

"Why yes, my dear. That big beautiful device will be sticking its needle right here." Suvorian prodded the child’s elbow. The doctor removed Elizabeth’s gag, and the moment it came off, she started to scream.

"Mama! Mama! Help! Help!" Her screams filled the room, but Suvorian only laughed.

"Such a voice! Even with all the restraints!" The doctor clapped happily. "She is a fighter!" Suvorian ordered the nurses to inject Elizabeth. The child trashed violently, but with all the restraints it was useless. All she could do was scream at the top of her lungs as the nurses injected her in the arm with a tube and then attached her to the giant machine.

Elizabeth watched as her blood was sucked from her, which caused her to cry out even more. Aysha closed her eyes and looked away, but Suvorian laughed and even mocked the child. From her pocket, Suvorian got a vial filled with purple liquid. She carefully placed it in the machine, and in seconds it began to change color from purple to a bright amber yellow.

"It’s a match!" Suvorian said with glee. "It’s a perfect match! Get More Specimen Containers! We Need to Draw More Blood! "

"Doctor, is this wise?" Aysha said as she and the other people in the room watched Elizabeth cry out for help. "We might hurt her. Drawing this much blood from a child, particularly when she is recovering from poisoning and blood transfusions, may be excessive.

Suvorian merely scoffed. "It’s a controlled extraction, don’t worry. Asterion will have her trophy, but not before I acquire some specimens for myself. Also, I won’t waste this opportunity when I am handed a perfect sample. After all, why should he have all the fun?"

"Mama! Mama! Grama! Grampa! Luna! Help! Help! Luna! Help!" Elizabeth cried out and hoped that someone, anyone, could hear her.