40,000 years ago...

"It is done Baris. I have transported the larger branch of the species to another world. Was it wise to leave them on such an inhospitable world? The fauna there is dangerously large" a strange shimmering being asked. "Absolutely Aeris. The environment will serve to fuel their evolution. After all, we did rewrite their genes for adaptability" Baris said. "I do not see the logic of tampering with these two dominant species here. The larger ones we gave adaptability and the smaller ones heightened aggression" Aeries said. "As you well know our species is singular in the cosmos. None have evolved to our level. This particular genus however holds great potential. Rewriting their genetic codes can accelerate their evolution to a possible outcome similar to ours. Intelligent life must shed its corporeal form to achieve true perfection like ours did" Baris said. "Why not let them both coexist? Surely they would crossbreed and gain both abilities" Aeris said. 

"Absolutely not. To have both abilities would no doubt lead to destruction and too great a risk to our efforts. No. A hybrid of both species must never exist. Such a species would bring doom to not just this world but countless others. Maybe even us if left unchecked. One species will prevail and evolve to our level. Only time will tell which one" Baris said. "How much time?" Aeris asked. "Many millions of solar revolutions. For this we will go into quantum stasis. Awakening every 10,000 revolutions to check on their progress. If there is an anomaly our sensors will detect it and awaken us to monitor it" Aeris said.  Aeris stared up at the blue world in the far distance. She liked how it looked. She'd seen other worlds but this one seemed more beautiful the longer she looked. Far better than this silent wasteland that shine only when the sun shined on it. Even then it was littered with scars and craters. "It is time" Baris said placing a gently glowing hand on her shoulder. Aeris nodded and they both turned into beams of energy and quickly shot into a cube buried into the rock.

June 8, 2160

"Control we're approaching the object" a voice said over the comm. "Roger that Weiss. Be careful. Scans couldn't penetrate it so we don't know what it is" Control said. "Don't worry Control. Pritchard can cover me if something happens" Weiss responded. "I'm big. Not invincible Adeline" Pritchard said. "Don't worry Kenneth. It's a cube. Not a bomb...I think" Adeline said. "We don't know what this fucking thing is. I'm a hybrid. Not a bomb disposal robot" he said. "Who would bury a bomb on the fucking moon? Kenneth, get the electron tunneler ready. I need a sample" she said. The 180 ft. tall man in the space suit pulled a device with a long tube out his backpack. The cube in question was nearly as tall as he was. To Adeline it was the size of an office building.  

Kenneth sat the device down after pulling out its telescopic legs. He lined it up with the cube. "Get behind my leg" he told her. Adeline got behind his right calf but peeked out. "Engaging" he said pushing the switch. A beam of blue light shot from the device striking the surface of the cube. At first nothing happened until a tiny section glowed. *bang* (sort of. It is space after all). A fragment shot off the cube slicing into Kenneth's left arm. "Shit!" Kenneth said gripping his arm. Spheres of frozen blood sprayed out. "Ken!" Adeline yelled. "I'm...I'm fine. The suit resealed itself" he said. "Your arm! We got to get it looked it" she said worried. "Yeah. You think I'll get workmen's comp for this?" he asked chuckling. "You're sure you're okay?" she asked. Kenneth bent down and picked her up. "I'm fine. Really. Don't worry okay?" he said softly. "Hate to break it up you lovebirds but we need a reading" Control said. "Ahem. Right away control. Stand by" Kenneth said. "Uh...Control we might have an equipment malfunction. Mineral dating has no clue what it's made out of. Nano assembly has been detected but the age has to be wrong. It says it's over 40,000 years old" Kenneth said.

"Uh...roger that Pritchard. Try to collect a hull sample" Control said. It was around that moment that a few frozen droplets collided with the hull of the cube. "Control! Something is happening to the object! It's begun to emit a glow!" Weiss yelled. "Withdraw you two! Fall back immediately!" Control yelled. As the two began to hop away from it a blinding flash came from it. Bright enough to drown out the faint illumination the sunlight gave the moon rock. Both turned around. They were speechless. Two beings composed of soft shimmering blue light towered over them. Yes, even the giant Kenneth. Weiss couldn't even see their heads they were so tall. For a fleeting moment Kenneth realized how a human must've felt compared to an Ingress. How his mother felt to his father.

"Aeris. We've awoken early" Baris said. "271 revolutions early to be exact. Does that mean there was an anomaly?" she asked. "Most likely. Standby" he said. Weiss and Kenneth were too astounded to run. It was like looking at humanoid shaped auroras. "Confirmed. Sensors detected aberrant DNA. A hybrid of the experiment. That one there" Baris said pointing to Kenneth. Aeris reached down to pick him up. "Kenneth!" Weiss yelled as Aeris easily snatched him up. Kenneth tried to break free but her sheer size mixed with low gravity made that impossible. "How did your predecessors find the other species? The larger ones?" she asked him. Kenneth winced. Her words like the ones from before were in his head. Now however it was like someone shouting into his skull. "Ehat...what do you mean?" he asked. "There were two species on your world. Ones like the female below and others far larger sent to another world. You carry the genes of both" she said.

"Ingress? You mean Ingress?" he asked. Aeris knew not this word and probed his mind. "Yes. Ingress" she said. "They moved here after the war from another parallel dimension" he said. "Appears they progressed father than anticipated" Baris said. "Are there more of your kind?" Aeris asked. Kenneth didn't like that tone. Sounded threatening. Oddly though, his mind was unusually resistant to her ability. Aeris briefly thought of using her telepathy to yank the answer out of his head but she could see the mental trauma she was inflicting just talking to him. A brain damaged mind would be useless to her but there was other means to get what she wanted. "Answer" she said squeezing her fingers together. Kenneth screamed over the comm. Weiss could hear it. Even Control could hear it. "Ken!" Weiss yelled. Weiss quickly tapped her omnitool and remotely controlled the electron tunneler. It swiveled as high as it could as she dialed up the power to max. She fired it. "Hmmm" Aeris said as the beam struck her face. She easily shielded herself from it. "Are you harmed?" Baris said. "No. A simple particle beam won't destabilize my matrix" she said. Weiss looked helpless as she saw it had no effect. Aeris raised her foot over her and slammed it down. Weiss barely had time to scream as the sole of light with its 5 toe shaped extrusions came down on her. Telekinetic force held Aeris' form together and easily crushed the human woman in her spacesuit.

It was probably fortunate Kenneth couldn't hear her body crunch in the vacuum. He just stared at the red freezing cloud of blood thrown into air and slowly condensing around her foot. "Fuck you! Fuck you! There are fucking thousands of us and they'll kill you all! We fought a war with weapons that could destroy entire cities in an instant and they're only two of you! Humans and ingress came together to fight evil and no way will they let you take our world!" Kenneth ranted. "Take your world? We have no intention of doing that. We only wish to rectify an unacceptable variable in our experiment namely hybrids. After all the hybrids are extinguished then we can leave the two species to their evolutionary futures" Aeris said.

Before he could even respond, Aeris cruelly pressed her fingers together. Being a spacesuit, it was tough and didn't just pop. Any rips just sealed right up. Inside the suit was a sloppy mix of blood, bone, and organs, which Aeris let go of. It slowly drifted to the surface and gently bounced. "Strange. I felt emotion from that" Aeris said. "Strange indeed. It would seem in his emotional rant he was telling the truth. Sensors indicate multiple hybrid life forms on the planet" Baris said. "Why didn't we detect them before?" Aeris asked. "Unknown. The population might be too small for a passive scan to detect or it might be a malfunction. Many cycles have passed for the storage until after all. It is not important. We shall travel to the planet and begin cleansing operations" he said. Aeris and Baris joined hands and streaked into the sky toward Earth.

"Captain's log. Date June 8, 2160. We have finished patrol of the LaGrange point alpha. This patrol takes longer than the others due to debris from April Colony being gravitationally locked. Thankfully we're scheduled to dock at Ingressa 1; one of the new colonies built after the war to house the Ingress and their families. I know my first officer is happy to see her kids again there" the Captain said turning off the recorder. "Captain.  I'm getting a strange reading coming towards us at high speed" the nav officer said. "Define strange" he asked. "A mass of exotic energy approaching us. It will intersect in 10 seconds!" she yelled. "Shields up! Emergency evasion to port!" the captain said. The heavy cruiser jerked to its right and the bridge crew saw the energy coming toward them. The crew braced for impact. The trailing edge of Aeris and Baris clipped the forward bow of the ship rocking it violently. Conduits sparked everywhere. Systems flickered. "Damage report!" the captain yelled. "Minor damage to the bow on decks 1-5. Shields have failed. Damage control teams are responding" the tactical officer said. "What in the hell was that?!" the captain asked.

"Sensors barely got a read on it. Some form of highly condensed meson energy. Similar to particles generated from auroras. It seemed to be two different but very similar projections. Strangely the trajectory came from the moon. An unsettled region" the officer said. "A weapon?" the captain asked. "Possibly. Whatever it was it was extremely powerful. Ark class damage output" the tactical officer said. "Captain it's headed right for Earth. Correction! They have separated! One is going to the Australia continent! The other unknown!" The nav officer said. "Contact Union HQ. Tell them the situation" the Captain ordered.

In the span between seconds...

"Baris there were hybrids on that vessel" Aeris said. "One thing at a time. Break off and head to the southern region to a populated area. I will land North" he said.

17 miles away from Victoria training base and 12,000 ft. up...

"Oh yeah this fucking rocks Nara!" a voice yelled over the comm. "Slow down Chad. This isn't a race" Nana said back. "You didn't say that the other night" Chad remarked. "If we weren’t on a closed channel I'd shot your ass" she said flying up to catch up. "You got to admit. Streaking through the clouds at Mach two is amazing. This ACE handles like a dream" he said. "Thank you Chad. I spent many computational cycles to tweak the Advanced Combat Exoframe to your liking" a synthetic voice said. "And it shows Ai. Way smother than those old STRIKE's they used for training. Don't know how mom fought in such clumsy things" he said. Chad touched a keypad and music began playing. "Again with that old music?" Nara said. "Hey it's cool" he said. "You're just liking it because your old idol does" Nara said taking flight lead. "Hey you never met Aaron Pherson while I have. Man is incredible. He killed the Empress all on his own and ended the war!" Chad said.

"Can't really argue with that. Come around to 96 degrees" she said. Chad banked the machine to match her. "While we're still on the closed channel can I ask you a question? Am I enough for you? I inherited my mother's human side more than my dad's so I was wondering if you were satisfied with me" Chad asked quietly. Nara turned her head in her battle suit to look at his mech. She decreased speed to hold his machine hand. "Is that why you were so quiet the other night? I thought you were mad at me for putting you inside me so roughly" she said. There was an awkward silence. "Yes I'm satisfied you idiot. Come here" she told him. The flying giantess hugged the machine he was in until a strange steak of light shot over the horizon. "Falling April debris?" she asked. "None was forecasted for today" he said.  They dismissed the strange occurrence. "You tell your parents about us yet?" Chad asked. "No. They won't like their daughter seeing what they call a tiny" Nara replied. "They really need to come to grips with reality. Last census said there were over 200,000 hybrids living on Earth now. Unification is a reality" Chad said. "Who are you telling? I am sleeping with you remember? My parents fought for the Empress. Lost friends in the war. They just don't like humans. Hybrid sized ones at that" she said. Chad was silent. "I'll tell them about us when I get the chance. Chad I want you to know this isn’t some fling for me okay?" she said. Chad was surprised to hear this in her voice.

"Nara I want you to know this isn't some fetish or other shit. I care about you too and by the way you need to wash your feet more when wearing those boots all damn day haha!" Chad said speeding away from her. "I'm being sincere and you say that shit about me?! Come back here Chad Cyrus!" she said giving chase. The combat suited flying giantess chased her lover through the sky. Chad expertly flew through cloud banks to shake her but he knew with her sensors that was stupid. Still fun though. Eventually he let her catch him. "Now what did you say about my feet? I’ll make you lick them you cheeky bastard" she said laughing over the comm. All of a sudden a light went off on a comm panel. "Nara wait. Incoming transmission from HQ" he said. They tuned to the frequency. "Hawk flight do you copy?" a voice asked. "Roger HQ we copy. Just finishing the third quarter of our patrol" Chad responded. "Roger Hawk 1. We got a situation coming out of New Perth. Standby for further orders" the voice said. Chad and Nara looked at each other wondering what was happening.

"Hawk flight this is Colonel Raam. Just a few minutes ago New Perth went dark. No communications are coming from it. As you know the defense hub for the South Pacific region is based out of there. Orders are to proceed to New Perth and ascertain why we lost contact. Eagle flight will join you enroute" he said. "Roger sir. Diverting to New Perth" Chad said. "New Perth. Isn't that the direction where we saw that weird light shoot to?" Nara asked. "I think it is. Must be something other than a comm glitch to send not just us but Eagle flight; the top aces of our class" Chad said. "Watch yourself" Nara said. "Back at you my goddess of the sky. Throttling to supersonic" Chad said engaging afterburners. As the two broke the sound barrier, New Perth's most recent visitor was busy...

It was a regular sunny day in New Perth. The new buildings designed to accommodate the giant residents gleamed like jewels. One could barely tell that the city was once decimated by tsunamis during April Shower decades ago. Human, hybrid, and Ingress lived and worked alongside each other like it was always this way. Of course it wasn't always like this. Like many cities it had its share of problems. Ingress killing people. Humans disappearing (usually cute ones). True Way terror incidents. In fact, most of True Way operations came from the islands north of Australia. It was for this purpose that the Union made New Perth the base of operations for the South Pacific. Over time though these incidents disappeared and the new era truly began.

It came with no warning except a flash of light then a horrendous boom. A hybrid mother holding her child in her hands was walking to an ice cream shop. It was girls’ day for them. "Mommy? What's..."*BOOOOM!*. Her mother looked up to where the small child was pointing. Her eyes had just enough to time to register the shimmering mass of light plummeting from the sky before the end. Aeris' landing sent a shockwave through the downtown area toppling buildings. Aeris restored her humanoid form after touching down. Survivors had too crane their necks to even look at her face. The tallest citizen at 250 ft. barely came to her ankles. She was easily over a mile tall. "Hmm...energy signatures. Directed energy weapons. Communications. This would be troublesome" she said raising her hand. Energy glowed around it and then a pulse shot from all directions from it. Whatever was working went dead. Hovercars, aircraft, comm systems. Defense batteries, ships, mechs, everything went dead. She looked around herself as a holographic display hovered in front of her view. "Baris I have landed. My scans indicate there are 9,344 hybrids in this population center. Wouldn't it be easier to obliterate the center itself?" Aeris asked over the telepathic link.

"Yes but you know how unadvisable that is. We're here to correct the genetic aberrations not damage viable gene pools. Begin with using the larger species. It will take time but this way is having more precision. While that is being done, work on expanding our control using existing facilities. They should be advanced enough for       

that judging by that vessel we saw" he said. "Understood" Aeris said. She had to admit that destroying the city would be rash. The larger pureblood species was 8,321 while the smaller pureblood species was significantly higher at 155,467. She could barely make out the tiny specks of the smaller species on the surface. She could see the larger species much easier. They were all fleeing from her. She could see them trying to flee in dead vehicles. Some even trying to help each other. Carrying them or digging them out from rubble. It amused her. How two different species cooperated. Her kind was taught that the dominant species was to propagate at the expense of the lesser ones. Survival of the fittest to evolve to ultimate perfection. Like her kind. "Let's begin" she said. Aeris had to scan the mind of a comparable host to exert her powers of control. It was different from telepathy. Telepathy is like reading a book but mind control is like writing a story in a blank book. It's easy to read but harder to write. A different mental discipline indeed. Aeris choose a random Ingress below and grabbed her. She was shouting not to be harmed while salty water came from her eyes. Aeris said nothing as she focused her mental powers on her. Aeris mapped her brain. How it worked. How her neurons fired. The effect wasn't pretty. To use the book analogy again it was like ripping a book open to read it and breaking the spine. Instead of pages falling out. Neurons were fried. Within seconds the Ingress woman was a vegetable and Aeris knew enough to invade an Ingress' mind. She simply tossed her away like so much garbage.   

She sat down and in the process crushing any survivors trapped in rubble under her glowing ass. A twinge of feeling crept through her. These lesser species called it pleasure. It perplexed her. Why did she even sit down anyway? A noncorporeal being like herself doesn't feel fatigue. Aeris refocused her thoughts as her hands touched the street below. She could feel conduits. Optic lines that led to comm systems all through the city. With just a thought she willed them back to life only to control them. Anybody trying to call for help saw the system reboot and then freeze. Aeris emitted an intense glow before speaking. To those of the larger species called Ingress. Hear my voice. I'm Aeris and I command you to destroy those that are called hybrids" she said. The immediate effect was astonishing. The few hundred Ingress around her stopped doing what they were doing. An Ingress woman helping a hybrid girl her size dig her human mother out stopped. "Why did you stop? She's hurt!" the hybrid girl yelled. Her mother below wondered what was happening. She could hear her giant daughter's voice yelling. Two pair of giant feet in front of her. One she knew was her daughter and the other she assumed was the one that was helping just moments before.

The Ingress woman bent down and picked up an exposed piece of broken rebar. The girl let out a gurgling scream as the Ingress woman jammed it into her with all her might. The mother saw her daughter fall to the ground. Her face looking at hers. Blood coming out her mouth. She screamed as the life left her eyes. The Ingress woman walked off to continue her mental controlled task. Nearly 2 miles from Aeris, an Ingress man is carrying his teenage hybrid daughter in his hands. School had let out early due to it being the tail end of the school term and went to surprise her dad at work. He immediately scooped her up and took off running when the earth shaking blast hit. "You okay there?! I'm not squeezing too hard am I?" her giant after asked. "No. Dad what was that?!" she asked him. "I don't know. I'm getting you to safety and try to call your mother. Hopefully..." he was saying until a wave of energetic force swept over him. He stopped dead in his tracks. "...kill all hybrids" he muttered.

The man looked at the girl in his hands with no emotion. "Dad? Daddy?" she asked wondering why he stopped running and looked so strange. He brought her up to his mouth which he opened and threw her in. With no inkling of emotion, he titled his head back. "DADDY DON'T EAT ME!" she said slipping backward. The Ingress swallowed his hybrid daughter and looked around for more targets. He paid no attention to the struggling he felt in his stomach.

8 miles from New Perth...

"Look alive flight. We got visual" Eagle 1 said. "My god the city is burning. We can rule out equipment malfunction" Eagle 2 said. "Roger that. Hawk 1 and 2, assume diamond formation behind Eagle 2 and 3" Eagle 1 said. "Sir yes sir!" Chad yelled. "Easy Hawk 1. I maybe flight leader but I put my pants on like everybody else. One sir is fine" Eagle 1 said. As they neared the city they throttled down. "What the hell is that?" Eagle 3 asked. "The possible source of the trouble. Combat link everyone. I want all AI's working on this" Eagle 1 said. Out of the combined flight, 3 flew ACE mechs while the other two flew in combat flight suits for their giant sizes. Chad, Eagle 1 and 2 flew mechs. Nara and Eagle 3 had suits. Each one had a AI on board. The mechs used them to control key systems. Tactical, propulsion, reactor control, etc. while the combat suits used them for mainly communications, HUD, medical support, and sensors. Now linked, they could scan father ahead.

"Sensors can't pin it down. Best guess is a mass of energy about 6,700 ft. tall. Wait a minute. There's a strange frequency..." Eagle 2 said before a pulse of energy washed over them. "As I was saying a strange frequency. I'm not seeing any damage though to me" Eagle 2 said. "I can confirm that on my ACE too. A kind of radar pulse maybe? Eagle 3, you're falling out of formation. Form back up till I tell you to break. Eagle 3? Eagle 3 respond. Lt. Foster acknowledge!" Eagle 1 yelled. "Nara, what's up with Eagle 3? He's ignoring orders. Nara?" Chad asked over a private comm. Nara wasn't answering. As he wondered what was going on he saw Eagle 3 turn on her back and quickly raise her positron carbine. "...kill all hybrids" Eagle 3 muttered. Quit bolts of red energy shot from the gun slamming into Eagle 2. It plummeted to the ground at over 600 mph. "What the fuck!" Chad said seeing a friendly shoot another out of the sky. He quickly began to loop back as Eagle 3 had stopped to finish the job. 

"Have you lost your mind?! Stand down Jule. That’s an order!" Eagle 1 said looping back. "Nara! Eagle 3 went crazy! We have to help Eagle 1 and 2 out!" Chad said. "Warning! Evasive action required!" his AI shouted. Chad instinctively jerked the controls to roll the ACE to the right. Just as he did a red bolt barely missed him. He switched to rear cameras and saw to his astonishment it was Nara who fired. "...kill all hybrids" he heard from her. "Oh my god" he said trying to lose her. Nara was getting closer. Since it wasn't hydraulics that moved her limbs but sinew and muscle, it was natural she responded faster than a machine. The ACE was physically stronger but not as maneuverable. Chad had to think quick. "Fuck!" he said feeling a direct hit. "Shields at 79%" the AI said. It was certain now. This was no accident. No game. She was trying to kill him. "Snap out of it!" he yelled over the comm. No answer.  All of a sudden she was gone from his camera. "Where did she go?" he wondered. A 180 ft. flying woman just doesn't disappear. He couldn't see her on radar.

"Shotgun mode" he heard her say on the comm. "That's for close...oh no" Chad said realizing what she had done. It was too late for him to dodge. Nara had flown right over him and matched his speed. Barely 15 ft. from his back. She hid in a blind spot. She knew the vulnerabilities of the ACE sensors. Flying close enough to hide her radar signature. Near his thrusters to hide her heat signature. The powerful blast caused him to tumble to the ground below where he hit hard. "Ow. Fuck. Aw shit" Chad muttered. Seeing her overhead changing her weapon to sniper mode. The most powerful long range mode there is. "Shields at 19%. We won't survive her next attack" the AI said. "Obviously!" Chad said punching the throttle. The mech dragged on the ground and got out of the way just barely. He pulled up and kicked in afterburners. Nara immediately took after him. "Let's try this again" he said. Chad slowed down. "Fuck. I don't wanna kill her" he cursed. Then she disappeared again. "Not this time!" he said rolling over. "Fire autocannons!" he yelled. "Error. IFF confirms friendly" the AI said. Nara aimed her weapon and Chad gripped her arm.

"Eagle 2! Jink away!" Eagle 1 shouted. "I can't get a lock! IFF is stopping me! EAGLE 2 MOVE!" Eagle 1 screamed. Chad couldn't look but he heard the loud explosion. "Command! Eagle 2 is down and Hawk 2 has gone rouge! Requesting retreat! Command? Shit! Whatever hit us is jamming the comm! Hawk 1 your status?!" Eagle 1 yelled. "Engaged! IFF is blocking us sir! I do not wish to prosecute Hawk 2!" Chad yelled. "Understood! Use your blade!" he yelled. The blade in question was a melee weapon that was standard issue. Called the "moonlight blade" because of the glowing monofilament edge to it. Chad had to get away from her first though. With his mechanical right arm, he grabbed her arm hard. He could hear her muscles and bone groan under the pressure. With his left arm he yanked hers hard. Chad heard a sickening dislocating pop.

Nara cried out in pain and kicked away from him. Chad reached down and griped the hilt of the blade. "Extend!" he yelled to his AI. The blade flooded out to its 100 ft. length. Since using it was pure manual control, the IFF couldn't lock it out. Nara saw what he did and extended her blade out. Chad saw Eagle 1 and Eagle 3 dueling below on the ground just a few feet from the burning wreckage of their fellow wingmate. Then he looked at Nara who had her hand (with the blade in it) pressing against her bad shoulder. Chad was stunned to see her pop it back into place. Nara flexed the arm. "Ingress healing factor all right" he muttered. Chad knew he needed better leverage so he began to descend to the ground. Nara followed.  They both stood facing each other. Chad remembered a practice duel they had about 3 months ago...

"First time in a ACE. Think it'll give you an edge this time?" Nara asked picking up a practice sword. The practice swords were actually trees that were smoothed, cut, and treated to be stronger. "Now that I'm not piloting a machine barely half your size? Oh yeah" Chad said stepping into the mat. The practice area was the size of a baseball stadium. Officially this duel was supposed to be until tomorrow but Chad begged a warrant officer the chance to pilot it early. The sensor system was more attuned than his old STRIKE trainer. The AI less cumbersome but more rigid. Logical. Adaptive but "chained". Meaning it meant it couldn't deviate from protocols. Not since the incident with the Omega AI during the war. Another year of training meant he could qualify not just for Eagle flight but to be nano enhanced. The mark of a true Peacekeeper pilot.  He had a crush on this Ingress girl for some time now. She was more than friendly during training.

Nara herself sensed his growing attraction. He always sat next to her in class or chow time. Told her jokes. She admired his spirit. Never gave up when shit go tough. She was convinced he was different when they went on survival training. It was two man teams. Naturally, Nara and Chad teamed up. The goal was to navigate back to camp 50 miles away. Not hard for a giant but remember they had a human with them and the main rule was no carrying. A simulation of escort duty. It was going well for a while. Even with the ban of a compass, they used the sun. Then came nightfall. They were lost and cold. Even with the moon out they couldn't get a bearing using landmarks. A rock (or pebble in the case of Nara) looked like all the others. Passing this course was mandatory. Nara at first remembered the North Star and tried finding it. Her hopes were dashed when she realized it couldn't be seen in Australia. "We're lost! We're going to fail!" she said upset. Chad looked up at her. She was actually trembling. "Nara calm down. Use the stars" he said calmly. "Don't you think I thought of that?!" she yelled. "Look at those stars there. Those four ones. Like if you draw a line they make a cross?"

"Centuries ago when European sailors traveled to the Southern Hemisphere, they lost the North star and Big Dipper. They thought they were screwed. Then they saw these stars. You draw a cross and it points to the South Pole. That's why this constellation is called the southern cross. We can use that" he said. Nara was stunned at how calmly he addressed the problem. She was a titan to him and he showed more strength and bravery then she did. They began walking again. "How do you know so much about stars?" she asked. "I wanted to live on the moon when I was little. Heard you can see the stars clearer than you ever could on Earth. I began studying stars so I could recognize them when I moved. Life got in the way of that though" Chad said. "Think we'll make it back before the time limit?" she asked. "If we don't we'll fail together" Chad said smiling. With that enthusiastic grin on that small face she began to feel love for him.

Chad was surprised to see her not wearing her combat suit. She stood there in lose shorts, shirt, and barefoot. It was nighttime but arena was lit up well enough for him to see her in her giantess glory. The sound sensors picked up the vibrations in the concrete as she stepped. The slaps of bare soles on the cold surface. Then the muffled squeaks of the mat as she stepped onto it. "Trying to distract me already?" Chad asked stepping onto the mat. "Is it working?" she asked. "I'll let you know later" he said taking his trained stance. Chad had sparred with her more than once. She even gave pointers. Body movement. The tensing of muscle. The sudden stop of breathing. Signs of attack. Nara beat him good last time but it was the last time that Chad noticed her footwork. Nara was agile for her giant size. Fast as shit too. Bones stronger than iron. Muscles that propelled her faster than a sports car. Focus on her feet and he might have a clue where she was moving. 

Chad kept a screen devoted to her feet. Her legs widened. Her toes curled on the mat for footing before relaxing. "She's about to move" he thought. Then he saw it. Her sword dipped slightly to the right as her left leg tensed. Nara lunged at him with quick speed and Chad moved to the left. Nara missed and Chad swung to hit. Nara barely deflected it. "Surprised?" he asked. Nara was speechless. She never seen him react so fast. Was this because of the ACE? Nara pushed him back and raided her leg to kick. Chad caught it just before she could knock his sword out of his hand. Risky since his hands were metal after all. Her toes were just a few feet from his camera. "Your toes are pretty painted like that" he said. Nara blushed and yanked her foot back. "You gonna take this seriously?" she said. Chad didn't reply.  For the next few minutes, Chad was blocking her strikes. Nara was getting frustrated. In the other matches she would've won by now. Chad watched as she bent down and jumped up. She swung down hard.

Chad barely blocked the strike but it was enough to crack his sword and the blow to put him on his knees. Nara twirled her sword with a smug grin. He knew as well as she that he couldn't parry another hit. Nara raised her arms. "I love you" he said to her. Nara was dumbstruck by the confession. She stopped. Chad seized on the opportunity and swung at her sword. The blow connected hard enough to shatter his sword and knock her's clear of the mat. "I win. You lost your sword and I still have a piece of mine" he said. Nara lunged at him. Chad barely had time to restrain her wrists. "You fucking cheated!" she yelled. Chad saw on his screen she had tears in her eyes. "Let me go!" she yelled. Chad pushed her down to her knees and gently to her back. After she was pinned he popped the hatch on the cockpit. Chad hopped out onto her sweaty shirt.

Chad cringed at the look she gave him. Chad sat down near the top of her breasts. "I meant what I said you know" he said calmly. Nara relaxed a little. "What makes you think I love you back especially after tonight?" she said. "Why else would you be out here with me? You don't help any other recruits. You partnered with me on survival training. Yeah it was dirty to trick you but this is supposed to be combat. No rules about not tricking the enemy" he said. Nara knew he was right about that. "You're not still mad at me are you?" he asked. "I'd feel better if your fucking mech wasn't holding me down" she said. Chad had the AI release her. Nara sat up and Chad tumbled off. Nara placed her feet around him. "I thought you weren't mad" he said. "I'm not but I can get even" she said pushing her soles together trapping him. Nara rolled his body around a few times laughing at his yells. "There. Now I'm satisfied" she said. Chad laid there trying to regain his balance until she picked him up. Nara gently kissed him. "We're do we go from here?" she asked. "Hopefully where it leads to mind blowing sex" Chad said laughing.

Now...

"That stance. The same one as before. Damn. Those boots are covering her feet. Hard to get a bearing on when she'll strike. Chad concentrated. He drowned out the sounds of his own breathing. The clang of sword strikes from Eagles 1 and 3. "Her sword! She dipped it!" he thought. Chad dogged right just as Nara lunged. The strike shaved off a thin layer of armor. The combat suit enhanced her speed and strength. Had he not moved the blade would've sliced clean through the armor and into the cockpit. She went straight for a killing blow from the start. He brought his second down to try to knock her's away. This time however she brought hers up enough to hit the blade and not hilt. "Damn. Quick study" he muttered. Chad and Nara fought for an agonizing three minutes. Chads problem was he wasn't trying to kill her while she was. An opportunity presented itself for him when she missed good. A swing right there would sever her carotid artery. The medical system wouldn't be enough to save her. She'd bleed out too fast. Nara took advantage and swiped wide. The blow damaged his right hydraulic shoulder. The fluid loss would freeze his arm within a minute.

Chad was losing hope of saving her. He heard a cry from behind and saw that Eagle 1 skewered Eagle 3. Eagle 3 was down. "Need to slow her down" he thought. Chad readied his plasma weapons in his wrists. He knew the IFF wouldn't let him shoot her but she wasn't the target. Chad fired into the dirt. The superheated dirt and sand liquefied and turned to molten glass. It didn't faze Nara. "I love you Goddess of the Sky. I know you're in there. Where's that Ingress girl I fell in love with? The one so mad she lost she punished me with her sweaty feet? The one I've given thought about marrying? Yeah. That's why I was quiet the other night. Not because I feel small around you. I'm worried I'm good enough to be your husband. Come back to me" he pleaded. Nara stopped. She gripped her visored head and screamed. Her hands trembled. She looked up and charged. Nara's feet slipped onto the molten glass and Chad lunged. "Please let me be accurate" he said. The blade slipped between her raised arms and stabbed her in the collarbone.

Nara let out a painful scream. A quick x-ray scan revealed he missed her lung by two feet. The end of the blade jutted out of her upper back near her shoulder. The wounded giantess grabbed the blade with her hand and swung her sword down with the other. The impact shattered the giant sword in two. Chad had to act fast as she pulled the broken blade out of her. "Emergency nano-aid system activated" he heard her visor say. The bulk of her combat system was in her visor. He had to get rid of it fast. Chad could already see her bleeding had stopped. Another few minutes and she'd be fully healed carrying her sword while his was broke. And that wasn't all. Chad tried to swing his right arm to punch her head. It barely moved. "Hydraulic failure in right arm" his AI said. Chad bet on everything as he dropped the broken sword and swung with his left arm. As fate would have it, the mind controlled giantess turned her body to deliver a strike. With her head turned the angle was perfect for Chad's truck sized fist.

The punch delivered over 100 tons of force to the reinforced combat system. Nara had tried to stab him and came up short but not short enough that it didn't connect. Chad would remember this moment for as long as he lived. It wasn't how close he came to death with 3 feet of giant super sharp metal sticking in his cockpit cabin. No, it was the sound her jaw made as he punched her face. It sounded like someone chopping down an oak tree. The sound of cracking and breaking hard bone. Chad was horrified. Nara was down for the count. A shard of visor stuck in her eye causing it to gush blood. The love of his life and he punched her out badly. "Hawk 1 are you okay?!" Eagle 1 yelled. "...roger. Taken damage but still flight capable. Hawk 2 is down but alive" he responded. Chad watched as the vitreous humor growing back pushed the shard out of her eye. "Excellent job Hawk 1. Collect her and I'll collect Eagle 3" he said. Chad scooped her up and placed her over his shoulder. He watched Eagle 1 walk over to the dead Ingress Eagle 3.

"Jesus" Eagle 1 muttered. Eagle 3 was covered in blood. His visor sparked with damage. Just as Eagle 1 moved him they both heard something faint. "Lifesigns stable. Emergency nano-aid complete..." the visor said. Eagle 3 moved. The giant grabbed something off his belt with one hand and Eagle 1 with the other. "Plasma grenade! Get out of there!" Chad yelled seeing the orb. Eagle 1 tried to cut off his hand that held him but before he could the giant bear hugged him. "...kill all hybrids" Eagle 3 muttered. A bright blue green flash of light filled his eyes and he dove for the ground. He had just a second to use his armored body to shield Nara. Chad heard Eagle 1 scream as the grenade exploded. Chad felt the shockwave hit his weak shields. They collapsed easily under the 1 kiloton explosion. Chad prayed his armor would hold out. He was pleasantly surprised that it had. Chad raised the head of his machine to look. Eagle 3 was obliterated. Eagle 1 was a strewed out field of burning debris. It took a moment for it to sink in.

Chad tried to call HQ and found that he still couldn't. He picked Nara up again and flew back to base. Along the way he watched as he broken face healed. Slowly since the medical system was gone but even still it haunted him. He loved her blue eyes that reminded him of the waters of a coral reef. He put one out. He loved her pouty lips that kissed his body so many times and gave him such orgasmic pleasure when she was in heat. Those were split. A part of him would've rather died than damage such lovely features. Chad landed and Nara was immediately taken to the med bay.

"We lost contact! What the hell happened?!" Colonel Raam yelled. "We were hit with some weird energy. Hawk 2 and Eagle 3 attacked us. I..I was the only one to make it" Chad said. "I want her restrained and sedated!" Raam shouted to The medics. "With all due respect sir...WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" Chad shouted. "We don't know Lt. Some kind of chatter is coming from Europe. I don't think we're alone in this. Report to medical" Raam ordered. Chad sat in medical wearing a gown. It was cold but that wasn't what worried him. Not far away was Nara. The giant door opened and in came Dr. Zoris in full protective gear. "What's with the suit doc?" Chad asked. The giantess doctor sat down near the table Chad sat on. "It's necessary Lt. Cyrus. We have no clue what caused the Ingress to turn. It could biological for all we know. Your human side might've shielded you as did... Capt. Andrew" she said sadly. "I'm telling you it was that energy" he said. Maybe so but we can't be too careful. Now I need you to take off your clothes" she said. Chad striped off his gown.

The giantess carefully moved his arms and legs to see for markings or discolorations. Chad was embarrassed she her covered fingers moved his cock and balls. "Really doc?" he asked annoyed. "Necessary. Need to check all lymph nodes" she said. Chad halfway bought it. He could see her breathing speed up slightly. "How's Nara?" he asked trying to distract himself. "She's healing up nicely. Almost done. She's under sedation and restraint right now. You did what you had to so don't feel bad. You two lovebirds can see each other soon if permitted" she said. "Lovebirds?! No it isn't like that. Besides its against regs" Chad said. "She came to me not long ago asking about how to be intimate with a human sized person safely.  I've seen you two together so I connected the dots. Your secrets safe with me" she said. "...thanks doc" he said. "Well a scan and visual check doesn't show pathogens nor does it show radiation damage. You're clear" she said taking off her helmet. Dr. Zoris is one of two doctors stationed at the base. Really young for a doctor at 24 years of age but talented. She was of Ingress blood. Her family came here just after the war.

"Can I see her?" Chad asked. Dr. Zoris thought about the request. "I told you before she's under sedation but she's babbling incoherently. Maybe a familiar face will help. Get dressed and I'll clear it" she said smiling. Chad was grateful for the chance. He was concerned about her babbling. Whatever happened to Nara may have caused her to lose her mind. Chad got dressed and headed to the giant wing of med bay. Here people of Ingress size were treated. It was clear which room Nara was in. Soldiers with rifles at the door. "Restricted" one said barring his way. Before he could object he heard footsteps behind him. Chad turned to see a giant nylon clad toe poking out of a white foam and vinyl slipper. A glance up a nylon wearing leg confirmed it was Dr. Zoris. She bent down to talk to the soldier. "Let him through. He has clearance" she said. "Sorry. No others allowed near her that aren't medical personnel" he replied. "Well this is me saying he's allowed" Zoris said raising her voice. " Colonel's orders" he said back sternly to the giantess. Zoris narrowed her eyes. "As head of Ingress medical I have full authority to override Colonel Raam Private...what's your name? Can't read that tiny writing" she said. "Dithers. Private Dithers" he said. Zoris tapped on her omnitool for a few seconds and grinned.

"Well Private Dithers I see you're scheduled for a prostrate exam next week. Now if you don't comply with my request I'll have your regular physician refer you to me" she said placing her long gigantic fingernail underneath his chin. With barely a movement of her finger, she raked her fingernail back. Chad and the two soldiers could hear Dithers' beard stubble making a scratching sound against the fingernail wider than his head and tougher than concrete. "You...you can go in" he stammered. Zoris stood back up. "Thank you very much!" she said smiling warmly. Chad realized her smile hid a possible mean streak. Zoris walked toward Nara as Chad walked up a catwalk. As he walked to the platform sticking out he saw how bad she was off. Nara was almost naked abet from a flimsy gown. She was chained to the 300 ft. long bed spread eagle. Chad saw that the chains were the same kind of chains used to secure large cargo. Carbon steel.

The skin on her ankles was red from chaffing. No doubt caused by jerking to get free. Her toes flexed and scrunched as she lightly pulled on her restraints. The clanking sound disturbed him. Her wrists were restrained as her arms pulled behind her. Chad was getting pissed. She was chained up like some giant woman beast. Not a soldier, friend, and lover. Her injuries were almost healed. Just some light bruising around her eye socket and jaw was all the evidence left of their fight. Chad could hear her muttering something odd. "What is she saying?" Chad asked Zoris. Zoris shined a 6-foot-long light into Nara's eye. "She's speaking a northern dialect of Ingress. Didn't know she knew it" she replied. "Nara said her parents are traditionalists. Guess they taught her to speak it. You understand it?" he asked. Zoris shook her head. "Aren't many still alive that do. I was told once that after the great nuclear war the survivors gathered under the four city domes. The first edict handed down but the empress of the time was her language was divine and no other languages were to be spoken" she said.

"How do you recognize it then?" Chad asked. Zoris checked Nara's skin around her wrists. "Some words transferred to the prime language out of necessity. Similar to how English is here*" she said. "What words?" he asked. "Experiment and purge" Zoris said seriously. Chad touched a panel that extended his walkway over Nara. It swiveled over to her face. "Nara can you hear me?" Chad said loudly. Nara had been staring up at the ceiling and turned to look at the voice. She saw him. " Sakaita anin Chad?" she asked. "I don't understand you Nara. Speak English please" he said. Nara sighed and closed her eyes. "Is...that you...Chad?" she said. "YES! Yes, it's me" Chad said happy she recognized him. Nara moved her left arm as to grab him and the restraints stopped her. Nara looked confused as to why she was chained up. "You...you fought us. Why?" Chad asked. Nara looked very upset. She was beginning to remember.    

(Author's note: This is very true especially in the case of the English language. Some are widely known like tsunami or tornado but some aren't. Like alcohol, syrup, or sugar are Arabic in origin and daughter is actually Hindi for milkmaid. Go figure...) 

"I...I didn't want to! She made me! I remember fighting you! Wanting to kill you" she said sobbing. Zoris was nearby taking notes while a camera zoomed in on Nara. "Who is she?" he asked. "She was in our minds. Controlling us. She was in my mind and I was in hers. So many images. All a jumble" Nara muttered. "Baby I need you to focus" Chad said. Nara nodded. "I still can't make out almost all of it but one word kept popping up. Progenitor. Her kind is called Progenitors and she had a name. Aeris" Nara said with wide eyes. "She needs to rest now" Zoris said increasing the sedative. Chad sat there watching her sleep. Two hours went by without him noticing when his wristcomm beeped. "Lt. Cyrus. Please report to C&C" a voice said. Chad looked at Nara whose closed eyes showed movement. She was dreaming and by the looks of how her fingers and ankles twitched, it wasn't a good dream. "I'll keep watch. Go" Dr. Zoris said pushing him with her giant finger. Chad nodded and headed to Command and Control.

Meanwhile in New Perth...

"Baris your status" Aeris asked over their telepathic link. "My city is under full control. All the larger species is under my control as well. My telepathic sphere of my influence is growing as predicted. Your status?" he asked. "Very much the same. Their communications are amplifying my control. Soon I can expand it. These Ingress as they call them are having a harder time finding hybrids. Wouldn't it be easier to scan a hybrid and control the source itself?" Aeris asked. This was on her mind since arriving but decided to deal with the situation as Baris ordered. Baris was older than her by many many years. Logic dictates that he would have superior experience and decision making skills. For a reason Aeris didn't know that right now wasn't enough. "Do you remember that hybrid we found on this planets moon? I specifically noticed how much power you had to use to peer into his mind. Even if you neural scanned one like we did with these Ingress, are you confident you can control so many thousands and continue generating your telepathic field?" Baris said.

That gave her pause. It was true. She did use more energy to break into Kenneth's mind than in theory needed. Controlling a mind even took more energy. It was taking a large amount of energy to control the Ingress and keep her telepathic field going right now. It was the only thing keeping her from controlling the entire continent right now. Soon however that could or would change as she was slowly gathering energy to expand it. "It would be so easy to just control them and order themselves to terminate their lives" she said. "Very true but this is why we included failsafes in these Ingress. Failsafes embedded in their very DNA" he said. "You prepared for this beforehand? Expected this?" Aeris asked surprised. "An experiment of this importance required all possible eventualities to be taken care of. Now I must go. I'm sensing more humans and hybrids coming to impede my work" he said closing the link.

Aeris had sensed the fight between the Eagle and Hawk flights. Saw off in the far distance the small mushroom cloud from an explosion. If she had face it would be smirking. Aeris felt satisfaction. Another emotion. These emotions made her curious. Why did she feel them and what others were there? She was wanting to find out. Below her she saw an Ingress man walking around carrying crowbar that was 35 ft. long but to Aeris it was tiny just as he was. She bent forward and picked him up by his waist. The man showed no fear at all as the titanic glowing being held him. "Any luck finding them?" she asked. "Not at this time Aeris. I have killed the ones living on my apartment floor taking refuge. I am about to use this crowbar to pry open some doors in my building" he said with no emotion. As she held him a feeling of...power came over her. She could kill him easily. She had direct control over his little life. She wondered if this feeling would grow if she did. The thumb covering his abdomen being to push on him. At first he didn't react but as the pressure grew he began to shudder and shake. Aeris felt his ribs crack and implode. The tiny giant began to vomit blood bit never cried or begged. His eyes stood locked on her glowing face as she crushed the life out of him. Then a final crack as his spine snapped. His legs went limp as he convulsed. The emotion of power intensified as his death throes increased. Then as he died and laid to the side Aeris gasped. If anyone had been watching, Aeris literally changed color. From a pale blue to pink.

Aeris reveled in this emotion. She knew then she wanted to experience more. The problem was in her state there were emotions she couldn't experience. Scanning that Ingress girl from earlier she knew that the emotions she felt right now was instinctual. Only a small part of the whole. There were other emotions she wanted to know. Love, anger, happiness just to name a few. She began to think of how to experience them and was content in knowing there was an entire city to help her...

"Reporting as ordered sir" Chad said saluting. "At ease Lt. Cyrus" Colonel Raam said. It wasn't often Chad ended up in Command & Control. The size of it was like a football field. The holographic table alone was the size of a swimming pool. Chad walked up the stairway leading to the top of the table. "We collected the data from your ACE. We saw how the IFF was a liability" he said. "Permission to speak frankly sir?" Chad asked. Raam nodded. "Liability doesn't cut it. We got fucked in the ass because of it. I'm the only living pilot out of training here now, except Nara" Chad said. Raam knew that Chad being barely 20 years old and just graduated, hadn't seen real combat before. Never seen comrades die before. "I'm not flying with a chained AI again" he said.

"We're looking into unlocking the AI system. As you learned in training those AI's are chained to prevent another Debra incident" Raam said. To what he was referring to, Debra was the AI Omega used to pilot their own STRIKE II unit. A ruthless artificial intelligence hell-bent on killing Ingress. Civilian or otherwise. Thousands died because of it. Ever since, AI's were restricted class B basic function. All higher functions such as emotion and independent decision making was restricted or "chained". "Over the last two hours we've learned a little about what we're dealing with. First of all, there are two of them. Dr. Hart the monitor please" Raam said. Dr. Hart was standing on the table not far from Chad. An older man in his early 50's that called Geneva his home. Chad knew him because word was he was an eccentric genius. And by eccentric they meant crazy. The good doctor popped Prozac like they were skittles.

Chad watched the projection fill the air. "Jesus. So that's what they look like? Looks like a big glowing man" Chad said. "We suspect a male as well" Dr. Hart said. "What was the giveaway? The big glowing dick?" Chad asked. Hart rolled his eyes at him. "This satellite footage was taken in St. Petersburg Russia. This one was taken nearby in New Perth. As you see they are the same type" Raam said. "Nara mentioned it was a her. She said they as in more than one. She said they were called Progenitors" Chad said. "Progenitors of what?" Raam asked. "Gentlemen my I continue?" Hart asked. "We know what caused the Ingress pilots to turn on us. It was this" Hart said bringing up a picture with a wavy line. "Looks like a frequency line" Chad said. "Very good Lt. Precisely what it is. We've known for some time that Ingress brains are different from humans or even hybrids. Autopsies during the war confirm that as the first autopsies done to hybrids. Wish I was there for that. Probing a giant brain. Learning its secrets" he whispered.

"Ahem. As I was saying they are different. Ingress biology has evolved to accommodate their giant size. A nervous system 15 times more efficient than a human to be able to move at a decent speed. Without they would lumber about like an elephant. A heightened metabolism for cell regeneration. Acute senses. All of this is regulated by a more robust brain. This also causes their brains to work on a different wavelength. The energy field you flew into operates at that wavelength. This field covers the city and extends to as far as 10 miles outside this base...and it shows signs of growing. Look at this" Hart said switching to another screen. "An RF scan of the city. See that haze around the city?" he asked. "Yeah we do. Is that the signal?" Raam asked. "Indeed. Now look at the center" he said. Chad looked at the center of the city. It was pure white. "It's being focused there and it's shrinking. Compressing. Computer models say it will expand again in 21 hours 17 minutes and this time it will encompass the entire northwest region of Australia" Hart said.

"Any way to stop it? Block the signal? It's going to take longer than 21 hours to get enough ACE's to even hope to defeat the city's defenses. "This magnificent creature is using our own communications system as an amplifier. Destroy the communications network and in theory that can stop it" he replied. Raam thought about how that would be possible. "It's simple Colonel. A powerful blast of energy should destroy the creature and the network. Being made of energy it still has to adhere to thermodynamics. Energy can't be created or destroyed. Only changed. Some kind of power must keep it contained. Overload it and you kill it. Its energy will disperse. "How can you possibly be so sure with barely knowing anything about it?!" Chad asked. "Logic boy. It hasn't taken over our satellites yet because it can't. So therefore it has limits. A finite amount of energy. Energy can’t be contained unless a force acts on it. Hence its form. Take out the force holding it together and kill it" he said. "And if it reforms?" Chad asked. "Then we're simply fucked" Dr. Hart said.

"I'm no scientist bit I'm guessing it would take a massive amount of energy to kill something this big" Raam said. "Well she is a 6,744 ft. tall collection of energy so...8 megatons?" Hart said. "Are you...stupid question. That would mean the death of over 160,000 people" Raam said. "To save billions. Have you seen the death toll coming out of St. Petersburg? 19,000 within the first hour alone. Satellite images show Ingress patrolling the street for hybrids" he said. "I'll contact Union Headquarters for orders about that. Lt. Cyrus. Report back in one hour. I'll have a plan by then" Raam said dismissing him. Chad couldn't believe what he heard.  A real world threatening event and they were considering wiping out a major city to stop it. Possibly two cities. The thought of flying for fun seemed a dream again. Chad went to the canteen to get a drink.

He sat outside sipping coffee looking in the direction of New Perth. Smoke still billowing into the air. He didn't even notice the thuds coming from behind.  Blast of air nearly knocked him off from where he sat as Dr. Zoris sat next to him. "Mind if I sit with you?" she asked. "No" Chad replied. Zoris slipped off her giant slippers and rubbed her nylon feet. "Been on my feet since 0500 today. Exhausted" she said. Chad didn't say a word. "Worried about Nara? She's better now since you spoke with her. Speaking English again" she said. Chad nodded. "That's good" he said. She was surprised to see little reaction. "What's really on your mind? Tell me" she said standing up and walking in front of him. Zoris enjoyed the cool concrete of the hangar for a moment before sitting down in front of him. Her legs on either side of him. Causally blocking him from leaving. "Doctors orders?" he asked. "A friend’s orders" she said warmly. "Don't even know your first name" he said. "I'm Kana. Nice to meet you Chad" she said. Chad chuckled. "Oh so you can smile" she said.

"Just got out of a meeting with the colonel. Same thing is happening in Russia. It's bad enough they're thinking about destroying the cities" he said. Kana was surprised to hear this. "This your first time dealing with something this bad?" she asked. "All my life I grew up hearing what the great Rex Cyrus and Chen Wei did in the war. How I was the son of war heroes. I just wanted to fly. Hearing about True Way killing people it seemed so far away. Living in bases was lonely but you always felt safe. See that horizon over there? There could be a mushroom cloud over it this time tomorrow. The wreckage of people I flew with is still out there!" Chad yelled.  "So you're upset you can't have the life wanted? Guess little Chad here is growing up" Kana asked mockingly.

"Look I don't need this right now" Chad said walking over her leg. Kana shifted her leg causing Chad to fall to the floor. " You stay right here. I'm your friend so I'm not going to tell you ehat you want to hear. I'm going to tell you what you need to hear. You think you're the only one to have their life not turn out the way they want it too? You think those in that city out there wanted this? Let me tell you a story Chad. When my parents first arrived here my mom was pregnant with me. Utterly poor and homeless. My earliest memories are of living in a damn tent freezing my ass off in some place called New Jersey. Times were tough for us. The Union was stretched thin trying to rebuild broken cities and care for so many refugees. I didn't even have proper shoes until I was 5. Things got better eventually. We moved into a prefab house the government built. I began to go to school. I even made human and hybrid friends."

"I miss them. It was always fun to carry them around in my hands. Not long after I turned 16 though things changed. I had dreams of working around the world in the peace corps. Ingress tech didn't solve all our problems. Just look at True Way. During summer break from school, there was a trip to Italy. An earthquake devastated an area a month before so they were sending volunteers for relief. They really needed people our size most of all. So there I was lifting and moving rubble. Clearing roads and carrying supplies. We did a lot of good. Then we got ambushed by three Ingress carrying rifles and jetpacks. True Way heard about us being there and didn't like the idea of us helping humans. I was a little ways off washing my face in a river when I heard the blasts. When I got there I saw they had crushed dozens of humans underfoot, shot the Ingress and hybrid giants. They all were sitting down casually eating some. I still remember them screaming. Good hearing can be a curse sometimes."

"I was so scared I stayed hidden until I heard a scream that actually knew. It was Mr. Hanes my civics teacher. I had a crush on him. I would fantasize in class how I would hold him in my hands. Kiss him. Anyway...I heard him screaming in pain. The leader of the three was a woman Ingress. She was torturing him. Holding him close to the fire and laughing at him crying out in pain. "Cute little legs. Shame if something happened to them" she said cruelly. Then I heard a faint snap and Mr. Hanes screamed. She had broken his leg like it was a matchstick. I was so angry I charged at them barehanded. I tackled her from behind causing her to drop him. I punched her over and over until one of them struck me with the butt of his pistol. The throbbing of my head almost drowned out their voices. "Kill this fucking species traitor" I heard her say. One of them however decided to use me for "fun". I could feel him tugging off my shoes and shorts. Clawing at my panties. On the ground I saw Mr. Hanes alive barely. He was looking at me. "Please don't look" I whispered at him."

Then as the bastard was taking off his pants, a plasma bolt shot him in the chest.  The terrorists were so confident in their attack they didn't bother to run after doing their deed. It was over in seconds. Peacekeepers had been dispatched due to someone getting off a distress call before dying. I was overjoyed to be saved from such a fate and then remembered Mr. Hanes. I screamed for someone to help him. An Ingress woman in a combat suit took off her helmet. I watched her sit down near him. "He's going into shock" she said reaching into a pack on her belt. With beautiful delicately fingers, she administered aid to stabilize him. I'll never forget her. She looked only a few years older than me. Maybe 22 or so. Her red hair cut short with eyes so steady they looked like they could see into your soul. I felt a blanket draped over me by a STRIKE pilot. "Are you alright young lady?" the pilot said as his cockpit hatch opened. I just started crying right there. The tiny man walked over to my leg and patted it. "It's going to be okay" he said soothingly. He was so nice. He even let me pick him up and hug him."

"When I got back home I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I could do more with a scalpel in my hand than a sandwich. I wanted to not just save lives but protect them too. I graduated and joined the Union military medical division. So my advice to you is this. Life rarely goes the way we want it to. It's how we deal with our setbacks that ultimately defines what life we will have. So buck up pilot and keep moving forward" Kana said. Chad felt ashamed. His worries seemed so trivial. "Thanks Kana" Chad said. "If you want to thank me you can rub my feet" she said. "Thanks but Nana would get jealous" Chad said chuckling. "Had to try" she said standing up. Chad couldn't help but notice how pretty the giantess Doctor looked with the setting sun behind her. Like a sun goddess towering over him. She didn't look her age. She looked like she was 17 with her fair skin. Dark hair reaching her shoulders with faint purple eyes like dusty amethyst. It was a mystery why she was single especially seeing how flirtatious she was. Chad's wristcomm was summoning him back to C&C. "Got to go" Chad said walking away. Kana picked him up quickly and brought him to her face. "Be safe out there flyboy" she said giving him a peck on the head with her giant lips.

Chad returned to the room where Raam and Hart was waiting for him. "Just spoke with HQ and we've come to a compromise. We will be sending in a one-man team in there to destroy the communications hub inside the city. That man is you Lt. Cyrus" Raam said. "Me?!" Chad asked. "Yes you. You are the only pilot left that has passed training. All the others haven't even graduated from the simulators yet. Your mission is to infiltrate the city and take out the hub. Do not engage this creature. Failure to complete the mission and we got to go to plan b and I don't want to do that" Raam said. "What is plan b?" Chad asked. "We glass the city" Hart said looking at a screen. "That the compromise. If that hub isn't down within 22 hours, I am to launch a sparrow drone equipped with a tactical Nova missile. A missile with a grape sized antimatter warhead the size of a magic marker. Small and undetectable with an 8.2 megaton yield" Raam said seriously.

Chad was speechless. "Report to Hanger B. We got a specialized ACE set up for you. Good luck and Godspeed Lt." Raam said saluting. Chad left the room and passed by the med center. He figured if this was a possible suicide mission he had to see Nara. Nara was lying on her side. She wasn’t chained anymore. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing slow. She was sleeping. "How bad was it?" Kana asked him. "Bad enough this might be the last time I see her" Chad said moving the walkway over her bed. He lowered it and stepped onto the giant bed. Chad sat down a few feet from her face. Her giant lips slightly parted as she breathed. It wasn't the first time he did this. Watch her sleep.

3 weeks ago...

It was his first time. Chad had never had sex before until that night. His friends teased him about being a virgin but the truth was he wanted the right girl. Seeing how much his parents loved one another made him believe in waiting for that one that would take his heart. He still remembered how it felt to slide his cock between her lips as she held him gently. How soft the color of her eyes were. How he could see every line of color in her irises. Pupils so black they felt like they would swallow his soul. Those eyes trained on him.  Nara's moan as she sucked his tiny member caused a vibration right through his crotch. It was enough for him to cum. Chad grinded his crotch against her lips as he fired off shot after shot of semen into the giantess' mouth. "So tiny and yet so yummy" Nara said savoring the miniscule load on her tongue. Nara eyed him mischievously as she licked her lips. Next thing Chad knew he was being shoved into her mouth.

His ears popped from negative pressure as she sucked on him. Chad was scared shitless. It would take almost no effort to swallow him alive. Even if by accident. However, her mouth was level and beside the moaning he was comfortable. Her tongue pinned him to the roof of her mouth. Not hard but enough to keep him from slipping back to his doom. Her moans became louder and more high pitched. Light flooded his eyes and he felt himself falling into her hand. Chad was slightly peeved at how she didn't even ask to suck on his body but that went away quickly. "I'm ready for you baby" she said lowering him to her wet cunt. Chad had glanced at it when she undressed but now that he was mere feet away from the largest (and first) pussy he ever seen was mind blowing. The heat it gave off was enough to make him sweat. Her pubic hair was slick with her juices that stained the bedsheets. "Please fuck me. Don't make me beg" she hissed.

Chad walked closer and squeezed her swollen clit above his head. Nara let out a funny squeak. Chad grinned at how sensitive she was. Her toes gripped the bedsheets and she sucked in air to gasp every time he did. It was like finding an ecstasy button for her body. Squeeze it and she gets more aroused. Nara knew him by now. What he liked or didn't. What turned him on. "Stop teasing me" she said sucking on her thumb trying to look innocent. That there was enough for him to ram his tiny pecker into her. Nara couldn’t help but give a grin at how well she played him. Chad laid on her crotch as he humped her slowly at first but getting faster. "You like this baby?" he asked. Nara nodded innocently. Chad kissed her crotch as he stopped. Nara was about to protest until Chad himself climbed in feet first. Chad gripped the outside of her labia and began to pull himself in and out. Nara fell backwards groaning. Chad couldn't see her face but her could see her giant tits moving up and down as her breathing became more erratic. 

Chad felt her sweaty hand envelop his body and began to thrust him in and out even faster. "OH GOD! OH GOD!" she screamed over and over until Chad felt her walls constrict around his lower body hard. A forceful jet of warm sticky wetness gushed around his body. So forceful he swore some shot right up his ass. Her pussy walls were built to milk a dick bigger than he was and now they were squeezing him for whatever a tiny human could give it. Chad discovered at that moment one could feel motion sickness and euphoria from cumming in his giantess girlfriend. Both lovers were exhausted. Chad just laid there limp hanging out of her sloppy cunt. Nara pulled him out slowly to check on him. "Chad that was so good. Chad? Chad?!" she yelled. Chad wasn't moving until he scooped off some of her cummy juices and sucked it off his finger. "You taste delicious" he said. Nara was relieved he was okay and just cuddled him to her right breast. For the next hour or so they both talked. About their dreams and families. Nara loved hearing about his parents. Stories about the infamous Stray Dogs. They seemed more heroic than the stories her parents told of the war. What stories her parents told were full of death and destruction. How the Empress would have them terrorize the populace or fight the Union. It was rare for someone to hear both sides of a conflict so vividly. She loved him. He never complained at how forceful she was tonight. She thought she went too far sticking him into her mouth.

It was a guilty fantasy of hers (one of many) for years. Sucking on a cute human male just to see if there really was a taste to them. There was. Chad tasted like sweet ham to her palate. The thought of her lover at the mercy of her tongue was what made her wet. What endured her to him was he trusted her that much. "If you want to hear more then just ask my parents" Chad said. "You want me to meet your parents?" she asked surprised. "Why not? They'll love you. We're supposed to get leave before being assigned to New Perth. Come with me" he said.  Nara thought for a moment. She had never been asked to go meet anyone's parents before. Nara, being a child of enemy soldiers, didn't have an easy childhood. Never invited to sleepovers except one time and that was enough for her. Only allowed to date Ingress males and even then the same stigma. Chad thought he said the wrong thing when he saw tears coming out her eyes. Nara hugged him close not saying a word except..."yes". Nara dozed off and Chad stayed against her soft warm breast admiring her strong and steady heartbeat. There was little light but he could see her soft lips that gave him his first blowjob. Eyelashes that looked like they would tickle if they touched his skin. He swore he would lose his virginity to that special girl. "She's the one" he whispered before falling asleep.    

Now...

Chad got up and walked over to her lips. He got on his knees and kissed her. "I love you so much. I have to go now and I don't know if I'm coming back. I just wanted to tell you that" he said to her. Chad was sure she couldn't hear him but a single tear rolled down from her eye slowly. Chad watched it sparkle in the light. Like a slippery diamond falling down her giant cheek. Maybe on some level she could hear him or maybe her soul did. Either way, Chad knew if he didn't leave now he never could. Chad let himself take one last look as he walked down the catwalk to the main floor.

Chad sat patiently in the hangar until he was called. "This looks very different from the others" he said looking at the 180 ft. tall mech. "Because it is" a mechanic said. "This is the stealth variant of the ACE. Light armor and weapons. Advanced avionics and sensors. Thermal baffles to hide infrared signatures and best of all a fully functioning holo cloak. It can make you invisible or create an illusion of an Ingress instead of a combat mech" he said. "Incredible" Chad said staring at the black painted ACE. "Yeah. One of the few things we can thank Omega for. Lifted the tech from them just after the war. Whoever designed this was a genius. Now hold out your arm" he said. The mechanic removed chad's wristcomm and clipped on a new one. "This will sting" he said pressing a button. "Ow!" Chad said feeling a sharp pain. "Since you're piloting an advanced unit and you'll need all the help you can get; you get the nano enhancement like a real assigned pilot" he said. Chad looked at his wristcomm. It didn't seem different but he knew he was the real deal in his blood literally.

Chad tested the connection by thinking of the stealth ACE lowering its hand for him. It did. Chad stepped in and rode it to the cockpit. He sat down and studied the layout. It wasn't much different except missing a few weapon layouts. It took a minute to get used to it. The tactile sensors were directly connected to him. He could feel the coldness of concrete under the mech's feet. The slight breeze in the air. He and the ACE were one. So much in fact he felt a presence around him. "We need to get going" he said. "Preflight is already done Chad. We can leave as soon as we get permission" a female voice said. "AI?" Chad asked. He knew the generic voice but this one was more personal. More human. "Yes it's me. Shall we radio Control?" she asked. "Y-yes. Open a channel" he said. The program did as instructed. "Permission to take off Control" Chad said stepping onto the runway.   "Lt. Cyrus. You are cleared for launch" Control said over the comm. The sun had finally set and the runway lights lit up in front of him. "Let's do this" Chad said throttling up. The ACE hovered for a brief moment before jetting into the sky.

"I suggest we fly no faster than 200 mph. We don't want to leave a contrail" the AI said. "Agreed. Engage the cloak" he said. The image of the mech shimmered for a second before it disappeared. "Hmm...we might have a problem. A storm system is rolling in. The cloak acts funny when exposed to water. Distorts it slightly" the AI said. Chad was getting more impressed at how responsive it was. "Why are you impressed with me?" it asked. "Wha? No nothing" Chad said. "I understand it's your first time being nano linked but I can read your thoughts" it said. "I've never encountered an AI so responsive before" he said. "That's because I'm unchained" it said. Chad was stunned. "Don't worry. I won’t try to take over the world or anything" it said laughing. Chad was even more stunned. It was laughing. "I'm not an it. I have a name you know" it said. "What is it?" he asked. "Ai. A play on words. Ai is a Japanese name for a female and it is identical to the initials for artificial intelligence. Call me Ai please" she said. Chad smiled. Ai as she called herself seemed nice and very human. Easy to talk to.

"You have an opinion about this mission?" he asked. "I think we're screwed honestly. We can get in there no problem but evading thousands of enemies and this Progenitor? Keep in mind this thing shut down machines easily. She won't have to shoot us down. A snap of her fingers and we'd be helpless. Statistically...the plan to destroy the city has more of a chance" she replied. "Thanks for being honest" he said. "Lying won't help and I plan to do all I can to fulfill your mission. Don't give up hope Chad. That probably is the best weapon we got right now" she said. Chad couldn't understand why it was so dangerous to unchain an AI. Surely the Debra incident was a fluke. He couldn't imagine Ai being a homicidal killing machine. Yes, he only knew her for 10 minutes but it was something he could sense from her. Like meeting someone and knowing you two would be friends. Chad spoke to Ai to pass the time. He told her what happened earlier with the battle and how he had to punch out Nara. Ai even said she was sorry he had to go through that. Then a sudden wind shook the mech.

"The storm is almost on us. Increase speed to 225 mph. so we can get to the city before it rains" she said. Chad remembered the contrail issue. "A gamble but it should be dark and windy enough to obscure it" she replied. Chad inched the throttle up. It was a race. Lightning was getting closer. Winds picked up. "There it is. Throttle down" she said. Chad slowed down as they approached the city perimeter. Searchlights aimed up and forward swept the sky and ground. Plasma turrets were powered up. Civilians and soldiers stood at the walls with rifles, pistols, and whatever could be used to melee someone foolish enough to breach the defense perimeter. All of them Ingress. "My god" he muttered seeing an Ingress girl holding a broken concrete pillar used to hold up bridges or overpasses in her hands. She couldn't have been no older than 7. A zoom closer showed stains of blood on it. He felt droplets of water hitting the hull. It was beginning to rain. "Stay focused. We need to land" Ai said. Chad held his breath as he flew over them slowly.

He passed the perimeter and touched down in a quiet alley away from prying eyes. The rain came down hard now. "You mind if I chose what holo form we use?" Ai asked. "No. Go ahead" he replied. Ai let out a hum as she concentrated. "There" she said. Chad was curious to how they looked now. He bent down and looked into a puddle formed from caved in street. "Holy shit" Chad said. The form she chose was that of a teenage girl. Maybe 17 or so. The form looked Japanese. "Fitting right?" she asked. "Uh...sure" he replied. Chad looked at his arms and legs. A simple shirt, jeans, and sneakers, all white. "Where is the hub?" he asked. "5.3 miles from out location. North by northeast" she said putting a waypoint on his HUD. They began to sneak toward it using alleys. A mile in, the buildings were either short or knocked down and gave them the first real view of Aeris. Both were astonished. A titanic naked female made of light was sitting there...looking bored. Well as best one could tell since she had no facial features.

"She really is made of energy Chad. I dare not scan harder though" Ai said. Chads heart began to race as they snuck around her. Aeris looked at their direction quizzically. They stopped. "Fuck! Did she see us?!" Chad asked. "She's not moving “Ai replied. Aeris looked away. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking. "We're halfway there. Wait! Three Ingress approaching!" Ai said. Chad turned and faced the three coming toward him. Two males and a female. Two of them in their late 40's. One of the males was considerably younger. "Jesus" Chad muttered seeing the male to be a preteen boy. He didn't dare lower his guard. The young giant was carrying a plasma pistol and knife. Possibly souvenirs from an ex-soldier parent. "Young girl. Did you find any more hybrids?" a man asked. Chad didn't answer. "Answer. Aeris demands us to work faster" he said. "No...no I didn't" Chad said. He nearly stuttered hearing his voice be that of a girl through the external speaker. "Keep...hold on. One found a hiding place and is asking for help to dig them out. One block up" the giant said looking at his phone. "What do we do?" Chad thought. "If we run we get shot" Ai replied.

They reluctantly followed them. "Here in the subway corridor. I caught one looking for food and made him tell me where there were more" an Ingress woman said waiting for us. "Did you kill it?" the female that was with us asked. "Of course" she replied wiping blood from her lips. "Chad. She's not wrong. Sonar confirms that there are 7 of them inside" Ai said. The Ingress, including Chad and Ai began digging. "I can't just watch them die" Chad thought. "I have an idea that might work. It's a stretch though. Give me full control" she said. Chad sat back and let Ai take over. He wondered what she would do. Soon, they had cleared away the rubble protecting the hybrids below. Men, women, and children cowered in front of them. Chad could hear them begging not to die. Praying to god. A male reached out for the closest one. Ai blocked him. "Allow me. I haven't caught any yet and I'm hungry" she said. Chad watched their reactions. "Very well" a female said.     

Ai had the mech lay on its front and stuck its head and arms into the hole dug out. She switched to night vision to see. Chad saw them all hunkered down pressed against a collapsed pillar. To the people inside it must've been terrifying. From their perspective, a giant Asian teenage girl was staring at them. Watching them. Ready to devour them all. After all, the voices outside were loud enough for them to hear. This young giantess begging to eat them. What they heard next surprised them all. "I'm not ehat I appear to be. I'm a machine. I need you to do exactly as I say. Now stand up and stay still" Ai whispered. Ai caused the holo cloak on her face to flicker briefly to prove to them what she said. They stood up and stayed still. Her eyes flared slightly and shot off a beam of light that slowly swept over them. "What are you doing?" Chad thought. "Scanning them so I can replicate their forms. Let me concentrate" she thought back. A few more seconds passed and one of the Ingress asked what was taking so long.

"They're in there good. Almost got them all" Ai said back. Ai had finished. "A scan ahead shows a deeper tunnel. Go that way" Ai said illuminating the way. The small hybrids scampered off.  Ai concentrated and Chad watched as 7 people appeared in her closed fists. Ai got up. "Got them!" she proudly said. Chad held his breath. "Eat them so we can go" the impatient giantess said. They all watched as Ai shoved the fake people into a holographic mouth. She made a point to exaggerate swallowing. She did the same to her other hand and left one. A man in his early 20's. Ai programmed him to act accordingly. "Please don't do this! I have a wife and kid!" he screamed. Ai placed him in feet first and slurped him in. Only his head poked out between her lips. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! I DON'T..." he screamed until she sucked him all the way in. Ai swallowed with a loud gulp. She manipulated the image of her throat to bulge slightly to simulate his body. Seconds later she patted her stomach and belched.

"Good. We can proceed" the female said. "It would be better to split up. Find more faster that way" Ai said. The older giantess looked at her. "Agreed. Call for help if you can't get to any like we did" she said. The group walked off leaving them there. "Thank god that worked" Chad said. "No kidding. Thought I oversold it for a moment" she said. "No. Oscar worthy" Chad said. Chad wondered how many hybrids were left. How many were hiding this way. How many weren't as lucky as the group they saved. As they got closer, they saw actual soldiers patrolling the street and square. All of them carrying heavy positron rifles. "If they catch us they'll destroy us for sure" Chad said. "There might be a way to deal with this. I warn you it won't be pretty" Ai said. "Given the alternative..." Chad said. They waited patiently for one to separate themselves from the others.

A female Ingress wearing a combat suit began a patrol of a nearby abandoned building. They hid behind a wall. "We take her out and take her form and gun" Ai said. Chad agreed. They could hear her giant footsteps crushing glass and debris as she got closer. Chad's heart beat faster. The ambient glow Aeris gave off in the distance didn't help. The giantess soldier passed them and the ACE immediately grabbed her. One arm went around her waist. The other her neck gripping her face. The woman grunted as she tried to move her head. Her face was now pointed at his camera. "Oh fuck! We can't do this Ai! I know her!" Chad yelled. "She saw us and we need her form. We can't risk her waking up" Ai said. Chad suddenly found himself not in control. Ai had locked him out. He heard a whirr as the hydraulics in his right shoulder powered to full. It jerked to the right hard. *SNAP*. The giantess' neck snapped under 100 tons of force. Vertebrae stronger than iron broken by mechanical force. The giantess went limp in his arms. "You have control" Ai simply said. Chad lowered the body to the floor. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Chad yelled. "I took control when I saw the mission in jeopardy. It doesn't matter if you knew her. She was an enemy that had to be neutralized" she said coldly. Chad realized how dangerous an unchained AI was now. They had an advantage over the human mind and it was they could turn off their emotions to do what was needed. A conscience made of algorithms that could be disabled with a simple command. "How did you know her" Ai said scanning the body. "Oh you care now?" Chad asked. "I do" she replied. "She was my first flight instructor when I joined. Gave me real shit when I puked in the simulator. I realized later she was tough only to build confidence. Might've flunked out if it wasn't for her pushing me to get better" Chad said. Chad took a moment to move her hair from her face. "Goodbye Lt. Cairn" Chad whispered.

After the scan was done, Ai transformed the cloak. What was an Asian teenager was now a 24-year-old blond woman. "Transformation complete. Would you like to see?" Ai asked. "If it's the same to you I'd rather not" Chad said. They stepped out of the building holding the rifle. The hub is in that building there. Sublevel 3" Ai said. They began to walk toward it. "Is your patrol complete?" a giant asked. "Yes. beginning patrol of this area" Ai said. "Understood. Keep watch for possible Union incursion. They won't sit idly by as Aeris charges up to increase her sphere of influence" he said. They watched the giant walk away. "Amazing! How perfect her control is!" Chad said. "Indeed. It must use an enormous amount of energy and will to do this. This must be why she needs to charge up" Ai said. Getting into the building was easier than expected. Chad worried it was too easy. They passed a dozen soldiers and civilians to get to sub level 3.

"Behind these doors" Ai said. There was a large door in front of them and two soldiers standing guard. There was a keypad. "Don't suppose you have the code?" Chad asked as they walked to it. "I will shortly" she replied. The fake form of the two got real close to the keypad. Chad saw she was trying to hack it. "You forget the key?" a soldier asked. "Y-yeah. Just trying to remember" Ai said. "Come on. Damn encryption" Ai said. "Faster Ai. They're looking at us" Chad thought. "I'm doing the best I can. Most of my processes are tied up keeping the cloak active" she said. "Aren't you supposed to be patrolling the outer perimeter?" the other soldier asked. "I finished and am now making sure no human sized hostiles snuck in" Ai replied. Chad could hear them grip their rifles harder. "Ai?" Chad asked nervous. "Access granted" the keypad said. Ai made the machine nod and walked into the room. The door shut behind her.

"Surprised nobody is in here" Chad said. "They must be spread thin. We better get to work before someone shows up" she said. The communications hub was three times their size. A cube shaped pillar with glowing parts. "This Aeris is in there alright. Normally this glows blue not pink" Ai said. "And this controls all communications for the city?" Chad asked. "Yes. All outgoing and incoming comm traffic is processed here. We destroy this and the city goes deaf and her amplifier is gone. Uh oh" Ai said. "Uh oh? We can't afford an uh oh" Chad said. "The hub casing is armored. Probably to protect it from terrorists from doing what we're trying to do. I don't have any heavy weapons. Just the two plasma blasters" she said. "What about this rifle?" Chad asked. "Okay. That will work but it will take a few shots to break the casing. Keep in mind once we fire the first shot alarms will go off" she said.

"We came to do a job right?" Chad asked taking aim. "That we did. Shotgun mode" Ai said transforming the gun. They pulled the trigger. A cascade of energy hit the casing causing a minor explosion. Alarms and red lights immediately went off. "I'm going to seal the door!" Ai said. Ai fired a concentrated stream of energy welding the door closed. They could hear people beating on it. Over and over they shot the hub and had to stop when the gun overheated. Just then the doors were blown open. 4 soldiers came flooding in. Their shots sent them sprawling to the floor where they quickly pulled themselves around the hub for cover. "How's the casing?!" Chad yelled. "Cracked but not enough! We need a hole big enough for the charge! This casing was designed to withstand a 20 kiloton explosion!" Ai said taking potshots. "Is it hot? I mean really hot!" Chad asked. "900 degrees kelvin" she replied. "This time I'm the one with the plan. Drop your cloak. We don't need it now but we do need the extra power for the plasma blasters" Chad said.

Meanwhile at Victoria base...

"Physically she's fine but I am getting a strange reading concerning her brainwaves. Like they're in flux" Kana said. "A side effect of the control?" Raam asked. "Probably but it could be a sign of mental trauma or worse insanity" she replied. "Could altering an Ingress brain waves protect them?" Raam asked. "No way of knowing an even if so, making Ingress go crazy isn't a good solution" she said. "Understood. Hopefully Lt. Cyrus will complete his mission before the deadline" he said. "And that is?" she asked. "18 hrs. 47 minutes" he replied. "Understood sir" she said closing the vid call. Dr. Kana Zoris made her way back to the room where Nara was. "Wakey wakey Nara. Time for another brain scan" she said opening the doors. Inside was not Nara. On the floor however was two guards. One knocked out and the other barely awake. Both were bleeding. "What happened?!" Kana asked. "She...she overheard what was going on. Both missions. She attacked us and ran" the giant muttered before passing out. Kana hit the alarm.

"Security! We have an escaped patient! Patient is considered mentally imparted and dangerous. Use non-lethal force only!" she yelled over the comm. Kana could only imagine what was going through Nara's mind. She figured she was running to the hangar. Kana made her way there. "Patient found! Send additional backup to the hangar!" she heard over the speaker. Kana arrived just in time to see her roundhouse kicking a guard. Nara was still wearing her gown. "NARA STOP!" Kana yelled. Nara looked at her. She went over to a flight pack and put it on. She bent down to pick up a rifle. Kana saw that she had taken out 4 guards already before she saw her take out a fifth one. Kana remembered that Nara was exceptionally gifted in combat. Nara slipped on a visor and looked around. She was ignoring Kana but didn't ignore the two mechanics. One her size and the other human. When they say her looking at them they bolted out the hangar. Of course the human sized one didn't get far though. Nara seized him up.

"Give me his transponder code!" she yelled. The small man in her grip was too frightened to respond. "Tell me!" she yelled squeezing. "NARA STOP THIS!" Kana yelled. More guards came in with guns drawn. "Don't shoot!" Kana said getting in front of them. "Stop squeezing! Here!" the tiny mechanic said tapping his omnitool. Nara's visor beeped. Nara tossed him into the air aside. Kana dove to catch him and barely stopped him from becoming a splatter mark from a 150 ft. fall. "You won't make it! There's no guarantee you won't be controlled again!" Kana yelled. "Got to try for his sake" Nara said running out the hangar. Nara streaked into the sky and left a sonic boom. "She's insane. She doesn't even have a goddamned suit on!" a guard said. Kana said nothing. She didn't know to either root for her or condemn her actions.

"Up ahead in the city" Nara said looking at the visor HUD. Normally this would feel like a dream to her. Flying through the air in barely any clothes. Feeling the breeze between her toes. The clouds running through her hair. All she knew in her jumbled mind is her chosen mate was facing death. The man not even 1/100 her size had made such passionate love to her and contemplated making her his wife. No way in hell would she lie in bed and let fate decide their lives. Nara flew as fast as she could without a shield. Even then she could feel her skin heating up from air friction as she passed Mach 2. She claimed even higher and held her head down and gasped for air. Air that burned her lungs but she gave not one shit. She flew so fast her grown caught fire and she tore it off. The naked giantess was tearing through the skies and woe be unto thee that got in her way...

"It's overheating!" Ai said as she kept the steady stream of plasma fire on the casing. More soldiers advanced. They figured they had maybe a minute before they got close enough to melee them.  They had already gunned down 4 of them but for every one they killed three took their place. They began to spread out left and right to flank. They held their fire for fear of shooting the hub but that problem would soon disappear. A small explosion in the ACE's left wrist signaled a fatal overheat of the plasma blaster. He immediately switched to using the right one as warnings popped up on his screens. "What's the temp now?!" Chad yelled. "4000 kelvin!" Ai yelled. "Good enough! Vent the liquid nitrogen from the thruster baffles on it!" Chad yelled. To those who could see them they saw this mech rubbing its ass on the hub. It was enough to give them pause. Chad heard metallic cracking. "It's working!" Chad yelled. "The sudden temp drop is causing it to fracture! Genius!" Ai said. "Route available power to the shoulder hydraulic!" he yelled.

The hydraulic whirred up. They both yelled as the machine punched with all its might the casing. It shattered like glass. The inner workings were exposed now but so were they. The cockpit popped open. "Set the charge!" she yelled. Chad hopped out of the mech with a bomb the size of a pebble. A special made antimatter bomb with a 5 kiloton payload. Designed to take out anything within 5 city blocks. So small it was almost impossible to diffuse. Ai grunted as a shot tore through the shields and blew off her left arm. "It's set. Get us the fuck outta here!" he said getting back in. Ai punched the throttle and mowed down the solders at the door. She blasted through the hallways and blew away the elevators that took them down flying right up the shaft.

They climbed into the air as soldiers and civilians below took shots at them. A flash of light behind them signaled the bomb detonating. the shockwave raced toward them shaking the machine like it was a toy. Buildings fell. People below were either killed by the compression wave or sucked up into it only to die from falling or debris. The dust cloud blinded Chad and Ai. Sensors didn't work. They had to believe that their flight would take them to safety. Their hopes were dashed as a purple hand came out of the dust cloud right at them. Chad was thrown forward as their momentum was halted. A force blew away the dust and they saw the female glowing giantess holding them as they were a troublesome rodent. Aeris held the machine between her fingers. She wasn't happy. They destroyed her precious hub halting her plans for spreading her mind control signal. She felt the thing to be nonliving. A battle construct of some kind. She wanted to know who did this. Chad saw his cockpit hatch shudder for a moment before being torn away. A monolithic glowing pink face was staring at him. The face got closer to him. He could feel static electricity in the air. 

High above just a few miles away, Nara had begun her descent. The air screamed around her as she dove from 40,000 ft. She could see the glowing figure. It was the biggest brightest thing in the city. She knew it was what controlled her. She pressed a switch on the side of her wrist to throttle up. She was going to hit it fast and hard. All of a sudden the air was filled with bluish green plasma bolts and red positron blasts. The air defenses had caught on to her as well as people below. They plan to blow the intruder out of the sky for their glorious mistress. One shot would all it take to kill Nara. She had no shields. No armor but she cared not. With a simple word she transformed the rifle to sniper mode. The visor gave her crosshairs to which to aim. Her gun made the familiar *choom* sound it always did as she rained hell down on them. As she got close to the deck she pulled up and blasted past them. She had killed a dozen of them. A well timed shot blew a turret up with the ones manning it.

Normally, she would be impressed with her accuracy and skill. Not now. Her mind felt something creeping in as soon as she had hit 15,000 ft. A loathsome voice was getting louder and as much as she fought it, it was winning. "Kill all hybrids" it kept saying. Nara screamed and shook her head. It took all her willpower not to give in. A glimmer of hope was getting closer. The transponder signal was half a mile away. Just a few seconds more.

"I'm impressed you delayed me so. I sensed a matter/antimatter explosion just now. Your species as come considerably far to accomplish such things. Ah. A hybrid I see. Baris was right to be so wary of your kind" she said shaking the trapped ACE. Aeris shook so violently the straps holding Chad in broke. Aeris had her other hand out and he fell right into its open palm. To her it was like catching a flea. For he was no bigger than a grain of salt in human perspective. Chad felt like he was standing on a live electrical wire. He hair stood on end the static electricity was so strong. The air stunk of ozone. The surface was smooth to the touch but warm. Tiny arcs of energy raced through her hand like blood pumping through tiny capillaries. Aeris moved her head to stare at the puny creature before her. She could crush him into so much dust if she wanted. Far more vulnerable than the Ingress. Just the thought of it caused the energy in her to pulse. Aeris wondered what the creature felt at this moment. How much terror? What was his name? Would knowing give her more pleasure? She wanted to know for reasons she didn't. Aeris decided to probe his mind.

She had been in a hybrid's mind before on the moon. Slightly difficult to do but still easy enough if it's just him. Chad felt a tingling in his head. Then the tingling turned into a migraine. He swore a tiny female voice was in the back of his mind. Chad blocked it out. Aeris moved her head back in astonishment. "How? How can you block me?" she wondered. She tried again but all she managed to do was make his nose bleed. Aeris felt a new emotion. Anger. "Aberrations!" she yelled. Chad watched as the pillar like fingers began to retract around him. She was going to crush him out of spite now. Chad was afraid but excepting. He did his job. Saved lives. Ai saw he was about to die and fired off plasma shots into the titanic face. Aeris was annoyed enough and it stung. Aeris tossed the mech as hard as she could. Chad watched as the ACE crashed through two buildings and disappear. He heard an explosion. Chad hung his head. Another lost friend. His last hope he held onto was Nara would be safe. As her fingers got closer and her palm scrunched up a positron blast struck her where her eye would be.

Aeris jerked her head. "UNBELIEVABLE!"  Aeris howled. That shot did more than hurt her. The energy where her eye was changed color. It had faded and was less energetic. Chad immediately looked to where the shot came from and was aghast in shock seeing it came from a naked flying Ingress. Chad couldn't see the face well but he knew that body better than any man alive. It was Nara. Nara fired again right into Aeris' forehead. It hurt her but this time she didn't stagger. With lightning speed, she seized Nara right out of the air and held her. She brought her closer. Nara was trembling. Shaking her head. "How can you resist me?!" Aeris yelled. As she did her eyes glowed brighter than before. Nara aimed her gun but didn't fire. Her arm dropped and she let the fun fall to the ground 5,000 ft. below. "That's more like it" Aeris said relaxing her grip and letting Nara stand in her palm. Nara instinctively scrunched her toes on the warm surface. She looked right at Chad and was about to jet over to kill him until Aeris stopped her.

"These emotions are...strange. Anger, pleasure, power. So foreign. I felt anger before but now with the two of you in my hands. Power and something else I can't identify. I should kill you right now hybrid but I'm curious. If I took corporeal form, would I understand them then? Would I feel more pleasure killing you little hybrid? I should find out. Luckily I have the perfect DNA donor right here. I will absorb you little Ingress. Are you ready?" Aeris asked. "As...you...wish...Aeris" Nara said. Aeris took Nara between her fingers and touched her to where her mouth would be. At first nothing happened. Chad watched as Nara's hands breached the energy form. Slowly, Nara sunk into her where the mouth was. Aeris placed her finger on Nara's bare ass and pushed her in. She did the same thing again pushing against her bare feet until Nara was fully enveloped by her form. A second later Chad saw something he'll never forget. Her hair began to dissolve. Then Nara screamed as her skin was disintegrating.

"NO! LET HER GO! LET HER GO YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" Chad shrieked. Chad watched in horror as Nara stopped screaming. She had gone limp as her muscles were broken down. A few seconds later only her skeleton remained. And just as fast, that too was gone. Nara Lessis of Hawk flight was no more.

Chad just stared at the glowing face. Tears streamed down his cheeks. It was like Aeris killed a part of his soul. He didn't have the energy to even curse her. He just sat there staring. Aeris touched her chest where an orb of energy began to glow brighter than any other part of her body. The energy spread all over her. A white light drowned out the pink energy of Aeris. Aeris gasped as she began to change. Chad didn't care at first but he saw something happen. Aeris began to shrink. As she did she grew black hair. The glow of her body dimmed and skin replaced it. Tanned skin. She grew nipples for her new breasts. Black short coarse hair for her pubic region. Aeris groaned as she literally grew a vagina, clit and uterus. She let out and eek as her body formed a rectum. Still she got smaller. Chad was astounded as her old face began to give way to a familiar one. She stopped shrinking just as her eyes formed. "It can't be" he muttered as two sea green eyes emerged. The same eyes he got lost in the first night he and Nara had sex.

Aeris was now 180 ft. tall. The same size as Nara was. Aeris held onto him firmly. "No. Some kind of trick. She can't be Nara" Chad said. Chad looked down at her crotch. Chad knew she had a birthmark the size of a basketball near the right side of her labia. "No" he said in disbelief seeing it on her too. Aeris raised him to her face and smiled. "Hello Chad" she said grinning. "Nara?" he asked seeing a glow in her eyes.

The thunder from the intense lighting around them almost drowned out what Aeris said. "What did you call me?" Chad asked. "Called you by your name. What else should I call you?" she asked. "How do you know my name? Why do you look like Nara?!" he yelled. Aeris grinned slightly. Chad shook his head to get the rain out of his eyes. No matter how many times he looked. No matter how hard her looked she had her face and body. The only difference was an eerie glow in her pupils. "I admit this feels far stronger than I anticipated. These feelings and memories in my mind. Hmmm..." Aeris said shaking her head. Chad could see she was trying to sort out the new sensations she felt. However, his watching gaze soon turned to her opening her mouth. Chad had barely time to scream before being thrown inside.

He felt her humming as if she enjoyed this. This reminded him when Nara did this but he knew this wasn't her no matter how much she looked like Nara. She meant to end his life for interfering with her plans and him being her first real person to eat was just a casual bonus. Chad panicked. He crawled to her lips and used all his might to pry them open. They parted just enough for him to smell the humid rain filled air his hands felt the breeze of the storm.  Then her tongue moved. Chad flew up and backward. His head slammed into the roof of her mouth hard. As Chad laid on his back he nursed his head. His right hand felt her taste buds. Her saliva was filling her mouth. Like a rising tide, it began to envelop his body. "Aggh!" he yelled as her tongue thrust upward pinning him roughly to the roof of her mouth. He heard her throat muscles as she gulped saliva. The pressure built up to the point he couldn't breathe. It was beginning to be hard to stay conscious.

"Hope they nuke you ass" he said as he faded out. He felt his body sliding backward. Very soon he would fall down her throat and into her stomach. "Nara..." he muttered passing out.

Chad awoke in a bed inside a large room made for an Ingress. At first he thought he was in heaven but the bump on his head said otherwise. The bed was on the floor next to an even larger one about 250 ft. long and 50 ft. high. Whoever owned it had money. Hardwood floors that spawned in every direction for almost a half mile. Exquisite furniture tall as some small buildings. A bedroom mirror the size of a swimming pool. In the distance he heard a female voice humming. He knew that hum. Nara hummed the same tune when she combed her hair. Chad raced out of the room toward the sound. It took him almost 10 minutes to get to the room where it came from. He was out of breath when he got to it. On the floor sat info tablets. A chair was nearby. In it was a naked Ingress tapping her toes on the carpet. The giantess was creening her neck to stretch and as she did he saw Nara's face. He was about to call out to her when he remembered everything.

Aeris was sitting in front of a computer. Her turning her head made her catch sight of Chad. "Morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked. Chad scowled at her. "See you're still angry about me killing her" she said reaching down. Aeris scooped him up and placed him on the desk in front of her. Aeris was smiling at him. Not cruelly this time though. "Are you hungry Chad?" she asked. "How do you know my name?!" he yelled. "From Nara. Now would you like some breakfast? I know I do. Feels strange to have to absorb other life forms to live" she said getting up. Chad watched her leave and immediately looked at his wristcomm. The counter to his deadline was 7 hrs. 44 minutes away. Was it still necessary to destroy the city now the hub was gone? Chad wondered that. "Lt. Cyrus to Victoria Base. Come in Base" he said. No answer. He tried calling for Ai hoping she survived the brutal throw Aeris did. Nothing.

No way could they still be planning that. The primary threat was gone and Aeris was Ingress size now and looked like one. To satellites, it would seem like she disappeared. If so, why wasn't Chad convinced? Chad sat patiently trying to weigh his options. He couldn't jump. Too high. Maybe crawling down the power cord behind the desk would work. It would be a long walk back to base. Two days minimum. Chad needed to get away from her first but what concerned him about her was why didn't she kill him? "Here we go. Eggs and bacon with an English muffin. You're favorite if I recall" she said placing the giant plate on the desk. "How does she know that?" Chad wondered. He recalled she said she couldn't read his mind so how did she know? Chad climbed onto the plate and as he did he felt the coldness of it under his feet. He'd been so wrapped up in what was happening he didn't notice he was barely clothed. No shirt or pants. His entire uniform was gone. Just some briefs he wore and those weren't his. Did she change his clothes? Why? Why would she care?

He sat down and yanked off a piece of scrambled egg and ate. He watched her munch of some bacon as she read page after webpage at inhuman speed. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Learning about your world. I've been at it since I brought us here. I have all these memories and no interpretation of it. I read about a war that happened a few decades ago. That's what brought the Ingress here?" she asked. "Yeah. The Dimensional War" he said. Aeris nodded. "What do you mean by memories and why the fuck do you look like Nara?!" he yelled. Aeris washed down the bacon with a glass the size of a car of juice. She hummed a bit. "The sense of taste. Incredible. I look like Nara because I absorbed her genetic blueprint. I broke her body down to its molecular components and copied the DNA onto my matrix. As for the memory part. When I reformed into...into well this...her recent memories were included as chemical bonds. It's why I know your name" she said. "Just her recent ones?" he asked. Aeris nodded picking up a fork.

Chad scooted back as her fork sliced off some egg very hear him. "Afraid I would include you in this wonderful egg foodstuff?" she chuckled. It was creeping him out how she giggled with that face. "Why didn't you eat me?" he asked. "Well" she said taking with her mouth full, "I had every plan to. This feeling called anger was burning inside me and I very much wanted you dead. I figured you'd suffer very much slowly digesting in this stomach I have now. Thing is just before I was ready to swallow I felt something. It made me shiver. My body began to shake. Every fiber of me screamed not to do it. This feeling I know now is called fear. Fear what? I was in no mortal danger. I decided to let you live...for now at least" she said.

Chad wondered where that fear came from. Was it fear of losing him? Did a part of Nara stop her? She said she had her memories. Did that mean she had some of her feelings too? "Where are we?" he asked. "The home of a rich hybrid man and his Ingress wife. She's the one who cooked breakfast for us. Come in Jana!" she yelled loud enough to hurt his ears. Chad was surprised he didn't hear another giantess in the house. Moments later an Ingress woman in her mid-20's appeared. She stood tall enough that her breasts towered over him even though he was on the desk. She wasn't ugly by no stretch nor was she stunning. She looked normal except for the nice clothes she wore and the soulless expression in her eyes. "Say hello Jana" she said. "Hello" she said staring at Chad. "Last night I felt cold from the rain and asked an Ingress looking for hybrids to take us to her home. Nice penthouse not far from where we were. Her husband was a hybrid. Jana tell us what you did with him" she said. "Upon receiving my orders, I went to his office.  I knew which one for I've visited him there before. I smashed my hand through the glass and grabbed him. I ate...I ate him. I then went after others I knew personally were hybrids. I only got a few before the others hid too well. I destroyed the building to kill the rest" Jana said. Chad watched as the mind controlled giantess trembled slightly. The real Jana was in there just like how Nara was when she was under control. Chad pitied her.

"Why? Why kill hybrids?! We're no threat to you!" Chad yelled. Aeris waved her hand to dismiss Jana. "We call ourselves Progenitors but to your kind it's more accurate to say we're your gods" Aeris said. "You are no fucking God!" Chad yelled. Aeris scratched her head and sighed. "God: A being that gives life to creations and merits death. A being possessing vast power that dwarfs the creation. These are just a few definitions but they are very applicable to us. We are responsible for the rise of the Ingress and human species as you know them now" she said. "Impossible. Evolution did that not you" he said. "Evolution was the gasoline and we lit the match.  Care to guess how old I am?" she said. Chad didn't know. In her energy form she had no features to give even a guess. "If you count the time I was in suspended animation, I'll be 312,622 of your years old. By the way I'm one of the youngest of my kind" she said.

Chad was stunned. "You still haven't answered my question" he said. Aeris moved Chad to the floor where she laid on her belly. Her face a few feet from him. A glow danced in her eyes as she stared at him. "We were like you once. Carbon based. Corporeal. Limited lifespan of a century or so. Then we evolved. Eventually we transcended flesh and became pure energy. Our lifespans measured eons now. We had achieved perfection. Being made of energy had advantages. We could travel the stars without the need of ships, food, or oxygen and we did. We seeked out life like ours. Surely there had to be others that achieved perfection too. What I was told was our kind searched the stars for 500 million years before giving up. We found not one species like ours. Sure we found life out there but so far back on the evolutionary path it would take billions of years to even hope of finding a kindred species. We found a fungus that assimilated other organisms to reproduce. That hope was extinguished when their sun went nova"

"We found plants that sang, moved about, and even began to form a culture. Then they all died of an evolutionary dead end. We decided then to find a species that held the potential for perfection and guide them to it. Me and my superior Baris found Earth a little more than 40,000 years ago. On it we saw two species both with equal potential. A larger species about 40 ft. tall on average in the north but low in numbers and the smaller species that were weaker and more vulnerable but more numerous. We decided to implant genetic traits in both of them to ensure survival and evolution. The Ingress ancestors got the ability to rapidly adapt to their environment and humans got heightened aggression to subjugate the creatures around them to aid in survival. We planned on one species to evolve to our level but there was one possible outcome we couldn't allow. Cross breeding. A hybrid would inherit both traits. Such a species would be dangerous. A being bred to fight and dominate others and have the ability to adapt to virtually any danger or environment. A biological weapon for all intents and purposes."

"To prevent this we exiled the Ingress to a parallel world where they could multiply and evolve without contact from humans. Me and Baris kept watch over your world since then and awoke just a few days ago on your moon when our suspension apparatus was exposed to hybrid DNA. So now you know why your kind must be purged" she said.  "You have no right to determine the future of a species! Yeah there are some bad people out there but they're good ones too! What about them?!" Chad yelled. Aeris sat up and spread her legs out around him. "You familiar with the history of the Ingress homeworld right? The nuclear war?" she asked. Chad nodded. An entire world was razed and hundreds of millions died because of the choice of one person. I'm sorry but we will not risk the work that took tens of thousands of years to do in the trust that one day your kind won't venture out there to destroy another sentient species with potential just because they're in your way" she said.

"We'll fight you" he said. "You can try" she said back. "With your mind control field limited, the Union will have time to send their forces here and wherever your fucking Baris is and if they don't..." Chad said grinning. "Do you mean the plan to destroy me with an antimatter weapon?" she asked. Chad stopped smiling. "Yes I know of it. It was foremost on Nara's mind when she was disintegrated. Well that and you. I have a secret to tell you" she said picking him up. She brought him to her face where she moved his head to her lips. "A weapon like that won't work on me even in this form and I can tell you this. Baris is far older than me and way more powerful" she said. She lowered him to look at his face. "Right now there are over 500 combat forces making their way here from Sydney. I know because I was in the mind of the one you call Colonel Raam" she said. Chad's eyes went wide. "You heard right. What do you think happened to all that energy when you destroyed that hub? That energy I was collecting had to go somewhere. When the hub exploded, it sent out my control field like an electromagnetic pulse"

"A pulse that extended all the way to Victoria Base. It only lasted a minute before it wore off but I was connected to him and others and I saw what was in their minds. "Raam thinks you're dead after confirming the loss of your transponder. He saw the hub destroyed and me disappearing but he knows the city is still under my control. He thinks I'm hiding haha...Well...he is relieved that he can send conventional forces now but he still has the finger on the button so to speak. And there's that Dr. Kana Zoris" Aeris said with a slight scowl. Chad noticed a change. Before she was arrogant. Confident. Why did she change because of Kana? She's no fighter. The only thing about Kana was her flirtations. Wait. Was that the reason? "What about her?" Chad asked. Aeris rolled her eyes. "Why don't you answer? What did you see that got you so unnerved? So scared" Chad asked. Just then her gigantic eyes glowed brightly. "Scared?! I have nothing to fear from that fucking tease!" Aeris yelled. "Whoa. That doesn't sound like what an ancient alien would say. More like a jealous girlfriend" he thought. Aeris felt like she was in pain. Her head hurt. The glow in her eyes flickered.

"Chad?" she asked but not in the way Aeris spoke. "Nara? Is that you?" he asked. Aeris shook her head violently. "Stop it" she said softly but with a cold authority. "That was her! For a moment that was Nara! Either stress or strong emotion brought her out!" he thought. "What did you see! If you’re not afraid of her than you can tell me what you saw! Jealous maybe?" Chad said softly at the end. Aeris had a frightening look on her face. Chad worried he went too far. "She wants to have sex with you. She wants to lick you all over. Make you her's" Aeris hissed. "And you don't like that do you?" he asked. "No! YOU'RE MINE!" she screamed grabbing him. Chad couldn't even protest as her giant tongue licked his body soaking it in saliva. "Body and soul. I won't anyone have you" she said with a slight growl. With her fingernail, she tugged off his boxers. At first Aeris was curious. It was the first time seeing a man naked before. Chad couldn't help but feel embarrassed at how she stared at his tiny cock and balls. Of course she knew what they were and what they were for but seeing them in this form...it excited her.

She had an overpowering desire to place them in her mouth. Aeris enveloped his tiny package in her mouth. Chad groaned as her tongue played with his minuscule balls and shaft. She stroked his small ass as she sucked him. Chad held off as best as he could saying to himself this wasn't Nara but some murderous genocide bent alien. No matter how much he fought, biology would win out. Chad gritted his teeth as he beat his fist against the tip of her nose. Chad grunted as he came. Shot after shot went into her cavernous mouth. Aeris sucked as hard as she could but no more came out. She released him and tasted his seed. "I know this is his genetic material and it tastes bitter so why do I enjoy it so?" she wondered. Chad lay panting in her palm. The more she looked at him the more she felt another desire. She felt feverish. Her nipples were hard and sensitive. Her crotch was wet from vaginal fluid and her labia was engorged with blood. "This is a mating response" she thought. She pushed aside his arm the was draped over his chest and her fingertip traveled down to his crotch.

With some simple rubbing his cock was hard again. The tingling of her vagina intensified. Primitive neurons fired along with a memory that wasn't her's. Just a glimpse of Nara and him having sex. Aeris lowered him to her pussy and pushed him in feet first. Deeper he went until he was up to his knees. She felt him hit a barrier. She knew enough that he could go deeper and the pleasure she was getting was enough for her to try. Chad felt her hymen beneath his bare feet. He was amazed she had one. Nara didn't when they had sex for the first time. He asked when she lost her virginity but she never answered. The question seemed to disturb her. He never asked again. "Unbelievable, she grew a hymen" Chad muttered. Aeris pushed harder and Chad held his legs slack. She wasn't breaking it. "Have a problem haha!" Chad laughed trying to stoke her fire. Aeris gritted her teeth and yanked him out. She raised him to her face and grinned. "Think that's the only way you can go in? Take a deep breath” she said.

She flipped him around in her grip and with ferocious speed and James him into her head first. Chad never went in this way before and it scared him to death. He kicked his legs until he felt two fingers pinching them together. Then he felt being pushed deeper. His head hit her hymen and with a savage thrust it broke. He felt her shudder and even heard her cry a little through the juices and flesh surrounding him. He held his breath and moth closed but it still got in his nose and throat. He nearly puked as he tasted something metallic and realized his was her virginal blood. His body was pulled back and forth as she masturbated with him in her giantess cunt. Chad couldn't hold his breath for much longer. His mind was getting fuzzy. He felt himself losing consciousness. Faster and faster she used him until the walls constricted around him so hard it squeezed what little air in his lungs were left. If there anyone close enough and small enough, you could see tiny bubbles popping to the surface of the flood of juices and cum seeping out of her. Aeris pulled him out and gasped.

"INCREDIBLE! Nothing like it I've ever felt! Like my whole body was on fire. Sex is very good" she said panting. Aeris felt euphoria for the first time in the afterglow of an orgasm. She decided it was a good thing to become flesh. "Good for you? Chad? Chad?!" she yelled. Chad wasn't moving. Aeris felt something strange. A coldness in her body. Pain but not physical pain. Aeris used her powers to see if he was okay. She gasped in terror when she sensed no heartbeat. "He's...he's dead" she muttered. She felt water dripping from her eyes. A scream in her own mind made her wince. Aeris took a shaking finger and placed it on his chest. A slight spark of energy went from it to his chest. Chad gasped for air. A feeling of warmth washed over her. So much it caused her to black out. Chads vision was blurry. His lugs ached for air. As his vision cleared he saw Aeris with her eyes closed. "Thought I was gonna die" he said. Aeris' eyes snapped back open. Chad saw no glow in them though he did see that she was crying.

"I thought I lost you!" a warm voice said. She nuzzled him to her face lovingly. She kissed him gently. Chad felt something was different. "Nara is that you?" he asked. She nodded her head and sobbed as she held him. "It worked. It fucking worked!" he thought. "I thought you were dead. I saw you die" he said. Nara lowered her head. "I...I think I did. Last thing I remembered is my body burning in this light. She was controlling me. Oh god. She ate me. She ate me and I let her!" she cried. "You're here now" Chad said. Nara shook her head. "I remember now. It's like being in a dark room looking out a window. I think I'm in her mind. Emotions confuse her. Intense ones overload her. When she felt grief and then relief it was too much for her. She's still in here Chad. I feel her waking up" Nara said scared. "Fight it!" he yelled. "I can't! She's too strong. Too powerful! Chad! She's coming back! I love you! I love..." Nara yelled before closing her eyes. When they opened again the glow in them was back.

"That was...disconcerting. I am glad you're okay. I know what I felt was fear. A...unpleasant emotion" Aeris said. Aeris got up and carried him to the bathroom. She washed him clean and hummed a tune. Hearing it pissed Chad off even more.  "Did you have fun raping me?" he asked coldly. "Yes I did. I plan to do it again but, well I don't want to risk you dying again. I feel an attachment to you. Mating instincts of this body probably. What to do? Ah...I know" she said. Aeris carried him to the giant bed in the bedroom. She chuckled as she dropped him. The bed was soft enough that the drop didn't seriously hurt him but it wasn't pleasant either. Aeris climbed onto it. Her tits jiggled as she crawled over him. He thought she would use him again for her pleasure but he was wrong. She held out her hand and a strange display showed on it. She read it and pushed something on it. Then it disappeared and was replaced by a glow of white light. It began to concentrate into her finger. She placed it on his chest.    

At first he felt a tickle that spread through his body. The tickling however turned into pain. Chad grimaced as it intensified. Within seconds it became unbearable and he screamed. It felt like his muscles were being torn apart. He looked up helplessly at Aeris who wasn't grinning but showed a hint of concern. Chad blacked out from the pain a minute later...

He awoke to the sounds of booms and the area shaking. He griped his stomach. He was starving like he hadn't eaten in a week. "Where am I?" he wondered. He was in a room that was normal sized. A normal bed. "Here again" he said seeing the hardwood floor pattern again. He went to step onto the floor and his legs buckled. He grabbed the bedpost to stabilize himself. He took a few steps and felt something just crush underneath his sole. "What?" he wondered what it was. He lifted his foot up and saw it was a tiny bed. "Why would anyone have a bed so..." he thought until he looked around the room more intently. The dresser he knew but it was a normal scale. The mirror too. Then he looked at the bed he laid in. "Oh my god" he muttered. He was in the same room as before but it was he that had changed. He was a giant. He heard a whistle coming from the window and he looked out just as a ACE tumbled out of the air and explode.

He looked at his wristcomm which was very small to him now. It had broken but it still worked. He squinted to read it. 31 minutes remained on the timer. He had been asleep for over 7 hours. With his new size it only took a moment to reach the living room. "Here are a change of clothes for you. Aeris is outside watching the battle. Please change and meet her" Jana told him. Chad put on the clothes and took the elevator down. The lights flickered as he went down as explosions shook the ground. It had to be the forces from Sydney that Aeris mentioned. He walked out of the apartment lobby to see Aeris dressed in a dress and wearing flats just smiling at the carnage around them.  "Thought you'd sleep forever. Like your new body?" she asked. "Fuck did you do?!" Chad yelled. "Activated your dormant Ingress genes. This way we can have sex and not worry about you dying. Clever huh?" she said innocently. Chad didn't want to admit it but it did feel slightly good to be a giant for once.

Chad was one of the first generation hybrids to be born and also to be one of the first born human size. Going to an integrated human/ Ingress school, there was no end to the bullying. He had a crush on a hybrid girl when he was 10. She was much bigger than he was with her standing at a good 85 ft. tall but she returned his feelings. They played together all the time. Valentine's Day was interesting. Try giving a 300 lb. chocolate to your girl when you're just a tiny boy. Unfortunately, not everyone liked them together. Giant boys and girl would play cruel pranks on them. Taping him up and placing him in her giant sneaker after gym class to see if she would notice. Or having him sit in a giant seat only to tell her the seat was free. One day though the bullying took a serious turn.  During lunchtime, a giant classmate grabbed Chad and stuffed him in a massive pile of mashed potatoes meant to be eaten by his girlfriend. Chad used all his strength not to suffocate under the thick, starchy food.

A moment later his girlfriend sat down and began to eat. Now you'd think you'd notice a person in your food moving around right? Well, Chad being only 10 was quite small. Like an inch and a half small in comparison. The girl was a fast eater and soon she was digging into the mashed potatoes. He felt the ginormous spoon graze his leg as she scooped up another helping. Chad tried to call out to her but the movement of the potatoes caused some to cover him up again. He couldn't yell for fear of some falling into his mouth. Then the curved metal went underneath him and felt a speedy rise up. He pushed the potatoes out of his face to see a giant mouth opening. Chad knew it was hers for his girlfriend wore braces. He screamed her name just as she shoved the spoon, with him on it, into her mouth. Chad got lucky. He was able to hold onto her tongue and avoided her teeth as she chewed. Then his luck ran out. She swallowed.

Chad landed with a splash in her stomach surrounded by chewed up piles of meatloaf and pools of milk. The boy began to beat his fists in panic but he knew he wouldn't get out. He sat down and cried for his parents. He felt his skin tingle and then a burning itch. The stomach lurched violently and he felt himself sucked up. A blast of cool air and then a hard surface. Later on he was told that his classmates were laughing as they saw her swallow him. When the girl found out she ran to a teacher. The teacher had her throw up immediately. Thankfully they were able to catch it in time. Chad was hospitalized for a week due to skin irritations. Then holy hell came down on that school as his parents demanded answers and action.

The thing was the kids didn't know who his parents were but the teachers, faculty, and other parents did. Rex and Chen Cyrus were famous war heroes. Their combat record showed they could walk it like they talked it. Rex himself had over 90 confirmed kills and Chen was no slouch either. So when they threw the principal's door open, the principal took it very seriously. After threats and a deal of screaming, the school board was called. Rex and Chen threatened to have the kids charged with a hate crime and attempted murder. The kids' parents begged for them to be lenient. Those parents were lucky Chan didn't have her STRIKE anymore. After a great deal of weeping and pleading, a deal was struck. The kids involved were to be expelled immediately and put on two years’ probation. Furthermore, they were to see a psychiatrist that dealt in giant/tiny relations for children. The damage was done though for Chad and his girlfriend.

Nobody wanted to be friends with her anymore. Her boyfriend did get the cool bad boy kids kicked out after all. She didn't blame him though. Quite the opposite. Very protective to the point she never let him walk around on his own. They got into a fight about it and that as they say was that. Being in puppy love, Chad never really forgot about it.

Chad felt powerful now. Felt like he was on equal footing with the giant and giantesses that lived among them.  Chad heard footsteps behind him. It was Jana. "Dinner is cooking and the clothes are clean. Anything else Aeris?" she asked. "No. Why don't you go out and fight? Try not to die though" Aeris said. Chad watched the enslaved woman March right out into the street and stop at the body of a dead soldier. Whose side he didn't know. The uniforms were the same. Jana picked up the rifle and calmly began to walk down the street. "You sent her to die" Chad said. "Not necessarily. The battle is going quite well. 513 enemy forces arrived 15 minutes ago. Now there are 377" she said confidently. "And how many of your people died?!" Chad yelled. Aeris cocked her head. "671 I think" she said. Chad wanted to strangle her right there. "For an advanced perfect life form you lack even the most basic feelings of sympathy" he said. "Do you feel sympathy when an insect dies? For that is what your kind is like to me. Weak, small, finite. Humans, hybrids, and Ingress are like insects to me. Even if you live the ultimate span of your life it's an eye blink to me. Nuclear bombs are powerful. Please. My people know how to ignite suns. If our entire race was here this would've been done within the span of an hour" she said.

"And why aren't they here then?" he asked. "Well we aren't many. Probably the smallest population of any race there is. There are 33 of us and Earth isn't just the only world we watch. "Only 33 of you?! Haha! You call yourself a species?!" Chad laughed. He was trying to shake her up again to get Nara to come back. "The oldest of us is over a billion years old. When you live that long there is no pressing need for offspring. Chad stopped laughing. More and more he heard it sounded like these Progenitors were all powerful and unstoppable. What chance did Earth have if one of them was older than life itself? And there were just two of them here. Chad shuddered at the thought of 31 more of these glowing beings descending from the sky like the angels from Revelations.

"Tell me Chad. How does it feel to be this big? A part of me really wants to know" Aeris asked. Chad's intuition was telling him it was Nara who was really wanting to know. "Different" he said. Aeris stood in front of him and grinned. "Oh I think there's more than that. Think about it. You always had to be mindful of giants around you. Worried if they'll attack you or accidentally kill you. Like that time I slipped in the bathroom shower and almost crushed you with my butt" she said. Chad gasped. "Only Nara knew that and she was a sobbing mess that night" Chad said. "I know what happened. Like I said the time she..."

"No. You said I not she. Nara is more a part of you that you want to say. Make her come out!" Chad said gripping her shoulders. "Let me go!" Aeris yelled. "No! Nara I'm here! Fight her!" he yelled. A nearby explosion kicked up a dust cloud but Chad still held her. "THAT CREATURE IS DEAD!" Aeris yelled shoving him off her with a telekinetic push. Chad laid on the broken street and saw her eyes flickering. Nara was breaking through. Aeris took a deep breath to center herself. "Nice try. Really. Chad. I don't want to be your enemy. I find you very interesting with that mind that is immune to me. Your physical form pleases me too. But know this. You are not exempt from being killed by me or Baris. You are a hybrid after all. Do as I say and you'll be given preferential treatment. Maybe sterilization as a compromise. If not..." Aeris said looking at two people flying right toward them.  Chad turned his gaze to them. Two combatants wearing combat flying suits were streaming right toward them. They had to be hybrids. They opened fire on Aeris and him. Chad ducked instinctively and heard a pair of strange pings. Aeris has formed a protective shield around them that absorbed the shots.

Aeris waved her right hand and they stopped dead in the air 50 ft. from them. Then she moved her left hand and they both looked to be reaching for their sword hilts. Chad saw them trying not to. He could hear them grunting as they tried to break free. Both of their swords extended. Aeris cruelly grinned as she clapped her hands together. Chad saw them fly towards each other like someone yanked an invisible rope around their waists. He was horrified to see them skewer each other. Aeris let go of them and they fell with a heavy thud that shook the ground. "Well let's just say you should stay on my good side" she said. Aeris walked again down the broken street casually shoving collapsed building rubble and bodies out of the way telekinetically. Aeris enjoyed every minute of this. It gave her chills to watch people die for her. Kill for her. She had nearly all but forgot her mission. She cocked her head northeast of the city as if she noticed something.

"I have no problem with them leaving but hybrids are a different story" she muttered. "Come with me Chad. An Ingress has noticed some people escaping the city" she said. Chad didn't dare say a word of refute. To him it was like walking with the devil. He'd seen some of her powers first hand with the telepathic and telekinesis but seeing her whip up an energy shield was unnerving. He wondered what else she could do. He got his answer as they got near to where she was leading them. A drop ship was busy collecting refugees. Three ACE's and four hybrid giants guarded it. "Stop! Don't come closer! Are you a hybrid?!" a pilot shouted from his machine seeing them. Aeris chuckled. She held out her arm as if to keep Chad back. She began walking towards them. "I said stop! Open fire! Open fire!" he screamed. Chad watched as they opened fire on her. The shield around her easily protected her. The heavier shots defected off and hit into the city.

Aeris pointed her finger at the ACE. The fingertip glowed as it fired off a beam of bright white light. It struck the machine and within the time it took to blink burned right through him. Chad saw she aimed at his cockpit. The machine fell forward not moving. She did this again to a hybrid wearing a combat suit. She died instantly as the beam burned right through her forehead. It was sheer panic. People were trampling each other to get in the dropship. Within a minute, their guards were dead.  Aeris calmly watched the overloaded drop ship hover into the air. She raised her hand. The ship got about 1000 ft. before she snapped her fingers. Arcs of energy erupted all off the hull and it shuddered. Its engines cut off and it crashed to the ground. Chad figured this was how she shut down all of the machines in the city when she first came. "What power" he muttered knowing from training that all Union craft is EMP hardened. For her to shut one down meant that blast was extremely powerful and localized.

The ship was smoking where it landed. Its back hatch popped open. "Some survived" she said pointing her palm at them. Chad saw it glow intensely. "No! Let them live! What possible harm can come from letting them live! Please!" Chad begged. Chad was nearly in tears. Aeris studied his face and dropped her palm. "On one condition" she said. Chad eagerly nodded. "Eat one" she said. Chad swore his heart stopped. He had to have heard her wrong. "You heard me" she said. "I... I can't do something like that" he said. Aeris pointed her finger at them and fired a beam. Chad watched as a few were vaporized. People piled out of the downed ship and scattered. Aeris fired potshots at them until Chad grabbed her arm. "Okay. Just stop" he muttered. Aeris wanted him to eat one for a simple reason. She thought it would be amusing. Since she became flesh and blood the more amusing things made her feel warm and an urge to make a repetitive sound. The sound of laughter.

Aeris dragged Chad over to them. They collectively screamed as the two got close. "Do it" she said. Chad looked around for the oldest one figuring his guilt would be less for it. A fat woman caught his eye. Late 40's so she couldn't be a hybrid. An old fashioned human. Chad grabbed her up. He could barely get his mind around the fact he was actually holding a person between his fingers. She was screaming for him not to kill her. Her little fat face wet with tears made this all the more real. A life. A life that has or had a family. A childhood. Dreams for the future. Survived a brutal war and chose to live among giant aliens anyway. Chad hardened his heart as he placed her in his mouth. He swallowed her as fast as he could. He felt her squirming around in his belly and fell to his knees. He never felt is disgusted. "There. Fucking did it now let them go" he said. Aeris crouched down. "That was a human, not a hybrid. Doesn't count" she said. Aeris waved her hand and one of the fleeing people stopped dead. Chad watched as a girl barely in her teens rose up from the crowd.

She was screaming and fighting against the telekinesis holding her. Aeris had her come over to her other hand which was held out. Aeris let go of her as she landed in her palm. "You'll do nicely" she said to her. Aeris thrust out her hand to him so he'll take her from her. He couldn’t do it. Not again. "She's just a kid" Chad begged. Aeris didn't care. Chad turned away from him. He felt a force turn his head back. Her eyes were glowing stronger. He felt his jaw drop and his mouth open. Aeris placed the girl on his tongue and shut his mouth. His mouth watered instinctively as he didn't want to swallow. The girl thrashing around and him actually tasting the sweat and dirt didn't help. Her flavor was akin to a salted raw potato. Aeris tilted his head back and the girl slid backwards and hit the back of his throat. Chads gag reflex kicked in and down she went.

Chad placed a hand on his stomach as the woman from before was still moving now accompanied by a girl with more fight in her. Aeris chuckled as she waved at the survivors fleeing into the Australian wasteland. "See? A Progenitor of my word" she said not looking at Chad. Chad couldn't stand her no longer. He didn't care about anything except...

Aeris turned her head to look at Chad only to see two hands grasping at her throat. She felt them clamp down hard. It would take no effort to incinerate him on the spot except Chad muttered something. "I hate you".

He gave her a look of utter hatred she never seen before. His eyes were bloodshot from tears and his blood pressure. His temples pounded as his pulse raced. His heart now the size of a car beat like a hundred jackhammers. His grip intensified and Aeris found she couldn't breathe. He used all his giant strength to force her down by her neck. "He really hates me. He's really trying to strangle me" she thought. Aeris felt a feeling she felt before. Heartbreak. Her eyes flickered. Chad was too angry to notice this time even though he was staring at them. The glow disappeared. "...do it" she said. Chad noticed that. He let go.

Nara collapsed to the dirt and weakly looked at him as if to question why he stopped. Chad reached out for her and then his hand was slapped away. Aeris was back. She shot him a look and the. Something caught her attention far out over the expanse. "You...should've finished...the job. Then again if you did, I wouldn't be around to save you" she coughed out. Chad didn't know what she was referring to. "Here it comes" she said. Chad saw a puff of smoke and then a contrail...barely. "Oh shit" he muttered. He quickly pulled out his broken wristcomm and looked at it closely. The numbers were almost too small for him to read. "0 hrs. 0 min. 0 sec." The deadline for plan b had come. Doom the size of a pencil was coming. A warhead that would vaporize them. Aeris held out her hands. Her entire body glowed with this gentle aura. Then in a flash she caught the missile. Just as fast it detonated.

Chad instinctively closed his eyes from the brilliant flash. When he opened them he expected to see whatever afterlife there was. But it wasn't heaven, hell, or any unearthly realm he saw. He saw Aeris literally squeezing an orb of pure annihilation. She was struggling. The stress so great her nose was bleeding. When her attention wavered even slightly, the orb expanded. She pressed harder and harder. Chad saw her aura growing weaker. She let out a cry and pressed as hard as she could until the orb was just a speck of light which she hurled into the stratosphere. Seconds later Chad was struck by the most incredible light show he’d ever seen. He didn't even know such colors could exist. The clouds were vaporized and a wave of queer lightning streaked overhead. The shockwave hit them. It felt like someone shook his organs. Aeris panted and looked at him as if to declare her superiority in her victory. Then the glow in her eyes disappeared just before she passed out.

Chad contemplated killing her. He walked over to the crashed shop and tore off a piece of broken fuselage. When he did she saw the broken bodies of crash victims. This helped to steady his resolve. He returned to Aeris ready to slit her throat. He flipped her over. Chad wasn't prepared for what he saw. Aeris was asleep and smiling. No. It wasn't Aeris. It was Nara. He'd watched her sleep many times and knew that she had this weird grin that twitched sometimes as she slept. Chad placed the broken carbon steel at the sleeping giantess' jugular ready to pull it along her skin. The right corner of her mouth twitched. Chad looked at her for a moment before throwing the metal away. He began crying. "Damn. DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!" he screamed. He didn't know that his decision would determine the fate of all hybrids around the world...

Meanwhile in St. Petersburg...

Baris was ready. He had been all day. Aeris communicated what had happened on her end of the mission. How her hub was destroyed. How she read the minds of a colonel. How this military was prepared to scorch the city if it meant killing him. He didn't give a damn about the forces coming for the soft kill. What he was concerned with was why Aeris' telepathic link was so weak. Moreover, why her mind seemed...guarded. He felt her blocking him. Why would a fellow Progenitor do this? He chalked it up to some kind of youthful thought he knew not what.  Youth, in his mind, was any of his kind less than a million years old. "So many" he thought. He could feel over a thousand enemies coming his way. So many in fact the far off horizon was being filled with their numbers. The Union meant business. Russia had been victimized considerably during the war. Moscow had been obliterated and the new city still being built was a pale imitation. Vladivostok was crippled seeing it was a major naval hub. St. Petersburg was the soul of the country and those would be damned if they lost it.

Baris turned his attention towards the sea. Power from their fusion reactors gave away the existence of battlecruisers. Most of them that had their Ingress crews removed just in case. Massive ships! So big they had their own nickname, "Gigacruisers". There were only 5 in the entire fleet and three of them were taking firing positions. Their small escorts surrounded them like minnows around a shark. Just one of them could crew 60,000 human sized people. Armed with the latest weapon only a ship like it could deploy, it was floating Armageddon. Mounted in the center and extending all the way to the bow was a cannon called "Marduk". It fired supercompressed stream of positrons. Similar to the positron cannon used on ACE's but on a much more powerful scale. A single blast could do a full megaton of damage. It could only be fired once every 10 minutes due to power consumption and heat. But who could survive just a single shot? The Union betted on not Baris.

Baris turned his attention to an ingress man standing near his foot. Baris picked him up. "The preparations are ready Baris" he said. The man in question was the highest ranking Ingress there. It was through him Baris learned what possible tactics the Union would use. He told him to expect naval bombardment to try softening the city defenses and then a massive air attack and then a land engagement. Common tactics from the war on both sides. "Excellent. Have you posted extra guards around the city's hub?" he asked. "160 soldiers and 400 civilians stand ready there" the enslaved giant responded. Baris nodded his approval. He would stand at the communication hub himself but it was better to hedge his bets.

His campaign to extinguish the hybrids in the city was more than halfway done. At the rate it was going it was only a matter of days before the purge here was complete and by then he could control virtually all of Asia. with the Asian power grid at his command he could control the entire northern hemisphere. Half the world. The only true impediment was Aeris being delayed. If she did her part the entire world would be under their control and rooting out the hybrids would take maybe a month. A pittance of time for his kind. Baris watched the ships. They would make the first move. He could destroy them right now but he was curious. How powerful were their weapons? Baris felt his body crackle with anticipation. A troubling thought occurred to him. An emotion that Ingress called eagerness he felt. It wasn't the first either. Pride and contentment as well. He chastised Aeris for even entertaining the thoughts of emotion but here he was wanting these puny flesh things to fight him. "Finally" he muttered sensing a surge of power from the ships.

A torrent of plasma bolts and positron fire streaked at him. Baris simply raised his hand and deflected them. The positron shots ricocheting off him and into buildings demolishing them. A pillar of dust and smoke hid him from view. With barely any effort a gust of wind blew it away. Another pummeling from sea came. Energy bolts, missiles, and railgun fire rained down on him to no effect. "Come on. A thousand-year-old child can withstand this" he muttered. Overhead squadrons of ACE's and combat hybrids dove in guns blazing. They encircled him while they lost people shooting from the ground. The mobile air defenses were holding many back making them dart in as fast as possible.  The permanent defenses however were being taken out at long range. Baris didn't care. This was...fun to him. Fun. Another feeling. He saw a battered ACE crash to the ground and stand up. Its armor broken and missing an arm. The pilot saw an Ingress boy standing right in front of him.

The pilot hesitated. The 60 ft. tall 7-year-old boy was in his crosshairs. He couldn't shoot. The boy reminded him of his own son back home. He couldn't be a threat enough to kill him. Then the boy pulled from behind a plasm rifle. He struggled with its heavy tonnage as he aimed. The pilot was too shocked to relay a firing command through his neural link. A bright light was the last thing he saw before the bolt blew right through the cockpit. The boy watched the machine fall to the ground and explode before dragging the rifle along as he looked for another target for his master Baris. The forces broke through the city perimeter. Hover tanks raced towards the hub. The primary objective. Of course the secondary objective guarded it. It was easy to him to crush them like rodents. A glowing giant sole would flatten a tank team.  A hand would swat an ACE or combat suit. Baris was getting bored. It seemed these Union was holding off using their biggest weapons. He grabbed a combat suit and began squeezing it. 

He could hear the screams of the woman inside as her body was shattered. Her friends fired at him in a desperate effort to free her. Her body exploded into a red mist. "Hmm" he muttered feeling some level of satisfaction. He grabbed another. An ACE this time. As he squeezed, the pilot jumped out. Baris tossed the crumpled machine away and watched as the pilot floated down with his parachute. The male hybrid looked up only to see what appeared to be a glowing thumb crush him like an ant. An explosion interrupted his musings. Baris sensed it wasn't an ordinary explosion. An antimatter charge was used. Baris felt angry. Yes, anger! The fleshlings interrupted his study of this sensation. How dare they?! A brave soul had got close enough to actually hurt him with it! The forces in front of him were vaporized, 40 in all, but the forces that were busy fighting behind him were fine. His body was the perfect shield for them. "Increase the perimeter!" he yelled to them. Like insect drones they obeyed.

Baris could tell as the hour dragged on their tactics were getting desperate. Taking bigger chances. Point to point combat. Baris figured that if they would deploy their weapons it would be out of desperation. He wanted to force their hand. Baris surveyed the field. The invading forces were down to 40%. His own forces 30%. At this rate they would win but that didn't account for Baris. Baris had been sitting and got up. He saw his first target. A drop ship on the edge of the city dropping off hybrid infantry. With a gesture his hand fired a beam that blew it out of the air. Baris formed an orb of light that unfolded like a flower. Multiple beams shot off and cleared the sky for a quarter mile. 22 Union pilots and soldiers died instantly. Those busy fighting gave pause. It was like watching the wrath of God. Within a minute Baris had killed every soldier in a 5-mile radius of him.  

All around the city, Union forces began to fall back. "Engage them!" Baris ordered. A collective roar came from the mind controlled giant and giantesses as they ran through the streets trying to gun down any enemy. Of course those infantries that were too far into the city were hopelessly cut off. It was an utter slaughter. It wasn't much a man could do to kill an Ingress excluding a lucky shot to an eye or throat. Even less if that Ingress had a military shield. They led the charge. Most of the infantry that fought that day died at this moment. Over 200 men and women caught without tank, ACE, or combat suit support. The first 20 or 30 held their ground as the slaves of Baris advanced. They lasted 2 minutes. A single shot from a positron rifle could vaporize 5 or six human sized soldiers easily. History can say they didn't just take it. It wasn't just giants that had those kinds of guns. They concentrated fire long enough to collapse a shield and kill an Ingress but as she fell another took her place. When the last of those that stood their ground was ashes, the others broke rank and fled.

They ran into abandoned buildings and subway lines. Anything to escape the giants and giantesses above. They didn't stay there though. They heard the briefing. Some tried their luck darting from building to building only to find an Ingress outside. A private and his squad mate emerged from a basement exit. They ran to the next building. The one in front dashed in no problems. As he turned around to motion for him to run a shadow crept over the alleyway. The soldier ran. "You can make it!" he yelled. The soldier was 20 ft. from the building when a pair of fingers descended and grabbed him by the head. His friend watched as he was yanked up fast enough he dropped his rifle. He heard screaming and then muffled screaming. Then a loud gulp. His friend. His bunkmate. The one guy you knew all about during basic and assignment. Eaten. The ground shook as the giantess got down on the ground. Her ears had picked up a second voice.

The lone private saw a youthful face. A woman in her early 20's and by the look of it pregnant as she held her belly. The pregnant giantess thrust her arm into the building reaching for him. The man scooted back just as her fingertips grazed his uniform. She narrowed her eyes. The man watched as her hand receded and was replaced with a strange tube. He heard a whirr should as the open part of the tube glowed blue. He screamed one last time as the giantess fired her plasma pistol into the lobby floor with him in it. The floor, burning, was good enough for her and she stood back up and waddled out for more enemies.

No one can truly say how many actually died by civilian hands. This especially true from ones eaten or vaporized. Ironically, the same soldiers sent to liberate and save civilians either died by them or huddled with the human sized ones in subways or shelters. The Union saw this couldn't be won by traditional means now. It was time to enact the final plan. Baris saw three red flares shot into the sky. Those still in the air retreated as those still able to on the ground. Baris watched them run like frightened mice. "Will they try now?" he wondered. 5 long minutes passed as the eager alien stood and waited. He didn't even tell his own depleted forces to take cover knowing what was coming. He was sure he could shrug off their attack. Baris smiled (if he had a face) sensing a massive surge of power from the sea.

Three red spots on the horizon grew brighter and brighter. The three Gigaships were charging their Marduk cannons. Baris himself began to glow as he concentrated his own power. Baris felt adulation. Like a parent proud of his child making honor roll. Last time he checked on both species they were still using bows and arrows. Now they harnessed the most potent elemental force in the known universe. "Show me what you learned! Show me!" he yelled. As if to call his bluff, the ships fired. The veterans that saw the shots said they hadn’t seen such a display of weapon power since the final day of the Dimensional War. The day the Artemis Ascendant fired its cannon to take out the Ark's shield. The Marduk cannon was similar in design but more compact but just as powerful. And this time there were three...

It took just 3 seconds for the beams to cross 20 miles of ocean. The beams struck Baris dead on. Baris had his arms out with palms facing the shots. They were pushing him and his shield. "More! More! I once withstood a gamma ray burst! Give me more!" he yelled taking steps forward. Baris was too engrossed to notice he was feeling emotions. The cold elder felt things he shouldn't have. He yelled louder as he dispersed the onslaught. *pant pant*" commendable but slightly disappointing" he said. Just then, something flew past his face. "Oh" he muttered. A massive blast hit him point blank. Baris barely had time to raise a shield and even then he was still hurt. Union command was waiting via satellite. The room was silent. A mushroom cloud rose over the city. "Direct hit from our drone" an operator said. "Was it enough? He withstood a direct attack from three Marduks" a brigadier general asked. Eyes were locked on the screen.

It took 10 minutes before anyone could see anything. As the dust cleared they saw a glowing figure. "Impossible!" someone shouted. No one knew what to do now. Their forces were routed and their scanners showed the signal was still broadcasting. Not only had they failed to kill Baris, they failed to destroy the hub. They knew they were screwed.

Baris surveyed the damage. His shield protected him and the hub but the explosion was obliterated everything to his front and sides. Over a third of the city was a smoking ruin. He sensed survivors under his control. Not many. There were once over a thousand Ingress in his thrall. He sensed only 77 now. Most of them were behind him. However, he didn't care too much. He smiled at seeing their were only 102 hybrids left. Baris felt weak but satisfied. That last attack actually hurt him. He loved how clever these tiny things were. Using their cannons as a feint. He began to think about what it was like to be one. An Ingress man was close to death near him. A young man that was maybe 23 or so. Baris picked him up. Baris looked him over. The shockwave ruptured his organs before the shield protected him. A soldier by the looks of him. A guard that watched over his precious hub. Baris was pleased with the tiny giant's servitude. "You did well small Ingress. Your name is Calvin isn't it?" Baris said probing his mind. The giant coughed blood and nodded.

"I will absorb you and spare you the agony of a prolonged death" he said. Baris took off his combat suit. Baris saw purplish spots on his small body where internal bleeding and broken bones were. Baris engulfed his shattered body with his "mouth". Like Nara, the giant began to scream as his flesh and bones disintegrated. Baris hummed to himself as he copied every molecule of genetic code. Once done, he began to transform.

"What? What's he doing?" a general asked watching the feed. They watched as he began to shrink and flesh and bone began to grow on him. When it was done a quiet panic erupted in the room. "He looks like an Ingress! They can blend right in!" someone said. As if Baris had heard them he stared up into the sky....and smiled.

Baris felt weak. "Perhaps it wasn't a good time to do this. Baris looked down. A badly beaten human woman was limping back toward him shell shocked. Baris raised his bare sole over her and slowly pushed down. The tiny woman didn't fight it at first. Hell, she didn't even know what had happened. Then she felt a wall of flesh push her down. It covered her body and began to push even more. The woman began to snap back to reality. Baris felt a twinge of pleasure as he felt her soft body underneath his foot. Her breathing. He pushed down hard. His new ears with their new eardrums caught the cracking of bones and frantic pleading. Now she screamed as the pain of a crushed rib cage kicked in. Baris felt an explosion of wetness and heard a squelch as his foot compacted her into an oval shaped crater with five holes sticking out. He raised his foot. She was unrecognizable as a human being now. The only proof of what she was was her bloodstained blond hair stuck to the street. Baris gasped and felt a warm giddiness permeate his being. The fleshlings had a name for it. "Euphoria" he whispered.

As Baris stared at her remains he noticed something. "This...penis thing is erect. Fascinating" he remarked. Baris wanted more. "What others can invoke this feeling? Surely there is more to this emotion. Ah, but first" he said. Baris was still weak but not enough to stop what came next. Baris walked to where the hub was underground. He got on his knees and concentrated. "Just enough" he said calculating the energy stored to fire off his signal. It was harder than he wished to admit fighting the Union and charging the hub at the same time. Still the Elder took pride in being able to do both and so much more. Baris felt his power spike his arms trembled as he stressed his remaining energy. An audible screech came from all over as the hub blasted the frequency across all comm lines. It went as far west as Siberia. Far south as Sri Lanka. Far east as Stuttgart and as far north as the Arctic Circle. Baris had taken control of every Ingress in Asia and eastern Europe. Baris doubled over as tens of thousands of minds connected to him. It was overwhelming even him. "Need to rest" he muttered. He walked over to a female Ingress in his charge. "Take me to accommodations" he said. The Ingress woman led him to a hotel not far from them. Baris sat on the bed trying to process everything. The voices got easier to filter but the tactile sensations were still difficult. The softness of the carpet under his feet. The coolness of air conditioning. Then it was the fact of this woman here with him. Baris judged her to be in her early 30's. A simple peek deeper into her mind confirmed that she was 32. A mother. Baris gave a slight smirk as he saw how she executed her offspring at breakfast the other day.

He stared at her covered breasts and felt his penis become erect again. She had nice eyes. A slight mauve color that accented her purplish hair. "Take off your clothes" he said. The giantess did as told. Then he had her sit next to him. "Strange. They are for giving nourishment to infants so why do I wish to suck them?" he wondered looking at her hardened nipples. Baris took her beachball sized nipple into his mouth and sucked. "Yes. This is most pleasant" he said pushing her back onto the bed.

In New Perth...

The sun had set now. Chad sat in the dark bedroom in a chair. A plasma pistol in his hand. He didn't know her counterpart had just conquered a quarter of the Earth. He waited patiently for her to awake. Normally when you want to carefully watch someone, you leave some light to see but the darkness served a purpose tonight. If she awoke and he saw that glow in her eyes as she opened them. Well, Chad was prepared for that. A pull of the trigger before she could react would end this nightmare. At least for the people of New Perth. Chad knew as he carried her back to that penthouse she was still in there. The mind controlled survivors were proof of that. Jena herself had returned all bloodstained. Her feet were stained as well as her mouth. No doubt she found prey. Chad ordered her to clean up and once she had told her to leave. She didn't. Chad sighed. He had to try. Chad heard her groan. She was waking up.

Chad pointed the gun at her head as she slowly raised up. "Where am I? Why is it so dark? Fuck my head!" a voice said. Chad was breathless seeing there was no glow. Chad threw down the pistol and hugged her tightly. "Who's...Chad is that you?" Nara asked softly. Chad didn't answer. He was too busy crying. Nara reached out for a light and clicked it. The room illuminated and she saw his head buried in her chest. She noticed the pistol on the floor. It didn't take much imagination to guess what he planned to do. Nara hugged his head and shear a few tears. She felt so bad for him. "Hey" she said tilting his chin up. It broke her heart to see him this way. "You look good as a giant now" she said trying to smile. Chad gave a slight grin. Chad couldn't help but kiss her passionately. This was totally new for Nara. Chad kissed her before but it was barely a peck on her lower lip. She felt his tongue in her mouth. Licking her teeth. She could feel herself getting aroused. 

She broke the kiss. "Chad she's asleep. Exhausted and weak but she'll never tell you that. She's starting to feel doubt about what she's doing. I felt it before she passed out. We don't have much time but I know a way to change her" she said. Chad nodded. "I understand but can we...you know" he said. "You bet your ass we can" she smiled. Nara laid back on the bed and let her now giant sized boyfriend straddle her. She was nervous. This was going to be very real for her this time. She knew he wouldn't hurt her unless...Nara shook her head. She wasn't going to let any dark thought rob her of this moment. Possibly the last good moment of her existence.

One alien was about to essentially rape an Ingress. Another was about to have real sex with her mate. Both were oblivious of the other and would enjoy this night but everywhere else it was the night that convinced so many that the world would soon end...     

Chad awoke to Nara staring at him. He was startled at first not knowing who was behind those eyes. He saw no glow in them and Nara smiled. "Did you ever go asleep?" Chad asked. Nara shook her head. "I was afraid she would wake up instead" Nara said. Chad could see her trying to stifle her fear. It could be any moment Aeris would wake up. Chad lovingly stroked her cheek. Chad stood up in the bed and when Nara did the same Chad pushed her back down. Chad took ahold of her foot and gently kissed it. Nara scrunched her giant toes as he licked them. Nara laughed at how she caught his tongue. Chad wagged his finger and he kissed his way up her 75 ft. leg.

She let a slight gasp as he found her pussy. Chad still couldn't believe how once his whole body was needed to service her. Now his giant tongue was enough to make her wet. Chad placed her legs on his shoulders and slowly guided his way into her. He was gentle. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he could stretch her cunt out the way he did last night. She lost her hymen (Aeris did) the other day when she raped him but last night was the first time a male penis was big enough to fill her up. Chad was slightly taller than her now so he knew in human terms his penis was every bit of 10 ft. Chad had a sheepish grin about that. Chad let out a small groan as he penetrated such a magnificent warm and soft pussy. Chad began to stroke inside her. Nara bit her lips and grabbed the sheets.

Chad was lost in her. The way she scrunched her nose every time he bottomed out. How her tits heaved as her breathing became deep. Chad squeezed her breasts and nipples just to hear her squeak. "You don't have to worry about me. I heal quickly remember?" she said. Chad picked up the tempo. The room was filled with the sound of flesh slapping together, groans, and grunts. The two giants mated as if they were the only living beings on Earth. Chad kissed the sole of her foot before pushing her legs back. He was really slamming into her now. The bed squeaked as he pushed her into it. Nara began to make strange sounds and Chad released her legs fearing he was hurting her now. Quite the opposite. Nara bent up and forced him on his back. With his cock still in her, she rode him. She used her legs to push up and let gravity pull her back down his shaft. She grabbed his face and kissed him roughly. Her tongue searching for his as she laid on top of him. Her hips propelling her up and down a few feet.

Chad stood up a bit and had her sit in his lap as he short fucked the giantess. Nara grunted and he felt her pussy grip him. "Nara" he groaned as he hugged her close. He blasted gallons of baby making semen into her. Nara's pussy contracted over and over to milk him for every drop. Slightly exhausted they collapsed onto the bed. Chad held her hand as he caught his breath. Nara scooped up some of his cum leaking out of her. She stared at it for a second before quickly sitting up. She rushed to the bathroom. Chad peeked through the open door to see her furiously trying to get it out. He was worried. She looked frantic. "What's the matter?" he said placing his hands on her shoulders. Nara hung her head. "You shouldn't have cum in me" she said. "You don’t want to get pregnant? Is that it?" Chad asked. Nara quickly looked at him. Chad saw tears coming out her eyes. "Do you think I have any right to be a mother?! Or her?!" she yelled. Chad hugged her as she sobbed.

"We want her to see what's it like to be like us right? Being a parent is a big part of the experience" he said. "If we have that long" Nara said. Nara walked to the veranda and stepped outside. The concrete floor was warm under her bare feet. The sun was shining but it was stone quiet. Chad followed her. He could faintly smell smoke in the air. Wrecks of ACE's and craft still smoldering across the city. Only a few Ingress were walking about around the city. No telling how many died from wounds during the night. The wind changed and one could smell death and decay in the air. Nara cringed and went back inside. "Breakfast is ready" Jana said bowing. "Leave" Nara said. Jana cocked her head as if confused. "I said leave" Nara said getting closer to the slave Ingress. "I cannot. Not until my mistress Aeris says so" she replied. Nara slapped the woman. "Go!" Nara yelled. The woman turned her head back. A red mark on her cheek. "I cannot" she said. Nara slapped her again. Hard enough the sound echoed. Jana looked again at her. Her lip bleeding now. Nara raised her hand once again and Chad caught it. "It won't work and you know it" he said. Nara pulled away and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a knife and put it at her throat.

"No!" Chad yelled. "I'll solve everything" Nara said in a manic voice. It was sound logic but love isn't logical. Chad watched as she placed the edge of the blade on her skin. A trickle of blood came out. Chad didn't know what to say. What words would change here mind? What would he say that would carry hope? Chad searched his heart for the answer. Chad found four words that carried the greatest hope in his heart. "Will you marry me?" he said quietly. Nara lowered her knife. She looked as if she didn't believe what she heard. "This is me asking. Will you marry me?" he asked. Nara dropped the knife. One encoded memory Aeris copied was that night he mumbled about her making a great wife. Nara wanted him to officially ask. A girl's common wish. She thought she was prepared. She wasn't. Nara felt her legs give out. Chad rushed over to her kicking aside the knife. She was trembling. "...yes" she said looking at him. Nara hugged him sobbing like a child. "I'm so scared!" she sobbed. Chad kissed her head and hushed her. "We all are baby but we have an advantage no one else has. We got each other" he said.

"What about her?" she asked. "Then we show her what love really is about" he said. Nara looked panicked now. A flash in her eyes came out. "Yes, please show me" Aeris said. Chad shoved her off him. "Don't be like that. You weren't like that when you came in her" Aeris said. "You were awake for that?" Chad said. "Yes I was. I admit that was different from when I had sex with you" she said. "That was rape" Chad said. Aeris stood up and began making a plate of food. "It still felt good though. More...fulfilling" she said. Chad waited for her to leave before getting something to eat. He sat down at the table with her. "So what's the plan for today? Conquer Australia?" he asked seeing her unnaturally quiet. Aeris seemed occupied. "There isn't a major rush right now. I just spoke with Baris. He has taken control of most of Asia and Eastern Europe. Over 9000 Ingress is in his control. He plans to push east and take over the satellite command centers in northern France. He tried to admonish me for taking his form!"

"As you say that is the pot calling the kettle black" she said. Chad dropped his fork. He didn't believe that they had conquered so much territory in one day. "China too?" he asked. "Part of Asia isn't it?" she said. Chad cringed. He was half Chinese on his mother's side. As a child, he was taken there to experience that side of his family culture. He remembered going to a massive memorial built in Beijing. He remembered how the land sloped up as the plane landed. His mother told him that this was actually a crater. During the war, the Empress ordered the destruction of all major cities from orbit. Beijing was a victim of this before the Ark was forced to the surface. His mother held a piece of paper that gave the location of her parents on the wall.  The wall itself was 6ft. tall and stretched over 40 km. through the middle of the city. What was sobering wasn't the fact of its length. It was Ingress who mourned the loss as well. The Ingress were despised naturally in China. But feelings softened as Ingress became instrumental in rebuilding the city. Two decades later Beijing was a shining city again but more diverse.

"Kilometer 24. Block 16. 28th row" his mother said reading the paper. They rode out to the location marked. Relatives of the lost stood at the wall. Chad remembers the smell of incense burned in their memories floating in the air. "Here she is. Hi mama. I brought Chadwick this time. Say hi to your grandma" Chen said lighting incense. Chad grew up learning three languages. English, standard Ingress, and Chinese. Their culture however was strange to him. It seemed nonsense to celebrate two New Years, especially one using an inaccurate calendar. "Tradition" she said once to him. Chen and Chad got on their knees. Chen began praying. He recognized Buddhist prayers coming from her lips. "What was grandma like?" he asked. Chen stopped praying. "Practical but known to be silly at times. Very much like you. She worked hard to support me when papa died. She loved jasmine tea. Always drank it. When I got in trouble she never yelled. Just gave me this wilting stare. It was enough. I remember her knitting a scarf when I went off to join the military. She was so proud"

"I was talking to her when she died. When they all died" Chen said placing the incense in a holder. "Her last words were why it was so bright outside" Chen said quietly. Chad rarely saw her cry. Last time was when she demanded Rex to retire. Chad held her hand. Chen looked at him and smiled. "Come on. I'll show you what real Chinese food tastes like" she said.

"I should take Sydney today. It would be easy now but I have another idea in mind" Aeris said. "Like what?" Chad asked concerned. "If you want to marry me I should meet your parents" Aeris said smiling. "I asked Nara. Not your ass" Chad said. "Fine then. Conquering it is" Aeris said putting her fork down. Chad remembered what Nara said. Maybe meeting regular people might help their cause. "I take it back. We can meet my parents" he said. "Where do they live? Hopefully not in Asia" Aeris asked. "No, they live in a small town on Oahu. Manoa" he replied. Aeris walked out of the living room to the bedroom. There he watched her rummage through Jana's clothes. Aeris put on a halter top and jean shorts. She slipped on some platform sandals.  "Do I look nice?" she asked. Chad saw no point in lying. She did look nice. "Yeah you do" he said. "If I felt inclined, I could paint my toenails your favorite color. Blue right?" she asked. Chad stiffened up for a moment. She knew his favorite color.

"If we're going we should go. It's a 6-hour time difference. Wait! I can't go like this?" Chad said referencing his giant size. "You worry too much. Just speak the truth" she said. "An alien hacked my Ingress DNA so she wouldn't rape me to death. That the story I should go with?" Chad asked. "Uggh...just say the alien grew you to that size for fighting and you escaped" she said annoyed. "Couldn't you just change me back" Chad asked. Truthfully he didn't want to go back. "I could but the stress could kill you. Wanna risk it? I don't personally" she said. Chad shook his head. "Then get dressed" she said. Chad threw on some clothes. "How we getting there? I didn't even bother asking" Chad said. Aeris grabbed his hand. "Teleportation of course. Who else does one zip across the vastness of space so quickly?" she asked surprised he would even ask. "What if someone recognizes you?" he asked. "Fuck me you ask too many questions! I blacked out all communications here and satellites only saw me in my energy form. Can't say the same for Baris though. Any other fucking questions?" she asked. "Shutting up now" he said. Aeris nodded and powered up.

Chad felt a tingle and then a flash of light. It was incredible. It felt like he was seeing everything as they crossed the pacific. As quickly as he felt it they arrived in Manoa. "It's pretty but kinda isolated. Why live here" Aeris said looking around. "Mom and dad didn't like all the media attention. Being war heroes and parents of the first generation hybrids made life a media circus. It didn't help that they were talented peacekeepers. We ended up here during dads last tour and mom demanded we live here permanently. "So where is their house?" she asked. Chad pointed to a massive house overlooking the side of a mountain. Manoa wasn't like many towns or cities. There wasn't much rebuilding to accommodate giants. There was a path though for them. Aeris looked at all the houses. She only saw a few more for Ingress. It was a mind blowing walk for Chad. It was surreal to see shops and businesses he saw as a teen everyday so small now. City hall itself was smaller than that penthouse living room. He did enjoy seeing young girls and women walking around in lose clothes around his feet. He nervously waved to them. Aeris caught that and rolled her eyes at him.

She stopped walking for a moment. Her giant sandals not shaking the buildings nearby. Aeris quickly grabbed his arm and peered at a teen girl who was watching from the street a little too intensely. "Are you flirting with my fiancée?" she asked her. Chad felt an icy tone from her. "N-no. We don't get many people your size in town" the girl said back worried at how Aeris was narrowing her eyes. "You better not have" Aeris said licking her lips. The girl took off. "Was that necessary?" Chad asked. "I don't like other woman looking at you that way" Aeris said. "She was just curious" Chad said. "Curious as to how big your dick was" Aeris said. "Your voice! Jesus. Don't make a scene" Chad said. "Fine. I'll try to be a good little girl" Aeris said mockingly.

As the two walked up the mountain, now and then combat suit soldiers and ACE's flew overhead. An ominous sight indeed. "Man this is fucking weird" Chad said looking at the human sized door below near his foot. The one he used for years but obviously couldn't now. Chad cringed as he rang the doorbell. He remembered it sounding like a fucking church bell but was surprised to hear it sounded normal. "Oh right. Giant" he thought. It took a moment but he heard a creak of a door. Chad looked down as a small woman appeared. "Can I help...aiya!" she screamed. He knew that yell. Chad bent down. Chen was on her butt scooting back. "Mom it's me!" he said. The 43-year-old woman was sure she lost her mind. She was scared shitless for the whole week hearing what happened in New Perth and knew her son was stationed not far away. "That's it. I've gone mad" he heard her say. "Mom you're not crazy" he said stroking her face with his finger.

Chen claimed down but was utterly confused. Chad gently picked her up and brought her to his face. "I'm holding mom in my hand" he told himself blow away. She rubbed his palm as if to confirm it was him. Chen stared at the giant face. The eyes. His eyes were the color of fine cinnamon. It was rare but not uncommon for a hybrid to inherit both color of eyes and have it blend into one. Chen recognized her dark brown eyes mixed with Rex's green ones. "Did ya miss me?" Chad asked. Chen leaped onto his cheek and sobbed. "Come on mom. Don't cry" he said. Chad rubbed her back to comfort her. "How?!" Chen asked. "It's a long story. Can we come in?" he asked. It was then she noticed he wasn't alone. Chad sat her back down so she could power open the main door.

Chad and Aeris stepped into the house. Aeris walked off a bit to look at old pictures. "Who is she?" Chen asked. "My fiancée" he replied. Chen spilled her tea. "It was very sudden. I asked her to marry me this morning" he said. "I assume she is a nice girl. You didn't tell me you were dating. Just that you met someone" she said. "Well things changed recently" he said. Aeris came back and sat down. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Cyrus" she said. "It's my pleasure...Nara isn't it?" Chen asked. Chad looked at Aeris nervously. Aeris gave a slight twitch. "Yes...its Nara" she said. "I must say you have pretty eyes. Like a faint glow about them" Chen said. "Why thank you ma'am" Aeris said. "Uh...say mom. Where's dad?" Chad asked. "In Honolulu" she said kinda pissed. Chad eased off that subject for the moment. "Now that formalities are over I have many questions. First of all. WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME?! I've been worried sick since contact was lost over there!" Chen said shaking. "I've been...busy" he said.

The small woman rose out of her chair and went over and thought about smacking him for the rude answer. Of course now that would be difficult. At best she could slap his shoe. "Me and Nara were dispatched to fight this alien and we were captured. The alien...changed me into this to fight for her. We escaped and fled with some refugees" Chad said. He knew it was a flimsy story at best. He didn't know how much info got out about New Perth. "There...there were reports coming out of Russia of Ingress being controlled. Did that happen to Nara?" Chen asked. Chad nodded. First real truth he told her all day. "Oh you poor thing. Well at least your away from that despicable alien" Chen said patting Aeris' big toe. Aeris' eyes flared briefly. Being called names by a human didn't sit well with her. Chad motioned for her to calm down. Thankfully Chen had her head down and didn't notice.

"How are things here mom? Town looks the same" Chad said. "Everything is still as it was. Alani runs the coffee shop now though as her father is too old to keep up" she replied. "Alani?" Aeris asked. "...old friend" he replied. Chen chuckled. "Mom we were just good friends" Chad said. "If you say so" she said. Aeris was tapping her finger on her cheek. Chad needed another topic to come up. "You heard from Jun?" Chad asked. Chen stopped grinning. "Another friend?" Aeris asked annoyed. "No, my sister" Chad said. Aeris was shocked. She searched Nara's memories (those that she had) and not once did he mention having one. "You never said you had a sister" Aeris said. "It's a touchy subject" Chad said. "No" Chen said. "Mom, it's time to forget the past. The world is turning into shit out there. Believe me. This is not the time to be stubborn" he said.

"Stubborn?! Your sister chose a life of debauchery and delinquency. Shame on our family!" Chen yelled. "So you don't care now is that it?" Chad said. Chen turned around and waved her hand as to dismiss her. Chad was not going to have it. Chad grabbed her up quickly and brought her to his face. Chen was shocked at this behavior. It slightly frightened her. "I don't know what you heard about theses aliens but they plan to kill every hybrid out there and guess what? Jun is on that list just like me! Christ mom. I saw parents eating their kids. Kids squishing parents like roaches. It was fucking chaos in New Perth! You really want to have that attitude? All you know a week from now you're here sipping fucking tea and get a letter saying Jun was killed by some mind controlled Ingress. And where would your family honor be then? Honor can't hug you or tell you it loves you. Wish you happy birthday or Mother's Day. I... I need to go outside" Chad said putting his mother down.  Chad walked out the back leaving Aeris alone with a crying Chen.

"He's...he's right you know. It's just when you're too embarrassed to admit when you're wrong" Chen said. Aeris looked away for a moment. "I'll go check on him" she said. Aeris stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the west side of the mountain. "Beautiful" Aeris said. "It seems much smaller now" he said. "Wanna talk?" Aeris asked. Chad caught himself and reminded himself this wasn't Nara. "I'm serious. I'm here to listen" she said. "Sure why not?" he said sitting down and placing his lens through the open section of the balcony beam. Aeris slipped off her giant sandals and did the same. "So you have a sister?" Aeris asked. "Twin sister" he said. "Why haven't you spoke about her to me...her" Aeris asked. "Kinda hard to say that your sister does porn" he replied. Aeris gave him a holy shit look.

"Is she small?" she asked. "No. Big. Took after dad" he said. "Hmmm...she got into the scene after high school. Some guys...and girls...get turned on by giants and Jun being half-Asian set her apart from the others" he said. "Is that why you insisted this wasn't a fetish for the reason you loved me?" Aeris asked. Chad was surprised she had that memory too. "Mostly" he said Aeris scooted over to Chad. She began rubbing her toes against his leg. "I've been to many worlds. One world was nothing but diamond. The surface lit up in rainbows from the nearby sun. Even that doesn't compare to this. So much diversity" she said. "Then why are you trying to kill off an entire species if you like diversity?" Chad asked. "Because it's my job just like it was yours to destroy my hub" she said. "Aeris. Don't compare what I did to what you and that Baris are doing. Okay, let me put it to you this way. You are superior to us right? Advanced intelligence right?" Chad asked. She nodded.

"During the war it was humans vs. Ingress. Both species out to kill one another then it changed. Both sides saw that it was a choice to want to kill. To hate. To love. Ingress came to aid humans in fighting tyranny and oppression because they decided it was the right thing to do. If a "lowly" species saw that why can't you?" Chad asked.  Aeris had no comeback. Both heard a faint roar coming closer. The wind kicked up and blinded them. When it died down both saw an Ingress wearing a combat suit hovering not far from them. "Who are...Chaddy? Chaddy is that you?" a male voice asked. "Chaddy? Only dad calls me that" Chad said. The soldier tapped his helmet and it receded. "Dad!" Chad yelled. Rex hovered over to the balcony and sat down. Rex was stupefied seeing his son his size. He touched his face with his gloved hand. "...how" Rex whispered. "Nice to see you dad" Chad said. "Why don't we go inside?" Aeris said walking in. Chad followed her as did a confused father.

"You're home" Chen said sitting on the sofa. Rex didn't know what to say. "Go change out of that thing dear and come have some tea" Chen said. Rex went to the garage but not before stealing another glance at his giant son. Rex returned wearing something less obtrusive. "Your tea is in the kitchen. Go get it" Chen said. Rex returned with the water tower sized cup of cold barley tea and sat down. "Drink. It's your favorite" Chen said. "Woman this is no time for tea" Rex said. Chen said nothing and tapped her foot against the giant sofa cushion. Rex took a sip to appease her. "My first question is how. HOW?!" Rex yelled. Chad explained his lie again. "I saw reports of hybrids being hunted but not one of them being conscripted. Especially ones human sized" Rex said. Rex narrowed his eyes. Aeris looked at Rex hard for a moment. "Well, I guess it could happen" Rex said dismissively. Chad looked at Aeris and flashed him a smirk. "Seriously? Controlling my dad?" Chad whispered. "Necessary. He was about to call bullshit on you. He's very intuitive. He can tell when you're lying" she whispered back.

"Stand up" Rex told him. Chad nervously stood up. He was surprised to find himself being hugged tightly. "I've dreamed of this all your life. Hugging you this way" he told him. Rex used his hand to see how tall he was. "Slightly taller than your old man. 206...no 210 ft." Rex said proudly. "Dad I thought you retired" Chad said. Chen huffed. "I am. Because of the threat I've been asked to consult. Feels weird as shit to be back in a combat suit again. Worried it made my gut poke out" Rex said patting his giant belly. "How is it in Australia? Only communication we got is from Sydney and it ain't good" Rex said. "Sydney sent in a force to retake New Perth after I blew up the hub. They failed" Chad said. "You did that?! They couldn't do that in St. Petersburg!" Rex said. "Oh he did it alright. I saw the whole thing" Aeris said. "I'm sorry. My manners. Who might you be miss? Chad didn't mention your name during his story" Rex said. "Nara. His fiancée" she said. Rex's eyes were big as saucers. "See what you miss going off to play soldier?" Chen asked. "Mom you just found out too" Chad said. Chen shrugged.

"So you two found love on the battlefield. Sounds familiar" Rex said petting Chen. Chen playfully patted his giant finger. "Dad. Have you heard anything about Victoria Base?" Chad asked. "It's been evacuated. The Union is recalling a ship from orbital patrol to strike New Perth. They think the one there is easier to kill and they plan to not pull punches this time. Everything in a 50-mile radius will be ashes" he said. Chad was horrified.  Even Aeris seemed upset. "If it works they plan to use it to kill the other one" Rex said. "Dad I'm no expert but won't that kick up a fuck ton of dust?" Chad asked. "Enough to affect weather patterns in the South Pacific for a year" Rex said. "That insane! You would destroy part of your planet to kill u... them?!" Aeris said. "Missy. That male one just conquered a quarter of the globe. Over 9000 Ingress ready to fight. If he takes Africa, it's game over for hybrids" he said.

It was a well-known fact that the majority of Ingress lived in Africa. 59% called the continent home and most lived in the now livable sub Saharan region. 43,000 Ingress would be in their thrall and have access to all weapons and craft...including antimatter weapons. In 20th century terms it would be like Nazi Germany being reborn overnight armed with nuclear weapons.

"Dad you can't fight. They'll control you the moment you're in range" Chad said. "I never said I would fight. My job is PR. Show an Ingress friendly face. Being a war hero is icing on the cake" Rex said annoyed about the job. "You staying for dinner right?" Rex asked. "We'd love to right Chad?" Aeris asked. Chad nodded. Chen sat on the table as Rex laid out dinner. Took longer than usual to prepare food for 2 extra giants in the house. They ate food that was made or grown for Ingress. Ducks the size of elephants. Noodles longer than fire hoses and just as thick. It was flown in seeing his family and two others were the only giants in the town. "This is great! What is this called?" Aeris asked stuffing her face. "Duck Lo Mein. Chen's family recipe" Rex said. "Tastes so different from the food earlier" Aeris said. "Extra ingredient is love dear" Chen said. Aeris remembered that Jana prepared the food she ate previously. Her personal slave. "Does love really make food taste better?" she wondered.

Dinner was done and Rex asked if there was dessert. "I can bake some cookies" Chen said. "Can I help?" Aeris asked. Chad was surprised at how enthusiastic she sounded. "Sure. You ever bake cookies?" Chen asked. Aeris shook her head. "Then I'll teach you" Chen said. Aeris picked up the woman and placed her on the table. She got out the bowl, ingredients and mix to make some from scratch. Chad watched them. "She's pretty you lucky dog. How far have you two got? I'm assuming you got to that part right?" Rex asked banging his fingers grinning. "Jesus dad!" Chad said. "Just making sure because well...damn look at her! Even those eyes are otherworldly" he said. "You have no idea" Chad whispered.

"Now you have to...aiya!" Chen said as Aeris dropped a tiny bit of dough on Chen's leg. "Sorry!" Aeris said. "It's okay. I should be barefoot for this anyway" Chen said pulling her foot out of the dough without her slipper. She took off the other one. "You husband said you two met on the battlefield?" Aeris asked. "We did. I was fighting him alone in this building when he got the better of me. I was forced to crash and was injured. I tried to eject but the system was jammed. The hatch did pop though. And then I saw him. Aiya was he big! So different from staring at one on a HUD screen. He ripped me from my seat and brought me to his face. He began to sniff me. I was scared he was going to eat me. That what many did you see. Especially the males. Now the women were crueler in my opinion. Sexually torture them for some time before eating or crushing them. The males were quick with their death. His eyes softened as I began to cry. You see when you fight an enemy you get a numbness to death. To killing."

"More so if they behind a cockpit hatch or helmet. It's the lack of a face. Nothing to haunt your dreams. He saw my face and I saw his. We weren't just soldiers anymore. We were people. It's funny now but I was so scared I didn't even know I had broken a rib until I tried to wriggle. The adrenaline had worn off and I yelped in pain. "You hurt?" he asked. I was too shocked to answer. This enemy. This alien giant was asking about my health. He began pulling off my flight suit. Boots and socks. Leggings and top. I began to hyperventilate. This was what I was waiting for. He was going to rape and eat me for sure. "Damn. You are hurt" he said seeing a bruise on my right side of my chest. "Don't know if this will kill you" he said applying a gray goop on me. Of course we know it to be nano aid now but it was tailored for Ingress and not humans. Damn did it burn! Felt like someone lit my chest cavity on fire. I ended up passing out."

"Imagine my surprise to see I wasn't dead when I woke up. My injuries were healed and he was nodding off watching me. "You okay now?" he asked. "Why didn't you kill me?" I asked. "Truthfully I couldn't kill someone as beautiful as you. This war feels so wrong" he said looking at the ground. It was quiet outside. One or both sides must've pulled back. "If it feels wrong then why fight? You must've killed humans already" I said. "Because my people need this planet and your species as breeding stock. I'm doing what I have to do. What I'm told to" he replied. Soldiers throughout history have used that excuse. Following orders. "Weak excuse. Just as condescending as the reason sparing me. Those other humans you killed. Surely some were women. Women prettier than me" I said. "I'm a soldier" he said softly. "Then do your duty then! EAT ME! Kill you enemy!" I screamed. He looked dead at me. I was scared again. Thinking I just talked my way into a cruel death. Then all that vanished as I saw one large tear come from his eye."

"You think I want any of this?! Your world is so beautiful. Blue oceans. Magnificent cities. All that I know as home is a fucking dome and endless snow and ruins! My first deployment was to secure civilian humans. Oh god I remember how the others killed the ones too old or young. When I was asked to help I hid in a fucking latrine! You asked me to kill a tiny perfect human. I... I can't" he said sorrowfully. "What your name?" I asked. "Rex Cyrus" he said. "You know what the mark of a good soldier is? It isn't how many enemies you kill. It's knowing what orders to follow and to know what is right. Any army can kill but without weighing what is just and right they're just a mob" I said. "What would you have me do?" he asked. "Join us. Join me. Others have so you won't be alone. Fight with me Rex Cyrus" I said holding out my hand. I still remember how gentle his giant fingers were touching my hand" Chen said.

Aeris was quiet. "There. You can put them in the oven now" Chen said inspecting the circular globs of dough. Aeris helped clean up the mess but was busy thinking about her story. "Is something the matter dear? You look upset" Chen asked. "No, just thinking" Aeris said. Aeris watched Chen pace around a little looking for any mess left. Aeris burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Chen asked. Aeris pointed out the tiny footprints Chen left as she tracked flour dust on the countertop. "Aiya" Chen said sitting down and dusting off the flour on her bare soles.

"Sounds like they're having fun" Rex said. "Dad. Have you heard from Jun. Mom is..." Chad said. "Stubborn. No, we haven't. Your mom misses her. That is not in doubt son. We both do deeply. Last birthday you two had I found your mother crying in Jun's room at 2 a.m. Your mother adheres to tradition. Family honor and such. But she's still a mother who loves her daughter. Last I heard she lived in California" Rex said. "She needs to come home dad. We both know it" Chad said. Rex nodded. "Cookies!" Aeris yelled bringing in hot chocolate chip cookies. "Now that brings back memories. I can eat the big ones now" Chad said. Aeris eyes lit up as she tasted one. "Slow down dear. You act like you never had cookies before!" Chen said. "I haven't" Aeris said. Chad was deep in thought. "We need to get going mom. We got a few stops left" Chad said. "...okay. Be safe" Chen said. Rex hugged his son. Chad gently hugged his mother to his cheek. "Come here child" Chen said. Chen stepped into her palm and gestured for her to bring her up to her face. "I would be honored to have you as a daughter in law" Chen told her.

As they left Aeris was quiet and smiling. "Good mood I see" Chad said as they walked down the mountain. "What was it that put you in this mood. Those were so badass cookies" Chad said. "It's the daughter in law part" she said. "You want to have a bit more fun before we go?" Chad asked. Aeris nodded being curious. At the bottom of the mountain was the town they walked through earlier. It was kinda late now. Approaching 10 so most shops were closing. Chad remembered something his mother said to them. He looked around for a coffee shop and found it. "The Big Bean" it was called for it was the only coffee shop within 50 miles that could cater to an Ingress. There were lights still on. Chad bent down and saw a teenage girl cleaning tables. "Excuse me. Have you seen Alani?" he asked. The poor girl dropped her tray causing cups to shatter on the floor. His voice shook the glass and his eye filled up the window. "Oops! Sorry. I'm an old friend of hers here to visit family" he said scooting back.

"Alani is your old friend right. I'm not having fun" Aeris said. "Bear with me" he said. "Out in the back dumping trash" the tiny girl said. Chad and Aeris stepped behind the building and saw a small woman tossing trash into a bin. She was nodding her head as if listening to music. She hadn't noticed them yet. Alani raised her arms to throw and bag and dropped it. "Let me help" Chad said picking up the miniscule bad of trash and tossing it. Alani screamed seeing the giant fingers come out of nowhere. She traced them back to a giant and giantess standing over her. The female she didn't know. The male however...

"Chad?" she asked pulling her headphones out of her ears. "Hi Alani. Like the new look. you should" Chad said. Alani was speechless. Last time she saw him he was her size of course. "Aeris. Meet Alani. Alani this is my fiancée" Chad said with an edge on his voice. "Charmed to meet an old friend of chads" Aeris said. "How..." Alani said. "Long story. Just as long as the story of how Alani here used me" Chad said. Aeris looked at him. "Oh yes. You see back in high school Alani was failing classes so she asked me to help her. Went on for about a year. I was really into her and I thought she felt the same. Coming over to my house wearing skimpy clothes. Touching my shoulder, my hand. My face. After finals things changed didn't it Alani?" Chad asked the girl. "Chad...please don't be angry. I admit what I did was wrong" Alani said frightened. Chad plucked her up from the ground. "Wrong? You used me. Played with my emotions so you wouldn't flunk. How about the day I asked you out? Asked you to come to the prom with me. Remember that?!" Chad yelled. The small girl held her ears as the giant yelled.

"Please don't hurt me" she whimpered. "Hurt you? Come on now. It's not my nature to hurt people. Not like you. You could've said no and just that but you didn't did you? You know what she said Aeris? "I'm not interested in normal guys. I need a giant to satisfy me." she told me. Cruelly at that. In front of everybody in class. Well I'm a giant now. Good enough for you?" Chad said whispering closely to her face. Chad felt wetness in his palm.  The small girl pissed herself. "Aeris. Unzip me" Chad said. Aeris had a mischievous smirk as she unzipped his fly. She fished out his cock. "How does it look little woman?" Aeris said. Alani wasn't happy seeing it. She backed away in his palm. "This is what you wanted right? A giant dick you could worship" Chad said. Alani stared at the massive organ. Slowly she crawled to it. Just before she touched it Chad pushed her back. "Not happening. I got someone who loves me regardless my size. Isn’t that right?" he said looking at Aeris.

Aeris sucked the cock into her mouth and began blowing him. Alani was disgusted but she didn't turn away. She watched as the giantess gave head to the giant. Chad rubbed Aeris' hair as she bobbed up and down his large shaft. Chad let out a growl as he spent his load in her mouth. Aeris gulped it down and turned to Alani. "Delicious. You have no idea what you tossed away" she said. Chad eyed the humiliated and sobbing girl in his hand. He felt guilty. Not satisfied. "Whatever" he said placing her back on the ground. "You're not going to do anything else to her? Give her to me. I'll eat the condescending bitch. Make her pay for humiliating my mate" Aeris said. Alani was terrified hearing that but more so seeing Aeris' eyes glowing like some demon. "No. I came here to show off my size. Humiliate her like she did me. Didn't make me feel better at all. Let's just go" Chad said. "What if she called the authorities?" Aeris asked. "Pfft. The world is fucking ending and I got you" Chad said. Aeris grinned. "Yeah. You got me" she said. "The...the world..."

"Is ending. Don't know what you heard but a good chuck of the world was conquered. A week from today and all this could be gone. Better get your affairs in order. Unfinished business like I'm doing" Chad said. "Chad. I'm really sorry" Alani said. Chad softened his expression. "I'm kinda glad you did what you did. If you hadn’t I probably wouldn’t have joined the military and wouldn't have met her" Chad said Holding Aeris' hand. Aeris squeezed his hand. She was beginning to understand what true love meant. "Can you take me to Jun now?" Chad asked. "Give me a moment or so" Aeris said. The two vanished in a beam of light leaving a bewildered woman uncertain as to what she saw was real or a hallucination.

"Whoa shit!" Chad said seeing he was hovering nearly 50 miles up in the lower thermosphere. "Relax. It's easier for me this way to find your sister. Your dad said she was in California. That's vague even for me. Gotta concentrate. Find someone with a DNA pattern similar to yours" she said. Chad watched as an aura of energy enveloped her. It nearly filled up the entire force bubble protecting their bodies from the weak air pressure around them. It was the most incredible thing he ever saw. As he stared down at the California landmass below he could see the lights twinkling like clusters of stars. All day he had been teaching Aeris what it was like to be him. A limited emotional life form. Now however, he felt what it was like to be her. To look upon things like a god would. Seeing everything as being big and ever so small at the same time. As if he could stretch out his hand and just scoop up the land. Millions of people and all.

"Found her. She's in a city called San Francisco" she said. Within a second they were back on the surface. "She's here?" Chad asked looking around. "In there to be exact" she said pointing to a large building. It was far larger than all the others nearby. Obviously built for Ingress to be able to walk into. "Gulliver's Fantasy" he said reading the glowing sign. Aeris and Chad stepped in. Just as they cleared the door they were stopped. A male Ingress stood next to a giantess hybrid. "Cover charge 20 bucks each" the woman said. "Shit" Chad said seeing he had no cash or card. "Need the money honey or no kink for you" the giantess said. Aeris didn't like her attitude. The giantess screamed and fell to the floor. The music was so loud nobody inside heard and came to her aid. The Ingress man pulled out a pistol. "No" Aeris said controlling him. She bent down and picked up the shrunken woman. Chad realized Aeris altered her DNA in a way opposite to what she did to him. The woman was unconscious as she placed her in the male Ingress' hands. "Go home with her" she said. The giant mindlessly walked out the building with the hybrid in his hands.

"I could've just gone to an ATM!" Chad said. "Fuck is an ATM?" Aeris asked. Chad shook his head in disbelief. "Come on" she said pulling him with her. Chad had a bad feeling about this place seeing that sign and what he saw confirmed it. The main room was divided into 5 sections. The first was the bar near the wall. The second was for customers wanting human sized women. The third human sized men. The fourth giants and the fifth giantesses. "A fucking strip club. My sister works at a fucking strip club" he said. There were walkways for giant people to move about without squashing strippers. Chad followed one looking for someone who might know Jun. "And let's hear it for Candy! She melts in your mouth but not in your hand folks! Now don't get any ideas!" an announcer yelled. Chad watched as the lights dimmed at a stage. The pole was the size of a stubby pencil to him. A few young giants sitting there left to get a drink leaving "Candy" to catch her breath.

"Um...excuse me miss?" he asked her. Chad was slightly embarrassed looking at her. She was cute but not beautiful. She looked to be maybe 20 but what he could see in her tiny eyes looked older. She had long brown hair and all she had on was platform sandals. Aeris coughed out of jealousy. "Hey there cutie. You want a private performance? $100 for a body job. If that's too much you can suck on my feet for $50. Mouthplay is $200" she said. "Uh...nice to know" Chad said. "That's not why we're here" Aeris said annoyed. "If it's a voyeuristic thing then that's $150. $200 if it's a masturbation roleplay thing" Candy said. "Jesus...just...just tell me where I can find Jun Cyrus" Chad said disturbed. "Jun... Jun... hey Cupid!" Candy yelled touching her ear. Chad noticed she was wearing a small mic. Understandable with the loud noise and size difference in here. Over comes a young male giant hybrid around chads age with fake wings on his back and wearing just flip flops and a speedo. Aeris couldn't help but stare. "Customers? A cuckold thing? Whatever floats you boat" Cupid said. Candy stopped him as he was sliding off his speedo. Aeris had both eyes on his crotch. "No. Nothing like that. We got a girl your size named Jun here?" Candy asked.

"Oh you mean Jade. Yeah she started a month and a half ago" Cupid said. "Jade? You fucking serious?" Chad whispered. "Can you take me to her? It's important" Chad said. "She'll come out for customers. Only staff can go in the back" Cupid said. "I'm her fucking brother" Chad said. "Yeah, we get that kind of roleplay too buddy" the giant said. "Look at my face closely asshole" Chad said. Cupid did. "He does look like her" he muttered. "Then I suggest you do as he says" Aeris said looking at him. The glow in her eyes was spooky was shit. She was itching to shrink him. "Uh...yeah follow me" he said. Aeris was slightly disappointed but she did keep a lustful eye on him. "Maybe chad will help me with this later" she said referencing her libido. "Jade! You got a visitor" Cupid said knocking. "Go away! My set isn't for another half hour!" a voice yelled from behind the door. "It's Chad Jun. Open the door" Chad said. Chad and Aeris waited a moment. They could hear movement. The door creaked open. A young woman chads age poked her head out looking down. All she saw was chads shoes.

"Up here" Chad said. Jun fell backwards seeing her tiny brother not so tiny anymore. Chad and Aeris took that moment to step into her room. Chad shut the door behind him. "How...are you big?" she said. Chad didn't immediately answer. He was too shocked at how Jun looked. She looked older than she really was. 30 at best. She had on cheap makeup that hid blemishes. Her cheeks were rosy but dry. Her eyes looked tired. Her nose...was that a trace of blood? Chad was getting more disturbed by the second. He understood the skimpiness of her clothes but he saw small marks on the inside of her thigh. She didn't look like his twin sister. She had the looks of a seasoned whore. "How I'm like this doesn't matter. What have you been doing? Why are you here? Last I heard you were shooting size porn" Chad said. Jun looked away. "Answer!" Chad yelled. "Didn't work out. Not enough fans and got too old" she said quietly. "Too old?! You're fucking 22!" Chad yelled. Jun stifled tears and pulled up the strap on her gown. She scooted on her knees and touched Chad's face. "You're really big aren't you? Remember how I'd play giant and try to eat you up?" she asked. It hurt him to see her like this. He gripped her hand and kissed it. "I remember. I remember mom getting dad to beat our asses" he said. Jun gave him a smirk. "What's going on with you?" he asked. "She's addicted to something. Something enough to alter her brain chemistry. I can sense it" Aeris said. "Is that true?" Chad asked. Jun looked away. "Jun" he said moving her large face back to see him. "I'm not addicted. Just some erophan to get me relaxed for shows" she said. Chad was stunned.

Erophan was a drug Ingress brought with them. It was an aphrodisiac to get them in the mood for mandatory mating cycles. When the two species integrated it became unnecessary. It was dangerous to humans. It would fry brains. For hybrids it was unpredictable. At best it was a wild trip. At worst death by euphoria. Taken enough, the brain would stop producing serotonin and dopamine. That led to depression and violent mood swings. Nothing more dangerous than a mentally unstable giant.

"If you're not addicted hen why are you shooting that shit into your leg where people can't see?" Chad asked. "Leave" she said irritated. "No" Chad said. Jun, with lightning speed, kicked Chad in the face with her bare foot. Chad fell backwards. "Bitch!" Aeris yelled. "Aeris no! I'll deal with this" Chad said. Chad wiped the blood from his lip and stood up. Jun lunged at him and pushed him into the wall. Anybody next door would swear two giants were fighting in there and they'd be right. Chad used his legs to push them up off the floor. He didn't let go of her though. He held her in a bear hug. She cried and yelled. "Lock the door" he told Aeris. Chad wasn't angry. Saddened was more like it. Growing up Jun was hot and cold to him. She would sometimes bully him. Trapping him in her gym socks or overturned shoe. Putting him on a high shelf so he couldn't climb down. Then there were other times when she fiercely loved him. Snuck candy to him when he was punished. Kept bullies away at school. She threatened to squash Alani when she found out what she did. He loved his twin sister.

"Jun. I'm not letting go of you. Not this time" he said. The giantess pounded her fists on his chest sobbing and yelling until she just collapsed. Chad held her so softly. Aeris bent down to them. "I can help her. I think" she said. "Like how?" Chad asked. "I can cleanse her body of the drug. Rebalance her brain chemistry" she said. "Chad? Who is she?" Jun asked looking into glowing eyes. "She's an alien and my fiancée" he said grinning. "You're getting married?! That's so...wait...alien? Like not Ingress?" she asked. "I'm Aeris a Progenitor. Nice to meet you" Aeris said grinning. "It's okay. She won't hurt us. Right?" Chad asked her. Aeris nodded. "She needs to lay on the floor" Aeris said. Jun looked worried at Chad. He simply kissed her forehead as he laid her down. "Jun. this is going to hurt. I won't lie. Just bear with it" Aeris said eyes flaring up. "I'm scared" she muttered. "Trust me" Aeris said as Chad looked at her.

Aeris placed her hands on Jun's head. Aeris slowly began to glow. "What happens next, don't interrupt me" she told Chad. Aeris concentrated looking at the cocktail of chemicals in her brain. She saw neurons that weren't firing. As if by a microscopic unseen hand, Aeris began breaking down traces of Erophan in her brain tissue. The neurons revolted immediately. Jun screamed in pain as withdrawal symptoms went in fast forward for her. Aeris was sweating. She never mapped a hybrid brain before. She could easily right now but such a thing was brute force and leave the subject a drooling. Vegetable. It was like reading one word at a time instead of a whole sentence. Jun began shaking. Chad was starting to freak out but dared not disturb Aeris. The drug was almost flushed out. Aeris began to be distracted. She could see Jun's memories as she broke down chemicals.

Memories are chemical in nature. Chemicals bonded in a way in the folds of our gray matter. Aeris would inspect a chemical bond to see if it was drug. If it was a memory she saw it. She saw a memory of Jun in a dark bedroom. A man was crawling off her leg. "Wired it to your account. Got some buddies coming in from out of town that I'd want you to meet. Keep your phone on" the man said getting dressed. The small man chuckled as he went out the room. Jun said nothing but picked up a picture. It was of her family all together. Aeris felt the sadness and longing to return home through Jun. That and the long stare at her mother. Aeris knew what that meant. Tears fell from Aeris' eyes. Jun relaxed now. "That's it. It's going to be okay" Aeris whispered. Aeris began to stimulate the dormant neurons again.

"It's...it's done" Aeris said finishing. Chad was worried about Aeris. She was shaking. Aeris gave him a thumbs up and smiled. It was a pleasant surprise when he kissed her. "Thank you" he told her. It was at that moment here that Aeris understood true happiness. Jun was sweating profusely. "She'll be alright now physically but mentally is a different story. She needs your family. I saw her memories. They...they weren't nice" Aeris said shuddering. Chad hugged Jun's head. The moment was ruined as a giant man kicked the door in. Aeris and Chad looked at him. A man. Fat and in his mid-20's. clothes were gaudy and he wore a chain with a gold figure of a woman attached. "Fuck is going on here?! Get off your ass Jade! You got a set in 20! You two! If you ain't buying ass, then get the fuck out!" he yelled. Chad stood Jun up. He wasn't about to leave her here a minute longer.

Chad saw two giantesses behind him looking in. One was in her twenties but the other couldn't have been older than 16. "Get back to fuckin' work or you ain't getting any Erophan tonight!" the giant told the girls. The two scampered off. Chad was losing his shit by the second. It wasn't enough he was pimping out teen girls. It was he who got Jun hooked and strung out. "Fuck outta my way" Chad said pushing the man to the side. Aeris passed him and stopped. She looked dead at the necklace figurine. "Chad. He needs to die" she said flatly. "I'm pissed as you are but killing him won't change what he did. I'll just call someone. Get dad to help" Chad said. "No. You don't understand" Aeris said touching the figurine. Chad saw Aeris looking horrified. The man began sweating and shoved Aeris back. "That's not a figurine" Aeris said. Her eyes flared up as her fingernail began to glow. "Tell him what you did!" Aeris yelled. At first he didn't say shit until she raked her fingernail over his cheek. His skin sizzled as it passed.

"I... I Had a human girl wanting to go to the cops about my business because I wouldn't pay her more! I had to set an example! I... I got her encased in gold and made into this!" he screamed in pain. They both stood dumbfounded. There was a word that kept popping into Aeris' head since she arrived on Earth. "Monster". She dismissed it as a name called out of futility of their weakness. The unacceptable way their fate turned out to be. Now however, she understood the meaning of the word. A girl murdered and entombed. Nobody knowing that her body was right there. Her parents not knowing their daughter was being worn as a fashion accessory by a sick giant. "Do it" Chad said. Aeris was getting a crash course in life today and the lesson she learned now was how retribution felt.

She turned off his Ingress genes and made his human ones dominant. She painfully caused his cells to revert. The portly man screamed in pain as his body imploded in size. Aeris was trembling in rage as she sped the process up. His scream turned into a tiny cry as he stopped. He was human sized now and weakly crawled out of the heap of clothes that were his. "What are you?" Jun asked seeing the entire thing. Aeris glanced at her and looked back at the now tiny pimp. Jun crawled over to the man. "Jade! Please help...me" the man cried up at the giantess hovering over him. The man took in her sight. He realized this was no nightmare. He really was shrunk. The ginormous tits over his head confirmed that. "I had to do it. He did something terrible" Aeris said picking up the necklace. Her finger traced the entombed body sorrowfully. "I know" Jun said looking at it. "We all know" she said looking dead at the pimp.

Jun reached out for him. The man tried to stand but his new muscles were too weak for that. He crawled as fast as he could until two fingers grabbed his waist and lifted him up. Jun sat on her butt staring at him. "Please don't hurt me" he whined. "Look away Chad" she said with a whisper. Chad did. Jun shoved him into her mouth. Like all the other times she had a perverted John in her mouth, she could taste him. Salty as always but this was different. It was foul but sweet...like revenge. She felt his screams echoing in her mouth. With her tongue, she pushed him up on top of her teeth. And slowly did she clench her jaw. Her first bite crushed his leg. His bone splintering like an anchovy bone. The taste was sickening to her. Like tasting a bloody nose. Then she remembered her first night there.

Jun felt like she couldn't go home but she needed money. A fellow porn girl told her about stripping and how much money you could get. To her it was better than fucking. She didn't like how the fat man leered at her. Taking looks at her feet. Glancing at her cleavage. She was glad she got the job. She started immediately. "Not so bad" she thought raking in tips every few seconds. Show some tit, ass, and leg and they just throw money at you. Jun had a room at the club on the above floor. During the night her door was opened. She was tired and didn't notice until she felt hands squeezing her tits. It was him. He threatened to fire her if she didn't stop fighting. With nowhere to go she gave in.

She bit down again with that thought. *Crunch*. A forced blowjob under his desk *crunch. "A footjob for another bump of Erophan *crunch. Have every bastard in 5 miles fuck her giant pussy for half off on Valentine's Day *crunch. By this point the man was barely alive. Fading fast due to shock and blood loss. Jun wasn't going to let him die quick. Oh no. With a loud gulp she swallowed his mangled body. Better for him to die as slow as possible in her stomach. Jun licked her teeth clean of blood and scraps of meat.

Chad knew what she did. Hell the crunching alone was enough. He felt himself being hugged from behind. Her giant yet delicate looking hands wrapped around his waist. "I'm taking you home now" he said. Chad motioned for Aeris to come over. They all held hands. The wonder of being back in Hawaii within a second didn't surprise her now. Not after the events of the last 15 minutes. They saw the living room light on in their house. "Go to them" he told her. "You're not coming?" she asked worried. "No. Me and Aeris need to talk" he said. Jim didn't want to go in alone. She wanted her brother with her. ""Be brave" he said to her. Jun nodded and walked barefoot to the door. He and Aeris stood there as the door opened. He saw his dad staring at her for a moment before hugging her tight as he could. Both of them crying. "Let's go back to New Perth" he told Aeris. Just before they left he saw his dad look at him. Utterly shocked. Then they were gone.

"Jet lag" Chad chucked seeing the sun shining. He went from middle of the day to late evening to the middle of the night back to day again within hours. It was quiet. He saw a few Ingress milling about looking for hybrids. Still under her control. "I wanted you to learn about humanity today but I think you saw just how ugly we are. I don't blame you if you want to keep killing hybrids" he said softly. Aeris held his hand. "I saw some ugly things today that’s true. Things that make me want to just purge the species. Then again I saw beautiful things. Felt beautiful things. Love, happiness, compassion. I think those outweigh the bad stuff" she said. Chad was surprised to hear that. It sounded...very human and completely Aeris. No hint of Nara. "The best part I think was when I made cookies with your mom. She taught me that they are people and not just members of a species."

"Individuals. If two people...members of a warring species fighting saw another way..." Aeris said. She reached out for his hand. She was trembling. "I don't want to be a monster! I know what that means now!" Aeris yelled. A girl around 10 walked by carrying a gun. Her 110 ft. frame just mindlessly hunting. "Stop it!" she yelled. The girl froze and dropped her gun. She quickly looked around and saw Aeris. The girl screamed and ran. Aeris sobbed knowing that in that kid's mind, she was a monster. "You don't have to be a monster. Help us" Chad pleaded. Chad hugged her from behind and nuzzled his face in the back of her hair. "You have no idea what you're asking of me. To defy my orders. Rebel against eons of belief service" she said. "I can't begin to say I know how you feel right now but I can tell you this. Any tough decision is the hardest when you decide to make it. I just want you to make one where you can happy with yourself and I can be in your life" he said.

Aeris pulled away from him. Chad was worried she chose not to help until she raised her hands into the air. A shimmering wave of energy rushed from her like a ripple across a lake. "I released them" she said. Both began hearing cries and screams. Aeris knew what they were and cringed. "I'm right here" he said. Before he could console her further, a beam of light struck her in the chest and blew right through her torso. "Chad?" Aeris said falling to the ground. She was barely breathing and when she did she coughed dark red blood. Chad traced where the shot came from. To his shock he saw a battered ACE. It was jet black and missing an arm. The armor cracked and broken. With all the damage he recognized it. Ai. "Well. Did I get her?" she asked...

3 hours earlier...

Baris was strolling down a street in Zurich like a Roman general surveying a newly conquered territory. His control wave had swept through the city like so many others. And like so many others fell victim to the Ingress living there. It was not far from the Union's primary HQ of Geneva. Almost a quarter of that city's military were Ingress. Stationed there due to the heightened state of things from Russia. Nobody had a clue his reach would extend so far. It was a horrific fight. By the end of it half the city was in ruins and civilians who survived fled west.  Union forces retreated to bolster defenses lying in Germany. Switzerland was a sacrificial lamb to Baris and his Ingress drones. Hybrids were at his mercy and Baris knew not of that concept. If he did he wouldn't have cared for it.

He surveyed Geneva and found it irksome. What he wanted was a city intact. One where he could indulge himself a little. Zurich proved to be just that. The largest city in the country and ironically the most vulnerable. Population of 422,000 humans, 7,300 hybrids and 812 Ingress. Those 812 Ingress were making short work of the sparse peacekeeping force there. People watched the news coming out of Russia. But to see it with their own eyes was different. Karl Liechtenstein was a patrol officer for the city. When the wave hit all hell broke loose. Families killing one another. People fleeing for shelter. A woman with a baby begging for him to assist her. What could he do. He had no heavy weapons. He was a beat cop. All he could tell her was run for the underground shelter three blocks away.  He realized how daunting that sounded with explosions going off and cars crashing trying to get away. He shoved them into his patrol car and zoomed off.

He honked his horn to clear the way. They were lucky. He was able to get them inside before the worst came. The ground shook more and more and the Ingress advanced. He yelled for people to get off the street, go to the shelters or buildings. Just get out of sight! Karl then remembered his own family. He was unmarried but he had his 12-year-old hybrid nephew living with him. His sister's kid. Family circumstances forced the issue. He was human sized but a handful. The boy did brighten his life though. Karl was panicking and began driving back to his apartment. He didn't make it in the car. He was within a block when an Ingress man he recognized flattened a car in front of him and kicked his over. Karl swore he saw stars. He pushed the air bag out of his face and unbuckled himself. He fell to the roof of the overturned car and crawled out. He looked to see what happened. "Scheisse" he whispered seeing a giant he knew.

Ral. An Ingress man who worked at the beer hall down the street. He's known him for years. He even met his son once as both his nephew and son go to the same school. Ral looked down at him and looked right at Karl's apartment. "Kill all hybrids" he whispered. "No" Karl said. Ral didn't know a whole many hybrids but he did know one close by. Karl's nephew. Karl began firing his laser pistol at him. The shots didn't do shit. Karl looked at each window as if to remember which one was Karl's. "There" he said. Karl ran into the lobby and raced up to the third floor. He could hear the crashing of glass and wall as he flung the door open. "Uncle Karl! Help!" the boy screamed branched against the wall trying to avoid giant fingers. The giant grunted and the wall cracked as he pushed more of his hand in. The giant yelled as Karl fired over and over at the fingers. They both could see the giant annoyed and pull his hand back. At first they thought he gave up until he cocked his arm back. He was going to level the building to get to the boy. Before he could a hail of plasma fire slammed into the giant.

The police force mobilized the chopper units and armored vehicles. One was bringing the pain to Karl's bartender below. He took the boy and was going to sneak them to a shelter but the chaos was too great now. Being a law enforcement officer, people looked to him to help them. He told everyone to stay out of the Windows and keep no lights on. He told them that help would come from Geneva. Two hours later that hope was dashed as those forces literally flew past them overhead. 

Karl hugged the boy tight to him as they slept. Exhaustion overtaking them. They slept in the bathroom. The only part of the apartment not exposed to the outside. He heard voices that woke him up...

"I can feel one nearby. Ready for another?" Baris asked an older teen Ingress girl walking with him. Baris found her hunting about at a private school. Being connected to her mind he knew everything he wanted to know about her. Karin was her name. 17 years old. The daughter of a rich Ingress businessman. Baris found her very pleasing. Her hair was sea green and her eyes the color of amber. He found qualities in both humans and Ingress pleasing. Humans had more variety in skin color and racial features while Ingress had more variety in hair and eye color. He gave only a slight pity to hybrids for they inherited both. He simply told her to come with him. Baris couldn't wait to indulge his morbid pleasures with her for he knew her character.

She was a "proper" girl. Chaste and respectful. Good marks in her studies of business and general education. A daughter wanting to make her dad proud. What Baris saw was a pretty virgin who could be made to do the cruelest things. First thing he had her do was to walk around topless. He playfully kneaded her breasts and loved how firm they were. He licked her cheek and grinned. He chose for her to keep her school skirt on for it did pique his imagination of ehat her giant pussy looked like. He had her keep her loafers on for he didn't wish for her to dirty her feet just yet. All 183 ft. of her was his to command. As he neared an apartment he sensed a hybrid inside. After teasing the girl with his assumption he narrowed the search. He felt the boy behind a wall. Baris put his finger to his lips as if for her to be quiet.

Karl's nephew was wide awake now but had his moth covered by him. They didn't hear anything else. They were hoping they moved on until a finger tore through the wall and hooked it out. "Bingo" Baris said. As horrible luck had it, the overturned bathtub blocked the exit. For efficiency sake, Baris grabbed both. Bait saw both of them hugging one another in his hand. "Please. He's only a child" Karl pleaded. "A hybrid child" Baris said coldly. Baris tore Karl from the boy and flung him away. At least it was quick for him. Airborne for 2 seconds before hitting the side of an adjacent building at over 200 mph.

The boy screamed at seeing the godawful sight. Baris felt Karin whimper in her mind. It turned him on. "Now be a good girl and open your mouth for me" he said. "Yes...master" she said. Baris loved that. Her calling him master. Baris placed the screaming and wriggling boy in her mouth and closed it for her. The teen giantess was slightly shaking. "Can you taste him" he asked. She nodded. Baris stood behind her and pushed his hand into her panties. His middle finger finding her entrance. He pushed it into her and wriggled it. Karin groaned and almost fell to the street except Baris held her up. "Naughty girl. You're already wet" he said into her ear. "Suck on him. Swish him around. He's at your mercy" he said. Baris felt her nipples were rock hard with his right hand. "See? This is the real you. Not the one screaming in your mind. The one that getting off to this" he said. "Do you want to swallow now?" he asked. He briefly let go his hold on her. “...no... he’s a kid...he's" she stammered. Baris sensed she was lying. With a mental nudge he made her speak the truth. "...yes...oh god" she cried. He took ahold of her once more. "Do it" he said.

The girl looked up and let the boy tumble down her throat. Baris felt the small bulge with his hand on her throat slide down. And with that he roughly kissed her. His penis was erect for anyone to see for it seemed not just stupid to be fully clothed it also thrilled him more.  Karin's face was flushed. Her own instincts betrayed her. She felt her body getting warm. Baris could literally taste her pheromones. He sensed a group of hybrids two blocks away. Watching her kill them was more thrilling than he doing it. He led her to where they were. An elevated monorail was frozen on the tracks when the power stations went down. Hundreds trying to flee were hopelessly trapped 50 ft. off the ground in the cars. He heard them screaming as they came into their view. Baris bent down and felt for which car had his prey. 6 of them in the third car. He gripped the cars and pulled. The groan of steel and titanium was mixing with frantic screams. With little effort he ripped the car free. People in the anointing cars watched as the car was lifted away.

Baris looked carefully into the tiny windows. All in all, there were over 20 people inside holding onto seats and handrails. His abilities easily singled the 6 out. Surprisingly, all 6 wore uniforms similar to Karin's. No doubt fellow students and peers of hers. They must've used the monorail hoping to evacuate quickly. Amidst the screaming he could hear the few crying for Karin to save them. "Hear that? They want you to save them" Baris said. Baris stood near her and pulled down her skirt and panties. With a sick glee, he began poking out the windows. Satisfied that no tiny shards remained, he began to place the rail car at her entrance. "Show your friends how much you love them" he said. Karin looked at him with soulless eyes and gripped the car. "Agggh!" she groaned as the car parted her lips.

The car was fairly large even for her. It was like an 8-inch cold steel dildo being inserted into her if she was human sized. It was maybe 7 ft. into her before she stopped. She was sweating and obviously not enjoying it. "Push. Push through your vaginal membrane. I'll help with the pain" he said. It was simple to just dull the pain receptors. Feeling better she pushed again. The screams intensified as people fell toward the bottom of the car and her own juices began to flood it. "It's okay" Baris said helping her sit. Baris got on his knees and elbows before her. As she worked it in, people desperately tried to open the back door. However, Baris had been counting on it. The door popped open and one hybrid boy jumped. Baris caught him in midair. He brought him to Karin's mouth and shoved him in. She wasted no time swallowing him.

Things were getting direr by the second for the trapped people. Her juices coated everything in a sticky fluid. It was probably the only thing keeping everyone from just spilling out like some glue. The temperature inside was a sweltering 105 degrees and pitch black above. Karin was moaning louder. The car began to crack and buckle as it began to give under her crushing walls. A middle aged woman fell out after her high heels stuck to the floor slipped from her feet. She glanced up at him and let out a shriek as he plucked her up and devoured her. It was the first time he ate anyone. He was surprised he hadn't done it already. It was the most efficient way to kill someone that size. Get rid of someone and providing sustenance at the same time. Calories from their fat. Protein from their muscles and minerals from their bones. Baris reached in with his fingers for more. Those inside quickly scrambled to the top. Better to take their chances with the pussy. An out of shape man tried pulling himself up. "Help me please!" he asked a teenage boy. The boy kicked him in the face as the man held onto his leg. He wasn't about to let him drag him to his doom. Baris latched onto him and ate him. "Hmmm...the females taste better" Baris remarked.

Karin let out a eep as she bottomed out. For a young virgin she did very well getting most of it in. 2/3 of it in fact. With it in now she began to pull and push it out. They thought it couldn't get worse with the pussy juice and virginal blood pouring in. How wrong they were. They held on as hard as they could. People puking from motion sickness everywhere. A few couldn't hold out though as they lost their grip. They didn't fall out though. They just pinballed around breaking limbs and necks. "Unbelievable" Baris said sensing the 5 remaining hybrids still alive. Baris sucked on her giant nipples to fan her flames. When he bit one she went into an orgasmic convulsion. The car was so tightly wedged in her there was no give as her walls contracted. The first squeeze crushed the outer edges of the car. Anyone along it was flattened into the folds. The survivors clamored into the center.

Each contraction caused it to implode further until the last few were squeezed into the center tightly. With a lustful groan, she convulsed and crushed the car completely. Baris smiled for he sensed they were dead now. He slowly pulled it out of her. Karin whimpered. He inspected the wreck. Utterly imploded. The once shiny tube of metal was a twisted hulk. Baris watched as a river of blood dripped out the surviving back. All that was left inside it was a pulverized mush of meat and bone. Baris chuckled and tossed it over his shoulder. "Felt good to do that didn't you" he asked. Karin nodded. She spoke the truth. "Better still fellow peers of yours isn't it?" he asked. Karin didn't answer. Baris knew what was in her mind. She hated killing people like that but there was a part of her that wasn't entirely guilty. Baris helped her to her feet. "Leave them" he said as she went to put her panties and skirt back on.

The two roamed the city looking for more entertainment. His forces were methodically sweeping the city. He could feel the hybrid count dropping steadily. As they walked, he sensed a group under his bare feet. "Little vermin hiding underground" he said. He could feel a cubical structure below. "Emergency shelter (human/human sized hybrid)" said a sign with an arrow pointing down a stairway.

Since the mid-21st century, cities around the world had nuclear war shelters for citizens. Not many but they existed. The oil crisis brought about the possibility of nuclear war for resources. Thankfully that never happened but the shelters remained. They helped save people during the April Shower incident and now are being used again.

Baris' finger glowed as a beam shot from it. He cut into the street and into the armored shelter. When done he lifted the cutaway and tossed it. Inside were 212 humans and 37 hybrids. They collective screamed and ran from the hole. "Karin! Quickly!" Baris said taking a few steps to the stairway exit. "Raise your foot" he said. Baris was chuckling like he lost his mind at the devious thought in his head. He tugged off her giant loafer and sock. He repeated the with her other foot. With her socks in his hand, he jammed the sweaty giant socks into the stairways. It didn't take long for him to see a reaction. He could see movement as the stronger ones tried pushing through the smelly barrier. Karin watched the whole ordeal. Her bare toes wriggled at the sight. The real Karin, the one tucked away by his mental powers watched in fascination. She wanted them to break free but at the same time was astounded that her socks were actually providing a suitable obstacle.

They could hear coughing and gagging from those pushing against it. Then after a few minutes it stopped. Satisfied that they wouldn't escape, they walked back to the hole. Baris got close to the hole. "Come on out" he said. They were jammed up near the stairwell and didn't dare come to the hole. "I'll make you a deal. Surrender the hybrids and you'll live. It's that simple" he said. No answer. "Or I could kill you all" he said putting his glowing finger in the hole. "No please!" one screamed. Baris took his finger out the hole. One very brave man came forward. "You'll spare us if we give them up?" he asked. Baris saw he was human and not a target. "Yes. I have little interest in humans. Hybrids are another story. Give them up and you humans get to live" he said. "You can't!" someone shouted.

Now it was common knowledge that the oldest hybrids in the world were no older than 24 years old. Some even inherited their Ingress parent's hair and eye color. If you saw someone within that age bracket and they also had strange color of hair and eyes, it was a good bet that they were a hybrid. Not a sure thing though. Some humans actually dyed their hair and wore color contacts. A fad from the early 21st century revived for a different purpose. Anyone in that shelter under the age of 24 was a possible sacrifice.

The man disappeared for a moment and came back wrestling with a young man about 21 or so. Baris easily separated the two. "Yeah. He's one" he said picking him up. Baris threw the man at Karin's feet. The man groaned with the contusions of having been rolled on the street at 30 mph. "Crush him with those pretty feet" he told her. The man screamed as she lifted her moist sole over him. With a ground shaking boom, she smashed it down. The scream became a wet crunch. She stared at her toes. Unpainted until now. She crushed him so forcefully that his blood shot into the air between her toes and landed on her big toenail. She just kinda stared at it. "36 more to go until you're free" Baris said. Mob rule began to form in the shelter. Nobody wanted to end up a stain under the teen giantess' feet. If the teen next to you can spare that fate for you then it sucked to be them. Baris heard shouting, wrestling, crying, and screaming as the younger ones were separated. A woman was punched in the face as she tried to hold her son.

A small crowd had formed now at the large hole. The older, stronger individuals making sure nobody escaped. Baris gave a slight chuckle as there were more than 36 people there. Better part of 60 in fact. Each and every one pleased that they were human. Can you blame them? 9 of them though really couldn't hide their heritage. Not with that exotic colors of hair they had. Baris picked up four of them right there and looked at their genomes. A hit on all four. Figuring this might take a minute he had Karin sit across from him. Their legs encircling the hole. He held them in both hands as he decided their fate. To hear them beg for their lives thrilled him. "So puny and mortal" he commented. One crazed boy jumped from his hand as he handed him to Karin. He hit her tummy and slid right down to the street.

The boy was dazed. No matter how soft her skin was it was still a 45 ft. drop. Karin watched the young teen try to stand only to fall again. Baris was surprised to see her casually shove him into her pussy without being told to. Karin rolled her head lazily as the tiny hybrid fought to stay alive as he sunk deeper and deeper into her snatch. "Hmmm" Baris said looking into her mind. He could sense her disgust of him but also the fact she shoved the boy in of her own free will. Baris didn't care for that much. No, not the disgust of him. The part of her warming up to abusing and killing tiny people. It was far more thrilling for an unwilling participant to do it. Baris made a fist and crushed the three inside it into mush. He had others who could make him feel better and he saw one that Karin would surely not want to hurt. As he plucked up a boy he heard a woman scream. "Shut it bitch! Better him than us!" an older man yelled grabbing her hair.

Baris couldn't believe how cruel humans could be given the right incentive. "My handiwork" he said to himself. Yes, Baris was the one that implanted the aggressive streak in humans. And aggression and cruelty went hand in hand. The boy was young. At best 11 or so. Hard for him to tell without scanning his mind and the fact he was so tiny. No bigger than his pinky. Baris handed the boy over to Karin. Karin looked at the boy in her hands. He didn't scream or cry. Just quietly whimpered. Karin's breathing increased. He could sense anxiety in her. Her true self couldn't be hidden from him. She didn't want to hurt the boy at all. She found him adorable. Fragile and precious. Someone to be protected. Her instincts spoke to her. "You want to hold him close to you don't you?" he said. Karin nodded. Karin cuddled the boy against her bare breast. She even smiled. The boy was confused and frightened. The giant pretty girl felt warm and soft. He wanted to just embrace this but he saw what happened to the others. He hoped she would spare him.

Baris let her enjoy the feeling for two minutes. Even encouraging her to pet him. She relaxed but twitched now and then from the teen still stuck in her cooch. He sensed contentment from her. Baris gave off a wicked evil grin as he spoke again. "Eat him".

Karin looked up in shock. Baris increased his control over her again. "Eat him" he said again. "NO! Don't make me!" Karin screamed in her mind. "Yes, master" came out her mouth. "No lady please!" the boy yelled as she brought him to her open mouth. His screaming was muffled as she closed her lips. Baris was surprised at how strong she was fighting him. Strong enough that her nose began to bleed. Her struggles were in vain though as she found herself pushing him toward her teeth. "Chew him" he said. The screaming abruptly stopped as she bit down. Her body shook as she chewed and chewed. She shed tears. Baris watched intently as a trickle of blood seeped out her mouth. She swallowed and looked down with dead eyes.

Baris licked her lips and cheek free of blood. "Much better" he said. Karin was catatonic in her own mind. She had given up. This monster had taken her soul. So when Baris began feeding people to her she didn't fight or complain. She just sat there and swallowed. Baris indulged himself with the pretty ones. The younger ones were easiest to eat. They just tumbled down with little effort. As he slurped in a teen girl he fancied and swallowed he sat back and paused. He was stuffed. He had eaten 10 by himself and mostly whole. They were moving about inside his gut. Trying not to dissolve in his stomach acids. Using the earlier ones as refuge from it. Of course it did no good as there was little oxygen inside and even that was laced with traces of acid. Those still living suffocated as their lungs literally burned for oxygen.

*Burp*" eating really is a nice pleasure. Especially them" Baris said.  Karin gave no response to that. She just sat there with a fully belly. Baris looked over those left. He had weeded out most of the false positives and was left with 12 of them. He had gotten bored with them. They had eaten them. Crushed a few. Baris enjoyed that. The feeling of a lesser being dying under your feet. How they would pop when pressure was applied slowly or just squash out when dome swiftly. When Karin did it though he found no thrill, no joy. For she showed no emotion inside or out. Even when he licked her soles and sucked her toes clean she gave no reaction. "Damn" he said realizing he had broken his sexy mind slave. Baris decided on a replacement. Where though? He saw no Ingress nearby and he didn't want to leave a job unfinished. "Where to find another one as big?" he wondered. Then a terrible thought crossed his mind. One so vile it gave him goosebumps.

He looked at the ones below awaiting with fright as whose turn it was to die. He focused on one. A teen of similar age to Karin. He plucked hero up and she immediately fought his fingers. "You don't want to die do you?" he asked. She was to panicked to answer. "Answer me!" he yelled. "No!" she screamed. "I'll cut you a deal as well then. I won't kill you here if you do what I say. A deal?" he asked. "Anything! Just don't kill me!" she screamed up at the giant. Baris placed her in front of him and stood up. The girl looked at the towering monster stood to his full height. "This might feel funny" he said. Like Aeris, Baris focused on her dormant Ingress genes and switched them on. Unlike her though he had finer control over the process. The girl felt her body go numb and she collapsed. Baris had dulled her nerves so she wouldn't pass out from the pain. The girl saw that the world began to get smaller. Faster and faster than thought possible, the overweight hybrid grew. Baris was using her abundant fat as fuel to aid her growth.

Baris grinned at his handiwork again. The once small hybrid was now 170 ft. tall. Baris released the dullness of her nerves so she could feel and move once more. "I chose well" he remarked looking at her. She really was close to Karin's age. Maybe around a few months older. 17 or so. Baris bent down to see her face better. The girl wanted to run away but the shock of seeing him like normal was too much. She was a hybrid alright. He couldn't see it when she was small but her hair had traces of silver in it. Like she took individual strands and dyed them randomly. It blended well with the chestnut of the rest of it. Her eyes were fearful yet soft. The color of sandalwood. Her skin looked so soft and delicious. The complexion of peanuts. Baris almost regretted doing this as he thought savoring this beautiful creature in his mouth before swallowing her whole would be more pleasing.

"Very nice" he said touching her cheeks. The girl looked away and when Baris touched her bare breast she cringed. The girl was nude of course as she outgrew her clothes and Baris was more than pleased with that. He found it amusing to see she shaved her pubic hair.  "What. What did you do to me?" she gasped out. "The better question is what do I plan to have you do" he said. He motioned for her to come to the hole. Nobody below could grasp how the girl they had condemned to death was now towering over them. Filling their vision with her gigantic face. "What's your name?" he whispered into her ear. "Marin" she replied. "What a coincidence. Your name rhymes with hers" Baris said pointing to the emotionless Karin. Baris sighed looking at her. He had planned to fuck her good and proper but that seemed pointless now. "Karin, you may go" Baris said dismissively. Karin stood up and walked away naked. 10 minutes ago, Karin would've been ecstatic. Of course that was 10 minutes and 14 hybrids ago. Karin stumbled a moment as a dead hybrid slid out her pussy. Baris watched her round the corner and disappear out of his view and concern.

"Now back to you. Remember you said you'd do anything right?" he asked looking into her eyes. Marin shuddered at his gaze. It was creepy how a glow danced around in his eyes. Marin nodded. "Which one singled you out. Which one...what's the term...threw you under the bus?" Baris asked. Marin eyed the man. "Pick him up" Baris said. The man felt his heart drop as she curled her fingers around him and pick him up. "Please. Please don't hurt me. It wasn't personal" he said. Marin took a moment to drink this experience in. She was holding a person. A live human being like a toy or doll. "This is what it felt like" she thought. Marin remembered how her mother would carry her around all the time. Her father divorced her mother years ago so it was just her and her Ingress mother for most of her recent life. Today and yesterday though she was alone. Her mother was in Geneva on business and wouldn't return until the weekend. Ironically, this probably spared Marin from death yesterday.

Marin felt natural instincts of power and control...and it scared her. This man feared her. She didn't like to be feared. Baris whispered into her ear. "It's true. I can’t read their minds but I can sense emotions and their pheromones" Baris said. Marin couldn't believe what he said. He told her that the man was scared but sexually aroused at the same time. Marin bit her lip and carefully looked at his crotch. It was almost beyond her scope to see but he did have an erection. It disgusted her. "Don't like that do you? The man who condemned you to death is getting hard from looking at you in your new size" he said. Marin realized that they could all see how exposed she was. She crouched a little as to hide her crotch and breasts from view. "Go ahead. Nobody will blame you" he said sensing her anger. Marin raised her right hand as the man was held in her left. "No... NOOOO!" he screamed as she brought her right hand down hard.

The resounding clap was so loud it echoed for blocks. The blood squirted everywhere. Some even falling into the hole below to the horror of the people inside. Marin raised her right off the man. She gawked at how firmly smashed he was. The only way she could identify he was human once was two sneakers that survived due to their springy material. She tilted her left hand and the crushed remains slid off and landed with a wet plop on the street. "Eww" she said shaking the blood off her hands. "Now that you had some practice, time for you to help me out. This is where you do anything" Baris said with a grin. He reached out and picked up a screaming young man and placed her in her stained hands. "Eat him" he said. "NO! I... I can't do something like that" Marin said balking at the command. "Why not. It's fun and there is a pleasant taste" he said. "I can't just eat somebody. It's wrong!" she yelled. "So is smashing that guy" he said.

"That...that was different. He was a pervert and threw me forward to die!" she said. The young man saw tears in the young giantess' eyes. "Please...please" he said pleading to her. This really didn't help Marin. "I can't" she muttered. Baris leaned close to her ear. "You'll do it or I'll make you their size again. If that happens...well you can guess" he said coldly. Marin didn't want to be shrunk down to their size again. She felt a crumb of safety this size and knew she was utterly helpless being as small as a human. Marin nodded. "It's easy. Just open your mouth" he said. Marin did and Baris took the man from her hands and placed him on her tongue. She tried ignoring his screaming and begging. Baris placed his hand on her chin and closed her mouth. "He...he wasn't kidding. I can really taste him" she thought. Marin was ashamed at how her saliva filled her mouth instinctively.

She began playing with the man. Sucking on him like sweet candy. Not because she wanted to or enjoyed it. She smiled at Baris. At first Baris thought he broke her already. Then he saw that she was crying. No, she was trying to please him. Make him happy to save her own skin. "No more stalling. Swallow" he said. Marin gulped him down. She coughed hard as the man fell at an awkward angle down her throat. Her powerful throat did its job propelling him to her awaiting stomach. "Oh god. I'm gonna be sick" she muttered feeling him pounding on her stomach walls. "Give it a moment. He'll stop" he said. Baris got right behind her. His cock just behind her large ass. His hands were on her shoulders as he smelled her hair. It smelled of strawberries. Marin could feel his closeness but was focused on other things such as the young man dying inside her.

His death had a twinge of mercy to it. Marin skipped breakfast as she was late for school and all the chaos occurred just before lunchtime. She hadn't eaten in nearly 36 hours. Her stomach acids were particularly potent. Within seconds of landing inside, the acids and enzymes began to work on him. His sneakers dissolved faster than once would suspect. As he stumbled to find the walls in a vain attempt to escape, he could feel a burning sensation on his feet. There was no light inside but he knew what that meant. He scrambled faster and bumped into her walls. "Let me out!" he screamed. It echoed and mixed with Marin's heartbeat. He beat his fists against the walls until a sharp burning struck both. He screamed as it ate away at his flesh. The pain went to his feet and he fell forward right into the rising tide of acids. It burned his face and shirt. It ate away at his chest and finally he passed out. Seconds later his heart stopped just before it too was eaten away.

"It stopped" she muttered. She stymied a burp but tasted an aftertaste in her mouth like she ate a hotdog. "Please don't make me do that again" she said. "But you were hungry. See?" he said hearing her stomach growl as it churned the victim into nutrients needed to keep her alive. She looked at him in disbelief. She saw an insidious glow in his eyes. "The devil" she muttered. She was so sure she was staring at Lucifer himself she pissed herself. People below scurried away from the hole as the yellow liquid trickled in. Marin was a devout Catholic. Her mother wanted no part of religion for she was raised to believe the Empress was a goddess and everyone saw how that woman nearly destroyed them all. Marin was in the faith due to her father. He was a man from Puerto Rico and joined the Union Navy due to his love of the sea. When Marin was born, he wanted to name her Marina because of that. Her mother wanted her to be named Lunin after her mother. They compromised in Marin.

Marin spent breaks from school with her father's family when she could. Devout Catholic and mindful not to sin...but that was then. "Devil...hmmm" he said trying to understand the word. With thousands of minds under his control it took only a second to get the definition of it. "Ha! No not the devil but I do enjoy what you call sins. Unadulterated sex for instance. Killing for fun. Sure it's my job but you can have fun working right? Nudity...ah now that is pleasing especially if it's a female" he said stroking her massive amount of hair. Marin was shaking. Baris picked up another person, a woman and jammed her into his mouth. He didn't swallow though.

He gripped her face hard and kissed her. Marin tried pushing him off as his tongue and the woman invaded her mouth. He broke the kiss and she immediately tried to spit the woman out. "Don't even think about it" he said. Scared shitless she swallowed. Baris laughed a little as he gathered more. Baris held the back of her head as he forced people into her mouth. Her feet kicked around as she struggled. She had no choice. She had to swallow them just to breathe. Around the 8th person she held her hands up. "No more. Stuffed" she said. Baris placed his hand on her tummy and felt she was telling the truth. He could faintly see tiny intentions in her skin as those still alive collectively struggled inside. Baris looked at the four left.

"Let's finish this elsewhere" he said grabbing up the four.  Baris wanted to very much fuck this girl. The body he had demanded it. Yesterday was his first foray into sex. He knew the mechanics of it. Hell, eons ago he watched from afar human and Ingress ancestors going at it. He found it most efficient. The shuffling of genes. Each generation progressing in evolution. However, having a flesh and blood body and sliding his penis into a female, the logic of it went right out the window. The smell and taste of her. The gripping of her vagina and the urge to spurt his semen into his catch. Baris raped the Ingress woman 4 times before collapsing. In the morning he nonchalantly dismissed her as a child tosses away a toy. Marin was more desirable than the woman from yesterday. She was younger, slenderer and fitter. Her hands looked delicate with her long fingers. Even her bare feet were appealing to him with long toes with toenails that were pristine like pink coral.

There was a fancy hotel just 6 blocks away. Baris wanted a room with a shower for he wanted her to clean up. She smelled of sweat and piss. He stepped in and sensed 22 hybrids inside. Big or small he knew they wouldn’t last the night. Not with the Ingress housekeeper with a salvaged pistol opening every room. Sure enough, as Baris and Marin stepped into the stairway (elevators were out due to the power failure), he heard a man scream before the sound of that pistol being fired. The Ingress woman simply closed the door to that room and continued. It was a long climb up the stairs. Marin was scared. This evil thing kept looking at her with what she knew to be lust. She wasn't stupid. There was one reason to bring her with him to this place. An Ingress bellhop passed him in the hallway and bumped into him. Marin immediately wanted to beg for this giant young man to save her, that is until she saw his mouth.

There was a leg sticking out of his mouth. Blood stained his lips. The bellhop slurped the leg in and chewed. "Excuse me master" he said apologizing. "No problem. Keep at it" Baris said amused. Marin was sure she was in hell. She wondered if she had died earlier and forgot being condemned to hell. She did have impure thoughts about a fellow student last week. She honestly didn't know. There was no lake of fire. No Sulphur or brimstone. Just a giant that was planning to fuck her if she liked it or not.  

They entered the room. Marin was surprised at how nice it was. The carpet felt good under her sore feet. She could see the city for miles and it wasn't pretty. Fires still dotted it. Baris passed her, dropped the people he was carrying, and turned on the shower. He tested the water with his hand. "Come here" he said. She was shaking. "I said come here" Baris said with eyes flaring up. Marin tip toed to him in the bathroom. He had her get in. She had to admit. The water felt heavenly. She was convinced this wasn't hell. No just a nightmare of real proportions. A 260 ft. high cascade of water cleaned off the filth of the last two days of hiding in a bunker. Baris was very much contented watching her. The tiny bit of energy he spent to make the water run and to heat it up was worth watching it run over her tits and firm giant ass.

Her fleeting moment of happiness was shattered as he stepped in with her. She watched him gather some shampoo and rub and lather it into her wet hair. After that, he took the hotel loofa and lathered it up. Marin cringed as she felt him rub it up and down her back. "Oh god..." she said as he went to work on her ass. She twitched as his hand cleaned the crack of her large ass. When that was over he gripped her from behind and pulled her to him. She felt his hard cock against her ass and when he began cleaning her pussy, she just broke down. Her tears were indistinguishable from the shower water as he cleaned her private parts. She fought the arousal building inside her.  She stood on tip toes as his big digit found its way inside her. Baris chuckled softly as he finger fucked her. He knew she didn't want it and that was what mattered to him. A lesser being for him at his mercy.

"Sit down" he said abruptly stopping. Marin was glad he stopped. She really didn't want to cum. She sat on the small bench in the shower for him. Baris bent to his knees and soaped up his hands. Marin bit her lip as he raised her foot and began cleaning it. His fingers between her toes. His palms washing away the dirt of the street. He went to the other foot. "It's strange. It's just an appendage like your hand but I feel an attraction to your feet. Your toes for instance. I have a desire to suck on them" he said quizzically. Marin was disturbed at how he coolly explained his desire to defile her. After she was rinsed, Baris turned off the water. She was relieved to see he let her dry herself but it creeped her out as to him sniffing the wet towel. Marin felt her heart pound as he led her back to the bed. The four hybrids were still on it trapped. Three young men and a young woman. The men were astounded at how beautiful the giantess Marin was. It was more profound as how upset she looked.

They actually felt sorry for her. "Lay down for me" he said. Marin obliged. The sooner he did what he wanted to do the faster he would free her. "You'll spare me right?" she asked laying back. "I made a promise didn't I?" he asked. Baris spread her legs. Marin turned away and prepared herself. "You two. Rub those pretty feet of hers. You. Warm her up for me and as for you..." he said snatching up the woman, work on those".

Baris dropped the woman on Marin's left breast. Marin twitched and wriggled as she felt small hands on her soles. It tickled her but she didn't want to laugh. "Eek!" she said feeling someone at her private place. She looked down to see a man playing with her giant clit. "How does it feel to be worshipped?" Baris asked. "It's terrible! Using people like toys! To do this to another being is ungodly!" Marin cried. "I didn't ask if it was moral. I asked how it felt" he said. "I hate it" she said. Baris gripped her chin. "Liar. Your pulse has risen. Body temp also. You're producing pheromones to entice a mate to fuck you" he said licking her cheek. Marin whimpered. Baris straddled himself over her. The unlucky man engrossed in masturbating the cute giantess didn't notice the massive dick looming above him. Baris jammed the head in quick trapping the small hybrid but after that took it slow. He was going to savor this. Maris was crying slightly. She could feel his dick pressing inside her, the man inside struggling. Her wish was to lose her virginity on her wedding night like a proper Catholic girl. Turns out she's losing to save her life. He felt him hitting her hymen. He looked rad into the big eyes of hers. "No, no please. I'm begging you! Don't....AHHHGH!" she shrieked as he plowed through her maidenhead making the giantess into a woman. The two at her feet were smashed into the covers as her feet flexed down in pain.     

"Nice and tight" he hissed as he began to fuck her. The room was loud waits the sound of the bed creaking, Marin sobbing, and Baris' balls slapping her ass. the woman on her breast was thrown violently off her. Baris snatched her up and placed her directly between her tits. He smashed them together just enough not to crush the woman.  The woman struggled to breathe under the mountains of mammary flesh. Baris laughed at the tiny woman's legs kicking franticly. Baris pressed them harder and Marin yelled in pain. Baris intensified the pressure anyway until he heard a faint crack of bones. He bent down and sucked her nipple and licked her skin. He sucked the body of the woman into his mouth and swallowed. Baris gave the evilest grin she ever seen and Marin screamed in terror. "I'd rather die!" she thought trying to push him off her. Baris used his weight to keep her down. She tricked kicking him with her left leg freeing the half dead man underneath her foot. Baris simply grabbed it and began to molest the giant appendage.

"Stop it!" she cried as he licked her sole and sucked her toes. Then what she had been fearing since he entered her happened. "Ejaculation!" he yelled. "Not inside! I'll do whatever you want just don't cum in me!" she begged with all her soul. Why bother fucking if you don't cum inside?! Now take it!" he screamed. The young giantess sobbed as she felt his warm semen flooding her. The man, if he wasn't dead already died when Marin began to orgasm herself. She felt her body betray her. Her deadly cunt crushed the man mercilessly as she spasmed. "Fuck" Baris said as she milked him for every drop. Baris pulled out of the whimpering girl. "Well some survived" he said fishing out the corpse of the man inside her and dangling it while he looked at the two men barely alive from being smothered under her giant feet. Marin closed her eyes and sobbed.

Baris tossed the dead man into the wastebasket next to the bed like used tissue paper. As he did though Marin sprang from the bed. She only got halfway off the bed (crushing one man under her knee) before Baris pushed her down. "Did I say I was done with you?" he asked. Marin screamed for God to help her. For a fleeting moment Baris felt sorry for her. He didn't know why. She was a flawed thing. An abomination. Something to be snuffed out like the thousands of others. Baris dismissed the thought and rammed his cock into her from behind. As if to prove something to himself, he was more brutal this time. The poor giantess shrieked and clawed and fought with all her might to get free. She truly regretted taking his offer. Sure, she would've experienced a painful death being digested by him or Karin but at least it would've been over and her conscience would've been clear.

Eventually she just stopped fighting and let the giant rape her. For she truly believed this was punishment for selling the others out to save herself. She didn't even fight as Baris shoved the last hybrid he took with him into her mouth from behind. She just stared at the door and swallowed. Finally, he finished. Marin didn't cry. Baris held her close to him on the bed and spoke to her. "I'm not the devil you know. Honest. I'm what you call an alien. I just look Ingres because I copied one. Marin looked at him. As if to prove himself to her, Baris used his telekinesis to get a small bottle of vodka out of the minibar. Small for them though as it was every bit of 6ft. tall. Marin looked in astonishment. "Seriously? This amazes you? Not the part where I grew you to Ingress size?" Baris said dismissively. "You creatures are strange and illogical. You believe in deities you never see and when a supreme being is in front of you and displays power you doubt them" Baris said taking another swig.

"You are not a supreme being!" Marin shouted. She wouldn’t let him call himself God or any God for that matter. "I'm linked to thousands of minds and I know a thing or two about this Bible of yours. Some things are similar. Walking among his creations. Destroying cities and populations. I don't believe in wiping out the planet with water though" he said. "How dare you call yourself God!" she yelled. Baris put down his bottle and rubbed her left breast. "Me and my subordinate made it so humans and Ingress became what they are now. So in retrospect their children are my creations as well.  Your delicate hands can grasp tools to aid in your survival. Your perfect feet can carry you wherever you need to. Your immune system and regeneration abilities stolen from the Ingress. Hybrids are a threat and so I am tasked to purge them as did your God to sinners with his flood" he said gazing at her.

"If it's any consolation I don't hold anything personal towards hybrids. Any more than you would hold a mouse or rat accountable for being born" Baris said sitting up. "Nothing personal? I saw the evil look in your eyes as you murdered those poor people!" Marin yelled. "Well you got me there. I do find considerable pleasure using them. This body has me feeling all kinds of emotions. Why did we ever give emotion up?" Baris said. "Will you let me go or are you going to keep raping me?" Marin hissed. Baris snapped his fingers and Marin's body went numb. The young giantess couldn't feel anything. Her fingers or toes, arms or legs. Nothing. "To answer your question I'm going to kill you now" Baris said with a smile. "You promised to let me live! YOU PROMISED!" Marin screamed. Baris' hand glowed and Marin saw the world get bigger. "...no. No! No! she screamed realizing Baris was shrinking her back to her normal size. "Oh yes" Baris grinned.

"Liar! You promised me! You made me kill them no you promised me!" she said to the looming giant over her. "Liar? I never lied to you. What I said to you and I quote..."I won't kill you here". I never said I wouldn’t kill you somewhere else" Baris said. The shock and horror on her tiny face made waiting rewarding. Baris had planned all along to eat her. Just doing it would've been boring to him. Drawing it out, making her do things against her will and then mindfucking her was what got him off. Gave him the best of thrills. Marin still couldn't move. She tried her best to crawl away but her legs just wouldn't listen. Baris laid down on the bed. His mouth just scant feet from her. "Please don't eat me. Why? Why kill us so cruelly?" she said hopelessly. "Slow learner aren’t you? My people seek perfection in life forms. And as beautiful and delicious as you look you aren't perfect. Either you're perfect or you're not us" he said.

Baris opened his mouth and began taking licks of her tiny feet. Marin began sobbing as she felt her feet being sucked on. Baris planned to take his time with her. Savor her fear and flavor but fate had other plans. Baris bolted up from her letting her legs drop to the bedsheet. "Aeris? AERIS?!" Baris yelled loudly. "Impossible. We can’t be so easily hurt. Can't be so easily killed" he said. Baris was always linked to her even if the link was slightly muted. He felt the feedback of shock and incredible pain from her. The link was getting weaker. Baris looked down at Marin who was shocked and confused as to why he stopped. Baris went to reach for her as to finish what he started and stopped again. "Dammit. The mission comes first" he said standing up. Baris concentrated on her location and teleported away. Seconds later, Marin found she could move again. She wasted no time in finding a way off the giant bed. She gambled on hiding in the air ducts as the safer bet. Fortunately, the vents were designed for human sized maintenance workers to move around in. Closing the grate behind her she sat down on the cold metal surface and cried. "Thank you God. The lord is my shepherd..."

Now...

"Don't just stand there Ai! Fucking help me!" Chad screamed. "Are you crazy?! She's the enemy! And why does she look like Nara?" Ai asked. "Long story and she was going to help us! If we don't save her every hybrid on Earth is fucked!" Chad yelled. Ai didn't move. "I'm giving you a direct order!" Chad yelled. She still didn't move. "Please..." Chad asked crying. Ai weighed the decision in the time it would take an eye to blink. "Alright" she said. The broken ACE stumbled over to them. "Chad...he's...he's coming" Aeris coughed. Before he could ask who, a flash of light blinded them. "Baris" Aeris said coughing blood. Chad couldn't believe it. Here was the other one she spoke of...and he was naked. He didn't look all that powerful but looks can be deceiving. Baris looked dead at Aeris. " Makes sense now" he said seeing her in flesh and blood instead of energy. Ai raised her plasma gauntlet at him.

"Don't bother metal nuisance" Baris said increasing the gravity 100 times around her wrist. The cannon misfired and imploded instantly. Ai yelled as the damage shorted out the ACE's system. Chad ran over to where a pistol was laying on the ground. The same pistol the young giantess child from earlier was holding. "Easy motherfucker" Chad hissed. Baris grinned and tried looking at the surface thoughts of his mind just to see if he had the balls to do it. Baris was shocked he couldn't. Baris tried harder and Chad grimaced in pain. Chad fired. Baris easily deflected the shots. "Aeris! Explain!" Baris said shoving Chad aside telekinetically. He roughly grabbed her arm. Aeris cried in pain. "Leave her alone! I said...LEAVE HER ALONE"

Baris and Aeris looked at him in amazement. Baris let go. "No..not possible" he muttered. "Chad? How? That...was...telepathy" Aeris said. She was getting weaker. Baris eyed Chad who raised his gun at him again. Baris tore it way from his hand. "You turned on his Ingress genes" he said. The irony wasn't lost on him. "Abominations. The whole lot of them" he hissed as he pointed his palm at Chad. Chad screamed in pain. He looked at the street which seemed to be rushing toward him. "No" he muttered looking up. Everything was getting larger. Chad was barely conscious, naked and weak. "It's an honor to kill such freaks" Baris said raising his bare foot over Chad. A fierce beam of energy blasted right through his shoulder literally cutting his right arm off. Baris howled in pain. He immediately looked for that ACE for earlier and saw it still staggered. He then realized the beam had to have come from the front of him. Only one person could've done that.

Aeris was holding her palm out at him. Still glowing but fading fast. "Don't..touch..." Aeris said blacking out. Baris was stunned. Never in the recorded billions of years of history has a Progenitor attacked another. Never. Baris was badly hurt. He hadn't bothered to raise a defense against her. Chad watched as the giant picked up his arm and teleport away in astonishment. Ai limped over to them. Chad barely remembered her placing him in the cockpit and tossing Aeris over her shoulder.

"Opening secure line to Victoria Base" Aeris said. A minute later she got a response. "Lt. Cyrus?! Report! Your transponder went down! Our counterattack was routed! Triangulation of your signal places you in the city!" Raam shouted. "Lt. Cyrus is unconscious sir. The female Progenitor is as well" Ai said. Raam was stunned. "The city is free of her control but it seems the situation has changed.  Requesting additional instructions" Ai said. "We can confirm the control signal is offline. Are you mission capable?" he asked. "Negative. Damage exceeds 63%. Flight, cloaking, and shields are down" he said. Raam has retasked a satellite for her location, switched to infrared, and zoomed to max. Sure enough he saw Aeris dropped over her shoulder. "ahead to that structure east of your location. The tall one there. We will meet up with you at 2200" he said. "Roger that sir. Also, bring a med team specializing in Ingress medicine. If what Lt. Cyrus told me earlier is true, then we are going to need them" Ai said.

"What do you make of that?" Raam asked. "We saw her down but not out. If this is a trap it's a poor one" Hart said. "Agreed. We can't pass up the chance to study one if she's injured. Call Dr. Zoris and have her meet us on the Tarmac. We might've just found some breathing room in this war" Raam said staring at Ai walking to the apartment building.    

"Where...where am I?" Chad asked looking around with blurred vision. The lights were bright and was blinding him. "THANK GOD HE WOKE UP!" a voice yelled. "Ah shit! Whoever's screaming please calm down!" Chad said grimacing. His head felt like he was hung over. Soon though his vision cleared. Staring dead at him was Kana. She looked like she was about to cry. "Kana? Am I back at Victoria Base?" he asked looking around. "We retrieved you and a woman that looked like Nara. You've were passed out when we arrived and rushed you here. You've been out for 14 hours. What the fuck happened Chad?!" she yelled.  

Her shouting was like in stereo for him. "It's a long story. Wait...Aeris! Is she okay?!" he asked. Kana looked confused. "The woman who looks like Nara!" he yelled. "She's alive and being held under guard. Truthfully we don't know how she survived. She was missing a left ventricle!" Kana replied. Chad relaxed hearing that. "I want to pick him up and hold him so bad" Chad heard. "You can if you don't squeeze me" he said. "Can what?" Kana asked. "You said you wanted to pick me up" he replied. Kana was taken aback. "I... I didn't say that" she said. "Yeah you did" he said. Kana looked at him like he was crazy. Chad stood up and saw he was naked under his gown. A breeze blew it up slight exposing him. "Fuck does he look cute. I just want to suck that cute little cock" Chad heard. "Jesus Kana! Can we focus here without you thinking of sex?" Chad said. "What are you taking about?" Kana said. "You got a short memory! That part where you said you wanted to suck me off!" Chad yelled pissed. Kana looked dumbfounded.

"I... I was thinking that" Kana said.  She looked at him very closely as if to see something. "42" the giantess thought. "42 what?" he asked. Her eyes went wide. "You...you can read minds" Kana said astounded. Chad flashed back to the last few moments he could remember of yesterday. "That...that was telepathy" Aeris said. At least Chad knew he wasn't hearing voices and going insane. "Kana...my clothes" he said. Kana picked up his clothes in one hand and gave them to him. He was remembering all that happened yesterday. Baris, being shrunk, Aeris dying. All of it. "I have to go see her" he said. "Fine but Colonel Raam needs to see you anyway" she said.

Kana held Chad in her hand. He was trying to get used to being human sized again but it was difficult. He couldn't help but feel vulnerable. He watched as fellow soldiers stared at him. "They got her here?!" Chad said seeing that they were going to Holding Area A. A subsection of the brig. A was for Ingress sized people and B or normals. Neither was cozy. "You're going to tell me who you are!" Raam shouted through the intercom. Chad was horrified to see Nara in what appeared to be a giant straight jacket. She was crying and staring at her feet. Her back against the wall. "I'm telling you right now I'm Nara not the alien!" she yelled. "You pose as one of my fallen officers?" Raam asked. "Ai. Play the recording" he said through his wristcomm. On a holoscreen a video played. Chad recognized it as his combat camera.

The video was glitchy and it zoomed in from a good distance. Aeris must've thrown his ACE at least 7 blocks. They could see her in her energy form. On one hand, she had her fingers pinched. No doubt holding Chad. The other however was holding Nara in her hand. Chad didn't want to see this again. He looked away. They watched as Nara was placed where her mouth would be and sucked in. Nara began to scream. It was soul withering to see one die twice. She turned away sobbing. The people in the room gasped as Aeris reformed into Nara.

"So let's cut the shit you fucking fake" Raam said. Nara glared at the window. Right at him. "Don't you fucking look at me that way. I swear to god I'll drop you. Feel that collar around your neck?" he asked. Nara felt it with her fingers. Chad took a closer look. Around the giantess' neck was a metal collar with a green light on it. "You so much as twitch funny I'll flip the fucking switch. Since they brought you in here with a fucking hole in your heart I doubt a bomb will kill you but poison might. There's a small syringe sitting near your brain stem loaded with potassium cyanide. Enough to kill you before you can blink. Now you will answer my questions. Understood?" Raam asked. Chad couldn't take the look of helplessness on her face. He had to stop this.

"She's telling the truth sir. That is Nara there. Sort of" Chad said walking up to the giant commander. "Lt. Cyrus?! Dr. Zoris. You were informed to alert me when he woke up" he said. Kana looked sheepishly. "Don't blame her. I asked to come here" Chad said. "I don't what happened out there but we all saw her vaporized and this thing taking her form" Raam said. "That is true but the thing is the alien assimilated her memories too. Most of the recent ones anyway" Chad said. "He's been compromised by the alien" Chad heard. "I haven't been compromised" he said. Raam looked surprised. "It seems I can read minds now" he said. "I think we need a debrief" Raam said. Chad went into details about what had happened after they lost contact with him. Chad did leave certain details though like changing his size and them having sex.

"That sounds too unbelievable. She's a lone of my dead Lt. and the alien” Raam said. "Nara. He needs proof" he said over the intercom. "Chad! That was your voice, right?!" she yelled. To this moment the intercom had been off. "Yeah it's me. He doesn't believe us. He needs proof" Chad said.  Nara thought about what she could do to prove it was her. "Colonel. Are there others in there other than you and Chad?" she asked. "Yeah. Why?" he asked. "I know something personal about you and I'd rather not have them overhear" she replied. Raam was curious enough to dismiss everyone. "Okay. It's just you and me. Indulge me" he said.

"Remember that night you caught me sneaking out of the men's barracks in the middle of the night? I thought you'd throw me in the stockade or something but you didn't. You laughed and tossed me my boot as I dropped it. Remember what you said to me? That you did the same thing years ago with a human girl. Everyone looks up to you sir. That stone faced look you got but it seemed soft. Sad even. I asked you if you were okay. You just said if you love someone you should make sure you never take them for granted. What did you mean by that?" Nara said. There was no answer. Silence.

"That's you, isn’t it?" Raam asked. He flicked a switch and the glass was transparent. Raam typed on a keypad and unlocked her cell door.  He sat on her bed and began unlocking the jacket. "This...this is crazy" the aghast giant said. "Years ago when I had just graduated from the academy there was a human girl I fell in love with. She was a pilot. Her circumstances remind me of you and Cyrus. Relationships between officers in the same group was frowned on much more in those days so we kept it secret. It was exciting. Doing stuff forbidden. Our love affair in the skies as she put it. Our relationship cooled slightly as we both had careers on our minds. No more sneaking off for sex or surprise visits. One day though all that came to an end. She had plans for us to go to the movies and I blew her off to go out drinking with some friends. It was an asshole thing to do. She was even dressed up. Those jeans hugging her tiny legs."

Raam looked down at the floor and sighed. "We were in the middle of our second round of drinks when we heard the news. A True Way terrorist had snuck an antimatter bomb into the base and detonated it. Fucking thing was as small as a grain of rice but it blew up nearly a third of the base. I remember us driving full speed in the rain back. I hopped out of the car and ran towards her barracks. Rubble and bodies everywhere. I remember calling her name as I ran. Then I found it. Her barracks roof had collapsed and the side was caved in from the shockwave. I remember tearing away the debris. Cutting my hands on it. I would hold my breaths as I found a small body. I would turn their little faces and check and place them back on the wet ground and keep looking. I don't know how long I was at it until I found a body that was wearing jeans. I remember muttering no over and over. The rain washed away the blood and dirt and I could see her face. It was hers."

"Tiffany! Tiffany wake up!" I screamed poking her tiny body. Nothing. "Tiffany...MEDIC! I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC!" I screamed. They took her from me as they tried to save her with nano injections. I distinctly remember the medic saying "skull fracture and bone in the brain. Brain death. Called at 2208 GMT". I watched as they covered her with a small sheet. I just sat there in shock. My friends found me later telling me to come to temp HQ. We demanded to go after them. Hell, we threatened our commander. Luckily he gave the green light. Me and two others went on "detached service". No military weapons, transports or combat suits. We were predators going out to hunt. After shaking sympathetic activists down, we got a lead. Our terrorist had fled to Ingressa. We boarded a transport and flew out" he said.

"Isn't Ingressa a neutral Ingress nation? Its extradition free" Nara said. Raam was more convinced now she was the real deal. "It is but we had no plans to extradite the bastard. This was no dead or alive kind of deal. Just dead. We carried no military weapons with us. We would be disavowed if caught. I didn't give a fuck. Ingressa is different from any place on Earth. A nation half as big as Africa itself sitting in the middle of it. Population is over 60% Ingress and the rest is mostly hybrids. Not many humans are there. I barely remember the homeworld but I'd imagine it was like Ingressa. Not many buildings their size" Raam said indicating humans with his hand. Thing was their choice of bomb gave away their connection to the military there."

"We traveled to the capital city of Pax Ingressa. The hub of the military of Ingressa. You know what we did. We acted like we wanted to join that hate group. We asked around in bars and alleys and a name kept popping up. Shakara. Three days. That’s how long it took for someone to trust us and bring us to this Shakara. You'd think an underground terrorist organization would meet in an abandoned building or something. Nope. A fucking restaurant. A guy ked us to the kitchen where a woman in her mid-40's was sitting down. She was eating this big plate of pasta like some human mob boss. "Three likeminded individuals like I said Boss" the man said. The woman glanced up and us for a moment. "You brought another group of strangers?" she said chewing a mouthful of food.  

"Well you did mention you wanted to increase our membership here" the man said. Shakara slightly nodded her head as she twirled her fork in her alfredo. My buddy on my left subtlety poked me with his elbow and motioned for me to look at her food. I didn't know what he was going on about until I noticed what he meant. Her pasta was slightly moving. "What's you name. You seem to be their leader here" she said pointing her fork at me. "Darin. Darin Raam" I said. I started sweating. Bitch looked like she walks the walk and here we were unarmed. "So you believe in our stance when it comes to humans?" she asked. "Yeah...yeah I do" I stammered. "Please elaborate for me" she said. "I hate the tiny fucks. Like vermin they are. Only good for pleasure or food" I said. More than once I've heard this from others but it still sounded vile coming from me.

"You believe we should mix our genes like they do with these hybrids?" she asked. "Only to fix our infertility and sterility. A generation or two" I said. She cocked her eyebrow. "Of course only the ones born our size should survive" I said. She grinned. "Good answer. Very good. You intrigue me Darin. Similar beliefs yet your answers are personal. Thought out. Have your friends wait outside" she said. I noted to my friends and they went out back into the restaurant. I glanced at her pasta as she told me to sit on a stool. I heard two loud clunks as she slipped off her heels. I glanced at her feet as I felt her toes touching my pants leg. "You remember the war? You seem young" she said. "Yeah. I lived on the home world. I was two years’ shy of conscription age. Did my part though working in a weapons factory" I said.

"That's nice. I was a captain in charge of infantry 113. We were stationed in a region called Guatemala. The humans there were interesting. It took little effort for them to worship us. Worship me. Judging from the structures there they had experience with that already. It was paradise. A real sun shining on us. Natural warmth. And tiny people who died so very well. I remember one human worshiped me body and soul. He would grab anyone I asked for to feed me. Woman or girl, man or boy. It didn’t matter to him. He wanted adulation. This was desirable for a while but I grew bored. I asked him to feed himself to me. The fool did just that. He climbed up a steep hill and literally dove into my open mouth. As I sat there digesting him I realized that humans are meant to be our slaves. They provide us with entertainment. Small and compact enough to be our food. They're even saving us from extinction. Why else would God make them so small if not to be dominated and conquered?" she said with a sick grin."

"It was that moment I realized who she truly was. Infantry 113 was infamous after the war. Stories came out at how many they killed. Thousands died because of them Nara. They depopulated entire villages. Even a year or so after the war people would still find piles of shit with human bones in them in Guatemala. Shakara wasn't just a terrorist sect leader. She was a war criminal. I should've just stabbed the bitch with the fucking fork she handed me. "And then traitors eroded our war efforts and things turned to shit. Having to hide here isn't so bad though. Being among my kind. I do leave now and then to do away with an eyesore to our beliefs. Just came back actually from taking care of some vermin and some race traitors" she said. I had to stop my hands from shaking I was so pissed"

"You ever eat one?" she asked. "Of...of course. Ate a human female last week" I said. "Well then. Here's a human right...here" she said stabbing a part of the twitching pasta. I heard a faint scream and saw redness mix with the white Alfredo sauce. She pulled the fork back and I saw a young man impaled on it. "Say ahh" she said. "I prefer females. Taste better" I said. "Don't be picky" she said sternly. I put the fork in my mouth and took the man from it. I kept saying he would die anyway. My justification. Didn't help as much as I hoped it would. She watched intently as I sucked on him. Me making a show of it. She smiled as I swallowed. "Not so bad, right? Men" she said. I shook my head. She told me to come to a secret meeting the next evening at a certain location. My buddies asked what happened. I only said we were in."

"Good thing we left our guns at our hotel be used we were searched. A storage warehouse near the business district. There were 8 of them. One of the wearing a military uniform. There she was not dressed up but not in street clothes either. Thanks to our fellow brother here we were able to obtain more deathseed bombs" she yelled. These bombs were the one that killed my girl and so many others. They were military grade just as we suspected. That was enough. They had pistols and swords inside the place so we could take what we needed and so we did. I led the attack picking up a sword"

"I had top marks in melee combat and they found out. One buddy was great at small arms and the other excelled in demolitions. Before they knew it, I had killed three. One friend killed two. The other threw a sticky grenade and blew him to bits. Within a half-minute over half the cell was dead. Only her and that military guy was alive. That guy was good. Trained. Laid down cover fire to help her get away. She would've too if it wasn't for my marksman. Shot her in the leg and she went down shaking the ground. The military guy surrendered. Too bad we weren’t sanctioned. No prisoners. I cut his head clean off. Then I saw her crawling. Dragging her useless leg with her. "Fucking traitors. All of you!" she hissed. "Stay back! I'll detonate the whole fucking stockpile!" she shouted holding a box full of those bombs. One was enough to devastate a base. A whole box of them would level at least the entire business district. Found out later that box carried the equivalent of 12 megatons of explosive. I didn’t care. She took someone I cherished from me. She held that detonator pin her right hand. The box in the left. With a disgusted look, I severed her arm. She howled in pain. Blood squirting from her body.

"I took the box from her and gave it to my demolitions guy for safekeeping. "You killed someone I loved very much. You killed good friends. Good people" I said placing the top of the blade in the center of her chest. "Fuck you! You and your kind sold our birthright to rule this world!" she said spitting in my face. I began pushing the blade through her chest. "It's people like you that turned out homeworld into a frozen graveyard. People like you that make humans fear us" I said sinking anther four feet of metal into her chest. She grabbed at the blade cutting her fingers. "People like you that steal the innocence from others" I said forcing it through her chest until I felt it hit the floor below. The woman was in shock. "And people like you that doom others to a life of regret, loss, and broken dreams" I said considering her eyes. "I'm not hoping you burn in hell. I'm hoping you freeze in it. So, you can feel the coldness of being alone for eternity" I said. I twisted the blade sharply until felt her spine snap. We all stood there watching her with those frightened eyes of hers as she passed away."

"We wiped out fingerprints off the weapons and torched the place. We snuck back home and told our CO the news. He congratulated us and passed the information to the higher ups who classified the intel. Think about it Nara. Killing a war criminal and not being allowed to tell anyone. You're the first to know in years" he said.

Nara looked at him different. She knew him to be a hardass but now she knew why. "What's it like to have her in your head?" he asked. "Terrifying at first but that's changed. It's important you know something sir. She's agreed to help us fight Baris. The other one of her kind" Nara said. "I'll have them get your clothes. Meet me in the C&C" he said. Nara was relieved that he believed her now but she still had the daunting task of getting those on board. Nara shared her mind with Aeris and knew full well that saying she could defeat Baris was a tall order even with help. As she stepped out the door she heard Chad. "Hey good looking" he said. Nara snatched him up and hugged and kissed him. "Oh god I love you" he heard her say. "I love you too" he said. Nara realized the last thing she saw him do before she and Aeris passed out. "Telepathy" she said. Chad nodded. "It's crazy. I hear people voices when they’re near me. It's starting to get to me" he said. "Everything?" she asked. Nara closed her eyes and thought of something.

"Yes. I meant it when I asked you to marry me" he said. Nara quietly sobbed. "What about her? She's part of me" Nara asked. "Then she'll just have to accept some boundaries. Tell her to go to sleep when we have sex" he said. Nara laughed hearing that. "We should go to the Colonel now" she said. The two went to the C&C where Raam was. Inside was Raam sipping coffee. He looked very concerned. Dr. Hart was nearby watching Nara intensely. "I'm expecting a conference with Washington. Reports of Ingress heading towards France came in. It doesn't look good" he said. The monitors beeped and three faces appeared. "Sirs" he said saluting. "At ease Colonel. We got your communique. Is what we heard true? Is that the female?" a man asked. "Yes sir" Raam replied. Raam motioned for Nara to come forward. "Hello sirs" Nara said nervously. "You look normal" another man said dismissively. "I assure you I not. Inside this body is the female Progenitor that took over New Perth. She's asleep now though" Nara said. They looked at her as if to scrutinize.

"She was badly injured and fight off the male" Nara said. "It's true. We caught it on camera" Raam said. "This girl has that kind of power?" a woman asked. Nara could see she wasn't getting anywhere fast. "Don't judge...wait...Aeris are you sure? You don't sound fine. Okay. Alright" Nara said cocking her head to the side. Chad and Raam watched as the giantess' eyes began flowing once more. As Aeris took over her body stumbled. She caught herself though.  "Looks...can be deceiving Brigadier General" Aeris said. "Am I to assume you’re this Aeris now?" he asked. "I see a demonstration is in order" she said. She looked at Raam. With a simple gesture waved at him, Raam began clucking like a chicken. "That is wrong on so many levels" Chad said. Aeris has him stop. "Fuck..." Raam said. Everyone was silent. "As you see I am who I say" Aeris said.

"I'm going to come out and just say it. Why should we trust you after what you did?" one of them asked. "You don't have a choice. Without me the hybrid species is doomed and quite possibly your world of things keep playing out this way" she replied. "Why hybrids?" he asked. "Simply put, we...he sees them as a contamination. Humans and Ingress were never meant to intermingle their genes. Have offspring with one another" she said. "How is that bad?" Raam asked. "Both species were engineered to follow a certain evolutionary path. Humans were to be aggressive and conquer their environment to evolve. Ingress was rapid adaptability. A species with both traits would be troublesome indeed. Think about someone like Hitler that was 200 or so feet tall and could rapidly heal. Now imagine a whole army of them. That is our greatest fear" she said.

"Ehat made you think different?" a woman asked. "After I took a flesh form I began to experience a wide range of emotions. Lust, envy, jealousy. Then there were others. Love, compassion, loss, and guilt. Emotions my people has forgotten existed long long ago. Hybrids, as dangerous as they maybe, deserve a chance. And more so ones that have potential to be the next stage of evolution like Lt. Cyrus here" Aeris said. Everyone looked at Chad. "What?" Chad asked dumbfounded. "It's true Chad. You're hearing voices, aren't you? Thoughts? It's said that when my species took its first evolutionary leap, telepathy was the first mental ability we had. Others came over time until we evolved past physical forms" she said. "So I'm some new species?" he asked. "Not quite. You're...a hint of what hybrids may become. That is enough to persuade a Progenitor to protect you. Of course, I have personal reasons" she said quietly.

"If your species is so advanced, why not wipe them all out at once?" a man asked. "Me and him aren't strong enough. A high elder on the other hand..." she said. "High elder?" Raam asked. "There are 7 of us that hold that rank. The oldest of us and our advisors. Our leaders. Pray to your gods that they never come here. I once saw a high elder destroy a planet with life for the sole purpose of stabilizing the orbit of another one" she said. "Well we have plans to eliminate this other one right now in fact. He's approaching our target zone" a man said. "With all due respect sir. From what we've seen so far, every soap on hasn't hurt him. Only she has. Dr. Hart can show you the files again. Dr. Hart please...Dr. Hart?" Raam asked looking for the small man. He wasn't on the table or floor. Raam wondered where he went. "I have a high level of confidence for this strike. The combat cruiser Shokaku is in orbit over him right now aiming its laser battery. I doubt even he can deflect something moving at the speed of light. Switch to telemetry" the Brigadier General said.  "This is a very bad idea Chad" Aeris said.

"Sir we have telemetry on target. Firing solution in 20 seconds" a weapons officer said. "Charge primary cannon. Lock in firing solution" the captain ordered. The space cruiser had its nose pointed down at Earth. At 215 miles, they concluded they were safe from any attack. The ship was old, prewar old and didn't have plasma or positron weapons but she still performed her duties. Ironically, her old weapons made her perfect for this job. Plasma weapons were slow. Even a charged shot wasn't over a tenth light speed. Positron weapons were faster but not by much. A laser weapon, abet weaker by several degrees, was ideal for hitting a faraway or fast moving target. "Primary cannon charged! Beam focusing lens primed! Solution in 10 seconds!" the weapons officer yelled. "Engineering! Watch the temperature in that firing chamber!" someone yelled. "Slaving computer to firing solution! Automatic discharge!" the weapons officer yelled. "3...2...1...FIRE!"

2 minutes earlier...

Baris had his mind not on taking Paris. No, he thought about Aeris. A phantom pain resided in his shoulder even after he reattached his arm. The weakened Union military was in full retreat after seeing the giant alien swat away missiles like flies. He led the attack and literally crushed opposition as it came. Either under his booted feet or with telekinetic might. A jet flying overhead got through his perimeter and dropped death seed bombs. A simple shield from the giant protected him and most of his forces. Those he lost he cared not. His march that he started yesterday had collected hundreds of Ingress from various towns. The old Ingress woman by his side was a grandmother. She joined his army after dispatching her son in law and grandson. Now she was gunning down a tank full of soldiers fighting to keep him out of Paris. "How dare she?!"  said thinking of Aeris.

"Attack a fellow Progenitor?! Has she lost her mind?!" he said stomping a fleeing man under his shoe. He ground the man into the soft dirt coldly as he fumed at the betrayal. He couldn't understand why she would break such a taboo. "I've been her teacher for 100,000 years! One would think she'd defer to my judgement! And for what?! That freak?! An abomination! There is no way he can be the next step in the evolution of a species! This has been planned for an eon! I will not some insect derail our plans!" he yelled kicking a tank. The small tank caught fire and a solder spilled out. Baris grabbed it before it could flee. To his delight it was a female. She was speaking French but he understood easily what she said. She screamed for him to release her as she fired her pistol. Baris didn't even have to deflect the puny shots.

He watched though as the tanks, armored vehicles, mobile weapons, ACE's, and essentially all the enemy forces withdraw quickly. "They won't even try to help you. Worthless species. It wouldn't help if they did try but it's would be a good gesture. How does it feel to be betrayed? It's a new experience for me" Baris asked the woman as he tightened his grip. She didn't have time to respond before it happened. A beam of concentrated light tore through the atmosphere and impacted his position with a trillionth of a second. It pored its hellish power on him for 10 whole seconds literally tearing the sky apart. Clouds receded as superheated air whooshed them away. The commander of the Union forces watched from afar. He remarked like it was looking at the flashlight of God. People hunkered down as the shockwave of superheated air caused a concussion wave like a nuclear weapon being detonated. Smoke billowed into the sky at ground zero. "Direct hit!" the commander shouted sure nothing could withstand that.

His hopes were dashed as a shadow came out of the smoke. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. A lone giant, now naked, casually stepping out of the magma pit of ground zero.

Baris didn't feel the liquefied bedrock under his bare feet. Being a creature that was primarily made of energy, his mind could think at light speed and his powers came from that. His flesh limited reaction speed but that was it. The moment the first photon of concentrated light touched his skin he protected himself. Everyone except Aeris had sorely underestimated him. Baris looked at his hand quizzically where he had held the woman only to see just a collection of black carbon ash. He opened his hand and let her vaporized remains float into the rising smoke. He looked around and saw his army in similar form. No bodies. Not even bones. A scattering of melted guns was proof that he did have soldiers but what remained of them was piles of ash. His force of 916 Ingress was gone in a flash of light. He angrily looked up into the sky. His Ingress eyes couldn't see the Shokaku but his mind knew exactly how to trace the trajectory. Being so old he had vast knowledge of physics and essentially what made the universe tick. He knew that light moved in a straight line (mostly). All he had to do was position his hand. "A laser? Against me? I don't know what's more stupid. Attacking me with something so basic or thinking you're safe up there" he said. His hand glowed brightly and then discharged a brilliant beam into the sky.

"Report Shokaku! Did we get the target?" a Brigadier General asked. Aeris was shaking her head at Chad. "Status report!" the captain yelled. "Target survived bombardment!" a sensor officer said. "Energy spike from target! Target is..." a voice yelled before the comm went to static. "Shokaku?! Come in Shokaku?! Get me a sat feed on her!" the General yelled. They all watched as another feed came in. The old cruiser Shokaku was just a cloud of debris. "My god" the woman General muttered.

"You can't fight him conventionally. Only I have a chance of stopping him and it's a small one at that" Aeris said. She looked down at Chad who was staring at the screen. "I'm serious Chad. He's way stronger than me. Last time I had surprise on my side. A sucker punch won't work again" she said. "Do you know any weakness he has miss?" a General asked. "Only one. He's full of himself. If he was in his right mind he'd abandon his form and revert to his energy state. Like that he would be over 100 times as powerful. I did more than just wound his body. I wounded his pride. This is an act of attrition now" Aeris said. "Can you revert? Become more powerful?" Raam asked. "Not now. I'm still weak. Trying now would just disperse my form. Kill me" she answered softly. "Raam. Bring her to Washington. I want all the defense heads in on this. Meanwhile we must enact plan b for Paris. God help us all" he said closing the comm.

"What's plan b?" Chad asked. "Tactical strike on the city. There have already been evacuations but...it's the only way to keep the communications hub out of his hands" he said. "Scorched earth" Chad muttered. "You're both dismissed. Go get some chow" Raam said taking it all in.

Chad sat on the table eating. "Could everyone stop thinking so loud?!" he yelled. "Chad. Think of a brick wall. Build it in your mind" Aeris said. Chad did and felt the voices quieten. He was surprised it was so easy. Aeris sat behind him. Her giant hands around him. As Chad ate he saw her fingertips glowing. He looked up at her. She was shaking her head. She looked upset. "What's wrong? What are you doing?" he asked. "Was considering growing you back to my size. I... I can't. Baris...goddamn him" she said trying not to cry. "He was brutal in shrinking you. He literally tore apart the Ingress genes that control size. You’re stuck that size" she said breaking down. "Hey. It’s okay. Really. I was born this size so I can adjust fine" he said stroking her finger. "Yeah but I wanted you to fuck me again" she said. "I can still fuck you" he said.

Aeris looked away for a moment as if to ask a question. "Do you love me? Not Nara. Aeris" she said. Chad had been dreading this. He himself didn't truly know. "Aeris. You have her body, her voice, even her smell. I can't help but feel attraction. But you as a personality? There are some feelings there but love like I love Nara? No" he said. Aeris said nothing as she stood up and left. Her giant footsteps taken in her hospital slip on shoes sounded heavier for some reason. Chad couldn't help but feel bad about hurting her but what choice did he have?

Aeris walked out to the hangar. Nara's memories made it a comfortable place to be alone depending on time of day. She somehow knew that the engineers and maintenance was on a shift cycle. That's didn't mean it was empty now though. Kana sat on the cool pavement near the entrance looking out towards New Perth. Small plumes of smoke could be seen. Aeris was smart enough to guess what was happening out there. The Ingress out there were self-destructing and any humans or surviving hybrids were probably either killing them in a shoot first capacity or still hiding. "I caused this" she muttered. Kana turned around and sat her cup down. Aeris quickly turned to go somewhere, anywhere else. "You can't run from your problems. Like I told Chad" Kana said. Kana motioned for her to come sit with her. Nara and Aeris knew that Kana had feelings for Chad but couldn't hate her for it. Not with that smile.

"I love this spot. How my voice echoes. The coolness of the awning shadow. Feels good to rest my feet. Orthopedic shoes my ass" Kana said flexing her giant toes in her nylons. Aeris kept staring at New Perth. "You still feel them? That is what you can do right?" Kana asked. "No. I cut my connection to them but I got a good guess what's happening" Aeris said. Aeris hung her head and began crying. "Do you like tea?" Kana asked. Aeris looked at her like she was stupid. "Never had it" she replied. "Too bad. Try some" kana said handing her a cup the size of a car. Aeris sipped the liquid and was surprised how warm and soothing it was. "Jasmine. Picked up some last month in Taiwan. I got my love of tea from my mom. She had this funny saying about tea. "Tea is like character. It only reveals itself when put in hot water." Well you're in hot water now. You made innocent people kill one another. Families kill one another. There's some bad karma you racked up" Kana said.

"I don't need you to remind me of that" Aeris said. "Probably not but I will say this. You are doing a brave thing turning against your people. That's a very good start as to trying to make things right" Kana said. "But that didn't bring you out, here did it? “she asked. "Chad doesn't love me romantically" Aeris said quietly. Kana cocked her head hearing that. "Sucks ass, doesn't it? Being in the friend zone" she said. "Friend zone?" Aeris asked. She searched her mind for the meaning. "Oh. Yeah. Sucks major ass" Aeris said. "How do you manage being around him. Seeing Chad so often and yet seeing...well this with him" Aeris asked. As soon as she did she winced as Nara yelled in her mind as to being called a "this". "How do you know about that?" Kana asked. "I was briefly in all Ingress' minds here on this base not long ago. A few minutes. Not long enough for lasting effects but enough to see what was inside" Aeris replied.

"How much did you see?" Kana asked nervously. "You masturbated two weeks ago thinking of Chad" Aeris replied. Kana dropped her cup. "Nara is pissed by the way" Aeris said.  "You had no right!" Kana said blushing. "Couldn't help but see it when I was connected. Can you filter out colors when you see? No. It's all or nothing" Aeris said. "He didn't want to hurt me but it still hurts" Aeris said. "That's life. We don't always get what we want. We can only hope to get what we need and right now you need each other. You need his moral guidance and he needs your strength. You'll come to understand that love has many facets. Just...just like I have" Kana said. "But still. I want to mate with him again so badly. How his penis filled me up" Aeris nonchalantly said. "Fill you up?" Kana asked. "Well...that's was when he was our size" she said. Kana's eyes went wide. "Oh. I tweaked his genes so he was big. That fucker Baris made him small again" Aeris said. "Was he...nice?" Kana asked blushing. "Oh he was gentle. Made sure I had an orgasm before he came. The feeling of his sperm shooing inside me was so primal" Aeris said knowing she was fucking with her. Kana shifted her legs. Aeris was grinning. "Wow. Maybe he made you pregnant" Kana said. Aeris stopped grinning. "I... I never thought about that. Of course, that is the purpose of sex, right?" Aeris asked. "A purpose. Not the only one. Well...I like my men small and tiny anyway. More cute and cuddly" Kana said. "I did have fun shoving him inside me" Aeris whispered. There was an awkward silence.

"Nara is a lucky girl, isn't she?" Aeris asked. Kana nodded. "That she is" she said brushing off the dust on her nyloned soles and standing up. Kana walked behind Aeris. "All kidding aside though" she said reaching into her pocket. Kana gripped Aeris by her neck with one hand and held a telephone pole sized scalpel to her throat with the other. "If you harm him I'll fucking kill you regardless whose face you got" Kana said. Aeris could've easily killed her or took control of her right there. "Agreed" she said trying to build trust. Kana whistled as she walked away. Aeris noticed Nara feeling worried. "Come now she couldn't have hurt us" Aeris said to her. "That's not it. We...we really could be pregnant" Nara said. Aeris felt her abdomen. If she was she couldn't tell. Not now anyway. Such fine control of genes was beyond her right now. She could manipulate them but seeing a foreign genetic structure was beyond her. If she lived millions of years more maybe...

"I can't tell. Maybe a few weeks more I could" Aeris said. "No shit! So, could I!" Nara yelled. Aeris couldn't understand why she was so scared. "Don't you want offspring?" she asked. "Jesus Aeris! How would that work? You be the mommy on weekends when you have control?!" Nara yelled. "You creatures are strange. I'm going to sleep again" Aeris said. Nara took control and decided to go back to the canteen where Chad was.

"Oh. Hey I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings" Chad said seeing the giantess sit next to him. "She's asleep Chad. Chad? Do you want kids?" she asked. "Uh...yeah. Yeah I do" he said. Chad finished his meal and walked on the table over to her. "Let's talk in private" he said. Nara took him to her barracks room. Everything was as she left it...in another life. Nara sat him on the bed and picked up a massive stuffed animal. Chad remembered it for the first time. He teased her for it. It was a creature (native to the homeworld) called a Nalakin. It reminded him of a cross between a cougar and elk. She called it Twixy. Chad could see though it was special to her. Like right now. It was like seeing an old friend you forgot about. Her copied memories were hazy. Her giant fingers feeling the fake fur as if to reconnect. She took it with her and sat in the bed. She pulled her legs up and kept her feet out as she cuddled the plushy.

"Something is really on your mind now" he said walking to her right foot. Chad gently stroked the space between her big and second toe. He knew she loved it from experience. She wriggled her toes feeling his tiny hands on a sensitive spot on her feet. "What if I'm pregnant?" she muttered. "That's what's on your mind?" he asked. "YES! This situation isn't exactly normal Chad! I got an alien in my head and I'm a copy of a dead woman!" she yelled. Chad saw she was shaking. Chad climbed up onto her foot and made his way up her leg. She watched intently as he sat on her knee. "You're not just a copy. If you were you won't be freaking out. You got emotions and feelings. You liked it just now me rubbing that space between your toes right?" he asked. "You know I did. You know how sensitive my feet are" she replied.

"Do you like me pleasuring your feet?" he asked. Nara blushed and nodded. "Does Aeris?" he asked. "She finds it odd" Nara replied. "And there you go. Something only Nara likes. It's our individual wants that makes us unique. Not our DNA. You're not a copy baby. You were reborn" he said. Nara dropped Twixy and picked Chad up. She laid back on the bed and held him close to her heart. "It won't be easy...assuming we survive this...but I know you'll be a great mom one day" he said. She raised him to her face and kissed him. He returned the kiss and licked her lip lovingly. With a mutual understanding she began undressing him.  She planted kisses on his body. Chad felt her warm breath upon him. The smell of fruit from earlier still on it. Her eyes were locked on him. Her brow wrinkled as she stared at his tiny face. Chad stroked her index finger and kissed it. Slowly, she parted his legs with her tongue and washed his cock and balls. Chad gripped her tongue as her taste buds tickled his hardening shaft.

Nara pulled back and licked her lips. Chad prepared himself as she sucked his tiny penis into her mouth. As she sucked him she thought about how this cock filled her up. Possibly making her pregnant. She was gentle to the point you'd think they were the "family jewels". She didn't increase the pressure as she would want. She just kept at it for entire 10 minutes. With a sigh, he blew his load onto her tongue. She pulled him off her mouth and relished the taste of his semen. Chad noticed something different. "I’m not made of glass you know" he said. It caught her by surprise. Chad was very worried now. She looked almost scared. Chad decided to look into her mind if it was possible. What he saw wasn't words. It was images. Him dying with her/Aeris watching. She was sure they had no future no matter what he had said earlier. "I saw that" he said pointing to his head. Nara gasped as she realized what he meant.

"You want this moment to last forever just in case don't you?" he asked. Nara knew she was busted. "You can't live your life thinking it will end badly. Thinking the worst all the time" he told the distraught giantess. "Now fighting a fucked up war might not be living but it sure isn't dying. Bring me to you ear" he said. She placed him near her ear. Chad placed his foot on the inside curve of her ear and held onto her hair. "What comes will come. Now, I'm going to fuck your pretty pussy and you're going to forget about Baris, Aeris, and this war. Understood?" he said into her ear canal. It wasn't just his words but his tone of voice that eased her. That same confidence shed grown to love. She placed him right in front of her partied covered crotch. She raised her titanic legs and pulled them off and dropped them back on the bed causing Chad to fall on his ass. Nara giggled at him. Chad was relieved to see her smile again but now he was determined to fuck his fiancée giantess lying before him.

Chad wasted no time inserting his cock between her folds. He grunted loud and hard as he rammed into her. Nara laid there motionless for she never seen him so energetic. Not even when he was her size did he fuck her so. "You listen to me Nara! You're going to marry me! Be the mother of my children! We're going to have a good life! Do you understand?!" he shouted speeding up. Nara was panting. The spill of passion, of power, and sheer determination shook her to the core. "YES!" she screamed. With a combined shout, the couple came. Chad held his breath as his body was assaulted with splashes of her juices. He laid against her labia wiping his face. Nara was crying yet smiling. She finally believed that they could really be okay.

A few hours passed since they mated. After a long soak in her tub, they sat on her bad just cuddling and talking. At one point, he asked if she wanted her toenails done. Chad was trying to fill in the gaps in her memory. There was one in particular. "So what happened next?" Nara asked. "Well, we were drunk as shit by then. You more so. One of us got the bright idea to try some foreplay. You demanded me to call you goddess and shit. You had me do some kinky things" he said. "Like what?" she asked. "You had me clean your teeth stark naked. I'm serious! You had these bits of spinach stuck on your back molar and had me yank them out!" Chad said. Nara blushed and looked away. "Oh it got worse! You had me sit on your tongue and masturbate! You even held a mirror to your face so you could see me!" Chad said laughing. "Weren't you scared?" she asked. "I was drunk remember?  I just thinking how weird your tongue felt on my ass!" Chad said laughing.

"After that hit of fun you and me paint your toenails like I'm doing now. You thought it was funny to pick me up with your toes and fan your foot to dry the polish. It wasn't funny when I puked from motion sickness" he said. "Eww. That sounds gross" Nara said. "You bet it was. You damn near crushed me running to the bathroom to clean off your foot" he said finishing her on her pinky toe. "Have you gave any thought about your parents?" Chad asked. "Aw fuck. Never even thought about that" she said. "You telling me you haven't called them yet?" Chad asked. "I've been busy okay?!" she yelled. "Call them. Now" he said. Nara pulled her feet away from him and faced her terminal. Chad was making his way off the bed. "Stay. I... I want you to stay" she said nervously. "Computer. Place call to Ingressa Pax. Level 2. Subsection 141. House 71" she said. "Connecting..." the terminal said.

"Nara?! Nara is that you?!" a woman asked. This was the first time he ever seen her mother. She was the spitting image of Nara abet some years older. Even so he realized she must've given birth to her at a young age. The difference in years was at most 16 or 17. He shouldn't have been surprised though. Years ago, when he was around 12, his father gave him the "talk". Embarrassing for sure but Chad asked when his father was "with a girl". Rex saw no point in lying so he told the truth. "My 15th birthday. It was a mandatory thing" he said. This parked a whole series of questions and Rex was getting squeamish, more so when he noticed his tiny wife listening in from a crack in the giant door. Rex explained how under the old system it was mandatory for those 15 and up to mate every month. A staving off of extinction due to DNA damage. As Chad got even more curious about what girls he was with, his giant ears heard a tiny but forceful footstep outside the door. "More important is that when you are with a girl it's for the right reasons. Make sure you love her son. You knock up a girl I'll beat your tiny ass" he said. Now as he looked at this woman he figured his father will forgive him if Nara was pregnant.

"I've been worried sick?! Why didn't you call earlier?! You know what's going on in the world, right?!" the woman yelled. Nara thought that her ranting sounded like Chads mother. More alike than unlike their species. "Yeah mom. I do. Sorry for not calling earlier" Nara said. "You...you sound different" she said. Nara was taken aback. "Just tired. It's been a long week" she said. "Are you resting? Looks like you were resting" her mother said indicating her lack of clothes. "Not really" Nara replied. "How is dad?" Nara asked. "Busy helping with refugees. Even the hybrids too" her mother said with slight disdain. "Refugees? From Europe?" Nara asked. "Yes, those horrible aliens are forcing people to flee their homes" the woman replied. Nara slightly flinched. "Come home. Come home where it's safe honey" the giantess mother begged. "I can’t mom. I’m needed" Nara said. Chad watched as the giantess' eyes narrowed. "I wasn't asking Nara" she said. "Mom I am grown woman and I can make my own decisions" Nara sniped. Her mother cocked her head and suddenly she looked as if to see something small or hidden. Uh oh. She was looking at me.

"Why is that...human sized man in your room? And with you in undress no less?!" she yelled. "His name is Chad mother and he is my fiancée!" Nara yelled. "Now you did it" Chad said. The woman was turning red. She took deep breaths. "You know how I feel about them. I'm grateful for them letting us live on Earth but as partners? No" she said. "I'll have you know he is the best man I've ever met" Nara said. "You expect that tiny thing to satisfy you like a real Ingress man? They are fun to hold or...spend time with but as a relationship, a family? They are inadequate" the giantess cruelly said. "I'll have you know he's been the reason I'm still alive right now. He stopped me from..." Nara said starting to cry. Chad crawled into her lap. "It's okay honey. It's okay" he said touching her shirt. "There's...there's something you should know. I..." Nara was saying until a cascade of sirens went off. "Nara. Cyrus. Get down to C&C now!" Raam shouted over their comm. "Mom I have to go. I love you" she said closing the comm. her other shouted her name as the screen went black.

Both threw their clothes on and raced to Command. Large soldiers were running past them with guns drawn. The special walkways for smaller people were filled with rookies and soldiers heading to the hangar. "Fuck is happening?" Chad asked as he was carried in her hands. Nara shook her head. they made it there as Raam stared at a radar screen. "Wake up Aeris. We got trouble" Raam said. Nara closed her eyes and when they opened they glowed. Aeris was awake. "What's happening? Wait...I sense multiple Ingress flying towards us" Aeris said. "You bet your ass they're flying towards us! Radar has 52 bogeys coming in hot. ETA is 9 minutes" Raam said. "From where?! The city?!" Chad asked stepping off her giant hand. "No. Their flight path came from over the sea. Most likely from Mumbai. Your friend has been busy" Raam said.

"He is not my friend. This makes no sense even for him. He knows I'm here so why send only 52? Does he still think I'm that weak?" Aeris asked. "Are you?" Chad asked. Raam very much wanted to know the answer to that. "No. I can hold off that many but something is off. I might know more when they get closer" she said. "Can you break his hold on them?" Chad asked. "Not that many. Not right now.10 or 15 maybe" the giantess replied. "Any response to hails?" Raam asked someone. "No sir" she replied. "Where is Hart? He's supposed to be the expert in this shit. Someone find that asshole and get him up here! I want to know why this group wants to poke us" Raam said. An officer rushed out the room. "Hart?" Aeris asked. "Our resident mad scientist. A self-proclaimed genius in bioengineering, psychology, and applied science. Guy is weird" Chad replied. "Hopefully they'll find his ass in his lab. In the meantime, get those automated defense systems up!" Raam ordered.

Like most military bases, it had automated defenses. Unlike most bases though, Victoria base was light in that department for it was a training base. Most heavy defenses were in New Perth. "Hangar! You got those STRIKE's and ACE's ready for live combat?!" Raam barked over a comm. the reply was in three minutes. Raam looked at the screen. "You got two" he said. "Perimeter breach in 4 minutes! ETA is 6!" someone said. "I need to help" Chad said. "I'm coming too" Aeris said. Raam nodded his approval. The two ran for the hangar. As they ran close to the lab Chad smelled something. "Ozone?" he wondered as Aeris sped past the hallway leading to it. They made it to the hangar and saw trainees hopping into mechs. They both saw the look of fear on their faces.

"Jesus Aeris. Some of these people haven't even flow solo yet" Chad said. "Today they're gonna learn...or die" she said placing him on the ground. "Damn. They're really coming" Chad said seeing them in the sky. "Lt. Cyrus!" a maintenance worker yelled. "We got an ACE for you ready to go. Even has your AI from your previous mission" he said. Chad was surprised to hear that. The giant machine was laying down in a maintenance crib with stairs and catwalks all around it. He realized that they were working down to the wire to get it going. Chad popped the hatch and got in. "Welcome back Chad" Ai said. "Good to be back. How are you?" he asked. "Much better with a new body. I'm tracking multiple hostile so closing in" she said. "Please tell me they fixed the IFF problem" he said. "First thing they did when we got back. New frequency" she said.  "A simple solution could've saved so many lives" he thought. The crib was pulled back and he slowly stood up. It felt so long ago he piloted one of these. He flexed the metal hands as if to get a feel of it. He read off the checklist as weapons, shields, sensors, and communications showed green. Then he glanced over to where Nara was.

Chad stared at her as she slipped on a combat suit. Her's. It still had "Hawk 2" printed on it. She stuck her giant socked feet into the legs and boots of the one-piece weapon. The whine as it sealed automatically as Nara clicked her wrist. "Like slipping on an old glove" Chad said out loud. "Nara thinks so. I feel anxiety from her. She remembers the last time she wore this" Aeris said quietly. "I'll be different this time" he said stepping towards her. "You can use any of these! Fully charged!" a man said near her feet. "I won't need them" Aeris said with a glowing hand. A siren went off. "That's our cue to scramble!" Chad yelled. Chad and Aeris stood in formation with 8 others. "Ingress and giant hybrid soldiers. Form on her. All others on me" he said. One by one they took to the air. "We have to stop as many as we can before they hit the perimeter! Throttle out!" Chad yelled. All 8 kicked in afterburners and raced towards the formations.

One shot. Two shots then a torrent of beams and bolts tore through the air at targets. "Watch the IFF!" Chad shouted as they broke formation. Chad flew over one and kicked over the mech to line up a rear shot. He fired multiple times and finally he tore through the weakness shield. "One down. 51 to go" he thought. Aeris was holding her own very well. Just one shot from her hand cut down her enemies. It looked easy but it wasn’t. Almost a third focused on her. Shot after shot deflected off her. Her artificial shield had failed within a minute. Her natural shields kept her safe...for now. The STRIKE's were getting hammered up there. They were antiques compared to the new tech the enemy had. "Hit and run! If you're low on armor, then lull back for ground defense! Use the perimeter for cover!" Chad shouted. Chad cut down another enemy with a blade and noticed something. "They're starting to ignore us. Aeris! Disrupt their formation!" Chad yelled. It was true. More of them were breaking away from the dogfight. Not because of losses though. Aeris began gathering energy. She watched helpless as a STRIKE was blown to bits. Another was an ACE cut in half. Her heart stopped for a second thinking it was Chad. No. She could still feel him. With a rage, she sent off a curve of energy as she swiped her hand through the air. 6 enemies struck down instantly. They watched though as the others hit the defense perimeter. Ground turrets and any available personnel below opened up into the descending formation.

One by one they were knocked out of the sky until the enemy focused their attack. Chad and Aeris gathered the surviving force and sped back to the ground. "Watch the deck!" he yelled. They flew only 50 ft. off the ground back to base. If he had a moment, Chad would've been proud. Chad watched as an Ingress man he knew (the cook) was shot dead. The giant fell to the Tarmac with a hole in his chest. The turrets were destroyed and the personnel was forced back. Chad and the formation arrived just as they touched down. A maintenance worker was firing desperately with his puny gun with no effect on the controlled Ingress looming over him. As he stared up at the face he could see it was a woman devoid of emotion. She raised her foot over him to crush his insignificant resistance. Then a massive blade cut through her back and out her chest. Her body was pulled aside still being impaled on it and discarded. The man saw the dead giantess leaking gallons of blood into the sandblasted surface of Tarmac astonished and then turned his gaze at the machine that saved his life. He saw the cameras in its eyes focusing on him. "Get the others your size into the base! You can't fight them now!" Chad screamed. The man did as told.

"Why did they infiltrate the base?! WHY?!" Chad yelled. "Unknown. It's easier to just destroy it and why not use an antimatter weapon at that?" Aeris asked as they chased down the enemy through the hallways. An Ingress was opening doors and closing them. Chad heard a collective scream as he opened a door. He ran toward the man. Shockingly, he just closed the door. However, just as he did a group of soldiers, human sized, came from another room and dashed across the hallway. The giant saw that but did nothing until one fired a rocket launcher. The giant staggered into the wall but was unharmed. The giant crushed the soldier and his group like insects. "Bastard!" Chad yelled as he lunged at him. Distracted, he wasn't able to dodge or parry.  A slash cut thorough the suit and dropped the giant. Chad finished him off stabbing him on the ground. "Chad" Aeris said touching his metal shoulder. "I'm...I'm fine. We need to stop this now" Chad said. Aeris nodded. She knew what he meant. "There...there are 27 left" she said scanning the area. Chad watched as she painfully tried to break Baris' hold. Her nose began bleeding. She fell to her knees. When a tear of blood came from her eye Chad made her stop.

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"17. 17 are free. I put them to sleep" she said almost collapsing. Chad caught the massive woman just before she fell to the floor. "I know why they are here. They are looking for him. Hart" she said. "What? Why?" he asked. Aeris was dazed. "Unknown" she muttered. "Cyrus to Colonel Raam! Their objective is Dr. Hart! I repeat. Their objective is Dr. Hart!" he yelled. "Are you sure?!" Raam yelled over the sounds of gunfire. "Aeris out a bunch to sleep but confirmed it in their minds! We have to find him!" Chad yelled. "Nobody knows where he is! Try the lab!" Raam shouted. Chad carried Aeris with him as he made his way to the lab. It was dark and he tried the lights. Nothing. "The emergency generators are running aren't they Ai?" he asked. "Confirmed. I'm picking up ozone in the air" she said. Chad switched to night vision. "Oh shit" he said seeing a dead giant soldier in the center of the giant lab. "Small holes near the heart. This was done with a human scale weapon" Ai said zooming in. "The smell of ozone was from the discharge" he realized. "Did Hart do this?" Ai asked. "I plan to find out. Are the cameras still working?" he asked looking at the destroyed camera inside the room. “Barely" she replied.  

"Overlay a map of the enemy for me. God, I hope I'm wrong" he said. He watched as 10 blips propped up. 4 were bunched on the west area. Another three on the south. But 3 were heading fast for the hangar. "Diversions! The others are diversions!" Chad yelled. Chad moved as fast as he could with Aeris in tow but she was slowing him down. By sheer luck he saw Kana. "Kana! Thank god! Take care of her! I’m heading to the hangar!" he said literally shoving Aeris into her arms. Kana looked on confused as Chad thundered off. Chad got there just in time to Dr. Hart closing the hatch of an ACE. Its pilot crushed flat just feet away. Hart and two Ingress took off at high speed. "Where do you think you're going?" Chad muttered kicking the throttle and chasing after them.

Hart and the others had a decent lead and Chad wasn't gaining on them. However, they did notice his pursuit. The two Ingress turned on their backs and aimed their rifles at him. Chad watched as they turned to SMG mode. A hail of positron fire strayed at him. Chad dodged most of them but was hit by a few. "Shields down to 81%" Ai said. "Open a channel to him! Force the connection if you have to!" Chad yelled. "...connection established" she said. "Hart! You better explain this shit!" Chad yelled. "What's there to explain? I got a better offer from the opposition" Hart replied. Chad fired potshots at him hoping to at least slow him down. He watched as the enemy ACE motioned for the two to break off and engage. "Son of a bitch is buying time" Chad muttered. The Ingress caught up to him within two seconds. Chad was forced to fight. Chad was shocked to see his opponents were better than the rest. No doubt they held the best for escort duty. It pulled out a shotgun and went to fire. Chad deflected the arm. As he readied a drawn sword Ai shouted. "Behind us!"

The other had flew around for a pincer move. He had just enough time to parry the blow as he turned. Now this close he could see they were women. Women in their late 30's. It made sense to him now. These two had had at least 15 years of combat experience already. Hell, maybe 20 if they were once part of the Empress' army back during the War. These two veteran giantesses could tear him apart and he knew it. Chad angled his head at the one who just attacked and fired off his autocannons. The knock back stunned her and fractured her visor. Half of it fell away and her hair spilled out. He saw the look in her right eye. Void of emotion but staring into him as if scrutinizing his hybrid soul. "Pistol mode" he heard the other say. The other Ingress fired point blank into his head.

Chad flinched and fell back. The giantess wasted no time switching modes back to SMG. Chad fired his gauntlet cannons rapidly to discourage her. It worked. He was draining her shield quickly but her partner put a halt to it. A swipe of her sword cut into the chest armor. The sound was horrible to his. The screech and groan of metal being torn. "Damage to secondary armor! Any deeper and it would've hit the reactor!" Ai yelled. Chad watched as Hart was Getting further away. He had to do something quick. "Their teamwork is too good! We got any drones left on the base?!" Chad yelled. "We do! Three!" Ai yelled. "Send them here top speed! Fast as you can and I mean fast!" Chad yelled. "They aren't loaded!" Ai yelled. "Don't give a shit! Do it!" he yelled. Ai sent out the command and three drones took off from the hangar. Ai had disengaged the safety systems to top their speed limits. They were literally catching on fire from air friction as they passed Mach 4.  

"They'll be he in 30 seconds!" she yelled. "30 seconds..." he muttered. Chad couldn't move around too much if his plan was going to work. Worse yet he had to keep them still until the last possible moment. The one with the sword was most dangerous. He would parry and she would slip in a slash. They weren’t deep but she was getting closer in killing him. Chad raised his arm to fire off another shot at the gun toting one when the others sword came down. Chad yanked back but not fast enough. "Shit!" he yelled seeing the blow cut his right hand clean off. That cannon was done for and he would be soon. "Shields down to 23%!" Ai yelled as another bolt hit them. "Cut the engines on my mark!" he said. He watched as two fireballs screamed toward him. "NOW!" he yelled. The engines went dead and he fell away from them. They motioned to pursue until the drones hit their target.

Two large explosions rocked them. "You used the drones as missiles" Ai said astonished. Chad held his breath. If they survived, he was screwed. Two massive bodies fell from the blast cloud past him. He watched them hit the ground with a colossal thud. They didn't move. "Restart engines. We're gonna get that fucker" he hissed. And with that they resumed their chase.

"Chad he has over a 20-mile lead and we aren't catching up" she said. "HART! HART! Answer me!" Chad yelled over the comm. "Lt. Cyrus? You're still alive? Like a goddamn bug you are" Hart said. "Traitor! Why?!" Chad yelled. "I made an offer to him and he finally accepted" Hart said. "OFFER?! What could you want to sell out so many lives?!" Chad screamed. "My true body. All you fools have no idea who or what I truly am. I am not human. I'm Ingress" he said. "...Impossible. You're...you're my size. Human" Chad muttered. "Believe me I know" Hart hissed. "You're insane. You actually think you're Ingress" Chad said. "I don't think. I know. My name isn't Hart. It's really Harin Lycus. 1st. lieutenant of the 212 battalion. R&D division of Her Majesty's army. Long live the Empress"

"When the war had just started, we discovered that humans carried genes we needed to fix Ingress one’s damaged generations ago by exposure to radioactive fallout. Our salvation lied in your tiny puny bodies. Me and a few others volunteered in the first experiment to see what would happen if your DNA was implanted into an Ingress body. It was a fucking disaster. We mutated within days. Our own accelerated healing abilities made the change spread like wildfire. Within a week the subjects were...like you. Like me now. The one called Baris promised me he'd restore my Ingress body in exchange for the locations of cities with high Ingress populations. A simple request really" Hart said chuckling. "How? How did..."

"How did I contact him? Simple. I just piggybacked my transmission though a civilian channel. With so many trying to call loved ones in St. Petersburg it went unnoticed. He didn't answer right away. Guess he thought the offer was trivial and beneath him. Something changed his mind yesterday. Wonder what that was. Maybe your freak alien girlfriend perhaps?" Hart said laughing. "HART! Selling us all out! Even your own species?! You won't make it to him!" Chad yelled. "I beg to differ as you'll see why soon on your radar" Hart said. As the two raced over the ocean, Chad had Hart sighted on radar. Suddenly 12 blimps popped up ahead of him. "Chad..." Ai said. "Son of a bitch" Chad hissed. Chad broke off the pursuit. "This isn't over" Chad said. "You're right Lt. It's just beginning" Hart said. The comm went dead as Chad beat his fists on the consoles.

An hour later, Chad was sitting next to Nara who was lying down in the wrecked sickbay. Kana and a few drafted soldiers and personnel were busy with triage. The captured Ingress were being held in the brig. "He sold us out. All of us" Chad told her. "Never liked that guy. Fucking creepy. Nara said. "How is she?" Chad asked. "Better now. She said she'll be fine tomorrow if they're no more attacks. I think she tried to make a joke" Nara said grinning. Raam sat next to them. "Colonel. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him" Chad said looking up at the giant. "You did what you could soldier. I can't ask for anything more. I informed HQ what happened. They want us in Washington ASAP. We're going to redeye it there tonight. Sorry Nara but you're going to have to recoup on the way there" Raam said. "Understood sir" she said. "I have more news. We were able to stop Baris from taking Paris" he said. "That's great news!" Chad said. Raam shook his head. He tapped his omnitool and showed the both a picture. A burning crater 10 miles wide in the middle of the city.

"The detonation took out the hub. No clear number on civilian losses yet but it's estimated to be around 4700. Another few hours and we could've got them all out. The sick and infirm were the ones hit hardest. If Hart or whoever the fuck he says he is hands Baris that information, he will expand his army considerably. Two steps forward and one step back" Raam said shaking his head. "Be on the Tarmac at 2100" he said leaving. Chad was laying close to Nara. His watch said 2208. Out the window he saw ACE's flying escort near the transport. Nara was deep asleep and snoring. He chuckled at how cute it was to see her cheeks puff up as she let loose a snore. Her breath was warm on his small body as he drifted off to sleep. He hoped his failure to capture Hart wouldn't be the cause of their defeat. What he knew was he had to be stronger. Better than he was. He needed strength to overcome the bleak future.

It was 8 a.m. as Chad and Nara were in their rooms changing into their dress uniforms. Chad was tying his boots as Nara was slipping on a pair of giant nylons. Both were nervous about the meeting that was supposed to take place at 9. The Joint Chiefs of the Union Military were going to be in attendance. The biggest problem was any plan would have to include Aeris being the one to lead the attack. No doubt this would cause some issues concerning loyalties and people with grudges. Already the losses had exceeded a staggering 116,000 military lives and the civilian death toll was in the millions. It was like Hitler's little sister helping the Allies on the condition she lead the Normandy invasion. Chad heard a knock on the giant door. "Come in" he said. There stood Nara in her nice uniform. Chad thought it looked very pretty on her. Her gigantic black heels shined to military perfection. It had boosted her already titanic height another 18 ft. "Raam is down in the lobby waiting for us" she said bending down and picking him up.

It seemed undignified for him to ride in her breast pocket and it was all about airs today. Chad sat in her hands as she rode the elevator down. "You need to relax. Those big wigs pick up on people who try to impress. Just answer their questions honestly and Aeris if you're listening, don't do anything crazy. These guys are wound thighs as it is" Raam said getting into the giant vehicle. Chad had been to D.C. plenty of times but it was the first time for Nara. "It's pretty" she said. "You should see it in April. Those ancient cherry trees are in full bloom" he said. Nara admired the old architecture of the Capitol dome. She saw the Washington Monument and blushed. Chad lowered his defenses and took a casual peek into her thoughts. He motioned for her to bring him to her face. "You ain't the first to think that but I'm guessing the pointy top would be painful after climbing up it" he whispered. Nara frowned at him for invading her privacy. As they neared their destination, they saw air patrols all over. After going through 3 checkpoints they arrived. UNAB. Short of Union North American Branch. Today however it served as the meeting point for the entire Western Hemisphere.

The three entered the building the size of 40 city blocks and as tall as the Sears Tower. It was busy inside. "Someone was supposed to meet us" Raam said. Raam approached the recreation desk. "Excuse me miss" Raam said addressing the giantess tying away on her terminal. "ID please" she said roughly. Raam pulled out his card and she scanned it. "Ah. You have a meeting at 0900 in room 8" she said. "Yes that's..."

"Your guests need to scan as well and I'll send someone to get you" she said. Nara held out her card and scanned. Chad however had a harder time. "Close your eyes" she said annoyed. Chad faintly heard her thoughts as she grumbled about processing small people. A laser swept over his body and beeped when it touched his tiny card. "There. Have a seat" she said. The three went over to the window and sat down. "Fucking bitch. She hates her job so much she needs to get another" Nara said. "She's probably worried Nara. Look at these people. Like they're in a rush" Chad said. People were moving about with a brisk pace about them. "Hope you keep that open mind Cyrus. I doubt you'll find many soon" Raam said. "I didn't take you as a pragmatist sir" Chad said. "I’m not. I’m a realist" he said.

"Excuse me!" a small voice said. Everyone looked around. "No down here!" the voice said again. They traced the voice down to the floor. At Nara's feet was a small human sized woman dressed very like Nara. "Are you our escort?" Raam asked. "Yes sir. 1st Lieutenant Danica Stafford at your service" the tiny girl said saluting them. "Okay then. Please lead the way" Raam said. Nara had to stifle a laugh as the diminutive woman rode her little hover scooter. It was necessary seeing the building itself was every bit of 2 miles across "My god it's huge. Like a small city" Chad said. Incredible, isn't it? Most of the city was destroyed during the war and when the Union accepted Ingress into its ranks they built this as a sign of cooperation" Danica said. She putted down the edge of the hallway designated for human sized people as she led the group to the room. It took 7 minutes to get there even for Ingress strides. The girl saluted and left them.

The room was the size of a gymnasium. Even so it still felt cramped for them. All in all, there were 7 high ranking generals. 4 of them human and three Ingress. Screens in front of the humans so one could see their faces clearly. Holo screens encircling the table with three others on it. "Colonel Raam, 2nd Lieutenant Cyrus, and 1st Lieutenant Nermani reporting as ordered" Raam said saluting. "1st Lieutenant Nermani? Don't you mean Aeris?" one of them said. "Sir. As I am now I am Nara Nermani. Aeris is aware but is right now letting me speak for fear of a misunderstanding" Nara said. "I see" the small General said. Chad caught his tone. Raam gave him a "I warned you" look. "First matter of hand is this Aeris being. I've read the report you sent out and I'm skeptical as to how we can trust someone who can turn on her own kind so easily" an Ingress woman asked. Nara closed her eyes and let Aeris take over.

"Easy? Oh no. Not easy. Do you have family?" Aeris asked the giantess twirling her stylus. "I do. Two hybrid boys. Therefore, I'm more concerned than most" the Brigadier General responded. "I want you to think about them right now. How it felt to hold them. Love them. Have that feeling? Good. Progenitors have no concept of that feeling or virtually any others for that matter. When I first came here I did what I was told. Out of curiosity I took this form and with that the emotions that came with it. Confusing and frustrating. Especially when it came to matters of the opposite sex. This one for example" she said pointing to Chad. "Made me feel what you'd call lust but then I came to know that which is love. He taught me many emotions. Sadness, grief, the comfort of friendship, and most importantly the diversity of that which is life. We have no concept of familial bonds. We are generated from two of our kind's energies and then taught to fulfill the prime directive of our belief. To direct the evolutions of corporal beings. Hybrids are a dangerous flaw in the plan but this hybrid man here is proof that mistakes don't necessarily mean failure."

"Hybrids are a species that deserves the chance to grow just as humans and Ingress did. For you to say what I chose to do is easy is like saying the choice for Ingress to integrate into human society was easy" Aeris said. Raam smiled for he knew her words made the General sound like a hypocrite.     

"I see. Miss Aeris...what can you tell me about the one called Baris" a human General asked. "He is exceedingly dangerous right now. The only reason hybrids are alive right now is due to his refusal to revert to his true form. Baris has had a streak of pride about him even before coming here. Long ago he once scoured a world because life there evolved outside of his plan. He disintegrated their ozone layer within a day. It was his choice to use Ingress to kill hybrids. A surgical method necessary to avoid harming Ingress and human populations" she said.

"But his actions caused the deaths of thousands of Ingress!" one shouted. "Acceptable losses for him that can be replaced within a few generations. He doesn't think in terms of years or even centuries. He thinks in terms of eons. Even if half the populations of humans and Ingress perished, if the other half holds genetic viability then that is acceptable" Aeris said. The room was stone silent. "There is a silver lining to this. When we have these forms, our power is thousands of times lesser. But make no mistake. Our minds still work just as well. Try to outthink him in terms of strategy outright and you'll lose" she said. "Then how can we beat him?" a woman asked on the screen. "That body of his has limits. Our minds think at light speed but our reflexes don't move that fast. Distract him. Entice him. Throw off his concentration and maybe we have a chance. I will say this though. Any plan we make here must include me. I’m your best defense" she said.

"We tried killing him with a light speed weapon and he just shrugged it off. How did you harm him?" another General asked. "By surprise. He never expected me to shoot him and even then, that attack could've destroyed something as big as this complex. I squeezed the attack to the size of an atom. Not easy I can assure you. Far as I can tell you have no weapons capable of such power and efficiency" Aeris said.

"Our Marduk cannons had no effect on him" a General muttered to another. "We could see into reengineering it" another said. "There isn't time for that! That monster is heading to Nice right now where there is a sizable Ingress colony there!" a General on screen shouted. "Hart" Chad muttered. "We had a defector in our mist at Victoria Base. He escaped and gave sensitive information to him. Ingress populations" Raam said. The generals looked at one another. "We received that information and we're trying to evacuate them from those locations but the native populations don't want the Ingress there" someone said. "An understatement. There were violent protests in London and Madrid today. The people are reaching a breaking point!" a General said. "Everyone calm down! We're here today to begin a plan! Let's concentrate on that for the clock is ticking!" Raam shouted. All of them became quiet and began to discuss strategy.

Hours upon hours passed as they spoke. It was apparent that some nation would have to be sacrificed to buy time but none would agree. After all it's not easy to offer up your country to be invaded. The General in charge of U.K. operations refused to sacrifice London. The General in charge of European Operations argued they had lost too many already to simply give over Spain and Italy. Most were obliged to agree with the losses of France and Germany that day. "We need a consensus! The enemy has been sighted just west of Nice!" the General said. They pulled up a satellite feed of the area. It was nighttime for that area and was dark. Being evacuated there was no lights. It seemed quiet until they switched to infrared. Thousands of small red dots appeared. "God in heaven" someone muttered. "Aeris" Chad said. Aeris was sitting down looking at the screen. "Gentlemen and women. It seems Baris made the choice for us. Evacuate the Ingress away from the United Kingdom and destroy the communications hub there. Dissaway him" she said. Chad looked at the giantess as she sternly looked at the screen.

"Unacceptable! I've had it with this pointless meeting! I'm ordering a full launch of missiles at his location" the UK General yelled. His screen turned off. "General Steed! Come back at once! You do not have clearance to use antimatter weapons!" the giantess General yelled. No response. "It won't work" Aeris said. They looked at her until an information flash came on screen. "Launch detections" Raam said reading the screen. "16 inbound missiles. Type 4. Impact in 6 minutes" he said. The giant sat down to watch it unfold. The missiles themselves were the size of a soda bottle so it was nearly impossible to see them in the night sky. Chad walked on the large table closer to watch. It was a long 6 minutes.

"Impact in 5...4...3...what...what happened?" Raam asked seeing the blips disappear. There was a massive flash of light that blinded the satellite. When it cleared, they saw him and his army still there and very much alive. "What happened?!" someone yelled. "He shot them down" Aeris said. They looked astonished. "Why are you surprised? Have I not told you that our mental abilities exceed our physical ones? If he can sense an Ingress a hundred miles away, then he can sense a missile coming at him. Now you just pissed him off" Aeris said. "So what do we do?" the woman General asked her. "Destroy the hub immediately and evacuate the Ingress. Pray he doesn't come over there just out of spite" she said. "Get Steed back on the line. I don't care what it takes" another General said. Minutes later Steed was back. "The plan is to evacuate the Ingress to the US and destroy the hub" she said. "You know what he will do to the people there?!" Steed yelled. "If he does something it's because you antagonized him even further" the General said.

"If I may interject, I have an idea. A crazy one though" Chad said. "Make it good Cyrus" Raam whispered. "If we get Ingressa to fight him we can force him to turn his attention on them. It is his endgame, anyway right?" Chad asked.  "How would you propose this?" the Ingress female asked. "Well they have to know what's been happening right? If we send a delegation including Aeris. Show them how powerful she is, maybe we can scare them into joining us" Chad said. "I'm not going to bully a nation Chad" Aeris said. "No, not like that. Just a demonstration and then show that you're on their side" Chad said. "We'll discuss the matter. In the meantime, you are dismissed" the giantess General said. Raam and Chad saluted and they left. The three stood in the lobby. "This is a stretch. Ingressa is all about neutrality. They see themselves as another option to integration" Raam said.

"I know but desperate times call for desperate measures" Chad said. Aeris' stomach growled loudly. "You two go get something to eat. I'm heading back to the hotel. Haven't slept in almost two days" the giant said yawning. An hour later, Aeris and Chad were at a restaurant eating. It was late and before they knew it they were the only diners there. There was a human sized table on top of Aeris' Ingress sized one. Aeris was spinning her giant fork in her noodles deep in thought. Chad had just finished his course and was looking at her. "Credit for your thoughts?" he asked. "Thinking about my parents. Well, Nara's parents" she replied. "And?" he asked. "I can feel Nara wanting to see them but she's scared. She is trying to hide it" Aeris said. "We should see them anyway" he said. Aeris lowered her head and when she raised it her expression changed. "Not that simple Chad. You have no idea what she's like when she angry and she was fucking pissed on that call!" Nara said.

"Then put her in her fucking place! Jesus. You want this hanging over your head the rest of your life? What's going to happen when we have kids? You gonna let her talk shit about them too?" he said. Nara frowned. "No" she said coldly. Chad sighed. He wanted her to relax. He saw they had a 120-ft. tall piano. "Hey! Is there anybody left her that can play that!?" Chad shouted. A young hybrid man was collecting dishes stopped and turned to him. "Uh...I can a little" he said. "100 credits and do your best" Chad said getting off his small chair. He walked over to Nara and had her lower her hand. Chad stepped onto the fleshy surface. It was slightly shiny from sweat. Poor girl was nervous. "Is it okay for Aeris to do this? She keeps asking what this like" Nara said. "Sure" Chad replied. She lowered her head once more and Aeris was back.

"So what do we do now?" Aeris asked. "Listen to the music and let your feet do the walking" he said. Aeris seems unsure of his answer but listened as the waiter began playing the only tune he knew. 15 ft. piano key hammers struck cords 40 to 100 ft. long belting out "Over the Rainbow". Chad was surprised to see someone even younger than him knowing a song over 200 years old. Aeris began moving her feet left and right slightly stumbling. "Why do females wear such tortuous footwear?" Aeris asked speaking about her heels. "People think it makes their ass stand out more. Of course, this was before giant women lived on Earth. Plenty of big ass to see now" Chad said grinning. Aeris chuckled and shot him a look. She slipped off her giant heels and stood in her stocking feet. "Much better" she said flexing her ankles. Aeris moved back and forth with the small unrequited love of her life in her hands. She wanted to hold him closer as she listened to the beautiful air vibration filling her basketball sized eardrums. Chad noticed her palms were soaking wet with sweat. So much he could faintly hear a squishing sound from her skin. Her breath was shallow and face flushed. "I don't think she would mind you know. Hugging me I mean" Chad said hearing that thought in her mind. She raised him to her chest and gently held him there. "So this music. It's nice" she said. "Yeah it's an old tune from long ago. Sung by a girl that ends up in a strange land called Oz" he said. "Sounds familiar" Aeris said softly. Aeris looked down at him and picked him up to her face. She winced. "It's just a kiss Nara!" Aeris said. Chad watched as the two minds argued. "Okay. A peck" she said. Aeris gently kissed him but stuck out her tongue and licked him in the end. "Sorry! You have to yell so loud?!" Aeris said. "Nara she was just being naughty" Chad said shaking off some saliva. "See Nara?" Aeris said. The glow in her eyes left. "That shit ain't funny to me" Nara said. The waiter stopped playing seeing a very weird conversation. It was quiet for a moment until there was a small beeping noise. "My wristcomm is going off. A caller I don't recognize. Uh...hello?" Chad said answering. "Is this Lt. Cyrus?" a familiar voice asked. "Yes who is this?" he said. "Brigadier General Pathos. The Ingress general who you friend admonished" she said. Chad remembered her now. The one with two hybrid sons. "I remember now. What can I do for you ma'am?" he asked.

"I was intrigued by some of the ideas you have. Can you meet me at the address I'm about to send to you? I rather discuss them tonight while they're still fresh. Oh, and can you not bring Lt. Nermani?" she said. "Nara and Chad looked at one another. "Why not?" he asked. "To speak frankly, I still don't trust her and any plans we discuss tonight would rather not be overheard" she said. Aeris took over. Her eyes glowing intently. Chad, saw she was pissed. The waiter nearby took off in fright. "Is that an order?" he asked. "Yes" she said. "Very well but I will inform my commanding officer of this" he said. "Agreed" she said. Chad closed the comm. He immediately called Raam and told him the situation. "Careful with her Cyrus. She's been known to be a little hard of her subordinates to get what she wants. Or so I've heard" he said. "You're not coming?" he asked. "No, she wants to see you alone. How's Nara taking it?" he asked. Chad was standing on the table and glanced over at her. She was drumming her fingers hard enough to carry a vibration under his feet. "She's been in a better mood" he replied.

"I see. Tell Nara...tell them both that not all of them feel that way" he said. Nara heard him and nodded with a slight smile. "Yes sir I will. Cyrus out" he said closing the call. "Hope all this didn't ruin the evening" he said. "Not a round of nice sex won't cure" she said. She picked him up and kissed him before placing him on the floor. "See you back at the hotel" she said. Chad waved as he stepped outside. He flagged down a human sized taxi. "This address please" he told the driver. "They closed at this time buddy" he said. "I'm not from here. What's at this location?" Chad asked. "The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum" the driver replied.

The taxi arrived at the destination within 10 minutes. Sitting casually on the steps was an Ingress woman dressed in civilian clothes. The giantess was staring up at the stars as she smoked a 7-ft. long cigarette. Chad almost didn't recognize her but he confirmed it was the Ingress Brigadier General from earlier. Chad approached her. "Reporting as ordered ma'am" he yelled up getting her attention.  "At ease Chadwick. May I call you Chadwick?" she asked. "I prefer Chad really" he replied. "Chad it is. Come. Walk with me" she said stamping out the big cigarette not far from him. Being a 190-ft. woman she had to wait for him to match her distance. She motioned for a giant teen wearing a private uniform to open a door for her. Chad stepped inside the large complex with her.

Chad had never been here before but he could see the machines and exhibits all around. Each once carefully spaced out for giant tourists. There was a minimum of light and it was just the two of them. "Impressive, isn't it? 250 years of innovation all under one roof. I'm fascinated by Earth history. Like Ingress history in so many ways. The rise of empires and their fall. The will to survive the worst of calamities. Allow me" she said placing him on her shoulder. Chad held on to her shoulder length blonde hair as she walked to another wing. Chad was kinda put off how she didn't even ask permission to pick him up. She stopped before an exhibit. "Fascinating" she said looking at it. "Little Boy" Chad reading the inscription on the plaque. "The original flattened a human city with ease and it's so small. Well to someone like us anyway. Damn thing could fit right up my...ahem. This bomb and its predecessor ended one age and began another. Something similar happened to the Ingress homeworld. You ever been there?" she asked. "Only once" he said with disdain.

"It was beautiful once. So like this world. Vacation spots all over the southern archipelago. My family was originally from there. My great grandparents owned a winery there...until one person ended it all. Ended things for millions. Chad saw easily what she was hinting at. He saw a directory on the wall and spotted an exhibit on it. "Can we go down this hallway for a moment?" he said. The giantess shrugged and proceeded down it. "Right here" he said tugging on her hair. "I've never seen it before but even how primitive it looks it's still kinda neat looking" he said. "The X-Plane. First commercial aircraft to reach space" she said. "One person can make a difference. His courage to try to do something unheard of changed history. It showed humanity that space travel wasn't just for military or select people" he said. Pathos glanced at the man on her shoulder. She thought for a moment and started walking once again. Her giant sneakers squeaked against the hard floor as they passed into another wing. She finally stopped at one exhibit. She placed him on the floor and got on her knees. "Look at this here" she said pointing. Chad looked at a particular exhibit. Inside an armored clear case was a necklace. Or more precisely Tibetan prayer beads.

"Here is the collection of prayer beads wore by the Dali Llama the day of the Tibetan Massacre" the plaque said. Chad knew full well what this meant. "Some things are so similar. We had resource conflicts back on the homeworld as well before we discovered fusion technology. I read about this not long after the War. I wanted to go see this land called Tibet. Land of mountains and faiths. Then I heard about this. Almost a full century has passed since this. You know the story don't you?" she asked. Chad looked up at the woman looming over him with a callous and somewhat frightening look on her face. "Of course I do. Everyone who has taken a history class in high school does. In 2053 the petroleum supply was dangerously low and China was scrambling to keep any resource rich country in their control. Mainly Tibet. Tibetans thought it was the perfect time to declare independence and had a Tibetan born general in the Chinese army to lead the rebellion."

"Well, China sent troops of course to quell the rebellion but it wasn't going well. Guerilla tactics was wearing them down fast. The Chinese army got crueler. Dragging people from homes. Shooting many in the street. The Dali Llama preached peace and an end to the conflict but many feared for his life. They put him on a transport to leave the country. Turns out this Tibetan General leaked the information to Chinese intelligence for a share in the resources they were fighting over. As the plane taxied out a Chinese jet bombed the runway to stop it. It caused the jet to veer right into a massive pothole made by the explosions and tumble over at over 125 mph. The jet burst into flames killing all aboard including his Holiness. Miraculously, his prayer beads survived. His death rallied every Tibetan in the country to fight and after two bloody years Tibet gained independence" Chad said.  

"One person's betrayal extended that conflict for two years and led to the deaths of over 100,000 people" Pathos said. "But they gained independence" Chad retorted. The giantess shook her head. "They would have gotten it eventually. China was running on fumes by 2055; literally" she said. "So you think Aeris is going to betray us? That's the point in all this right?" Chad said with a sharp tone. She narrowed her eyes. She wasn't accustomed to be talked to this way. By a lower ranked officer or by a small human. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a black piece of plastic as big as he was. She touched it. A holographic picture formed. On it was her and two boys her size. "Dylan and James. My twin boys. Dylan is a bookworm and smart as can be and James is more into sports. Dylan is shy and quiet while his brother is outgoing and chases girls. They..." she was saying before she turned her head. Chad felt a tear splash into his head. She was trying hard not to cry.

"You're asking us...asking me to trust a person whose only other member of her species we've is hellbent on exterminating hybrids like my sons. She has killed thousands already and you three are telling to just trust her now. Excuse me if I'm not as fast to trust her as I have more at stake than you or Raam" she said. "She might be pregnant" Chad said without missing a beat. Pathos was startled. "I think she just as much on the line as you do too" he said. The news left her speechless. "If you can't believe in her then have a leap of faith" he said.  "Alright. Maybe I am being unfair. I do have a stubbornness problem. I've heard in whispers people call me the Unreasonable Bitch" she said. Chad tried his best not to crack a smile. "It's okay to laugh because it's true. I learned long ago you sometimes have to put foot to ass to get shit done. You can imagine how difficult that is when dealing with people your size. After decades people still kinda fear us most especially Ingress women. We have a reputation that kinda lingers. Dominating, aggressive, even callous."

"During the Osaka battle on the last day of the war I was in command of an integrated battalion. Human and Ingress. We had to take the mountainside to set up a firing position and there was heavy resistance. I had two choices. Either rush them or wait for reinforcements. I chose the former. The humans didn't want to go and even challenged my authority. We didn't have time for that. I used my plasma pistol and ignited the ground in front of them. Made it so they couldn't fall back. An Ingress could easily step over the flames but not a human. They went. We took that hill that day and set up plasma cannons. Decimated the enemy below but I lost over half my human forces. I wasn't charged. Got results and saved thousands of lives after all. Still though I can remember watching them die. Most of them vaporized but some were close enough to be crushed under a boot or even eaten."

"There was...there was a young man I found minutes after we took that mountainside. A human. He was one of a hundred or so under my command. His lower half was crushed into the dirt. He was crying for his mother. He was a kid! Couldn't have been more than 17! He was in shock and crying "mommy" over and over. As the others set up the weapons I knelt over him watching him suffer. My orders brought this upon him. No way in hell he would survive. His fucking intestines were smushed out of him. His body just didn't know to die yet. I'll never forget what happened next. He looked dead at me and smiled. He called me mommy. He thought I was her. Did I look like her or was his mind that gone I didn't know.   He started breathing hard and now the pain was overtaking any adrenaline and shock. I put my finger under the back of his head and placed my thumb on his mouth. It twisted my fingers quickly to the right."

"I didn't even hear his neck break. Didn't feel it either. Humans...humans are so fragile and weak compared to us and here they were fighting to free us of a generations old tyranny. My soldiers aren't just soldiers to me. They're family and every loss is like losing a child to me. I'm only hard because I know they can take it. So, will ask one final time. Can I trust Aeris with my family?" Pathos said. "Yes" Chad answered. "I'll hold both of you to that" she said holding out her hand. Chad shook her finger before stepping back into her hand. As they were walking back to the front Pathos spoke.

"Kane had a point back there. People are losing their shit out of fear. We can't fight riots and this war at the same time" she said. "I know. People need hope. Something they can rally behind. Make them remember that unity and strength is what is needed" Chad said. "How? A propaganda piece, a symbol of goodwill?" Pathos asked. Chad thought for a moment until he saw a sign over a part of the wing that read "Dimensional War". "I have a crazy idea that might work. Can you take us in there?" he asked. Pathos walked down the hallway until Chad had her stop Chad was very happy to see a particular exhibit. He saw it once as a child before it was an exhibit and dreamed of being in it ever since. To him this was beyond perfect.

"What about that as our symbol?" he asked pointing to a very famous mech. "Whoa. You don't mean this old thing?" she said. What they were looking at was none other than the STRIKE X. The very same machine Aaron Pherson used to kill the Empress and end the War. One of the most infamous mechs the world had ever known. "Why not? This machine was revered by Ingress as a liberator and kicked much ass at the same time" he said. Pathos thought about it. It was true that many felt hope just seeing it in combat. Even when she saw it she stared in awe. A machine her size piloted by a tiny human that saved lives with death. "Yeah. Yeah that could work. We will have to do something about the colors though. Jet black doesn't scream friendly" she said. "How about white? Like a white knight?" Chad asked. Pathos grinned. "Hell yeah. I'll get it done and have it transported to Cairo" she said walking again to the front door.

"Cairo?" he asked. "Yes Cairo. We are going to use that area as a staging area for operations. One last thing. Under my authority I'm field promoting you to Captain. Now go back to your girl. I'm sure she's waiting on you" she said stepping out the main door. She sat Chad down and called for a pickup. As Chad got into the car and rode off, the high-ranking giantess sat down and lit another cig. "Chad Cyrus. Looks just like his father. Speaking of which" she said touching her wristcomm.

"Yes Rex I know how late it is but I figured you'd want to hear something..." she said taking a drag on her cigarette and blowing the large amount of smoke into the air.

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"You serious? My son?" Rex asked Pathos. "Yes. He's definitely your son. I had to squint to look at that tiny face but he has your nose and eye color. Handsome little guy" Pathos said. "Squint? Little? Why would you-" 

"He has this crazy plan to bolster morale and I signed off on it. He's going to use the STRIKE X. Yes. That one" she said taking another drag on her giant cig. "That's nuts. Not everybody can pilot that thing. It's why it never went into mass production. He's going to get himself killed using that in battle" he said. "Then maybe he should have someone familiar with it to show him how to use it" she said. "Who? Aaron and Leila took off into space, Julia is dead, Ned was never much of a fighter, and Vazquez retired. The only one left that seen that machine in combat often is...whoa. You aren't thinking I train him?" Rex said. "Why not? You are a colonel and have extensive combat experience. You said yourself he's going to get killed if he isn't trained" she said. "Rinna. This is not something asked lightly. My wife is going to shit bricks hearing all this" Rex said.

"You always were the worry wart even way back then" she said. "I've changed since we were teens. I worry about others more and you should too. I've heard stories about your command style" he said. There was a long pause. Pathos dropped the cigarette and ground it under her giant foot. "I'm calling out of concern for an old mating partners offspring. You going to hike up your panties and stop playing weekend warrior and see to your son or not?" the large woman growled. "Where do I have to go?" he asked. "Cairo. Two days" she replied. "Understood. Rex out" he said ending the call. "Changed my ass" she said.

"Who was that?" Chen asked. "An old friend. I have to go to Cairo. Chad needs me for training. Apparently, he going to pilot Aaron's old machine" he said. "Most unwise. He’s going to get hurt or worse" she said. Rex laid down on the carpet floor. A habit he picked up years ago. He liked talking to his wife this way from her "perspective". "This call looks to have angered you" she said walking up to his face. "Old memories. Not all of them good ones" he said quietly. His tiny wife sat down close enough that she could see her reflection in his eyes. "The person on the phone was Brigadier General Rinna Pathos. But years ago, I knew her as Rinna. She and I were...mating partners" he said. Chen immediately bristled. "Easy now. It was damn near 25 years ago. Well before we met one another" he said stroking her tiny face. Chen was still pouting. "Yet you still stay in touch with her" she said. "As friends. Well I wouldn't even call it that really. We reconnected right after the war" he said.

"And you never told me about her why?" Chen asked. "Didn't seem important. Do you think you need to tell me all about your old boyfriends?" he asked. "I only had two of those. One is you" she said. "And here I thought someone so cute would have a lot more" he said. Chen smiled at the flattery briefly. "Alright. I got nothing to hide okay. Under the old program, we had to mate at least once a month to stave off extinction. This was the idea. However, some mates were chosen by the State. Health, genetic fortitude. Race and so forth. When we reached the age of 15, Rinna was chosen for me because we shared certain genetic traits. Mostly the easiness of conception. We were given a room every two weeks to procreate. It was weird as fuck now I think about it. Small talk as we fucked but we shared very personal feelings and thoughts. She herself prefers females to males. Not a crime but there was a stigma of being a species traitor if you were gay. She felt trapped. Like living a lie. I felt so bad for her. We kept at this for years. It was...upsetting to see her not get pregnant. I don't mean it like that Chen. They were mentally torturing her for nothing. She sobbed her heart out to me and I just held her. What could I say or do? Fate answered when the War began. We stayed in touch out of support."

"We were assigned completely different locations but we exchanged thoughts we dared not share with others. Maybe about two months before we met she sent me a disturbing encoded message. She was stationed in Prague and her group has pushed back a Union counterattack. She took 3 losses while her and the others killed at least a hundred. She described how the bodies looked like broken toys. They celebrated by snatching humans out of buildings. They would just ram their fist into one and grab whoever was inside. She watched them torture them. Stepping on them. Setting some on fire. Eating them. What disturbed her the most was one female commander slowing tearing a human male apart and making his wife watch. She described how she could hear the woman beg for them to stop only to laugh at her. When the man died, they tossed his mangled torso away like trash and crushed the woman. She asked me how we could fight this war with such cruelty."

"Killing soldiers was one thing but massacring civilians? Tiny ones that had no hope of survival? She asked what I thought about Leila. I read between the lines. She wanted to defect. Her communication make me think about what the Ingress was doing. That's why I was in the mind of even thinking about sparing you. I didn't hear from her again till after the war" he said.

"But you stayed in touch with her and didn't tell me" Chen said pissed. "Honestly I saw no harm" he said. Chen turned away from him. Rex petted her back with his finger and she brushed it away. "Come on. Don't be like that. She's just a good friend" he said. Chen glanced over her shoulder. "She's your ex and you've been talking to her" she said turning slightly. Rex gently turned her to face him. "You need to understand that it isn't like that in my culture. Don't be mad" he said. Rex placed his palm behind her and pushed her back. With two fingers, he gently caressed her tiny foot. Chen looked away. He began pulling off her jeans with his fingertips. "Stop. Jun is in the other room" she said. "She's asleep" he said. He took off her shirt. Chen, even after 2 kids and 20 years still looked beautiful. Chen couldn't stay mad at him with that soft look in those big eyes. Slowly, he sucked her legs into his mouth.

With a gentle suction, he pulled off her panties. He released her and spat her panties out. He began rubbing her belly. "Remember when I did this for you when you were pregnant?" he asked. "When I couldn't sleep" she said. He touched her breasts with his fingertip and she sighed. "And I used to suck on these when they were swollen with milk" he said. Chen blushed at the memory. "I swore I'd never hurt you and I meant it" he said looking at the tiny wife in his palm. Chen nodded and opened her legs. She let out a slight squeal as her giant husband began sucking on her pussy. She felt silly being so jealous. She knew what kind of lifestyle he led before. Many did as almost no Ingress was monogamous before coming to Earth. Even married couples were expected to mate with strangers once a month. Children from those Unions were another story.

Rex always loved licking her tiny snatch. Sweet and delectable like sugar with a touch of Earthy flavor like smoked chocolate. She gripped his upper lip and pressed her bare feet into his cheeks. Rex could feel her tiny toes flexing as her orgasm built up. Then a creak of wood ruined the moment. The large heavy thud of footsteps and loud slaps of bare feet came from the steps. "Oh my god she's awake and coming downstairs" Chen muttered. There was no time to get her dressed again so he did the only thing he could think of. Rex shoved his wife completely into his mouth. Chen was petrified. Only twice had she been in his mouth like this. Once during some foreplay on their wedding night and 5 years prior when they both got drunk. The last time ended badly. He swallowed her but was lucky enough to puke her back up. Needless to say, they both agreed never to do that again.

"Oh Jesus she’s delicious. Don't salivate!" he thought. Jun passed him and smiled weakly at him. She was staring down at the floor as she walked by force of habit. More often than not back when she was stripping would a customer sneak a feel of her toes or peak up her skirt for a freebee. It wasn't good business practice to squish a customer no matter how perverted. Rex gently smiled back and felt his wife move on his tongue. He caught his breath and stood motionless. Jun walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of juice. "Hurry up!" he thought watching his giantess daughter take her time. Rex was scared that his wife might drown. Saliva was pooling in his mouth. She drank her juice and walked back past him. Rex relaxed slightly and then Jun stopped. "Where's mom?" she asked looking at the floor. Rex raised his arms and shoulders. Jun sighed and went back upstairs. As soon as the footsteps stopped he quickly spat Chen out. Rex gulped down air and salvia and coughed. Chen was soaked. Her hair stuck to her body.

"Too close. Too close" he muttered. He carefully carried her to their bedroom to clean her up. After a good shower she emerged. "As much as I like seeing you in just a towel the mood escapes me" he said. "You almost ate me" she said. Rex nodded. "I have to fly out tonight" he said. Chen climbed up a makeshift staircase to their bed. Rex sat back on the bed at looked at the ceiling. He felt his wife climb onto his chest. "I'm not going to scream. I'm not going to cry. Just promise me you'll bring our son home alive" she said. He grabbed her by her waist and brought her to his face. He kissed her very softly. "I swear" he said in a whisper.

2 days later...

Chad was admiring the sunrise over the Great Pyramids of Giza. It was remarkable they were untouched by the War. Aeris wasn't with him this morning as she was requested to be at the R&D division of the base. It was one of the largest bases in Africa and was a jumping point for transports to Ingressa that lay in the south. It's official name was "1st. Northern Africa Union Defense Command" but most called it " The Sandbox". A massive complex that spanned 5 miles in each direction and had personnel of 900 humans and hybrids and 175 Ingress. Bristled with defenses and even could project a limited shield system if need be. 114 ACE's. 36 STRIKE II's. 88 giant flight combat suits. Not to mention a host of armor support. It was damn obvious that this base was really meant to be a vanguard against Ingressa in the off chance the nation decided to end its neutrality stance and opt for a more aggressive approach to nearby countries. Ingressa knew of this of course and understood but didn't like it. It was like having a loaded gun in the house meant for just you.

"Captain Chadwick Cyrus. Report to hanger bay 3" he heard on the speaker. Chad was excited. He knew that meant the infamous STRIKE X was ready for him. He ran like a boy in a toy store to the hangar. Even out of breath he gasped at the sight of it. No longer black, it gleamed in the sunlight like polished alabaster.  The camera eyes lenses were switched from red to blue for nicer, friendlier profile. Some things stayed the same though. The Stray Dogs emblem was still on the right shoulder. A bulldog with a spiked collar with a bullet shell in its mouth where a cartoon cigar would be. The machine was bent at the knee ready for its new pilot to board it.  Chad climbed into the cockpit. He sat there quietly enjoying the moment. "Aaron Pherson sat in this seat" he said. "Your anxiety levels are high. You this excited?" a familiar voice said. The face of an Asian woman popped onto the main screen. "Ai? Is that you?" he asked. "Yes it is. They chose me to interface with this unit due to my familiarity with the pilot. I admit this is difficult for me. This is no ordinary mech" she said. "Boot us up. Let's see what we got" he said. The cockpit hummed to life as systems older than he was began operating again. With the added light, he noticed something carved into the metal panel above the HUD. "Neither strength alone nor will alone" it said. Chad didn't understand the meaning but it must've been important to Aaron.

"Ai. Let's do a system check" he said. "Starting...shields nominal. Thrusters nominal. Weapon systems online. Twin reactors functioning normally. Uh...BITS system online" she said. "BITS system?" he asked. "A weapon system unique to this machine. "Captain Cyrus. We're reading complete startup of the STRIKE X. Proceed to training area 2 located on your HUD" a voice said. "Roger control" he said seeing a waypoint highlighted on his screen. "I don't need training. I'm a full pilot" he said. "Chad this machine is vastly different from your old ACE. I’m having trouble regulating it. How does the neurolink feel?" she asked. "Weird. Like everything is magnified. I see there aren't many hand controls in this unit. Does it rely on mostly mental commands?" he asked. "It appears so. Try walking" she said. Chad thought about walking and the mech obeyed. "This isn't so hard. Man, this place is over a mile away. We can just jet over there instead of dogging it" he said. He instinctively moved his right hand to punch the throttle and saw there wasn't one. The mech's arm did mimic his movement though. "Oh right. Got to think it" he said. He gave the idea to take off.

The STRIKE X roared briefly as the thrusters engaged and suddenly it shot into the air. Chad was slammed into the seat. The altimeter ticked off as he climbed straight up. Within seconds he was well over 5,000 ft. in the air. "Slow down!" he yelled. The machine stalled and began falling. "Ai level us out!" he yelled. "Trying! Got my hands full with other stuff!" she yelled. The ground was coming up fast. He could see a giant figure below. Chad thought of righting the mech and slowing throttling up. The mech obeyed and his descent slowed. He hit the tarmac at 40 mph. Not enough to damage the machine but it wasn't gentle either. The sheer weight of the 200-ft. tall machine cracked the surface in a crater. Chad focused on getting up. The machine picked himself up.  "Interesting way to leave an impression on your first day with that machine" a male voice said. On the screen was a giant man with his back turned. He wore a combat flight suit. The wings tucked back.

"Hey it my first day with this. You never fucked up wearing that?" Chad said. "I did actually. But my wife caught me before I went splat. I'm here to make sure I don't have to catch your big ass if you decide to crash again. Among other things" he said. The man turned to face him. "Dad? DAD?!" Chad yelled. With a thought, he used the STRIKE X to hug his father. Hydraulic strength squeezed the giant. "Gentle!" Rex yelled. "Sorry. This thing is really touchy" he said. "I know. Aaron once told me all about it. Hell, I've seen this thing in action more times than I can count. I'm going to train you into using it. We don't much time. Only three days but I'm confident you'll do fine. Now, run around the track" he said.

Chad thought this exercise was trivial for him but he did it. He took off running. In no time at all he was moving at over 250 mph. "I said run not goddamn sprint!" Rex yelled. Chad focused on slowing down. "Visualize what you want. Don't just think of an order" Rex said. "Why slow down dad? It can't get tired" Chad said. Rex pulled out a gun and fired. The shot knocked Chad on his ass. "That's why. The faster you move the easier you can lose your balance" Rex said. Chad saw his dad wasn't fucking around. "Stand up. I need to show you how to use those fancy weapons" he said. Chad willed the machine up. "You might've noticed your AI is having trouble running your mech. She's an A class but this machine was made to use an S class. Those are mostly extinct now so you'll have to make due. What this means for you is greater mental fatigue over time. She can handle the regular stuff. Environmental controls, reactor temp, etc. You however have to focus harder to do what you need to do"

"Just about everything is the same as it was before it was retired except the plasma gauntlets were switched for positron ones. Notice that cross shaped thing on your back?" he asked. "Yeah. What is it?" Chad asked. "The Beam Independent Targeting System or BITS for short. It splits into four segments and can target four enemies" Rex said. "Fucking cool! Why doesn't the ACE have this?" Chad asked. "Because it's dangerous. It takes a special person to use it without risking friendly fire. After the war there were 5 STRIKE X's built. Three were lost in accidents. The other two retired. Keep in mind you must vector four different devices at once. Not easy. This machine was the test bed for a lot of tech. Some successful like the cloaking and positron cannons. Others not like the twin reactor system. These old reactors tended to explode when hit wrong. The new ones were safer but incompatible with the design" Rex said.

Rex tapped his omnitool and two holograms Ingress sized popped up. "Switch your weapons to training mode" he said. Chad had Ai complete the task. "Weapon power at 1%" she said. "This part will be familiar since the ACE got the targeting system from the STRIKE X. Think about targeting one" he said. Chad did and the target reticule locked on. "Fire" Rex said. A beam of light shot from the wrist and hit the target. It disappeared. "Good. Computer. 5 targets. Difficulty level 1" Rex said. Within a second, Chad was surrounded by holographic enemies. Rex quickly got out of the way. "Begin" he said. Immediately they began firing on him. The shots did no real damage but his shield was going down like it did. "If your shield fails you will register damage!" Rex shouted. Chad spun around and fired quickly. He gunned them down easily.

"Don't get cocky. Computer. Level 3. 5 targets" Rex said. Chad was eager to fight and found these slightly harder. They dodged better. Shots more accurate. Even when Chad moved around he found them trying to anticipate him. Chad won though with his shields down to 25%. "Good but you're forgetting about that cannon you got. In a firefight remember what you have at your disposal. Now, are you ready?" Rex asked. "Bring it dad. This isn't so hard" Chad said smugly. Rex didn't like the attitude. Reminded him of him too much. "Computer. Level 7. 5 Targets" he said. Again, the fight was on and this time Chad remembered to use the positron cannon. Rex noticed he wasn't focusing on pulling back to regroup. "Remember, if you get overwhelmed don't just knuckle down. Pull back for a counterattack" Rex said. Chad didn't answer. Rex saw the boy was too focused on point blank fighting. Rex saw a way to teach him a lesson. "Computer, level 10. 5 targets" Rex muttered. It began again and sure enough Chad was taking simulated damage and not falling back. His positron cannon cleared three away but the other two kept circling around. Chad was getting irritated. He was losing concentration. Getting sloppy. His shield quit and one knocked him down. They were close enough he could see their faces. Females. Judging by their uniform they were simulated soldiers of the Empress.

One held his arms with her feet. The other using her simulated tonnage to keep him pinned. He fired his autocannons in his head but was so rattled he never targeted them.   The rounds missed her completely. Chad couldn't see her and switched to an auxiliary camera. She took out a dagger and made a slashing motion. "Damage to armor!" Ai yelled. Chad began to panic. He couldn't feel the hits but the systems told him of damage. Suddenly he heard the cockpit seals popping. "What the fuck?!" Chad yelled. "The systems are saying the cockpit armor failed. She's getting through!" Ai yelled. The hatch opened. Staring dead at him was the face of an Ingress replica. She gave a wicked smile. Chad nearly pissed himself. She reached in and yanked him right out. The hologram laughed at him and raised him to her mouth. "Only human" she said with a whisper. Chad screamed for help as she shoved him into her mouth.

Flashbacks to when he was eaten by his girlfriend danced in his head. It was too familiar to him. Teeth half his size. A tongue wet and rough twice his length. The utter darkness. Then the angle shifted. "NOOOO!" he screamed as he slid backwards. *gulp*

He was squeezed down a soft tube which opened into a hollow sac. Her stomach. There was no acids or heartbeat. Quiet as a tomb. "Computer freeze program" Rex said irritated. Rex walked over to the frozen holographic giantess and bent down to her belly. "Game over. You lose. I know you can hear me in there. The few that survived such a fate tell stories of hearing voices outside an Ingress' belly. Now to get you out of there. Computer. End simulation" he said placing his hands underneath the crotch of the giantess. Her and her partner vanished and Chad tumbled out. Rex caught his son in his hands. "WHAT THE FUCK DAD?! YOU JUST FUCKING STOOD THERE!" Chad yelled up as his giant father. Rex narrowed his eyes. Chad knew that look. He fucked up.

"I stopped wiping your ass when you were 4 years old. You need to take of shit yourself. Your mother made me promise I'd get you home alive and by fucking God as your superior officer and father I'm going to do just that. Now are you going to fucking listen to me now or do you need to be fucking eaten again?!" Rex yelled. Chad nodded. "Good. Where you went wrong is you didn't pay attention to your enemies. Computer. Restart previous program and freeze" Rex said. Chad watched the five Ingress reappeared. He shuddered looking at the one that ate him. Notice anything different about them? Anything you can use as an advantage?" Rex said.

"No" Chad said. Rex carried him around so he could see their backs. "Notice anything missing. I'll give you a hint. They weren’t widely available during the war" he said. Chad thought hard for a minute. "Wait...where are the wings? The flight packs?" Chad asked. "Bingo! These Ingress can't fly but you can! If a ground assault won't work then switch to an aerial one! If close combat doesn't work then fall back and use ranged attacks! They had your number when they surrounded you" Rex said. "Dad it's hard to think like that in combat" he said. Rex placed him back inside the STRIKE X cockpit. "Get some distance" he said. Chad backed up. "Resume program" Rex said. Chad watched his father drop his gun. "Computer. Plasma rifle (Ingress) circa 2150" he said. A gun formed in his hand.  He had never seen him fight but his dad was nearly 50 years old now. Could this war weary giant beat them?

Chad got his answer. He never seen his dad move like that. Fast strikes with the butt of his gun. Firing point blank. A kick to her knee shattered it and the holographic Ingress fell. Rex wasted no time eliminating her. When they circled him, Rex fired into the ground. Simulated dust and smoke clouded his vision. Chad switched to thermal. He watched a red form systemically eliminate the last three. "Computer. End program" he said winded. Chad was speechless. "That is how you kill the enemy. Fast and hard. Lay it on them. Use the environment to your advantage. Your machine is capable of so much and you will learn to use every advantage you got. Now, begin again" he said.

Hours later...

"Well you did much better than previous and you were only eaten again twice and simulated crushed 3 times. Blown up 4 times but you did clear this level" Rex said. Chad looked exhausted. "There were really Ingress that tough?!" Chad asked. "More than tough. We collected tons of battle data during the war. More so from peacekeeper missions. The ones you fought there were killed during a peacekeeper mission. In the early days, True Way was filled with ex-soldiers loyal to the Empress. Hardened vets all around. Those you fought there probably had 20 years’ experience already. Let's get some grub" Rex said. Due to their work food was brought to them in the hangar.  Chad popped the hatch and got out. He sat beside his dad and began chewing a burger. "So I got to ask. Why the hell are you small again?" Rex asked. "Well me and Aeris went back to New Perth after leaving the house and we got ambushed by this Baris guy. The one tearing shit up. He um...shrank me back to kill me" Chad said. "Aeris? Baris? The aliens?!" Rex asked. Chad realized he hadn't been told who Aeris was and what she really looked like. Rex was dumbfounded when he was told. "A killer alien was sitting on my couch and eating my food. Fucking my son..." Rex said. "Dad, don't be that way" Chad said. Rex shook his head.  

"What way should I be son? Shit people do in the past doesn't disappear because they try to do right in the present" Rex said. "So, you're saying she should be condemned for the rest of her life? What about you dad? You weren't exactly Mr. Right before you met mom" Chad said. Rex didn't answer. Rex finished his giant burger and tossed the wrapper. "You once asked me how many people I killed. I answered "I didn't know". That was a half-truth. I dont know how many I killed after I met your mom but I do know how many I killed before. One. Only one. A resistance fighter made her way into our headquarters shortly after we began our campaign. It was very common for us to capture humans for entertainment. Young men and women were preferred. Anyway, one young woman let herself be taken. She was very cute and very submissive as I remember. We all were curious to see the new crop so to speak. I watched as they carried her in a glass container. The men were surprised how accepting of things she was. She didn't protest as they told her to strip naked. Not a mark on her dark-skinned body. Her hair touched her bare buttocks. They said things to see her get frightened. "You taste like chocolate? Ready for some real cock? Things like that. Didn’t faze her."

"One guy picked her up and began poking and pinching her body. Instead of fighting, she acted like it turned her on. So all day they used her. Sucking on her. Licking her. Jerking her up and down their cocks. Jesus, I remember how her once pretty hair was all matted and crusty by...ahem. Well the others went about their business looking for some human to torture. I didn't get involved. Humans seemed...I don't want to say pets but more needed to be cared for. I just sipped a beer and watched. We all an alert of an unauthorized signal coming for our location. Get this son. The girl had a beacon implanted under her skin. Damn thing was feeding firing coordinates! Girl was busted and took off. We had to kill her or at least the beacon before we were hit by God knows what. Girl was fast for a tiny thing. People diving to catch her. Stomping around her. Then she got near me. They yelled for me to kill her."

"I did. I raised my boot over her as she tried to dodge and slipped on the floor. I remember throwing her hands up and screaming in some Earth language I didn't know. I slammed my foot down as hard as I could. The sound. The sound her body made. I'll never know her name son but I'll always remember that beautiful face of hers begging me not to crush her. I'm doing right by humans but that doesn't excuse me killing that girl" Rex said quietly. "Dad I saw words carved inside that cockpit. Neither strength alone nor will alone. What does that mean?" Chad asked. Rex smiled. "That something Aaron once said at the one year anniversary of the end of the war. This one drunk STRIKE pilot came up to us while we were toasting to fallen friends. He told Aaron he could've killed the Empress himself if he had his machine. Called him a glory hog. Whoo did that piss off Leila. Thought for sure that guy was going to end up a stain under her high heel that night. Aaron didn't get mad."

"He replied..."it wasn't my STRIKE X that beat her. Neither strength alone nor will alone carried that day. It was teamwork. From my wife here watching my back right down to my ordinance officer who loaded a spent uranium shell that pierced an Ingress' chest. True, my machine is the most advanced one out there but without people to maintain it to pilots like you who watched my back as I was surrounded, I wouldn't be alive, the Empress would be, and humanity would be playthings of a giant woman with delusions of godhood. I don't think of myself as a war hero. I think of myself as a guy who did crazy shit because he had to and survived. Did you lose someone you cared about in the war?" he asked. "My brother Frederick. He died at Baikonur" the pilot replied. "Then we'll drink to Fredrick for his sacrifice wasn't in vain" Aaron said. And they drank and drank. Chad, did you pilot his machine thinking it would make you stronger?" Rex asked.

Chad nodded. "Did you want to be stronger so you could be a better pilot?" Rex asked. Chad didn't answer right away. "I wanted to protect her. She carries the biggest burden out of all of us" Chad replied. Rex picked his son up in his hands and smiled softly. "You really love her don't you?" he asked. "Yeah. Yeah I do. Both sides of her; Nara and Aeris" Chad said. "As long as you remember the important reasons you’re doing this then you'll be alright. You are Cyrus after all and our family as always marched to a different beat and came out winners" Rex said ruffling his hair with his finger. Chad laughed and pushed his finger away.

"Get a few hours of rest and come back. We start on BITS training this afternoon" Rex said. Chad nodded and left. It wasn't long after that he smelled cigarette smoke and turned around.  "Rinna. Wondered where you were" Rex said. Brigadier General Pathos didn't have one most of her uniform due to the heat. A white uniform top and skirt with pantyhose and flats. The giantess sat next to the giant casually. "How's his training?" she asked. "Fast learner like his mother. Died a bunch of times but he has improved his concentration and coordination" Rex replied. Rex looked at the smiling Ingress woman. Her face hadn't changed much. A slight trace of crow’s feet under her eyes but that was it. "Is he as unsure of himself as I remember his father to be?" she asked. "Cut him some slack. He hasn't been through what we have. Besides, I remember a certain girl who was unsure of what to do with herself once" he said. "How's Chen and your daughter?" Rinna asked stretching her legs. "Worried. Chen knows all too much the horrors of war and we very much wanted to spare our kids that. What about your family?" he asked. My wife is watching our sons. She took them to her mother's in New York State" she said. Rinna was quiet for a moment. A roar overhead signaled another transport. "Man, they just keep going to Ingressa" Rex said. "Yeah. Thousands more on the way too. Mostly humans though. This Baris is using them to feed his army. I've...I've read the reports. Entire villages emptied" she said. "How long do we got. Don't bullshit me" Rex said. "A week maybe. He made a u turn at Normandy when he saw or felt London’s hub gone. London got off lucky. He's headed straight for Ingressa. Considering that the average Ingress can cover 500 miles a day, we got maybe a week" she said. "Some breathing room" the giant huffed. "Not as much as you'd think. We're sabotaging bases left and right across his path. It's like chopping off a foot to save a leg. Satellite reports show he has over 13,000 under his control. The poor bastards fleeing east are running right into his control signal" she said.

"We'll be ready Rinna" Rex said with a smile. He squeezed her hand. "You better" she said standing up. Rex watched her leave and returned his gaze to the STRIKE X. "Aaron...hope things are better on your end wherever you are" he said. It was late in the afternoon when Chad returned. "You ready for more?" Rex asked. Chad was silent. "They got all these wires and shit hooked to Aeris while she's sedated" he said. "I heard they're working on special equipment for her. Stay focused son" he said. Chad climbed into his machine. "Now we teach you about the BITS. For now, we are only using one and at low power. Ai will assist you with that. You can do that Ai?" Rex asked. "Got enough processing power for that" she said. A BIT attached from the back and hovered next to him. "Try walking around. Get a feel for it next to you" he said. Chad moved around a bit. "Good. Ai, give him control" he said. She did and it wobbled a bit. "Easy, clear your head" he said. It stabilized.

For the next 20 minutes, he practiced moving it around. A bump or two but he was getting used to it. "Computer, two enemies. Level 1" Rex said. Two Ingress popped up. "Use only the BIT and attack" Rex said. Chad found it more difficult but he got the kills. Rex had him train with two and then three of them. Chad found it hard to concentrate. "Watch the crossfire! Watch!" Rex yelled until Chad shot himself with a BIT. "She's on your mind isn't she? CLEAR IT!" Rex yelled. Chad got pissed without approval he used all four. Rex turned up the assault program to 10 to push him. Remarkably, he won. He hovered in the air as he shot off multiple shots. Chad felt a trickle of blood from his nose. He was dizzy and powered down. "Chad? Chad!" Rex yelled running to the machine. "I'm...I'm fine. Just tired" he said walking away. R X worried he pushed him too hard.

Chad returned to his room and fell asleep. He awoke during the night and Aeris wasn't there. He dragged himself to where she had been. "Is she okay?" Chad asked Kana who was exhausted and looking over notes. "She's fine. We're almost finished mapping her brainwaves. Incredible" the Ingress woman said. Chad climbed onto her desk. Her large stocking feet was propped on the desk. A fan was blowing cool air on her. "What are you guys doing?" he said sitting near her keyboard. "We got an idea of using her signal to counteract Baris' control. We plan for her to wear a special suit modified from a recon suit that can broadcast her signal. Won't be as powerful as an actual city comm hub but it's better than nothing" she said. "She looks worn the fuck out" Chad said. "She been trying to narrow down his frequency all day for us to make a defense. Poor girl is wiped. Imagine, expanding your mind across an ocean, mountains, and valleys. She be fine come morning" she said hovering her finger over him. Chad wasn't looking at her but he didn't have to. He could hear the whispers of her thoughts. "You can let me but I want you to tell me what you're hiding from me. I can sense it" he said.

Kana made a fist and released it. "She's pregnant. Hormonal tests confirmed it. Judging by the speed of it, the baby with be our size. Only two weeks but you know what that means for an Ingress" she said. "Yeah like a month right? I took the interspecies sex Ed class back in high school. Kana I can sense the jealousy" he said. Kana took her feet off the table a quickly stood up. "Go ahead Kana. Let it all out" Chad said looking up at the giantess. "It's...it's not fair! Why couldn't she stayed dead?! I...could've had you to myself" Kana said starting to cry. "Kana, I'm not stupid. I know you've been in love with me for awhile now. I'd have to be blind not to notice. Do you really want to be the rebound girl if she stayed dead? Is that all you think you can be?" he asked. She didn't answer. Her teardrops fell with small splashes on the desk. "You know that old saying that there's somebody for everybody? Cheesy as fuck but it's true. I'm a living example of that. Seriously, my mom’s special someone was a fucking giant from another dimension. Kana there is someone out there for you" he said. She stared blankly and walked off leaving him there.

It was 0357 hrs. and the base was reasonably quiet on her end. The runway and hangers were busy but that was it. Kana stood outside looking at the stars. She was barefoot and the cool concrete chilled her giant soles. It was cool outside with them being in the desert after all. Kana glanced at the STRIKE X being worked on. She wanted Chad to be hers so badly she could feel it in her loins. He was perfect to her. Strong and fragile at the same time. Cute. Young bright, and tiny like the star she saw twinkling over Khufu’s pyramid. She glanced over at the training pads. The furthest one away was out of sight and she thought of an idea. She almost dismissed it entirely except at this moment she was going into heat and the conversation with Chad didn't help. She knew it was wrong and morally apprehensible but the holo system there had unrestricted (as in morality restrictions) coding that could be used unlike personal holo systems.

"Computer" she said until she gave it some real thought. She resolved herself. If this is what she would do then she would do it the way she wanted. The way she dreamed of. "Computer. New simulation. Victoria Base set to normal scale. Nighttime. One occupant. Captain Chadwick Cyrus. Current age and height" she said. She bit her lip as the computer processed the command. All around her a projection formed. It was her base. Of course, the projection angled things so it changed as she moved and walked. She walked silently to where the barracks were located. His barracks. She sat down and looked through each window. She smiled seeing him. She felt a slight giddiness watching him in his bed. She reached out her hand and stopped. She looked around as if she was going to be caught doing something naughty. Satisfied, and getting some more nerve, she used her fingernail to pry open the window. With that being done, she reached in.

With the gentleness only a doctor would have, she pulled him from his bed and out the window. "Computer. Make the subject...agreeable" she said. It didn't seem anything had changed to her so she chose to wake him to see. "Chad? Chad honey wake up" Kana said touching his chest. He didn't stir. Her heart was beating fast as she began to take off what little clothes he had on. He only had his underwear on now. Kana was blushing looking at him. His tiny chest moving up and down as he breathed. She gently kissed it. Now Chad began to stir. Her warm moist breath awoke him. "Kana? What's going on?" he asked groggy. She didn't answer him but she did pet him. "I love you so much" she said. Chad looked around. "Kana. Somebody could see us" he said. She placed a finger on his mouth. "Shh...there's nobody else here. Just us" she said. She kissed his body over and over slowly. "Do you love me?" she asked.

"Well yeah" he said nonchalantly. There wasn't much feeling in it but it was an enough for her. Chad watched as she began tugging off his boxers. Chad lifted his legs to accommodate her. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw his tiny penis erect. She had seen it before on the real Chad but never this way. This was Kana the lover looking at not Kana the doctor. She stroked his shaft with a gentle touch and he moaned slightly. She sat back on her butt and lifted him to her mouth. "Oh god" he said as she sucked his crotch. The giantess swore she could taste his manly musk on his private parts as he blew him. She teased his balls and even the crack of his ass with the tip of her tongue. He grunted loudly and shot his load onto her upper lip. She wiped it off with a finger and sucked on it. "Sweet and salty as I imagined" she thought. She placed him on the ground. Kana slipped off her skirt and panties and laid them nearby. She spread out her legs to surround him. 

She was surprised to see him step backwards and recline on the sides of her feet. He had a smug look. "What?" she asked worried something was wrong with the program. "You have a really pretty pussy. Pretty feet too" he said grinning. Kana felt like she would die of embarrassment. Although, she did enjoy him complimenting her body. Chad kissed the pad of her right big toe and even gave it a few licks. "Don't...they're nasty" she said. "Nothing is nasty about you" he said stopping. The giant woman was almost shaking as the diminutive man walked closer and closer to her vagina. She let out as gasp as Chad began humping her. "He's...he's fucking me" she thought. Kana smiled and closed her eyes. The tingling she felt was slowly building as her fake tiny lover fucked her. She wondered how something so wrong felt so right.  She reached down and gently inserted him into her.

"Wriggle. Wriggle inside me" she hissed pushing him deeper. Chad was waist deep in her and began kicking his legs. She moaned loudly and began pulling and pushing him in and out of her. Faster and faster she went until she, in the heat of the moment, shoved him all the way inside. She pressed her hand over her cunt and a finger in her. She felt his head underneath her finger. His legs and arms kicking and pushing her vaginal walls. The thought of him inside her most private place was too much. "I LOVE YOU!" she screamed cumming. She bucked her legs and feet so much one foot crashed right through his barracks. It took her a moment to realize what she had did in the end. She quickly yanked him out. He wasn't moving. Suddenly, his body disintegrated into pixels and vanished. "Respawning primary subject due to operator error. Resuming simulation" the computer said. And like that he was back. Kana was mortified.

"Sorry I died there. Want to go again sweetie?" he said. Kana didn't even know what to say. "Kana? What do you want me to do? Rub your feet? Or how about you sticking me up your butt?" he said.  Her eyes went wide. It sank in the utter folly of what she did. "You will do anything I say won't you?" she said with a whisper. He nodded. She picked him up and brought him to her face. "Feed me" she said opening her mouth. Chad jumped right in and she immediately spat him out. "Will you forget about Nara?" she asked. "Yeah sure if you want. I don't care about her " he said. She knew Chad would never dismiss someone he even remotely cared about so callously. "You really will do whatever I say won't you?" she asked. Chad only smiled at her. "Hate me. Hate me!" she screamed. "Unable to resolve logic problem. Restate another command" he said in a monotone voice. Kana realized why morality programs existed in these holo simulators now. it was to protect the user from mental pain and suffering. Not the other way around. "End program" she said quietly. The simulation shut down and she was alone in the darkness. Kana just sat there sobbing. It was the only time she wished she never met Chadwick Cyrus. Kana snuck back to her room and got into bed. She didn't go to sleep though. She just stayed awake and cried.

The next morning Chad was busy training with his father. His mind was on Kana though. He remembered the dark jealously he sensed inside her. "Focus! Keep focus!" Rex said watching his BITS tumble. "Okay. Break time" Rex said. Chad popped the cockpit and got down. "Dad, can I ask you a question? A really tough one and I need a real answer" Chad asked. Rex looked at him. It wasn't often his son asked in such a manner. "What do you do if you tell someone the truth and it really hurt them?" he asked. "It's probably for their own good son. Lies rarely help people. Why?" Rex asked. Chad explained what happened between him and Kana. "Wait...you can read minds?" Rex asked. "Dad. Focus" he said. "Alright but we'll get back to the mind reading part later. Jealously is a powerful emotion son. You mom doesn't like Rinna...I mean Brigadier General Pathos. I get why though. Women are passionate creatures and I can tell you from experience Ingress women are dangerous when they're in heat. What she felt was probably magnified many times. Just give her some time okay. Let her sort her feelings out" Rex said. Chad nodded.

As the day progressed, Rex found his son performed better when he was allowed to relax. Being wound up made him reckless. "Doing good. New lets have some real fun" Rex said unfolding his backpack wings. "Your opponent will be me. They to catch me" he said taking off. "Okay old man" Chad said jetting off after him. Chad was naturally faster. He throttled up and the g forces pushed him back into his seat. He hung tough though. Closer and closer he was getting to his father as he climbed higher and higher. Then Rex flew into a cloud bank. Chad knew this strategy since Nara used it on him before. "Ai. Radar sweep" he said. A ping got his location.

Chad fired right at his target. He saw his father just turn into pixels. In its place was a small sphere. "Wha?!" Chad said. *pop*. His machine registered a direct hit. Shields went down to 80%. "Nice try kiddo! How did you like my decoy sphere?" Rex said over the comm. Chad turned to where the shot came from only to see a contrail. Radar picked him up again. Chad lined up his shot and took it. Four shots. All but one missed. "Getting better!" Rex said. Rex dove for the deck and Chad chased him. Chad poured on the speed and jerked up just as he got near him to avoid hitting the ground.  Another shot from Rex dropped his shields to 60%. "Remember! Ingress are going to have better agility than you so you need to compensate! Limit their movements!" Rex yelled. Chad grinned. "Alright" he said. "Ai. Power up the positron cannon to 15%" he said. "That could be dangerous" she said. "Do it" Chad said. Chad concentrated. If he missed his real target he could really hurt his father. "Lock" the HUD said. He fired. Rex turned to look at what his son was doing. A red beam shot past him by a few scant feet. It hit the sandy soil kicking up a cloud. Rex flew right into it and his engines stalled. Chad was on him in seconds.

"Tag. You're it" Chad said firing away with both gauntlets. Rex was slightly pissed at the risk he took but he couldn't deny the results. He had won. "Yeah you won" Rex said. Chad was silent. "Don't let it go to your head" Rex said flicking his finger into the cockpit hatch. It made a metallic *thunk* sound his giant finger. "Care for a rematch?" Chad asked. Chad didn't give him a moment to answer before flying off. "Showoff" Rex said hearing the sonic boom. Red followed his radar ping into clouds. "My own trick. He really is cocky" Rex thought. However, Chad had one last trick up his sleeve. Rex fired at the target only to find he was not getting an enemy kill hit. He wondered why as he closed the distance. As soon as the clouds got thin enough to see he found out why. "Nice move son" he said as four BITS were grouped tight and fired simultaneously. Chad was hovering 50 ft. behind watching. "Slick move using them to hide your radar profile" Rex said. "Thanks. It was a wild guess though" Chad said. Both returned to base to rest.

"Come back tonight for a final test" he told him. Chad was eager to see Nara. He missed her. "Kana? You've seen Nara?" he asked going to the R&D. "In the canteen" she replied softly not looking at him. Chad watched as the giantess stepped over him and quickly left him. He didn't need to use his power to sense the pain in her heart. Chad made his way to the canteen where he found her devouring a salad as big as a swimming pool. "I doubt it will try to escape your clutches" he said walking up a staircase leading to the top of the table. Nara grabbed him immediately and assaulted him with kisses. "Whoa girl! Nice to see you too!" he said. "It's been a shitty two days here! I couldn't leave that room and they had wires in my fucking skin!" she yelled. "What for?" he asked. "Some business with recording my neural impulses. They had me reach out telepathically as far as I could" she said. "What? Mind control stuff?" he asked. "No, just to see how far I could read a mind. Not control it" she said. "And?" he asked. "Got as far as some place called Sicily" she replied. "That's still impressive" he said. "Yeah but keeping it up is tiring. I did get a look into a few minds there. Ingress and hybrids are scrambling to leave. Jesus Chad. Some are fucking swimming here" she said. Chad saw she was disturbed. "How's Aeris taking it?" he asked. "Hanging in there. She's gotten better at regulating her stamina but she's still worried if she can make a difference" she replied.

"Now my turn. What's on your mind. You seem distant" she said. "I really hurt Kana's feelings last night. It was bad" he said. "Is it about her feelings toward you?" Nara asked slightly serious. "Uh...yeah. I made her tell me everything. It hurt her" he said. She narrowed her eyes. "What did she say?" she asked. "That's kinda private. Needless to say I made her accept reality" he said. Nara didn't like that answer. Suddenly she got a call to return to R&D. "I have to go. Guess they got my new equipment together. See you tonight?" she said. Chad nodded and waved bye to her. Chad returned to his father and even though he was told to relax, he still wanted to get better. So with that they began training again. Rex watched as his son quickly picked up on how to use the machine's natural overwhelming strength for melee combat. "You're really good at sword combat" Rex said. "Had a lot of training with Nara. Dad I should tell you something. She's pregnant" he said.

Rex was speechless. He lowered his sword and looked down at the ground. "Computer. End program" he said to the simulator. "Dad? Say something" Chad said. "They’re positive?" Rex asked. "It's growing at an Ingress pace. So yeah" he replied. "Hop on out" Rex said. Chad was worried. His father looked disturbed and here he was telling him to get out his machine. Chad obeyed though. Rex held his son and brought him to his face. "Congratulations son" he said hugging his small son to his face. "Dad! I'm a grown man!" Chad yelled. "Still my little boy" Rex said. They had forgoed most of their training by that point. Rex was busy talking to his wife. Chad was answering every question his mother threw at him. "Mom slow down! We haven't even picked a name yet! Yes I plan to marry! You know that! No I don't know what kind of ceremony we will have. Her parents? Uhh...we'll see. Okay let me talk to Jun" he said. Chad winced as his sister squealed like a little girl at the news. "Yeah, you will auntie Jun. of course you can be her bridesmaid. I'm sure Nara will love that" Chad said. After the call was done Chad asked his dad a question. "Dad? Were you nervous becoming a dad?" he asked.

"Fucking petrified. Especially when it came to Jun. You two were unique cases. Hybrid twins are rare and one big and one small? Whoo. Jun had to be transferred to an incubation tank very early and her growth had to be stabilized. Keep in mind medicine was still in the dark when it came to hybrids. She didn't grow as fast as an Ingress but still accelerated. You on the other hand even though small you grew fast too. Your mother was eating damn near 5 times a day. She won't tell you but there was a time where her life was in danger. She made very clear you were going to be born. As it turned out you and Jun were born on the same day after all. Freaky shit. I remember holding you mother in my hands as she had me bring her to Jun. she touched her finger and smiled as your sister cried. That was the second most memorable moment of my life" Rex said. "What was the first?" Chad asked. "The day I decided not to eat you mother and try fighting for humanity" Rex said grinning.

As the sun set, Rex led him to a different training location. This one far larger and more remote than all the others. "Dad what is this?" Chad asked. "A training facility for young Ingress and giant hybrids. When our people first moved here most cities were not suitable for us to walk around in. Basically, we kept bumping into shit like billboards and building walls. Hell, some even accidentally crushed vehicles and the occasional person. A law was enacted that Ingress had to pass a training course to live or visit an urban or suburban environment. Now get ready. This is going to be a real test of your abilities. Computer run simulation Rex 1" he said. Chad watched as the entire area changed. He was surrounded by Ingress in old uniforms and some in different ones, STRIKEs, tanks, soldiers, and in the background, something he only saw twice in his life; the Ark. "Welcome to the battle of Osaka. The final battle that ended the Dimensional War. Your role is going to be Aaron Pherson. Nice right. Think again. This is where he was surrounded and most vulnerable. Your mission is to survive. Good luck and remember to be aware of your surroundings and rely on your teammates. Neither strength alone nor will alone. Computer. Begin" Rex said.

The simulation began and Chad immediately looked around for enemies. He knew this battle very well. After all his idol was the hero of it. Chad thought he knew it by heart. He would learn the hard way that knowing and understanding is two different things.  "Careful Aaron" a woman said. To his shock it was aunt Leila. He hasn't seen her in years but he knew her face. "Just as pretty as I remembered" he thought. "Don't worry a...Leila. I got this" he said. He went to move and found he couldn't he could barely move a finger let alone an arm or leg. Chad remembered. The STRIKE X had a special function called Overclock. It ignored cool down times and gave a massive offense and defense boost but only for a limited time. After than the machine went into lockdown mode to cool off. The simulation was feeding this data into the machine. "How the hell am I...wait. Dad said to rely on teamwork. Okay....umm Stray Dogs report in!" he yelled.   "Vasquez here! Julia online! Rex coming in hot! Atreya cutting through! Ned bringing the rain!" they shouted. Chad nearly lost his shit hearing their voices. Like living the most awesome dream to him and to top it off he could give his father orders.

"Form up on me. Set a perimeter until I can move again. Rex you're good with a gun so take point" Chad said grinning. As enemy Ingress approached they fake Stray Dogs mowed them down. Chad was awed. He never seen soldiers so in sync. If someone got hit they fell behind another and let their shields recharge. The two STRIKEs were popping Ingress at long range. However, their sheer numbers were causing the defense to crumble. A stray shot hit Chad. "Damage to shoulder armor" Ai said. An Ingress woman was charging right at them. "Holy shit the size of her!" Chad said. The history books had no mention of this Ingress but she did exist. She was larger and more physically fit than normal Ingress. She was tall even by Ingress standards. Towering at 235 ft. a muscular to the point her tight uniform advertised she could fuck you up on your best day. She held a hull plate from the Ark and used it as a shield as she ran at them. "Ai?! I need to move!" Chad yelled. "Still a minute left!" she shouted. "Don't got a minute!" he yelled.

Atreya moved to block her and was knocked aside. Chad watched a stream of blood fly from her mouth. Vasquez and Julia went to gun her down but that reinforced plate was taking the hits too well. They yelled as they jumped out of the way to avoid being run over. The Ingress took out a short sword and lunged it at Chad. "Don't think so bitch!" Leila said grabbing her arm. The crazy giantess threw the plate away and pulled out a pistol. She fired point blank at Leila. Leila was knocked on her back. The woman turned her attention to Chad. Suddenly she cried out in pain. Leila had stabbed her right in the foot. The giantess kicked her angrily and pulled the blade out. "We can move!" Ai yelled. Chad went to grab her to prevent her from aiming at him. His hands squeezed her wristbones as hard as he thought. She didn't scream. Only a grunt.

Insanely, she began head butting the mech. She broke her nose and bloodied her scalp and forehead but eventually the impact caused Chad to lose focus. This was all she needed. She slipped out of his grip and grabbed his arms. With her mighty strength, she pulled them apart so he couldn't aim himself. Then with a forceful kick to the cockpit he stumbled backward. The others pulled out melee weapons fearing their rifles could hit him. Unfortunately, they were forced to hold back the Ingress encroaching. It was beginning to look like another game over for him. Chad was dizzy. The impact was hard enough to override the inertial dampeners in the cockpit. The enemy giantess grabbed the outside hatch and began to pull. "Watch traitor as I tear your precious human out of his toy and eat him alive" she hissed. Chad saw the horrified look on Leila's face as she fumbled around for any weapon to stop her.  Chad concentrated. A fire began burning in his heart. He had enough seeing that look of pain and hopelessness.

She couldn't see it but a lone BIT detached from the machine. Chad grabbed her by the throat and forced her head to look up. The giantess stopped grinning. Chad used his fingers to manipulate her jaw to open her mouth. "Eat this you giant muscled freak" he said. He jammed the BIT right into her mouth lodging it halfway in. Its frame glowed as it prepared to fire a strong burst. Chad looked deep into her holographic eyes that were wide from fear. *BLAM*

It tore down her throat, pass her stomach, and exit just above the crack of her ass. Chad let go of the dead giantess. "Simulation clear" the computer said. Everything disappeared before him. Chad didn't move. "That was...that was" Rex said not finding the correct words. Rex walked over to him. The blue lights for eyes glowed on the machine. Rex got on his knees. "Son? Are you okay?" he asked. No answer. "Ai. Pop the hatch" Rex said. The hatch opened. The interior light showed Chad just staring forward. Rex reached out to him. Rex knew what this was. With delicate care, he unbuckled his son and picked him up. Rex sat down and cradled him. "Now you know what war is really like. It's not glamor, fame, or glorious. It's death and the hope of not dying" Rex said. He could feel his son trembling in his hands.

"How did you do it dad?" Chad asked. "I had your mother. She reminded me that at the end of the day I had someone I could come home to. Talk to. Cry to. You notice she wasn't in the simulation?" he asked. Chad nodded. "She was forced to fall back around that time. We got cut off. Yeah, I sounded cool as shit but I was freaking the fuck out. Look, nobody comes out of war unscathed. Nobody. The trick is to remember that battles will end and you must leave that pain, fear, and grief behind. Otherwise you end up a casualty. Not by a beam shot or grenade but by your own heart" Rex said poking his son's chest. "Let's go back. I'll carry you this time" Rex said. Rex flew back with his tiny son in his hands. He carried him in his hands many times but it had been years since he did it like his son was hurt. He glanced down to see his son watching the horizon over his fingers. Rex became very afraid. He had done all he could to prepare him for his destiny. If that destiny was to end badly, this could be the last time he could hold his son.

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Chad arrived back in his room late. He saw Nara in bed. He undressed and showered and climbed into bed. Chad stared at her for a moment. Her large lips slightly parted as she breathed. She was laying on her back and she stirred. Part of the covers fell and he saw that she wasn't dressed. "Whoa" he said seeing her breast pop into view. He walked up to it. He pressed his hand into her warm soft flesh. It felt like the surface of a warm rubber balloon. He was getting hard. Chad took off his briefs.     

Like a bug, Chad crawled under the 2000 sq. ft. sheet until he was at the foot of the bed. The sheet was just thin enough he could see her foot. Turned to the side, he was as tall as her third toe. The pads of her toes were so defined he could feel each print line. He felt the space between them. Soft. There was a faint smell of lavender. Lotion she was probably using to keep her skin moisturized and protected from the airy hot desert climate. With both hands he gripped her third toe and kissed it. His dick bumped around between her big and second toe so much her foot twitched and moved. He narrowly avoided being popped in the face with 33 ft. of foot flesh. He wasn't discouraged though. After ehat he went through today he craved the soft touch of a beautiful woman. His woman.

Chad walked between her legs and up to her pussy. Chad sighed in anticipation. A few shafts of light illuminated her womanhood. He stuck his face right into her foods and began sucking on them. At first nothing happened but as he put his hands in she became wet. He heard her breathing change. Chad stopped and mounted her cunt. He understood what his dad meant now. How your woman can make you forget the horrors of war. Right now, all he felt was his dick and balls engulfed by her enormous vagina. He was slow. Very slow. His hands played with her coarse public hair as he bumped her. Nara groaned. He heard her feet rustle the sheets. The bed creaked. The cover that hid his intercourse was torn away. "Chad?" she said. "I'm back. Sorry I was..." he was saying stopping. "Don't..don't you dare stop" she said. Her fingers pressed on his back and bare ass as he fucked her. Nara just smiled warmly. As Nara got heated up she pulled him off her.

With barely a word she licked and sucked her juices off him as she masturbated. She opened her mouth and took him all the way to his waist. "Fuck" he said as she sucked on him hard. Chad gripped her upper lip as he came. She bit down very gently to secure him as she came. When she was done she remembered that she might've hurt him no matter how careful she was. She pulled him from her mouth and could see traces of teeth marks. "Please don't eat me miss giantess! I'll be your slave!" Chad yelled. Nara burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she was crying. "You and your lame ass jokes" she said. "You know you like my sense of humor" he said. Nara laid back on the bed and placed him between her tits. "I missed you so much" she said. "Heard you were pregnant" he said. Nara got quiet. Chad felt her heartbeat rise fast. She was scared.

"We discussed this once remember?" he said. "But it's real now" she said. "Bet your pretty giant ass it is. Nara, it's going to be okay. Our baby will have a good life and great parents" he said. "But there's Baris out there and this war and we don't know if the baby is normal or..." she was saying as Chad walked up to her face. He silenced her with a wet kiss to her lips. "We will deal with all those things as they happen. For now, just worry about a name for the baby" he said. Nara held him close to her heart. The sound and beat lulled him to sleep. "Aeris. You awake?" Nara thought. "Yeah" Aeris replied. "Do you know if the baby will be okay?" Nara asked. "I think so but there is no history of a Progenitor inhabiting an organism and procreating. May I ask a question of you?" Aeris asked. "Sure" Nara replied. "May I be allowed to be in control during the birthing process? The thought of a living being growing in me is...humbling. I would like to feel how it is to bring it into this world" Aeris said. Nara thought for a moment. She wanted to experience the birth herself but she could sense that her request was more of an intimate nature.

Aeris found that the hybrid she cared for had seeded life in her body. Her imprinted instincts pushed her to feel the connection. "Sure, but I get to hold the baby first" Nara said. "Agreed! Thank you Nara. Really" Aeris said. Nara drifted off to sleep and Aeris remained. She gently stroked Chad's body as he slept. She began to wonder if this child her body was siring would inherit his ability. Aeris looked at where her uterus was and used her powers to peek inside. It was tiny the collection of cells that was taking a humanoid form as she watched. Already it was two inches in length. She glanced at it harder and singled out a cell. Then she glanced at the DNA strand. Sure enough it showed genetic markers of him and her but she was looking for one specific gene. She gasped slightly. There it was on the eighth angstrom. A mutated gene that belonged to the mental facilities of the hybrid. The same kind Chad had. Left to grow to full term the child would be like him; a telepath. Chad was no fluke. He was the sign of something coming...

The next morning, Chad was flying lead formation heading towards Ingressa. He and two ACE's were escorting the large transport that held Raam, Kana, Nara, Rex and a host of others. "It's so beautiful" Chad said looking below. "I remember seeing it a lot once" Nara said over the comm. "But it's incredible Nara. Ingress technology did this. Just 30 years ago all this was desert. They don't even call this the Sahara Desert anymore" he said. "The Ingress put a lot of time an effort in the reclamation project here. You should see what it looks like when we reach the actual borders of Ingressa" Raam said. "Kana, you ever see this?" Chad asked trying to spark conversation with her. "I took a trip here on spring break when I was 13. Didn't like it too much" she said. "Why not. It's pretty" Chad said. "The scenery is. The people not" Kana said. 

"Okay, what's the deal? You, Nara, and the colonel here doesn't like to talk about this place much. Why?" Chad asked. "Ingressa doesn't share all the ideals of an integrated society. Cooperation with humans being the chief one. They see them as a threat to traditional culture and have taken to almost xenophobic views" Raam said. "So they don't want humans around them?" Chad asked. "Not specifically. You know how Ingress are sometimes discriminated? Well it's the opposite for Ingressa. Humans are discriminated there. Shitty jobs, the threat of violence, and they really frown on interspecies marriage. That doesn't stop humans from living there though" he said. "Why would a human live in such a shithole?" Chad asked. "Chad! It may be a shithole but it's my home!" Nara yelled. "The answer to your question is the pay. Humans get paid very well in whatever jobs they work" Raam said. "Hazard pay" Kana said. *beep beep*

"This is Ingressa Air Defense. Please identify yourselves" a woman over the comm ordered. "This is Union transport November X-Ray 1311 outbound from Cairo carrying dignitaries scheduled to meet with the Ingressa Chancellor" the pilot radioed. "Standby...confirmed. Alter flight path to heading 025 and drop speed to Mach 0.85. Do not deviate" the woman said. Chad watched on radar as two blips came into visual range. Two Ingress and judging at how snug their flight suits were, female. They had almost identical equipment except their uniforms were dark red like dried blood. It gave him a chill.

Within minutes they crossed into Ingressa territory. It was marked by humongous trees obviously not native to Earth. "Jesus those trees!" Chad said. "Big aren't they? Ingressa Ashwood* trees from the homeworld. When I was a little boy I had a treehouse in a short one just a measly 600 or so feet" Rex said.  "Measly?! How big do they get?!" Chad asked. "Big. Some as tall as 3000 ft. but they only grew in the part of the planet where it rains a lot. Like the Pacific Northwest.

(Authors note: To imagine this tree think of a California Redwood. Average height: 379 ft. and the tallest species of tree on Earth)

"Chad. I'm picking up multiple weapon batteries watching us below. Passive radar scans" Ai said. "Makes a guy feel welcome" he said. "Union flight. Vector to runway 12 for landing" their escort said. Chad was breathless seeing the city underneath him. even the outskirts and warehouse districts were impressive. Not one building was human sized. Looking ahead into the city itself there was the same. No mix of human and Ingress sized buildings. Just Ingress. The airport came into view. A collection of transports was on the ground as well as dropships. A noticeable presence of Ingressa military was there watching everything. The transport landed and Chad and the ACE's touched down. Their escort landed next to them. Their leader took off her helmet. "Greetings. My name is Captain Larissa Killan. I will be your escort as you are lead to the Chancellor. That...that is an interesting machine you have there" she said looking at Chad. Chad looked at her face on his HUD.

She was pretty. Her eyes were the color of fresh grain and her hair the color of fresh raspberries. A pure blood Ingress to be sure. He saw a hint of trepidation in them though. "Thank you. It's the same machine that ended the war. We want to show that the common enemy we have will be faced with the same courage and strength as the old one" Chad cleverly said. He saw Raam smirk. The giantess Captain's eyes went wide realizing underneath that new paint job was the same STRIKE X that killed hundreds of Ingress and the Empress herself. "I remember how clean and fresh the air is here" Nara said sniffing. "You are from here?" Larissa asked. "Yes" Nara nodded happily. "Then welcome home. This way please" she said. Many eyes were on them as they walked off the Tarmac. Most on Chad. The older ones and a few history buffs knew what machine was in their presence.

"You can hop out of that and we can have it stored in a hangar for you" Larissa said. "No thanks" Chad said. "Very well but you won't be permitted to pilot it in the City Hall. No weapons or mech's allowed" Larissa said. "Agreed" Raam said. They all rode in an armored vehicle into the heart of the city. Everyone was silent. It wasn't everyday you saw a city where almost everyone was giant. "How many people human sized live here?" Chad asked. "Roughly 17% in the capital but the country overall is about 35%. The numbers fluctuate due to the refugees" Larissa replied. Rex noticed two Ingress teenagers smoking while waiting for a traffic light to change. Near their feet was a human man. One bent down and blew smoke on him. The man fell over coughing as the giants laughed.  "And how are the refugees being treated? Enough food and medical care?" Rex asked. "We have enough" Larissa replied sternly.

They arrived at the building. "Damn place looks like a palace" Chad muttered. "Glad her position hasn't gone to her head too much" Rex joked. "Dad you know the chancellor?" Chad asked. "All too well. Main reason I came with you other than watching your back of course" Rex said. "Sir I need you to disembark" Larissa said to Chad. She held out her hand. Chad popped the hatch and stepped onto her palm. He swore she licked her lips looking at him. "I'll hold him" Nara said snatching him from her. The woman rolled her eyes and ushered them to follow. "I don't like this woman's thoughts Chad" Aeris said into his mind. He sensed an edge to her mental voice. "Don't worry about her. Worry about this chancellor" he said. The hallway was expansive. Just the entryway was two football stadiums large. It took all of 5 minutes to reach the main room. A distance of over 3 miles.

"Captain Killan to Assistant Xenna. The guests are here" Larissa radioed. "Understood. Her excellency is on her way" a voice said. "Wonder if she changed much since the old days" Rex asked. "Where do you know her from dad?" Chad asked. "The war. She served with us. You've met her yourself. Once when you were very young and the other day during the simulation" Rex said. Chad heard low booms as an entourage of people came into the room. "People please! I'll deal with logistic problems after my meeting!" a female voice shouted. The group parted and in the center was a familiar woman dressed finely. Soft rosy skin covered by a silk midnight blue dress. Her legs mostly bare below the knees and on her feet were silver sandals.

"Greetings, delegation from the Union" she said. She watched from the corner of her eyes as the group left the room leaving her with Chad and the rest. She closed the door and locked it. "Rex! So good to see you!" she said running to him. Her sandals made a thunderous clip clopping sound on the hardwood floor. "Nice to see you Atreya. The years have been kind" Rex said hugging her. "Flatterer. I gained weight over the years" she said. "Well the war did keep the pounds off" Rex said. She coughed looking at the others. "My manners. Atreya, this is Colonel Raam. Captain Cyrus, and 1st. Lieutenant Nermani. Everyone this is Atreya Starlight. The 5th member of the Stray Dogs" Rex said. "Actually, I went back to my maiden name. Durandal" Atreya said. Rex looked confused. "Fortunate you all arrived just in time for lunch. Why don't you have a seat" Atreya said. After everyone was seated, Atreya called in an attendant. After a bit of whispering, the Ingress attendant left.

"You did very well for yourself here" Rex said. "After Calista was assassinated, I was chosen to take over. The people liked how I did the job and voted to keep me in office" Atreya said smiling at Chad. She got up and walked over to Chad who was sitting on top of the giant table. She sat next to him.  "Last time I saw you you were barely bigger than my pinkie toe. You've grown into a handsome man" Atreya said touching the top of his head. "Thank you auntie Atreya. I barely remember you from when I was 5. Oh...this is my fiancée Nara" he said quickly pointing to her. Atreya was about to give her a cheery greeting until she saw an eerie glow in her eyes. Atreya nearly fell out of her seat realizing the reports she read were true. Both progenitors had taken Ingress form and their eyes glowed purplish blue. Even her physical description matched. "You're...you're the other!" said. "Progenitor? Yes, that's me. Right now Aeris is observing and means no harm. Please stay calm" Nara said.

An awkward silence was broken until servants came in with food. They began eating and it was Rex who spoke again. "How is Matthew" he asked. Atreya stabbed her cut of chicken. "Wouldn't know. Hadn't seen him in 7 years since he left me" she said. "He left you?! But...but you two were crazy about one another!" Rex said. "Not all of us can get a happy ending Rex like you, Aaron, and Ned" she said not looking up. "How are you dealing with the refugees?" Raam asked. "As much as we can. We've set up camps in the southern part of the country but we are reaching a breaking point. Many citizens are not happy with them coming here bringing strange ideas about our way of life, especially the hybrids" she replied. "What's wrong with hybrids?" Chad asked.

"Our country was founded on the idea that Ingress culture can continue without human interference. Hybrids remind us how we are still dependent on humans" she replied. "That's silly. What about kids here. Not all of them can be pure blood Ingress" Chad said. "True. They're not but the hybrids that gestate like humans are aborted. You will find very few hybrids your size living here as citizens" she said. Rex dropped his fork loudly. "Did you just say these people about hybrids because they’re too human?" Rex asked. Atreya nodded after sipping some wine. "Unbelievable Atreya. How can you permit such a thing? After all you are his godmother" Rex said pointing to Chad. "It's what the people want. Maybe you forgot how shitty things were for our kind when we got her but those people out there haven't" she said. "Oh come on! Things have gotten way better since those days! Civil rights laws protect Ingress! Can you truly sit there and say it's like it was 20 years ago?" Rex asked.

"Tell me Rex. Can you remember the last time a human didn't stare at you with some degree of fear as you strolled around in one of their cities? Do they still have special drinking zones for giants? What's the punishment for drinking outside one of those zones? A year in prison if I remember" she said. "You know why that exists. If we get drunk we can really kill them easily. Those zones have low human populations and buildings our size. It's to protect them and us" Rex said. "What about equal pay for equal work? Ingress can work 100 times more than humans easily but do we get 100 times the pay? No. You can criticize Ingressa all you want but you can say we treat our kind as they should be treated without the bureaucratic hoops to jump through" she said wiping her mouth with a napkin. Without barely a word she stood up and left the room.

"Smooth talker Cyrus" Raam said sarcastically. "She wasn't always like this. She was kind, gentle, even naive" Rex said. "Not anymore dad" Chad said. Nara had nothing to say for both of them had good questions and answers. A moment later an attendant appeared. "The chancellor said she will see you again this evening. You can return then" she said. The dumbfounded group left and found Larissa standing outside with the car. "I take it it didn't go well" she said. "Did the collective frowns give it away?" Chad asked. She drove them to a fancy hotel. Chad noticed a curious thing along the way though. Anyone that was an authority figure was female. Virtually no males held a position of authority. That went along with police, managers, construction foremen, emergency responders, even the news broadcasters on holovids. He heard that the Ingress were a matriarchal society once and it seemed that tradition carried over here. He couldn't see humans out there very well but he did see small tubes near buildings that served as walkways. That and no human signs here and there were evidence that there were some out there.

"Excuse me. The delegation would like to check in. Can you find your manager please?" Larissa said to a human sitting on the desk looking over some documents. "Right...right away miss!" the small man said stumbling toward the staircase leading to a phone. "Hurry little man! We shouldn't be kept waiting!" Larissa barked. The visibly frightened man fumbled through the obviously too big phone screen looking for the right extension. "Humans..." the impatient giantess sighed. "Miss Cunnings? The VIP group just arrived" he said. "On my way" a voice said. Minutes later, an Ingress woman in her late 40's appeared. She was fat almost to the point of being obese. A 190-ft. tall stature of fat and bad attitude.  "The VIPs mistress" he said pointing to them. She eyed every person and stared at Chad. Chad swore he saw a trickle of drool escape her mouth. "Raam party right. Rooms 206 through 209 are booked for you. Our bellhops will assist you" she said striking a loud bell.

An Ingress man carried Raam's, Rex's and Nara's belongings. A human female carried Chad's. The girl was young. Maybe 18 or 19 and looked extremely nervous around Raam and Rex. After dumping their luggage in their rooms the Ingress man left but the human girl remained. Larissa excused herself and left her number. "Why don't we take this time to go sightsee" Nara said taking Chad with her. Before Chad could say a word, they were gone leaving Raam and Rex alone with her. "At least they'll have fun" Rex said. "Um sir. Speaking of fun. As...as VIPs. You are allowed to...have me service you at no cost" she said stammering. Rex was speechless but Raam seemed as if he expected this. It was clear by her shaking she was new to this and wasn't eager to be used by the Giants before her. Raam casually stepped over to her and bent down. The girl looked away and slid off her work shoes leaving her in her stocking feet. She went to take off her uniform until Raam stopped her. "No" he said.

"That will not be necessary. Hmm...knowing that fat bitch she'll expect something if you leave right now. How about a break? A sex free one" Raam said. The girl looked like she would cry. Raam picked her up and sat her on the corner of the bed. "I've heard stories but damn!" Rex said. "I know. It was like this last time I came to this country. There's not a damn thing we can say about it either" Raam said. The girl watched as the Giants made calls and watched local tv. She didn't understand why they were so nice. All her life she only knew how capricious Ingress were here. Being cute and small didn't help. She lived her entire life worrying about an Ingress snatching her up. Humans going missing wasn't rare. Of course the police knew of such things but turned a blind eye. Her parents were dead by "accident" and her and her younger brother lived in foster homes for years before she aged out. Thankfully a human could get really good out doing just about any job. It was this reason she stayed in this country at all. Supporting her brother any way she could. Being young and cute, she landed a job here at this hotel and was told for some extra credits would use her tiny size and looks to her advantage with the customers.

"What's your name?" Rex asked the girl startling her. "Catherine" she replied. "I have a daughter around your age. Much bigger though" Rex said raising his hand into the air. Catherine giggled at him. "You shouldn't be in this business kid" he said seriously. The girl looked away. "We...we could" Rex was saying touching her face. She slowly pushed his finger back. "I...I have to go. Thank you for your hospitality" she said finding a way off the bed. Both men watched the small human teen leave. "No happy ending indeed" Rex said. "Cyrus. He's crossed the Alps in record time" Raam said looking at a data feed. "Not one station is really reporting about this conflict. No hard facts. Just fluff pieces" Rex said. "That's not good for us. Another reason for her to deny us" Raam said. "Oh I'll make her see reason. Believe that shit" Rex said.

Nara and Chad roamed the city. She took him to familiar places she could remember. Now and then she would look at a place as if to remember it but it was one memory in thousands Aeris didn't copy. Both of them noticed people staring at them. Mostly with scowls. "Take a holopicture. It'll last longer!" Nara yelled. "God forbid we kissed in public" Chad said. "Or went to fucking" Nara said. "Judging by that call girl they sent to our room I don't think it would shock them much" Chad said. "You noticed huh" she said. Nara sat down on a bench and placed Chad next to her. Nara took off her shoe to rub her feet. Chad winced as she cracked her giant toes. "It is known that the sex industry is alive and well here. Although one could say that about any major city" she said. "Nara. No offense but your country has serious issues" he said. "Truth be told more and more immigrate out every year. Look at me. I don’t buy into this humans are second class shit like many our age here. The old ways are dying weather they admit it or not" she said. Suddenly, a middle-aged Ingress woman was moving to sit down...right were Chad was. Nara snatched him away just before he would be smothered by tons of skirt covered ass.

"Excuse you!" Nara yelled angrily. The woman glanced at her and then the human in her grip. She put two and two together. "If you don't want your pet human smushed then keep him of Ingress benches" the woman said coldly. Nara's eyes glowed. "Chad. May I tell this woman a joke?" Aeris asked. "What did five fingers say to the bitch?" Aeris asked. *POW* With no effort, Aeris made the giantess punch herself in the face. She nearly tumbled off the bench she hit herself so hard. The woman’s nose was bleeding. "I'm calling the..." *POW*. Aeris made her do it again. "You will do nothing except apologize or I'll make you do something far worse" Aeris said. "I'm...I'm sorry!" the woman yelled. "Watch were you out your posterior next time" Aeris said. With that the woman ran away...fast. "I'm I still bad if I enjoyed that?" Aeris asked. "No, I think we all did. Nara. Does your family live far from here?" Chad asked. The glow disappeared and Nara returned. Nara shook her head. "A 10-minute bus ride that way" she said. "Let's go meet them" he said. Nara was hesitant but she knew this needed to be done.  

Nara and Chad stood outside the main door of her house. She knew her parents were home because of the cars. She took a deep breath and knocked. "Hello...NARA!" her mother shouted. She hugged her daughter tightly. Nara barely had time to protect Chad from being crushed between their bodies. "Mom! Careful. I brought him with me" she said. The middle aged titaness glanced down at her hands. "I...I see. Well come on in!" the woman said opening the door. Nara glanced around inside. She remembered many things and a few not. The smell she remembered. The antique clock not. The color of the sofa. The carpet not. "Adrian! Look who came home!" the woman shouted loudly. The heavy thuds of footsteps from above signaled his approach. "Baby!" the man said hugging his child. "And...and is this the man I heard about?" the father asked changing tone. "Chadwick Cyrus. Nice to meet your sir" Chad said extending his hand. The giant eyed him until Nara whispered. Reluctantly, he extended his finger to him to shake.

"What brings you to Ingressa?" her mother asked. "Union support. The fight is going badly" Nara said. "Well I doubt we'll help. Ingressa doesn't involve ourselves with outside affairs" the father said. "People are dying dad. This alien plans to kill every hybrid out there and is coming right this way to do that" Nara said. "Then this alien is going to get fucked over. Our military is full of war vets. Not like the Union with their fancy machines" the man said. "Excuse me sir? This alien has already seized almost a quarter of the world. I don't see Ingressa really stopping him alone" Chad said. "I’ll have you know little hybrid that Ingress are not strangers to death. If a few must die to win a fight then so be it" the giant said. "And if one of those few was me?" Nara asked. "Oh I'll make sure you are out of the fighting. No harm is coming to my little girl" the man arrogantly said.

Nara closed her eyes and sat Chad to the side. "Uh oh" Chad muttered. The man scooted back seeing a queer flow in his daughter’s eyes. "But harm has already come to your little girl Ingress man. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aeris and just a few weeks ago I killed and ate your daughter. No. No trick. No joke or mental imbalance" Aeris said. "Aeris you're scaring him" he said. Aeris relaxed her posture. "Sorry. It's true though. I copied your daughter’s DNA and cloned her to use as a host. I ended up recreating her mind in the process. To show that this is true...watch" Aeris said. With a snap of her fingers she lit a nearby candle. "He still thinks this to be a trick" Aeris said to Chad. "Sir. Think of a number between one and one million. Make it a hard one" Chad said. "11,455" Aeris said. The father slumped into the sofa. The mother cried softly and reached her hand out to Aeris. "I'm right here mommy" Nara said taking over.

Nara was hugged fiercely by her mother. "And here you were worried" Chad said. "You know all about this?" her father said. "Yes sir. Since day one. I was there when . it happened. When she died and was reborn as her" Chad said. "What...what is this Aeris?" he asked. Chad settled down and began telling them what the Progenitors were and what they wanted. "So this alien is inside her and she controls minds?" her father asked staring at her. "Daddy please don't look at me that way" Nara said. "She can do way more that read minds. Aeris is the second most powerful being on Earth. Show them Aeris" Chad said. Aeris made the giant pick his nose. "Kallan! We do have a guest even if he's a tiny" the mother said. The man looked startled. "I...I don't even know I was doing that" he said. "I made you do it subconsciously" Aeris said. "Mr. And Mrs. Nermani. Ehat have you heard about the war out there?" Chad asked.

"The Union is doing their best but entire areas are being evacuated and refugees and sent to many nations. Ingressa is doing their part bringing them in. We're even setting up homes for the smaller folk" the man replied. "So nothing about Eastern Europe being conquered? Russia's western borders being annihilated? France being overrun by thousands of Ingress slaves? Children used as soldiers and cannon fodder?" Chad said. Both were silent. "Unbelievable. This nation is still as fucking conceited as I remember" Nara said. "Don't give me that look you two. I did NOT want to come back here but circumstances forced me to. How humans and hybrids are treated here is a disgrace and to ease their guilt they throw money at them. Chad I seriously doubt the people here will grow a fucking conscience and help the rest of the world. We should just go" Nara said picking him up.

Her father yelled at her in a strange language. "No I will not stay and you would do wisely not to use that slur about my future husband again" she said. "Nara. Please don't go. We...we thought we lost you for a moment when we couldn't get ahold of you. Now we see it was because..." her mother said breaking down crying. Nara sighed and placed Chad on her shoulder. Nara sat down and comforted her mother. "We know we're not perfect or is our country but it is home to us when our people were persecuted by humans. You were too young or wasn't born yet to experience it" her father said. "But it like that anymore. Humans have greatly changed. Size difference doesn't mean a thing anymore. Look at Chad and then there's..." Nara said stopping. "There's what?" her mother asked. Nara took her large hand and placed it over her abdomen. "You mean?"

"Yeah. You're going to be a grandmother" Nara said. Chad had to hold onto strands of Nara's hair as her mother hugged her. "So is it too soon to call you mom?" Chad asked the older giantess. "Well I guess it could be worse having a nice man like you as a son in law" she said. "Dad?" Nara asked. Her father looked to the side. "Well, he did still embrace my daughter after this...change. So, I know his heart is in the right place. Yeah, I'm okay" he said nodding. "Alright! The start of a nice relationship with my in laws" Chad said. They all chuckled at him. For the next two hours they all talked. It was slightly upsetting to see Nara unable to remember some things but reassuring that she did remember others. "I remember that! I brought it home with me and you got mad" Nara said to her father. "You smuggled a lion in your pocket! Those things bite! And here you were 6 years old begging me to let you keep it" he said. "And you did. I miss little growly" Nara said.

"You know. We've known for a long time our Nara was different. She really cares for smaller creatures. Not saying that's why you two..." Her mother was saying to Chad. She and him were enjoying tea and talking more. Her mother wanted to know him better. "I get what you're saying. There was a brief moment I was your size. Something Aeris did. I get that feeling of power of smaller beings but at the same time I saw how fragile and vulnerable they were. I bullied an ex of mine that was human sized. It felt fantastic at first but it lost that appeal when I saw her face. I instilled fear. Playing into a stereotype. That wasn't me and I don't see it in her, you, or him. The people here need to step out into the world and see what they're missing. Maybe, just maybe this war is a silver lining in that respect. God knows enough lives were lost with so far nothing to show for it" Chad said.

"You love her that much don't you?" she asked. "When I saw her die I didn't one shit about my life anymore. That 200-ft. tall daughter of yours make me whole. It's scary really. Living your life with a hole in your heart only one person can fill. Makes it all seem...delicate. Like life is a pane of glass" Chad said quietly. The woman sat her teacup down next to him. "Life can feel like that my small son in law. Wait until you're a father and God forbid your child is a girl. Every waking moment you'll think about them. Worry about them. Want to hold them and not let go. That's why it was so painful when she left. Did she tell you about the day she left?" she asked. Chad shook his head.

"She found some True Way propaganda in the trash one day. No. I know what you're thinking. We are NOT affiliated with them. Just some guy giving out flyers and sticking them in our mailbox. Well Nara found them and confronted us. I denied it immediately. Her father on the other hand kinda...well he shared a view or two with them. He doesn't agree with their methods or extremism but he could've done better about the situation. Nara was furious and stormed into her room. The next morning when she didn't come down for breakfast we found her gone and a note on her bed. "Gone to enlist in the Union military. Somebody has stop people like True Way...even if people like dad support them" it read. "

"Needless to say it hurt me and her father; her father the most. We didn't hear from her for years until recently when she called. We suspected something in her life happened that made her call. We didn't know it was you though" she said smiling. "Strong willed back then huh? Your daughter is interesting. So strong in public but when she's alone she is quiet, nervous, and very compassionate. I'm thankful I was transferred to Australia. Can't imagine what my life would be like without her. Hell, I'd probably be dead like so many other pilots out there" Chad said. The older giantess patted his head and smiled lovingly. "Tell me about your parents Chad. One of them is Ingress right?" she said. "Yeah my dad. He's..." Chad was saying until his comm began beeping. Nara's as well.

"Chad. Something is happening out there. I sense...fear" Aeris said standing. "Cyrus here" Chad said answering the call. "Have you been watching the tv?!" Kana yelled. "Kana? What's...what are you yelling about? Where are you?" he asked. "At mobile command but that's not important! Have you been watching the tv?!" she said. "No. Been busy with Nara's family. Something on tv?" he asked. "Turn it on!" Kana said. "Okay. What station?" he asked. "It's on every station!" she yelled. Nara's mother turned the holo tv on. "Oh wow" he said. On the screen was footage from battles, video taken of Baris. Ingress killing humans and hybrids. Mushroom clouds in cities struck by antimatter weapons. Ingress fleeing from a naked man with glowing eyes until they stop dead in their tracks and began walking alongside him. Some as young as 5 years old. As they watched they noticed the last images were in real time. Four Ingress walked in front of him. A man, woman, and two teenage children, a boy and girl.

They got on their knees and each were given a pistol. It was obvious that they were a family by how similar the kids looked to both parents. The family of Giants put the barrels of the guns under their chins. Their eyes vacant of emotions. "No Baris! This is unnecessary! Too cruel!" Aeris screamed. "Bang" Baris said. Upwards of 30,000 people in Ingressa just saw a family kill themselves live. Their giant bodies falling into the green grass headless. Baris was covered in blood, skull, and brains and with a simple wave of his hand cleaned himself. "I'm coming Ingressa and you better give me no trouble when I get there" he said into the camera smiling. The feed ended. Aeris was silently crying and shaking. "Aeris. It's going to be okay. We're gonna make the bastard pay" Chad said. Aeris stood up and picked him up. The ancient progenitor cried like a child holding a stuffed animal.

A few minutes later Chad got a call that the chancellor was calling them back. "We got to go now" Chad told them. When they stepped outside it was chaos. People packing up to go south or anywhere. Looting, riots, mob violence. The humans watching hid in their homes. A panic-stricken Ingress was as dangerous as any Progenitor. "Aeris. Teleport us there. No need to go through this" he said. They appeared in a flash of light shocking soldiers stationed to protect Atreya and her cabinet. "People are dying by the second out there. Ai? Send the STRIKE X here. Looks like a show of force is going to be needed" Chad said looking down main street. Minutes later it flew overhead and landed in front of them. "Ai. Help the guard this area. Defense mode only so no killing unless needed" Chad ordered. "I think I can handle that much" Ai said. "Relax soldiers. You're in good hands. If you need help just ask her" Chad said saluting the giantesses on overwatch. It annoyed them for a moment to be talked to by a human and a man no less but they saw what machine he was referring to and realized the well-known power behind it. That human was no ordinary human to command such a mighty machine.

"You got here fast considering!" Raam said. "Aeris ported us here. Any word since?" Chad asked. "None. People here are running around like it’s the end" Rex said. "This way!" her assistant said. They entered her office and she was busy on a call. She had her bare feet propped up on a stool. Two humans were giving her a pedi. "Not now for fucks sake!" she yelled at the humans at her feet. "No, not you General Graves. Yes. I concur. Martial law. I need to call you back" she said seeing the new guests in her office. "Nice to see that even during all this you had time to get your toes done" Rex said looking at her bare feet. Atreya jumped out of her chair and rushed over to Rex. Chad swore the goddamned room shook with her massive footfalls. "Shut it Rex! Don't have time for your fucking quips right now!  The capital is coming apart at the seams and reports are coming in that it's occurring in other cities as well" she said.

"Well if you didn't censor your news like it was fucking 20th century China then maybe this would've happened" Rex said. "We didn't see the need to instill hysteria in the masses" she said. "Nice plan" Chad said. Atreya glared at him and Chad hid behind Aeris' fingers. "All attitude aside, this is the time you commit forces to help" Raam said. "I...I agree. The cabinet however aren't too keen to do so. For if we do it will be Ingressa on the front lines dying mostly. Correct?" she asked. Raam nodded. There were far far more Ingress than there were ACE's out there and even a young untrained Ingress was more than a match for a Union tank. "There is hope however. We've been working on an anti-mind control system Aeris can use. Used on the front line we might really put a hamper on Baris' army. With that and your support (along with some timed orbital strikes from or space fleet) we might be able to turn the tide. Kill this menace" Raam said.

"The cabinet wants some kind of assurance. If your prototype is tested and shows results, I think the cabinet will see it as a risk worth taking" she said. All eyes turned to Aeris. "Alright" she said. "Thank you. Now to deal with that outside" she said. "I can help. I can't control the entire city but I can alleviate things" Aeris said. Everyone followed the Progenitor outside. Atreya followed barefoot. Totally wondering what she would see. "Chad. I need your help. I can't just tell them to stop. That would really freak them out. I can calm them but I think you should show them what you've been planning" she said. The soldiers looked scared as a mob of dozens of Giants were making their way toward them. Ai was aiming right at them. "Ai. Pop the hatch and set the exterior mike to max" Chad said. Chad concentrated on what he should say. "Speak from the heart son" Rex said. The mech nodded. Aeris concentrated and felt the hundreds of minds out there in range. Chad had Ai link to the communications systems to broadcast. Thankfully, she didn't have to fight for this was pushing her abilities.

"Calmness. Think of loved ones" Aeris said. The shouting and screams died down eerily. The mob in front of them looked almost dazed. Atreya shuddered at her power. Aeris nodded to Chad. "People of Ingressa. My name is Chadwick Cyrus. Captain in the Union Air Command. I stand here today to speak about what is happening in Europe and Asia. As you saw earlier it is bad out there. A creature is using your people to commit genocide and he is winning. A war is being waged to save a legacy had won by you and your parents. Some of you will recognize this machine you see here right now. A machine that not only created death but gave so many hope. Hope that there was a brighter future out there for you and your children and your children's children. This is not the time to give into fear, paranoia, hate, or apathy! Just like it wasn't those years ago, when so many brave Ingress and humans decided that the people and not an Empress should decide how they should live."

"This machine here ended the war with a single blade strike but it didn't get there on its own. A woman like you (pointing to an Ingress in the mob) decided to fight for the good of others. A child like her (pointing to a girl hugging her mother in fear nearby) reminded us that the future is not ours to keep but something to be polished and passed down like an heirloom. And a man like him (pointing to Rex) saw that the hardest choices we make in life can be the most rewarding. I ask every Ingress, hybrid, and human who can hear this message. Believe in me that believes in you" Chad said. Chad aught his breath. He was shaking he was so nervous. One clap, then a few, then a whole chorus of applause filled the air. Chad stepped down into the crowd. He shook hands and spoke with them. Reassured them. Showed them that what he said he really believed.

"That's some kid you got there. You and Chen should be proud" Atreya said. "We are" Rex said wiping a tear away. "Chancellor here. Hold on the Martial Law for now. I think it will be okay for now" Atreya said. "Colonel. I can go test out the new suit right now. The sooner the better" Aeris said. "Be careful and let me know your plan before you go" Raam said touching her shoulder. Aeris squeezed his hand and entered the hall for a discreet teleport.

"Kana. They want some results before they commit. You okay?" Aeris asked her in the assigned hangar. Kana was wiping away tears as she watched a news feed with Chad on it. "I'm okay. It's was a very touching speech" Kana replied.  Aeris sensed something else though. Guilt. Aeris chose not to pry and let the woman keep her privacy. Something Aeris had learned speaking to Chad. "If you say so. Get me suited up" Aeris said. Aeris stripped to her panties and bra and began putting the prototype on. "This looks hideous" Nara interjected. "Be thankful you don't have this dome bigger" she said talking about a dome the size of a small ice rink on her back. "The technology is similar to the AWACS system we use on recon flights. Instead of radar scans this dome will amplify your jamming signal and broadcast it. The range is a good 20 miles so it would be effective in combat...in theory" Kana said Turing the suit locks on sealing the suit.

"I should pick a location far from him. Isolated with few Ingress under his control" Aeris said. "I agree. Nothing too dangerous for us" Kana said taking her heels off. "What are you doing?" Aeris asked. "Coming with. I need to be with you in case something doesn't work right. Need to be there to make adjustments on the fly" Kana said taking her uniform off.  "If you say so" Aeris said shrugging. After Kana was fully suited, both walked outside. "Forgot how tight these things really are. Haven't worn one since training" Kana said. "Makes your tits look bigger" Aeris said grinning. "Yeah...they do" Kana chuckled. Aeris held her hand and focused. In a flash, they were hovering inside a force bubble in low orbit. "Fucking cool. Teleportation" Kana said. "Every time I see this I still marvel at the beauty of it all" Aeris said. "My god. Look" Kana said pointing to the U.K. It was small and almost unnoticeable but they could see smoke plumes reaching into the upper atmosphere. There are smaller ones all throughout Europe" Aeris said seeing them with her superior senses.

"Where are we going?" Kana asked. "I'll know shortly. A place with less Ingress presence but enough for a real test. Hmm...found it. Hold on" Aeris said. They appeared in a ruined city. Buildings collapsed. Bodies littered the streets. Kana held her nose from the assault of tiny stinking human corpses. "Where the hell are we?" Kana said choking. "Zagreb Croatia or at least that is what it was called. Please be quiet. I'm reading the location" Aeris said concentrating. "I see. 74,282 humans still alive. 63 hybrids alive. 142 Ingress present. There. That way" she said pointing to the west. The two giantesses dashed between buildings. Most buildings were human sized so there was little it did to hide them. "Aeris. There is a buzzing in my head" Kana said wincing. Aeris touched her forehead. "There. Should be better. That was his signal beginning to take hold. This might be a good time to switch this thing on" Aeris said. "Not yet. This thing might actually give us away" Kana said. 

In the far distance, they could see a group of Ingress methodically tearing apart buildings. An entire city block being ripped apart as they looked for hybrids. Unfortunately, any human they caught died since they knew not if they were hybrids. Kana pointed out two Ingress farther away than the others. "Good god" Kana whispered. It was an Ingress man in his early 40's. Next to him was a young girl no older than 11. She wore a nightshirt and was barefoot. He was clad only in flannel wool pants and was also barefoot. Apparently when they fell victim to the mind control signal they were asleep for the night. In their hands was weapons. The man had a pistol with a Union logo. No doubt taken from a fallen soldier. The girl held a bent railroad bar. Probably ripped out of the trolley line downtown. Kana nodded for Aeris to activate the jamming signal. Aeris touched a keypad on her wrist. She felt the device feed off her powers and then radiate it out. Nothing happened.

Kana quickly got behind Aeris to inspect the dome. "What's that sound?" Aeris whispered. "Sorry. I do that when I'm concentrating sometimes. I can't see what's wrong. Kana hummed a repetitive song and Aeris began mimicking it. Suddenly the Ingress nearby including the father and child held their heads and stopped what they were doing. "Nice job Kana" Aeris said. "Wasn't me. Shit! It stopped working!" Kana said as the Ingress went back to their task. Aeris hummed the catchy tune once more and the same thing happened. "The song Kana! It works when I hum a song!" Aeris said. "Of course! Aeris. We are broadcasting a signal similar to radio but nobody can hear that frequency. Add actual sound frequency to it and they become susceptible to it! Like a hypnotist uses a coin but speaks at the same time!" Kana said. It seemed confusing to both Nara and Aeris but they saw the results. Both of them cautiously approached the Ingress. Aeris hummed the tune while kana gripped a rifle. The Ingress free of control began remembering what happened and began freaking out.

"I need everyone to stay calm! We're here to help!" Kana yelled. "Daddy! What's happening?! Why am I outside in just my nightshirt?!" the girl asked. "My god. What we did..." the man muttered. "She doesn't remember. Don't know why" Aeris said. Kana and Aeris gathered the Ingress around them. 16 in all. "Can you teleport them all out?" Kana asked. "Yes. Just takes a moment" Aeris said. Seconds ticked away as Aeris concentrated. She was nearly done when a torrent of laser beams came right at them. "Oh my god" Kana said.  Two Ingress died immediately and another was critically wounded. The other shots either missed or hit nearby buildings cutting them like hot knives through butter. Coming up fast were the other Ingress running so fast their footfalls caused damaged buildings to collapse. No telling how many humans or hybrids died from just that. Aeris sensed something coming and quickly threw a shield over them. A flash of intense light blinded them. Aeris was on her knees when Kana's and the others vision cleared. All around them was a smoking crater. Concrete and brick was finely crushed and scorched. Exposed metal was orange hot. "He's here" Aeris said.

Kana wondered who and then she realized the he could be only one person; Baris. Baris hovered in the air like a god that was displeased. He slowly floated down. With no words, he ordered the 126 Ingress in his control to begin firing into the bubble protecting the others. "Bastard. He knows I have my hands full. I can't even reach out to control them" Aeris said. Kana looked around at the scared shitless Ingress with them. She looked at the girl who was gripping her father tightly and sobbing. "Change of plans Aeris. Use what you can to expand the control field. Fight against him!" Kana yelled grilling her rifle tightly. Aeris saw into her mind that she planned to buy her time. Aeris has to time to argue as Kana went to step out of the bubble. Aeris grunted as she poured a massive amount of power into her jamming system. Aeris began singing loudly. "What...what are you doing?! Why are you making that sound?!" Baris yelled. Aeris only smiled as she saw their attackers begin to shrug off his control.

"Impossible. No way your control is greater than mine" he said. Aeris did more. "Attack him. Fight...fight back!" she yelled. The Ingress remembered what he made them all do and they hated him for it. Very little convincing was needed for them to focus their fire on him. Kana was laying into him like so many others but Baris was not scared. Baris looked right at one of his attackers and snapped his fingers. An Ingress woman dressed as a secretary burst into flames. Her gigantic body fell to the ground like a screaming redwood. Their attacks for more desperate. "Almost. Almost there. Almost enough to save them" Aeris said collecting more energy. "You're one of them aren't you?" the giant asked. Aeris nodded still singing. "Take care of my daughter" he said pushing his large daughter off him and running out of the protective bubble. He began shooting at Baris. Nothing was getting through his shield. Worse yet, Aeris' control was slipping as she focused on trying to teleport so many people.

"If I was in my normal state this would be easy. I can't go back to that state. Not now" she thought glancing at her belly. The attacks almost had stopped and the remaining Ingress began falling back into his control. "Go Aeris! Get them out of here!" Kana said throwing her only plasma grenade. The blast threw up a wall of obscuring smoke and dust. "Get back here!" Aeris yelled. "That's an order Lieutenant!" Kana yelled as Ingress literally leaped through the dust and smoke. Aeris saw Kana and the man tackled by Ingress. She wanted to blast them and get them to safety but that would lose her energy she needed that moment. Aeris heard the girl screaming for her daddy as the people inside held her from running out. "Hold hands everyone" Aeris said with a broken voice. She they did Aeris teleported them out. It was less than a second it took to dematerialize that many but to a Progenitor like Aeris, a second was like an eternity. As atoms gave way to quantum physics, Aeris watched as Kana was hit in the face hard enough to send her head back into the street hard. The man was shot in the head. Aeris and the group of rescued civilians were gone.

Aeris reappeared back at the hangar they had left. The staff there didn't know what to make of it. Nara took over for the exhausted and distressed Aeris. "Get these people medical attention" Nara ordered. Nara watched them be taken away including the hysterical giantess child. "Nara to Colonel Raam. Come in please" she said. "Back already?! Did it work?" Raam asked. Nara looked at the transport being loaded with Ingress. "Tell the chancellor that her precious Cabinet now has results. The jamming system works. On another note. Kana Zoris is MIA and presumed KIA" she said quietly. "Con...confirm last transmission" Raam said with a shaky voice. "Kana Zoris was lost in the test mission" Nara said.  "Confirmed. Fill out the report later. I'll be back soon. Raam out" he said ending the call. Nara changed out of the prototype suit and made her way back to her hotel room. There was a calmness on the street. Even a sense of euphoria. She saw in the distance Chad and the STRIKE X taking pictures. He seemed happy. "He doesn't know yet" she said.

Nara took off her clothes and stepped into the shower. With the water on high, she sat down on the 50-ft. tall step in the stall. She glanced down at her toes that were painted red and remembered how it was once Kana that got her into painting her nails in the first place. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Nara sobbed as she blamed herself for leaving her behind. She sat in that stall for the better part of an hour just sobbing. Inside her mind Aeris hugged her and told her not to blame herself. "It's my fault. If I was stronger or faster. I have all this power and..." Aeris stopped talking. She just hugged Nara tighter. Hours later, Nara laid in bed and heard the tiny squeak of a human sized door open. A small ruffle of sheets as a small man climbed on to the bed. Nara opened her eyes and saw Chad sitting before her face. His look said he had heard the news. "Do...do you hate me?" Nara asked. Chad said nothing as he stood up and walked over to her face.

"Of course not baby" he said softly patting her large left cheek. He saw the poor giantess shaking under the covers. "Aeris. I can hear your thoughts. You did what you could. Don't blame yourself" he said. Her eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. "Then why does it hurt so much?!" Aeris wailed. "Because she was your friend. You cared about her. Being...well I was about to say human but anyone with feelings...when you care about someone. When you lose them it hurts. It's not just a mate but those you chose to spend time with too. I loved Kana. I really did. And it hurts...oh god" Chad said breaking down. "It hurts worse when you think about what you could’ve said or done to make them happier and didn't. But life can't be about regrets or at least that is what my mom once said. My mom lost everyone she loved during the war except dad and the she hated herself for living. They even have a name for it. It's called survivors guilt. She got over it the same way you will. Do you think Kana would be happy to see you like this? Did she want you to blame yourself for surviving?" Chad asked. Aeris shook her head.

"Neither do I. If she were here she'd prop her big damn feet up on the table like the tomboy she was and laugh at us for being silly" Chad said laying down and resting his feet on top of her finger. "Cheer up Aeris! You got a cutie for a fiancée! I should be the one upset! Gimme back my Chad!" Chad said in a feminine voice. Aeris chuckled at him. "Can you sleep with me tonight. Not sex. I just want to feel your body on mine" Aeris said. Chad smiled and nodded. Chad stripped nude and crawled under the covers. He laid between her breasts and listened to her heart. Giant soft hands were placed over top his body. Her breathing calmed down feeling the small man on her breastbone. It gave her and Nara some semblance of peace. They fought the instinct to hold him as tight as possible to her for fear of losing him too. His delicate body, his mind, and soul was hers to be guarded against any harm for she knew that anyone she loved could leave her life without warning. She drifted off to sleep.

Aeris awoke feeling coldness on her bare skin. The ground felt hard as stone and it was a night sky over her. Orange glows of fires illuminated her surroundings. "What?" she asked looking at the human sized structures. She tried using her powers to scan her location. No effect. This unnerved her. She stood up and felt she was naked. The evening breeze tickled her nipples and labia. The street was gritty under her bare soles. She spotted a sign over a shop. "Café Italia". "Italy?" she wondered. "This way Aeris" a voice said. The voice was distorted but familiar. It called out to her over and over as she walked through the ruined city. Now and then she'd see small movement. The deeper into the city she went more Ingress sized buildings appeared. There was a hotel in front of her. Not glamorous but not a flea trap either. The wind changed and she could smell cooking meat on it and the smell of campfires. The sky to the north was orange. Massive fires would be needed to make it glow like that. "Come inside Aeris" the voice said.

Aeris stepped inside and saw Ingress in the lobby. What looked like shooing containers jiggled and vibrated with tiny cries. Strangely the Ingress didn't stop her as Aeris inspected it. "Oh god" she muttered seeing humans packed inside. At least 10 containers and each one with no less than 100 humans crammed inside like anchovies in a tin. One Ingress reached into one and yanked out a man. Without ceremony, she stuffed the screaming human into her maw and swallowed him alive. Another did the same to a boy and Aeris quickly reached out to stop her only to find her hand go through her like Aeris was a ghost or phantom. "A dream. Must be a dream" Aeris said. The voice spoke again and it called her to the best suite inside on the top floor. Aeris was beginning to get frightened.  If this was a dream, then why did it feel so real? The smell of smoke and human flesh. The coldness of the concrete steps under her feet.

Aeris opened the door. "YOU!" she screamed. She found Baris sitting in a giant chair making a mocking bow. "In the flesh. So to speak. "That was your voice!" she yelled. "That it was. Seriously, how did you not know it was me? Your powers dull that much? Then again you did blow off my arm" he said. Aeris saw an Ingress girl with her back turned on her knees sucking him. "This is what the wise mentor of Progenitors uses his powers on? Rape and murder?" she asked. "I find such things to be a welcome distraction to our job" he said. "That’s is what you call killing my friend today? A welcome distraction?!" Aeris yelled charging him. Baris held out his hand and she felt herself frozen in place. "Now now. This is my mind you're in. I make the rules. And the rules say you will behave yourself here" he said. "So this isn't real. Just a sick trick" she said. "Oh. Ehat you see is real. All of this is happening as we speak. This delightful girl here is really sucking my reproductive organ. Say hello" he said. The girl stopped sucking and turned her head. "Hello" she said. "KANA! LET HER GO!" Aeris said seeing Kana very much alive.

"She attacked me so her life and what I chose to do with it is fair game after I sensed you interfering in my control network. I go and see what it was and find you two especially this pretty one. It would be a waste to kill one so appealing so I chose to spare her. Tell me. How are the people of Ingressa? Did they like the little movie I had them watch?" Baris asked. "You did that? You hacked that feed to them?" Aeris asked. "Well not me actually. It was that Hart fellows idea. Psychological warfare he called it but I endorsed it" he said. "Well it didn't work. My host's mate put out your little fire" Aeris said grinning. Baris stared at her. He began face fucking the enslaved giantess brutally. "You're hurting her! Stop it!" Aeris screamed. Baris groaned and dumped his massive load into Kana's mouth. Kana swallowed instinctively to avoid choking.

"You think I give one shit about her or your pathetic stand against me? Have you been in that flesh so long you forgot how powerful I am?" he said. With a wave of his hand he shrunk Aeris. Baris shoved Kana aside and strode over to the frozen scared Aeris. It was the first time Aeris understood what it meant for someone much larger than you to control you. Baris bent down and snatched her up. Baris had a frightening scowl on his face until it lightened up. "I lost my temper. I'm sorry. This body's emotions and instincts can be hard to control at times. I don't want you as my enemy Aeris. You are a Progenitor like me. Kindred beings. A responsibility older than us to see the evolution of beings to our level. We can accomplish this together" he said softly stroking her body with his finger. Aeris angrily shoved his finger off her. Inside she was desperately trying to break the mental connection. "I have seen hybrids as a legitimate evolutionary step towards our plan weather you like it or not. I will protect them and any others you would make slaves" she said with venom. Baris felt his hatred for the human sized progenitor increasing by the second.

"And what if I called the elder council? How long would your precious hybrids survive then?" he asked. "Why haven't you? I know why. You're afraid they might agree with me for one and you are also afraid they'd end your fun. You are a coward and it's not because of this body you have now. You're a coward because you rather believe a convenient lie than the truth! Baris the coward! Brought low by a tiny finite creature whose only crime is existing!" Aeris laughed. Baris clenched his fist hard. She felt the air in her lungs squeezed out violently. Her ribs shift in her chest. Her legs squeezed together. Her tits painfully crushed into her. She tried moving her legs but only her tiny feet poking out from underneath his fingers moved. She felt a pop and a blast of intense pain. Aeris screamed. "Fragile things aren't they?" Baris said releasing his grip. He saw massive bruising on her right side of her chest. No doubt from a few broken ribs. Baris eyed her bare body in pain. He had to admit she was beautiful. "At least she had good taste choosing that body" he thought.

Baris flipped her over onto her stomach and Aeris cried out. His finger traced her vertebrae in her back enjoying the mechanical simplicity in its design. Baris parted her legs and stuck his giant tongue into her ass. "Let me go!" she cried. "Baris anally raped her for two minutes until he grew bored. "These people you wish to protect are already dead. It's just a question of when and how. Sweet dreams Aeris. I'll see you soon" Baris said letting her body slide into his mouth. Aeris gave a weak scream as she slid backwards in his mouth and down his throat. "I'm sorry. Was distracted there. It seems my reproductive organ is erect again. Shall we finish Kana?" Baris said in the real world now that the link was broken.

"NOOOOOO!" Aeris screamed loudly waking up. "JESUS!" Chad yelled sliding off her as she stood up in bed. She looked at Chad and gripped him to her. Aeris cried hysterically. "Aeris?! Aeris what's wrong?!" Chad asked. Aeris couldn't even answer him she was so terrified. He tried reading her mind and recoiled from the stark terror inside. He had never felt such fright. Chad waited patiently for her to calm down. It was just at sunrise when she told him what had happened. Chad gave no response. Aeris could sense a coldness in him. She didn't understand this emotion and had to ask Nara. "Wrath. Pure wrath" Nara muttered not believing such a kind person was capable of feeling something so dark. Aeris felt a tiny and very faint twinge of energy radiate from him. Chad turned to her. "I won't let him hurt you ever again" he said with a mental tone that pierced her to the core. It was unnerving and worse yet she swore there was a faint glow in his eyes. Aeris reached out to touch him. Chad shook his head and held her finger. "We got a few hours before we have to head out. Let me hold you" he said. Aeris sighed relieved feeling the familiar warmth from his heart as he stroked her bare skin. She didn't know what she saw moments ago, but she believed    that this tiny hybrid touching her left breast had the power to fulfill his promises and God forbid who stood in his way for Chad was changing into someone...else.    

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Raam sat in Ingressa command staring at a screen. He sighed watching feed after feed. "You asked to see me sir?" Chad asked. "That I did. We're almost out of time Cyrus. Baris and his forces left Messina at 0755 this morning. God loves irony I'll tell you. A thousand years ago, soldiers used Messina as a jumping point to launch the Crusades. Now we are faced with someone with a crusade of his own. I've ordered Cairo Base to be evacuated as well as the city itself. Self-detonation charges are set to blow in 3 minutes" Raam said pointing to a satellite feed of the base. "Can that even be done? There's hundreds of thousands of people in the city alone" Chad asked. "Of course not. I'll be shocked if we evac half. Ingress and hybrids take priority though. Reports are coming in of humans trying to pass as hybrids. Unbelievable" Raam said. 

"Sir?" Chad asked. "Oh yes. We got multiple requests for you to visit certain cities and locations but we only have a day before he arrives. I narrowed it down for you. Air defense command, a refugee camp located 40 miles south of the city, and an exhibition match with one of their Captains. Yeah that last one..." Raam said. "Can I take Nara with me. She had a bad...experience last night" he said. "Sure you can. God knows we need to make the most out of this day. Just be back here by 2200" he said. There was a flash on the screen. "Damn....dismissed" Raam said. Chad left and returned to the hotel. It was 0915 hrs. and Nara was still in bed. She barely got any sleep since the intrusion of Baris and the shock of seeing Chad with glowing eyes.

"Wakey wakey my beautiful goddess" he said slapping her cheek. Nara opened her eyes and groaned. Nara had of course seen what Aeris saw and was intently looking into those tiny eyes of his. Not one hint of glowing. At first, she thought it was her mind playing tricks last night but Aeris saw it as well. "Why are you staring at me so hard?" Chad asked. "How do you feel this morning?" Nara asked. "That's my question. I feel fine I guess" Chad replied. Nara reached out to touch him and he gently kissed her fingertip. "There's that smile" he said lovingly. His enthusiasm was enough for her to rise. "We got a full day ahead of ourselves. Change into your uniform. Our first stop is Air defense command" he said. "Bolster the troops?" Nara asked. "I guess so" he said. Nara had changed into her uniform and carried Chad outside to where his STRIKE X was parked. Chad could only chuckle as it was parked like it was a car instead of a weapon of death.

Chad hopped in and gathered Nara in his arms. He sighed as the neuro inputs relayed the feeling of her skin and cloth to his brain. It felt like he was holding her for real. "This is slightly embarrassing" she said. "No more than when you carry me" he said firing thrusters. Nara rarely got to see her hometown from the air. It worried her that tomorrow this city could be a mind controlled ruin. "Busy busy" Chad said seeing dropships landing and taking off. The ground was teeming with soldiers. It seemed every soldier that was flight trained was recalled from all parts of the country. Chad landed and sat Nara on the ground. "Who's in charge here?" Chad asked n Ingress passing by. A short (by Ingress standards anyway) girl carrying a large box stopped. "That would Flight Commander Hallit" she said slightly annoyed. The large box was blocking the view of the giant girl. She fumbled with it and Chad used his mech to quickly catch it.

"Whoa! Got it" he said. The girl was shocked to see who she had been talking to. "I'm sorry! My tone of voice..." she said abruptly bowing. "Easy there. I don't stand on that formal crap. Looks like you got your hands full. Why don't I carry this for you?" Chad said. The girl pointed to where she was going. Chad hummed a tune while he carried the box. The girl was stealing glances at him and blushed. Nara was amused at how people had begun to respect him in such a short time. After all he was a hybrid. A small one at that. "You seem young for this job. 15?" he asked.  "Actually I'm 20" she said. "Wow. I'm sorry that was rude" he said. "It's okay. They always guess my age wrong because I'm so short" she said. Chads scanners showed she was 141 ft. tall. "You're plenty tall compared to someone like me. If there's a life lesson to learn its this. Life is all about perspective. Ensign Mira? You may be short but that doesn't mean your spirt is any smaller. You going to be fighting tomorrow?" he asked. "Yes...yes sir!" she stumbled. "Give em' hell and keep that head down" he said placing his metal hand on her shoulder. "Sir yes sir!" she yelled. Chad places the box at where she needed it and saluted her as he left. "Was I ever that wide eyed?" Chad asked Nara. "More so. It's people like her that win wars. It's also people like her that die the most" Nara said quietly. Chad switched to a rear camera and zoomed in on Mira. She was wiping her brow free of sweat. Her brunette bangs in her eyes. Chad understood what his father meant when he said the Stray Dogs were like a family. You worry about them.

"I was told I'd find Flight Commander Hallit here?" Chad said. "The man or machine of the hour. I'm glad you came. We need to go over a few things. First of all, your machine needs to be updated with the latest comm codes and IFF data. Shouldn't take more than an hour or so. In the meantime, I want to go over some of our plans. Colonel Raam already approved it as well as our Chancellor and secretary of War" the woman said. Chad eyed the Ingress woman. She was of average size but that's where average ended.  She was in her late 40's and had dark blue hair the color of cobalt with a small shock of grey in it.  He could tell her right eye was artificial and a scar was crossing the eye socket. That face she had a scar and replacement eye said she sustained that injury at the tail end of the war when Omega released their anti-regeneration virus tailored for the Ingress. This woman had earned her rank through blood, sweat, and tears.

"Understood. What do we got?" Chad asked. "Right now, our air forces are at 1211 strong but we can bump those numbers up to around 1530 by midnight. Sina Wing will provide direct support for you. My best and brightest" she said. "Sina Wing?" Chad asked. "A kind of bird from the homeworld. Similar to a falcon if they had scales" Nara whispered. Hallit coughed. "Sorry. Please continue" Chad said. "Right. Sina Wing provides support for you and Aeris. I understand you need to focus your powers for this jammer ability to work correct?" Hallit asked Nara. Aeris took over. "Correct. I'll be most effective if I don't waste energy or concentration from avoiding being shot in the ass. Aeris replied. Hallit nodded. "Long range plasma turrets will barrage the enemy as they approach but once they hit this area that will cease to avoid friendly fire. Speaking of which. I'm to give you a special rifle. It doesn't fire energy beams but a tiny beacon. Use this on ground forces that will be liberated from his control. Their air forces will have a forced IFF switch system encoded in your mech as we speak. It should automatically change enemy IFF to friendly when they succumb to our jammer"

"As you can see the biggest worry is friendly fire. It will happen. This many in the air guarantees it. My worry is Baris. Aeris. How involved will he be?" Hallit asked. "At first probably none. His ego will have him spectating but that will change when he sees his troops losing ground. He hates when his plans don't go the way he intended. Expect very heavy casualties if he takes to the field" Aeris said. The way she said it gave Hallit pause. "Ma'am. If that happens I will engage him myself" Aeris said confidently. Chad wasn't a fool. As he stood on that giant table he could see her legs shaking. The Progenitor knew what she was getting into. "I... I understand. We have a contingency plan ready through the Union if you can get him isolated. The Union space fleet and even the Artemis Ascendant is getting into position as we speak. Maybe a full orbital bombardment might kill him or at least give us an opening" she said. Aeris nodded halfheartedly.

The mood was broken when Aeris' stomach growled. "I never did eat breakfast" she said. "Why don't you head to the mess hall and grab a bite. I need to pass on a few things anyway" Hallit said. Chad sat quietly next to the giant plate of food Aeris got. She pulled off bits of food for him. The mess hall was packed with soldiers and personnel. Many of them staring at the two. Nara took over and yelled. "What?!" she said. They turned away from them. "That fucking staring is getting on my nerves!" Nara said. "You sure it's not something else? Anxiety perhaps?" Chad said. "Aeris won't say it but she's scared shitless. The thought of seeing Baris let alone fighting him terrifies her. He ate her Chad. It was so real to her" Nara said wiping a tear away. "She won't fight him alone. I won't let her" he said with an ominous tone in her mind. Nara dropped her fork. Nara used her finger to turn his head so she could look directly in his eyes. "What are you doing?!" Chad said. Aeris took over.

Her eyes glowed as she looked around for something. "How do you feel?" Aeris asked. "Fine. A little on edge but fine" he said. Aeris looked deep into his DNA and observed the genes that controlled his awakened telepathy. It was almost unnoticed even by her but she could see it was changing. Becoming more complex. Mutating. His mental abilities had increased and it worried her. Aeris knew from eons of experience that evolution is a slow process and can't be rushed. Occasionally there's a leap forward but usually an organism is prepared for it. Simply put, Aeris worried that his hybrid body wasn't ready to command such a power at this level. The strain might prove fatal. "I'm worried about you. Is it getting harder to block out thoughts?" she asked. "The opposite. Easier. I do hear thoughts more though. Farther away. That um...that girl over there wants to eat me" he said pointing to a woman acting oatmeal watching him. Aeris used her powers to heat up a spoonful of oatmeal to 160 degrees. The giantess put the spoon in her mouth and immediately began coughing and spitting. The titaness yelled in pain and drank some juice. Her face was red and she ran out of the mess hall. "Bitch" Aeris whispered.

"Why are you asking?" Chad said. "I can sense your power increasing. I'm very worried the strain will be too much. I can't turn it off...I don't think I have the right to" Aeris said. Chad finished his chunk of egg and bacon. "That would be hypocritical, wouldn't it? I promise to keep my powers in check on one condition" he said. Aeris waited for it. "Gimme a smile" he said. Aeris laughed at him. "Wanna have some fun with these clowns?" Chad asked. Aeris nodded. Chad whispered something to her. "Ooh...that's naughty. I'll do it" she said. Aeris stood up. "What's going on everyone? What's with the staring. You there. Why are you staring?" Aeris asked a male Ingress. "Nothing...I... alright. Is it true you can make people do stuff?" he asked. Aeris grinned. With a snap of his fingers she had him literally licking her boots. The others stepped back. "Come on. There were all kinds of thoughts in those heads. You there. Yes, I do fuck him. Ah...over there. Only in high school Nara kissed a girl unlike you who makes out with your commanding officer every Friday. And here is you" Aeris said walking over to a girl who looked rookie green as grass. "Yes. It does feel good when a tiny person worships you but it's even better when they love you. Don't be ashamed if you got feelings for a human. Fuck them if they don't get it" Aeris said to her. "If any of the rest of you assholes want me exposing your inner thoughts then keep staring at us like that. Otherwise mind you own fucking business" Aeris said. "What if they want to look at the one who caused the deaths of hundreds of Ingress?" a male Ingress said steeping up to her. The giant twisted his neck and popped the vertebrae loud enough for Chad to hear across the room.  He gave no fucks about the powerful being standing toe to toe with him. "Then I'll tell them to stare a bit longer at the only hope they have of them not being slaves. Don't mistake my compassion for weakness. If I was the way I was weeks ago, I'd have you licking the dirt and sweat off my feet just for starters for annoying me. Do I make myself clear?" Aeris asked. The giant still had his scowl and stance about him. Aeris reached into his mind and found a violent memory from his childhood. One so vile she had him forcefully remember it. The giant cringed and pissed his pants. "I asked if I made myself clear" she said with eyes glowing brightly. The giant nodded quickly and ran. 

Needless to say, the mess hall cleared out within minutes. "I think the last part was mean of me" Aeris said. "Maybe but I was told once that sometimes you have to put foot to ass to get respect. This probably qualifies. None have no clue how much you sacrificed to help them" Chad said. Aeris nodded and finished her food. 15 minutes later, both of them were back meeting with Hallit. "Heard there was an incident in the mess hall" she said. "Word travels very fast around here. You disapprove?" Aeris asked. "If we are to work together then we need to be civil to one another" Hallit replied. "Tell that to your people that was viewing my...her fiancée as a snack or sex toy. While we're at it seeing how I exiled myself from my entire race to save your finite asses I know I deserve a crumb of goddamn respect. I may be wrong though" Aeris said. Hallit looked at her for a moment and saw arguing with her was pointless. "Very well. Captain. Your mech is loaded with the required data. Command has told us to be ready to dust off no later than 1100 hrs. Good luck...both of you" Hallit said saluting. Chad and Aeris returned the gesture. Chad anchored the special rifle to a hard point on his hip and took off with Aeris in his arms.

"Where to?" she asked. "A refugee center about 70 miles away. We're making good time. It's only 1202 hrs." he said. "Can we stop somewhere today if we have time?" she asked. "Don't see why not. What do you have in mind?" he asked. "Lake Victoria. I heard it's very pretty" she said. Chad pulled it up on a map. Southeast area of Ingressa. "933 miles. It's not too bad. A two-hour flight to get there. Back in time for this match that's supposed to be at 1800 hrs. Sure" he said. Aeris warmly smiled at him. 10 minutes later they touched down at the refugee center. Chad and Aeris were astounded by the sheer size of it. Small and I grass sized tents everywhere and prefab housing scattered all over the land. It was a city unto itself. "Ai? How many are here?" Chad asked. "Including humans, Ingress, and hybrids...about 31,000 people. Not including volunteers and staff" she said. "Fucked up this is" Chad said.

It was a grim sight. Ingressa soldiers stood as sentries with guns at their side. More than a few showed displeasure at the refugees. "As you were" Chad said setting Aeris down and walking past them. They were segregated. Giant on one side, human sized on the other. "Somebody didn't get the memo" Nara said taking over. "Get the person in charge here now" Chad said. Minutes later an Ingress woman morbidly obese waddled over. "Ah. Heard you were coming. Not my request though" she said. "Why are they like that? I'm guessing more than a few are mixed marriages so why are they not permitted to be with their families?" Chad asked.

"We don't want any problems to arise. This is how we deal with them" the woman said eyeing a group of humans in a bread line. Chad walked closer to her. The clear African sky beamed its sunlight onto the STRIKE X's hull making it gleam like an alabaster monolith. "Well let me tell you this. It will NOT be this way no longer. They will be allowed to live with their families regardless their size. Today's a new day" Chad said. The soldiers looked at one another. "You have no authority to say this" she hissed. Chad sensed Aeris' mood. Chad held his arm to silence her. "Then let me say it in a way you can understand. Might makes right doesn't it? That's what you Ingress here believe right. Your giant might makes you right and tinies wrong. This is me using my right to make it right" Chad said. The STRIKE X eyes began glowing blue. Like many, she knew the history behind it. "Change the accommodations" she said to the soldiers. "I'm glad we came to an agreement. Nara lets meet some of the people here" he said.

Nara and Chad strode into the camp. It wasn't filthy but the mood was definitely depressing. Chad and Nara saw a giant girl around 6 staring at human sized kids playing nearby. She looked like she wanted to join them. Her mother was standing nearby saddened. Both of them froze in fear seeing him. The giant girl hid behind her mother. "Please. No trouble" she said. "There isn't any trouble." he said holding his hand out. Neither relaxed. Chad sighed and popped his hatch. He stood on the hatch plate and held his hand out. "I mean you no harm" he said. The girl looked at her mother and cautiously stepped away from her. She touched Chad. "I'm Chad. What's your name?" he said. "Emily" she said. Chad realized this girl was a hybrid like him. "That a pretty name for a pretty girl" he said. Emily smiled at him. "It looked like you want to play with them. Why don't you?" he asked. "They are scared of me" she said with tears in her eyes. It occurred to Chad and Nara that the human sized kids probably saw or heard of giants doing horrible things before arriving here.

"I bet if I came with you and you said I was your friend they play with you" he said. The girl looked at her mother and she nodded. Chad sat back in the STRIKE X and held her hand as they walked to the open field. Nara stood there watching. Nara and the mother watched as the tiny kids gathered near the STRIKE X and the girl in awe. "Looks like it worked" Nara said. The mother broke down crying. "There there. It's okay" Nara said. "The last few weeks have been a nightmare! I was with my daughter when it happened. Suddenly every Ingress nearby went crazy! The entire city went nuts!" the woman yelled. Nara was confused. "Not you? Aren't you Ingress?" Nara asked. The woman shook her head. "No. First generation. I got pregnant with Emily when I was 15. Her father was a boy I met in high school. A human boy. We were so happy together. Made a life for ourselves. He...he died on the day that control wave hit our town. He was crushed by our neighbor as he was running to meet us. I didn't even freeze. I just scooped her into my arms and ran. Ran and ran until my feet were blistered and bloody!" she sobbed. Nara held the woman close to her. She wondered how many else had similar stories.

"You...you were the woman on the video feed. Aren't you?" the woman asked. Aeris took over and showed the woman her eyes. "...yes" she replied softly. The woman gasped and raised her hand to slap the Progenitor. "Hate me. I won't blame you if you do" Aeris said with a tear falling from her eye. It landed with a loud plop on the false pavement. The giantess lowered her hand. Even with glowing eyes she could see remorse and pain in them. She doubted any affliction she caused would amount to what Aeris felt. An Ingress woman walked past them carrying a giant baby. The baby was crying loudly. Aeris glanced over and saw the baby wasn't well. With not a word Aeris touched the child's forehead and her hand glowed. The mother was taken aback terrified of the sight but didn't move. The baby calmed down and began cooing. "She'll be fine now" Aeris said. The three wasn't alone seeing this. Others nearby noticed too. What happened next Aeris will never forget.

People rushed to her asking for help. Sickness, injuries, even those suffering from mental trauma cried for her to heal them. They began bowing. "No. Please no. Please don't bow" Aeris begged. A giant hybrid man on his knees was missing an arm. Aeris bent down and took hold of his left hand and had him stand. "I'm sorry" she said softly as her hand lit up. The man screamed in pain and Aeris held him firm. At first everyone backed away thinking she was killing him but they watched as new bone, sinew, nerves, and flesh grew out of the scarred stump of his right arm. The man looked at the newly grown limb in amazement and cried tears of joy. Chad watched silently as Aeris began healing those she touched. When 2 hours had passed, she had healed over a thousand people. Aeris looked winded but very pleased. "Like a goddess of mercy. And here I thought I was going to be the symbol people needed here today" Chad said.

"I have so much power Chad and I can do so many good things. Why do people like Baris exist?" Aeris asked. "If you're asking why evil exists then nobody knows. That's a question people have asked for a very long time. My mother believes in balance in all things. Good and evil. Light and dark. Life and death. She believes that evil exists to define good and vice versa. Without one we can't know the other. A thin answer but it's as good as any I guess" Chad said. Chad noticed a tiny boy with human parents near her foot. "He's trying to get your attention" Chad said pointing to the little boy calling up to her. "Yes?" Aeris asked. "He wants to thank you for fixing his leg" his father said. Aeris picked the boy (who was no bigger than her pinky finger) into her hands and brought him to her face. The boy surprised her by hugging her cheek as hard as he could. "Thank you pretty lady" the young boy said. Aeris kissed his entire face and smiled. "You're very welcome" she said looking at him.

After giving the boy back to his parents, Chad and Aeris walked to the exit to leave.

Aeris and him watched as people lined up on both sides of the street and bowed. Thousands bowed and Aeris asked again for them not to do that. "You misunderstand. They bow not of reverence but of gratitude and respect" a solder said looking up at her. For the first time ever, Aeris felt a kinship to those she didn't know. Like she was part of something far bigger than herself. She no longer felt like an outsider. "Before we go we want to say something. When we got her today we saw you all living separately. Mostly because you had to but when you were given hope you all came together. Ingress, human, hybrids stood side by side asking for help. I ask you this. Will you do the same when we leave? Each and every one of you in this camp has the power to help each other. Even if it's as simple as giving a hug to one who needs it. Don't let foolish thinking get in the way of changing someone's life and don't let fear prevent you from living that life. Show those that would wish you ill will that it's not your size or race that defines you for you all are one family; a family of Earthlings. And I pray that whatever gods or goddesses you believe in keeps you safe." Chad said seriously. Chad carried Aeris in his arms and took to the sky.

At first no one knew what to make of his words. What to do. An Ingress solder holding a nutrition bar began eating watching the two fly out of sight and when they did he looked down. When he did she saw humans and hybrids looking not at him but his bar. The soldier bent down and began breaking off pieces and giving it away. Others followed suit. The solders smiled at one another at how good it felt to see them smile. "It is easy" one said. 

It was just after 1600 hrs. when they arrived at Lake Victoria. "It's so beautiful" Aeris said. "Yeah it is. Strange. Not a soul for miles. Guess whoever lives around here moved to the cities for protection" Chad said looking at his screens. "Not a soul huh?" Aeris asked. Aeris began stripping off her uniform. Her shoes and stockings came off liberating her sore feet. Her top and skirt followed suit. "Don't just stand there! Come out of that thing!" Aeris yelled. With one last verification that nobody was around, Chad got out of his mech. "Come on! I'll feel weird if I'm the only one naked" Aeris said. Chad shrugged and got undressed. Aeris tossed her bra and it landed on top of him. Chad smelled her sweat and perfume on the giant dome of fabric. "Hey!" he said crawling from underneath it.  Aeris playfully giggled at him. "Is Nara okay with this?" Chad asked.

"Under the circumstances, she gave me a free pass today. I did tell her if I was gonna die I'd rather have sex again first" Aeris sheepishly said. "And if I said no?" Chad asked. Aeris bit her lip and stared at him. "Aw come on! The puppy dog look?! You know that's hard to pull off when you're 20 stories tall" Chad said. Aeris began whimpering. "Alright Jesus! Never could say no to that look whoever was using it. "Yay! I get to fuck Chad!" Aeris yelled. "Me or the country? We are in Africa after all" Chad said grinning. "Oh, very funny!" Aeris said snatching him up. Aeris waded into the lake. The sweat of the day washed off into the water. Farther and farther out she waded. "Uh Aeris? We kinda far out" Chad said. She had waded almost a mile. "I know. My toes barely touch the bottom now*" she said. Aeris floated on her back and placed Chad on her breast. He locked his legs around her nipple to avoid sliding off.

(Authors note: Lake Victoria is 272 ft. deep so this actually makes sense. Thanks Google)

The two sunned themselves for a little while as they stared at passing clouds. "What does that look like?" Chad asked pointing to a cloud. "Like a collection of water vapor" she replied. "Nara...help her please" Chad said. "She said looked like a bunny rabbit" Aeris said. "Much better. Now that one with no help" Chad said. Aeris stared for a moment. "Looks like your erect penis the way it slightly curves to the right" Aeris said. "For the love of...at least you used your imagination that time" he said. "Speaking of penis" Aeris said. Aeris took him off her tit and sucked his cock into her mouth. The horny giantess began back stroking back to land as she sucked him. "Goddamn Aeris! Horny much?!" Chad said hanging onto her nose. By the time they made it ashore Chad had came twice. Aeris let his teeny load trickle down her palate.

Aeris let go of him and placed him on the ground as she sat down. The water shone like precious stones off her skin. Aeris became embarrassed at how intensely he stared at her naked body. She moved her leg and placed her big toe in front of him.  Chad kissed and licked the tip of her toe and rubbed his hand across her toenail. It shined like a sapphire. The color he liked best. Either Nara told her to paint them this way or it was a shared memory. After licking her toe, he walked past her foot and dragged his hand along her skin. Aeris was tense with anticipation. Her heart beat faster. Her body temp rose. A biological response that she loved every time she felt it. "Spread it for me" he said. Aeris spread her gigantic labia for him and Chad began squeezing the folds with his hands. "Uhhgh" she groaned.

Chad understood what Aeris wanted and understood why Nara let her use her body for this. There was a profoundness in sharing your body with someone you loved before the possibly of it all ending. It gave peace and tranquility where many things just couldn't. It was a soulful thing that even Aeris didn't comprehend but these mortal creatures did. For a Progenitor like Aeris, time is a simple thing. It's linear and measurable but this moment defied that. This tiny sliver of time was an eternity to her. The small creature at her vagina mating with her. The euphoria of it. The storm of emotion. Tears fell from her eyes. Progenitors didn't believe in gods. They were logical and believed it what could be proven and defined but Aeris being in Nara's body began to understand what it meant to believe in other things. Aeris cried not out of just bliss but of a longing. A longing of wanting to be born mortal. She would've gladly traded nigh immortality if it meant feeling this for the rest of her life.

Chad pushed away her soaked coarse pubic hair and squeezed her clit. Her pussy clamped around his cock hard and Chad groaned. He wasn't too far in her that it would've crushed his penis but it was noticeable enough that he came. "Fuck! Oh fuck!" he groaned shooting into her. Chad saw at that moment her labia actually flush redder. Blood flow increased as Aeris came. With a primal growl that could be heard for miles Aeris came. Chad held his breath for he knew an intimate detail about her body. With biological precision, Aeris squirted all over his body. Aeris fell backwards with a heavy thud shaking the ground. Aeris was breathing funny and Chad quickly crawled onto her body. He ran up her stomach and approached her head. He steadied himself as her breathing was shaking him around. "Aeris?!" he yelled. Aeris stood up abruptly and he tumbled off. She quickly caught him.

Chad saw something shocking in her eyes. Only one was lit up. He was speechless. He'd never seen that before. Her mouth was drooling looking at him. She was silent but her thoughts were as loud as cannon fire. "Fuck! Want more!" her mind screamed. Aeris grasped his legs with one set of fingers. His arms with another and held him sideways. With no ceremony, she dove in sucking his crotch. Aeris was unchained. Her lust had boiled over. Her body had hit the natural mating cycle for Ingress and her altered hormones from being pregnant magnified her mating instincts by tenfold. In short, Aeris was a 200-ft. tall sexual predator. Her sucking was so powerful it was beginning to hurt him. Chad swore she was going to suck his balls right off of him. Chad yelled as he came again and Aeris greedily swallowed the load. She held him in her hands and parted his legs. "More!" she yelled. "Aeris?" he asked becoming frightened. The light in her eye flickered on and off until both were out.

"Oh god I'm so sorry! What came over me?!" Nara yelled. The poor giantess trembled sitting on the shoreline. "I... I heard the stories but..." she whispered. "It's okay. I’m not hurt. I was just worried is all" Chad said. Nara cradled his sticky body to her cheek and snuggled him. Nara looked to the side. "Aeris is very upset. Wondering what happened" Nara said. "You're in the middle of a mating cycle aren't you?" Chad asked. Nara felt like she would die of embarrassment. "Interspecies sex Ed remember?" Chad said. Nara nodded. "Let me talk to Aeris. Bet she's upset more than you are" Chad said. Aeris took over and nearly burst into tears. "This was my fault!" Aeris said. Chad was going to object until Aeris interrupted him.

"No. It is. When we changed the Ingress, we gave them heightened mating instincts to help adapting and surviving harsh environments. I didn't know it was like that though" Aeris said. Nara was stunned hearing that. "You're not afraid of me again are you?" Aeris asked. That scared looked broke his heart. Chad had her raise him to her ear. "No and to prove it suck on me. Clean me off" he said. Aeris gave him a look. "Pervert" she said. She gently placed his lower half in her mouth and laid down. Chad hung out her mouth and stared into the sky. "That feels good. Shit that tickles" he said feeling her tongue graze the soles of his feet. "People take so many thing for granted. Looking at the clouds, being with a loved one. It's only when you're faced with losing those things that you appreciate life. It one of the few things about war that's good. It teaches you to appreciate your life. Hey? Are you masturbating while I'm talking profound?" Chad said feeling her moan. Aeris nodded her head. "Aeris? Are other Progenitors like you? I mean...understanding?" Chad asked. Aeris stopped fingering herself.

Honestly, she had no clue. She only understood the people here because she was looking from a mortal standpoint. It was logical to spare hybrids in wake of what she discovered but mating with them? Fighting her own kind? Dying for a creature that had a trillionth of her lifespan? Not logical. Chad could sense she had no answer. "We are gonna need a miracle won't we? Miracles are few and far between" Chad said. Aeris took him out of his mouth. "212,477,309" she said. "What's with the random number?" Chad asked. "That's how many sperm cells you shot into me today. That many different miracles someone your size is capable of every time you have sex. It's in the quadrillions for Ingress. I'm serious. You father is Ingress right? Of all those quadrillions of possible offspring that could've been born it was you. Generation after generation that was born and here you are. Someone that has the power to change your world. Save you world. If one different sperm reached your mother's egg then you wouldn’t be here and this world would be lost. You and everyone on this planet is a miracle" she said. Aeris right eye started glowing as she looked into his face.

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"Your eye" he said. "We're okay. It's just...we're on the same page so to speak right now. Thinking the same thoughts" Aeris replied. Chad understood now. Extreme emotions broke their link but strong shared emotions merged them. "Hate to ruin the moment but we have to fly back and fast" Ai said. "Understood" Chad said. They both got dressed and flew out. Chad extended the shield to protect Nara as he punched the throttle past the sound barrier. The time was 1703 hrs.   

Chad landed outside a training facility. It was 1812 hrs. He was late. "I'll be in the stands" Nara said kissing the cold metal cheek of the STRIKE X. "You're late" Raam said as he walked to the entrance to the primary training room. "Sorry. Had one of those bucket list deals" Chad said. "Just kick some ass without you know...kicking ass" Raam said. Chad understood that as "this is an exhibition match so don't kill anyone". Chad stepped out into the room. Huge and packed. The roof was nearly 2000 ft. tall and the floor spanned out to a mile and a quarter. Bleacher seats and according to Ai there was over 500 Ingress watching and there were cameras everywhere. This was more than an exhibition match.  Chad stepped onto the mat. He looked around curious as to what or who he'd be facing.

The noise of the crowd was low as they gazed at the legendary machine. "Chad" Ai said snapping Chad back into focus. A muscled-out Ingress taller than he was stood before him. His pulse quickened as he remembered the Ingress from his training sessions with his father, the one that took him to the edge. The one that even was just a hologram had the deranged look that said she would rip him out of his mech and eat him alive. "Oh shit" he thought. A sudden surprise though as she stepped to the side and behind her was a girl much shorter and younger. Chad couldn't believe it. Standing at 164 ft. tall and barely 16 was an Ingress girl in a special uniform. Her chestnut hair was tied in a ponytail and her steel blue eyes looked calm and serene. She wasn't muscular (per se) at all but her legs had a bit of muscle in them. She was barefoot and her feet looked rough as if she was barefoot most of the time. She looked at him and warmly smiled. "Okay now I feel like a bully" he thought.

"Dima Akledes" she said holding her hand out. "Chad Cyrus" Chad said shaking her hand. Chad measured her biometrics through her skin. "Body temp, perspiration, pulse, all normal" Ai said. "Cool customer" Chad said. Chad couldn't see how this match would work. "Sir? Is this even fair?" Chad asked Raam over a comm. "you should worry about yourself. They didn't pick this girl because she's cute. She's supposed to be a prodigy. Those pads on her shoulders, chest, and shins?  Carbon nanotube armor like yours. Watch your ass" Raam said. A man on the sidelines tossed him a training sword (telephone pole sized) like the one he used to use with Nara. The weight of it felt familiar. The teen giantess was tossed one and Chad watched as she expertly twirled it quickly in her hand.   The crowd roared as they took their stances. A middle-aged Ingress woman walked between them. Apparently, she was some kind of referee.

"Welcome everyone to the first Ingressa/Union combat exhibition match! Today we will see the best both sides have to offer. Bragging rights people! Now remember this is a friendly match! A chance to learn from each other! Now I will explain to both parties the rules!" the ref yelled. "Dima, your rules are pretty straightforward. No forceful blows to his cockpit. I don't want him pinballing around in there. If you suffer a broken limb the match is over. Captain Cyrus. More rules for you. No forceful blows to her head. No blows at all to the neck. No flying and only use either the practice sword or your fists and feet. If a limb becomes inoperable you lose the match. Best out of five wins. Let's have a clean match. Begin!" the ref yelled running to the side.

Chad watched carefully her stance. Her arms were raised slightly as she gripped her sword. Chad remembered his training with Nara and his dad. Watch your opponent. Read their body language. "She probably lacks upper body strength so she probably focuses on speed. Watch her body. Watch...huh?" Chad wondered. Dima began hopping slightly on her right foot over and over. Her toes just barely leaving the mat. Chad didn't know what hit him. Dima launched off her right foot and clocked the STRIKE X in the head hard. Hard enough that it spun on its feet and crashed to the mat. The shock shook the shock absorbers in the cockpit. "Sonovabitch! What speed! Chad thought. "F.Y.I. She was moving at 306 mph." Ai said. "Point Dima!" the ref said as the crowd cheered. Chad stood the machine up and returned to his spot. Dima stretched and looked dead at him with serious eyes and then smiled again. "Okay. That's creepy" Chad said. "Begin" the ref said. Chad relaxed. Let his body and mind connect easier with the link. "Clear you mind" he said. She was hopping again. Dima launched her attack once again and this time Chad side stepped it. Her attack missed and Chad used her off balance to attack himself. Chad went for a strike to her shoulder only to have her whip her sword behind her and parry it. Dima leg swiped Chad causing him to tumble. As he did Dima used her momentum to carry her leg where she used her speed to slam her bare sole right where the cockpit was. A Chad saw before the cockpit shuddered was a scarred pinkish rush of flesh. He landed on his back with a heavy thud. "Point Dima!" the ref yelled. The crowd cheered again.

"Dammit. It's going to be a clean sweep at this rate. One more point and she wins" Chad said. "Calm down Chad. This is only a match. Your heart rate is increasing" Ai said. "This isn't only a match. Ingressa thinks they're naturally better than the Union. Better than anyone not their size. Did you see her feet? Signs of old blisters and scars. Since this isn't some third world shithole that can mean only one thing about her. She's been practicing in a dojo most of her life. You get a lot of cuts and blisters kicking targets most of your life. This girl isn't just a random talented Ingress. Not even a prodigy. She's been trained to fight since she could walk I bet. This isn't a match to her. This is a way of life. Got to push myself harder. Ai give me more control. I need a better response time" Chad said. "Chad the mental strain" she warned. "Now" he ordered. Ai relented. Chad felt a twinge on pain in his head like a building migraine. "Focus. Take it all in. Push beyond" Chad muttered. Chad's eyes began to glow.

Chad got into position. "Begin" the ref said. Chad watched her with the same stance again. At first Chad was annoyed she would use it again like it was insulting but he pushed away his emotions. He let nothing distract him. Up and down she bounced. It was almost like he could see something he couldn't before. The tendons in her ankle tightening on each bounce like someone winding a spring. Her wrist tightening. He heard something. He heard her voice in his mind. She was counting one and two. Her feet on the mat was one. A bounce was two. Then the giantess took off on a three. Chad stepped to the right and went again to strike her shoulder. She deflected it and went to sweep but that was what he was counting on. Chad saw her smile as she swept her leg and then confusion as he jumped into the air. Her leg completely missed. Chad brought the sword down with frightening speed at her head and killed the momentum at the last moment barely striking her forehead. "Bang" Chad said playfully. "Uh...point Chad" the ref said stunned. The entire audience was stone silent.

A small roar of cheers came from Union soldiers that were watching. Chad and Dima returned to their places. "My apologies. It was insulting to keep using my flash strike technique. I was my carelessness that cost me that point. I will not use it again" she said with a grin with narrowing eyes. "Begin" the ref said. True to her word she wasn’t hopping anymore. There was a slight sway in her stance now in her hips. Her toes slightly scrunched as she went right and left. She held the sword with both hands. Chad could hear her thoughts again. "One two. One two" they said. Chad realized that her attacks were learned like a dance number. Each step and movement choreographed to a number. Chad wasn't foolish enough to believe that she would attack again on three though. Chad took in every scrap of data he could get and it was taxing him. Her respiration was steady. Her heartbeat was steady. Even the rate in which she sweat was steady. Then a sudden spike in heartbeat. Dima launched off her right foot and used her right hand as if to strike. Chad dogged left and that's when she went to roundhouse his head. Chad jerked back hard and her foot missed barely. The kick was so close to his camera he could see the chipped unevenness of her toenails. Almost by instinct he counter attacked in a way he didn't know how. With a flat palm strike, he slammed it right into her chest knocking clear off her feet and to the mat. The audience went a collective "whoa".

Chad looked at his hand in disbelief. He heard her coughing loudly on the mat. Chad rushed over. "Shit! You okay?!" Chad yelled reaching for the stunned giantess. The girl held her hand out to stop him. "Been hit worse. You know martial arts?" she asked. "No. My mom tried teaching me kenpo when I was a kid but never could get the techniques right" Chad replied. "Well it seems like you did that time" Dima said standing up. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hit that hard. Especially in your...breasts" Chad said. "They're wrapped" she said. "Oh" Chad said awkwardly. "Match point! Begin!" the ref yelled. The titaness stretched her arms and legs. Chad sensed her fierce determination.  Chad knew this point would be the hardest won if he could win at all. Her mind was quiet. Chad was taken aback as she held her arms out. Even if he wasn't a martial artist he could see it was stupid to have a stance so open. He wondered what she was doing.

He still couldn't believe someone who weighted 63 tons could be so agile. Chad a sickening suspicion she could even be faster. "Chad?" Ai asked worried. Chad looked at the scanners. Her heartbeat spiked. Body temp went up a full degree. "Did she just increase her metabolism?!" Chad asked. Dima took a deep breath and exhaled. All her vitals slipped back to normal with a second. It sent a shiver up Chad's spine. Chad concentrated and blocked out the screams and roar of the audience. Chad was the first to strike. Dima dodged the sword swipe to her right hip and caught his sword with her armpit. Dima went for a similar blow and Chad mimicked her. Both had caught each other's swords. Dima jumped up quickly and paced her bare feet against his chest and pushed. Chad heard the sound of armor groaning and her ligaments in her toes and ankles stretching. Dima backflipped hard snapping the swords in half. Both of them holding a set broken wooden blades. Dima landed gracefully and charged.

Chad was awestruck. His fears realized. She was faster with the broken pieces than the whole sword.    Chad was using everything to just parry. Dima was smiling the whole time. Her eyes were lot up. One word kept popping up in her mind..."finally". Dima was just as her kicks as she was with her fists. Chad was barely dodging her feet. He went to kick her and both legs connected nullifying one another. Dima didn't act like it hurt but it must've. No matter what padding she had a machine just kicked flesh and bone. Dima went to kick with her right foot and Chad took a step forward and caught her leg and clamped down. Dima hopped and spun him with her other leg. It wasn't a point but it was damn close. For the next two agonizing minutes, they parried and circled one another until Dima hit his wrist causing him to drop his stick. Chad quickly chopped her right wrist and she dropped her. Both spun around with their momentum and put it all on one final attack. The crowd held its breath as a gust of air swept through the training floor. Dima and Chad were only a few feet apart from one another. Nobody could see what happened. The ref rushed in and looked. Dima had her stick a foot from the cockpit and Chad had his a foot away from her heart. Both had stopped before something critical could happen. "A draw! No point given! With both sides with two points and a draw this match is a draw!" the ref yelled. Dima smiled genuinely at Chad and he smiled back and nodded. The crowd was murmuring. "This is not what they wanted" Dima said. "Fuck em'. This was a good match" Chad said. "That is was. It's been some time I was pushed so hard". Dima said. "It wasn't fair. My STRIKE X doesn't get tired. Doesn't feel pain" Chad said. "A martial artist doesn't complain about unfairness. They find a way around such things. If anything it was unfair on my part. I've been training since I was four. The best in the country. It was no coincidence they could me to fight you. I think we pissed off some people today" she said.

"Again. Fuck em'" Chad said. Dima smiled again. "Yeah. Fuck em" she said. Chad popped the hatch and stepped forward. "It was a pleasure Dima" Chad said holding his hand out. Dima gently took it between her fingers and shook. "The pleasure was mine Chad" she said. Seeing them shake caused a series of claps in the crowd which slowly built. "Can I give you a tip?" Chad asked. Dima nodded. "Smile more. You're very cute when you smile" he said smiling. Dima blushed beet red. No male had ever said she was cute. Dima noticed Chad was cute as well now. "I... I will try" she stammered. Chad waved at her as he stepped off the mat. Chad was winded. "What's happened to you? Your brainwaves are erratic" Ai said. "It's nothing. Just going through some changes. What's her group?"  he asked pointing to Dima. "1st infantry according to the IFF database" Ai replied. "The front lines. Damn" Chad muttered. "She's good Chad. Good enough to survive" Ai said. "Then why am I still worried?" he asked. "Because you have a heart" she replied.

"Nice way to end this Cyrus! Forcing a draw was very diplomatic" Raam said. "It was luck and nothing else. Damn I need a drink" Chad said. "You go get yourself one pilot" Raam said saluting and walking off. Chad watched as Raam spoke to Ingress officers. The officers didn't look happy. Raam's smile didn't help matters. "Rub that shit in sir" Chad said grinning. Chad saw Aeris leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She was not happy.

"What's with the frowny face?" Chad asked. "Get out now" Aeris said pointing to the hatch. Chad popped it and stepped out. Aeris held her palm out for him to step into which he did. She brought him to her face. "I thought so" she said. Chad was about to speak when he felt a breeze tell him there was a wetness on his upper lip and underneath his nose. He wiped his hand across it and saw it was blood. He had a nosebleed. "You used you powers didn't you?" she asked. "...yeah" he said. "What did I tell you?! You can't handle that much power yet! You did more than read her mind didn't you?!" she yelled. "I uh...controlled the STRIKE X more. Increased the neurolink" he said. "So, you did that plus dove deep into her mind at the same time. Of all the reckless..."

"It was necessary! She was kicking my ass out there!" Chad yelled. "I can't fault you using it in a life or death situation but this wasn't life or death was it?! This was just a bullshit fight with a teenage girl!" Aeris yelled. "Look I don't need you to babysit me! I'm a grown ass man! I get you get worried but it's my decision on when and what to use this power on. Not yours!" Chad yelled. Aeris bawked and paced him back in the STRIKE X. Aeris began crying then the glow disappeared. Chad realized he really hurt her for that to happen. "Way to be an asshole" Nara muttered walking off. Chad sat there in the cockpit. "I'm sorry" he projected. Nara spun around with a looks could kill glint in her eyes. Chad watched her disappear. "I think I'll get that drink" he said.

Chad wandered the streets aimlessly deep in thought and remorse. He shook the occasional hand and took a picture with a fan but his mind was elsewhere. He found an out of the way bar and left his machine in the parking lot. He stepped in. It was Ingress sized naturally. The bar was 120 ft. high and the stools around 75 ft. Weren’t many humans or hybrids his size inside. He wasn't expecting any. Change doesn't occur overnight after all. A kind barmaid placed him to the bar. He saw jukebox controls and used his hand to slap the giant screen and selected a song. An old song. Chad listened to the opening guitar riff.

"I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind. Leaving my body somewhere in the sands of time. I watched the world float to the Dark Side of the moon. I feel there is nothing I can do..."

Chad listened to the old 21st century song as a bartender walked over to him. "What'll it be?" the 30 something giantess asked. "Got something for an idiot?" he asked. "I'll find something" she smirked. The giantess returned with a tiny glass for him full of a brown liquor. Chad took a sip and it took his breath away. "Fuck me" he said. "You the tiny man that was on tv?" the bartender asked. "The one and only" he replied. "Thought so. You look sadder in person though" she said. "Well I hurt someone I care about a while ago" he said. "That pretty girl? Aeris?" she asked. Chad had to remember the entire country saw that feed. "Yep. My fault. She was just worried is all" he said taking another swig. "Ah. One of those things. You did something foolish and she went off on you and you didn't like it" she said. Chad lowered his head. "You ain't the first. Let me give you some advice. When you got someone that takes time to get in your ass about something reckless you did you better appreciate it. That mean they care" the giantess said pointing to him. "Sounds like you got experience in that" Chad said.  The giantess bartender cocked her head to one side and sighed. "Yeah I do and they didn't listen" she said.

"Once upon a time an employed some human girl as barmaids. Not like they could carry drinks and shit for my customers but they were eye candy you understand? Well sometimes the girls got competitive for tips and I didn't care. As long as they weren't fucking on the bar. Hell, drove up customers. Flash some leg or titty and get some extra cash. Well one girl was taking it too far. We all called her Candy because of her red hair. Young girl and pretty. Knew it too. Candy wore the shortest skirts she could here and made sure to bend over a lot. Showing off that tiny ass to guys. She got them wound up bad and it's not good to wind up a man that much and not fuck. I told her to dial it down but she said she knew what she was doing. Then one night this one guy came in. He'd been a regular for a moment and always asked for Candy. Nothing unusual right? Well after an hour of him coming in, he and Candy were playing this game."

 "Candy would take off her footwear and stockings and pick up the ice cubes from his glass with her legs and feet and hold them out. Then the guy would suck her legs and feet into his mouth and suck and eat the liquored-up ice cube. This probably went on for a few minutes and I went to pour a drink. I was gone maybe a minute. When I came back I saw the guy swallowing something bigger than an ice cube. I knew what it was. He slapped his money down and promptly walked out. I rushed to where he was sitting hoping I was wrong but her tiny saliva soaked shirt laying on the table was proof of what happened. Never saw Candy or that man again. So, I say again. If someone worries about you you better goddamn listen" she said seriously.

Chad nodded. "Got some more customers needing me" she said leaving him.  Chad was almost finished with his drink when someone sat on the barstool next to the bar. A giant finger passed a foot from him. The black fingernail shining in the light. It pressed a button for the jukebox controls and a new song began playing.

"All my friends are heathens take it slow. Wait for them to ask you who you know. Please don't make any sudden moves. You don't know the half of the abused"

"Twenty One Pilots. Circa 2016. Not many people listen to the classical" Chad said looking up at the stranger. She was as tall as he thought. 175 ft. She maybe 18 or 19 and wore a black dress with open toed heels that were fire red. Her nails were all black as he could see without leaning over the edge of the table. She was stunning with her black hair coming down past her shoulders. "Not many know the artists either. The 20th and 21sr century was the best time for music in my opinion" she said. "Don't I know it. Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and don't get me started with the jazz greats" Chad said. "I love jazz. Listening to Billie Holiday's "Stormy Weather" during a thunderstorm is so relaxing" she said. Chad chuckled. The giantess leaned in and extended her finger. "Sabrina Smith" she said. "Chad Cyrus" Chad said shaking her finger. As she pulled her finger back, Chad yelped a little in pain. "Did I hurt you?" she asked. "Your nail cut my finger. I'm alright. I didn't inherit my dad's size but I did get his healing ability. I'll be fine in a few minutes" he said. "Sorry. I guess my nails are kinda sharp" she said.

"Everybody is on edge tonight" she said. "The fate of a species or two is going to be decided tomorrow" Chad said.  "It wouldn’t be the first time the world would be faced with possible destruction. I don't just like 20th and 21st century music. I'm a fan of its history too. You ever hear of the Doomsday Clock?" she asked. Chad shook his head. "It's a symbolic clock created by scientists after the detonation of the first atomic bombs. In 1945 it was at 11:53. The thing is if it hits 12:00 then it's doomsday. It doesn't have to be nuclear either. Could be biological or chemical warfare but the money was on nuclear war. Man did humanity come close. The clock was abolished in 2060 though just as the Union was formed. What would those scientists say now though with the Ingress and hybrids living on Earth now? Would that clock apply to all of us or just them?" she asked.

There was a tone of cynicism in her voice. "Seeing how we all share this planet and we're all dying right now I'd say the former" he replied. "Hybrids are dying a great deal but not as much as Ingress" she said. Chad looked at her as if something was off about her. "That's a strange attitude coming from someone who is Ingress or wait...a hybrid right? Your name is really human sounding" he said. She narrowed her eyes. "You're right. The Doomsday Clock can apply here. Seven minutes to midnight? No, last I heard almost a quarter of the hybrid population is dead. Six minutes to midnight" she said nodding. "Lady what is your damage?" he asked. "Tell me Chad. Is the world better with the Ingress? The thing about a foreign species is that it disrupts the natural order of an ecosystem. These Progenitors are a good example of this. Way I see it it's a way of restoring balance to a system" she said. Chad couldn't believe what he was hearing. He immediately thought he might've stumbled onto a True Way sympathizer but the callousness of how she described Ingress precluded that.

"Look. I don't know why you think that way but what makes you think this Progenitor coming our way will stop at hybrids? I can tell you from personal experience that this man is the epitome of evil and I seriously doubt after it’s all said and done that he will return to the Sea of Tranquility or wherever the fuck he came from. Think about it. Tens of thousands of Ingress under his mental control and billions of tiny puny creatures as playthings. You ever had a bug infestation in your house? Did you care about snuffing a couple thousand out here and there? That how he sees humans too. I know" he said. The giantess put her finger on her cheek to rest her head. "These were the thoughts you read in his mind?" she asked. Chad dropped his glass.

"How...how do you know that?" he stammered. "You are a fascinating person Chadwick Cyrus. You do raise a valid point though. One valid enough I need to tell others about" she said standing up and leaving. Chad raced after her sliding down a power cord behind the jukebox screen control nearby. The giantess was taking her time leaving as Chad ran as fast as he could. He had to know who she was. Only a handful of people knew he could read minds. It was above top secret. He caught up to her in the parking lot. "WHO ARE YOU?!" he yelled. She smiled at him and placed her finger over her lips in a shushing motion. "At least tell me if you're friend or foe" he said. "Chad. You got friends you don't even know. After our talk, me included" she said. Chad watched in utter astonishment as her form changed from a late teen giantess into a mech. "Impossible. A black STRIKE X. Wait...there's something on the left shoulder. A symbol. It looks like...oh shit" he said. Chad recognized the symbol from history books. The last letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega.

The mech disappeared in a cloak just as fast as it revealed itself and with a gust of wind blasted into the sky. "Ai! Tell me you saw that!" Chad yelled running up to his own machine. "Only for a second. They're gone. No radar or infrared. Even their exhaust is masked. Perfect. Chad. My memory files indicated that was the Omega insignia used during the war" she said. "I figured as much" he said. "Contacting Raam" she said. "Belay that. We're not telling a soul. That woman (guessing she was one) knew very personal details about me. We got a spy in our midst and telling him could tip them off or at least cause panic. We don't need that now. Tell nobody Ai" he said. "Understood" she said. "Good. Take me back to the hotel. I got some apologizing to do" he said.

“Agent 009 to Elysium. I’ve acquired the DNA sample of Chadwick Cyrus” Smith said flying under cloak. “What was your impression of him?” a voice asked. “Interesting. If the reports of him having mental abilities are true, I saw no hint of them. He did bring up valid points though about this war. Are we planning an intervention?’ Smith asked. “Only if the subject is in extreme danger. There might be a use for him in the future” the voice replied. “Understood Elysium” Smith said closing the channel.

Chad walked into his room. Only one light was lit. Nara had her back to the door and sat at a giant desk. There were crumpled up pieces of paper lying on the floor bigger than he was. One foot was tucked under her butt and the other was swaying right and left rhythmically as she hummed a tune. "Damn. That won't sound right" she said crushing another piece of paper and tossing it over her shoulder. The 200-lb. wad of paper missed him by 10 ft. "She's still pissed" he thought. Chad snuck under her seat till he was a few feet from her bare foot. It stopped swaying. Her toes scrunched causing her sole to wrinkle. He felt warmth radiate from her sole. The smell of rose petals from her feet. Chad touched it gently feeling the grooves of her prints in her flesh. Her ball of her foot and pads of her giant toes were the color of fresh watermelon.

Chad had learned to appreciate the beauty of her feet for some time now. He shucked off his pants as his erection strained in them. He gave soft kisses and licks to her sole and it twitched. Nara felt something but was too engrossed in her task to really feel it. It was only when he rubbed his body against her sole when Nara felt something. She instinctively jerked her foot and sent Chad to the floor. "What the hell was...oh. You" she said looking under the desk. "Hey" he said standing up. He kissed her toes lovingly. "You think worshipping my feet will fix what you said?" Nara said. "Of course not. I'm sorry. Nara and Aeris. I'm very sorry for what I said" Chad said. Nara rolled her foot over him. His head poking between her toes. "Say I'm sorry Goddess for being an asshole" she said. "I'm sorry Goddess for being an asshole!" Chad yelled. "Now beg to worship my foot" Nara said grinning. "May I please worship your foot?" he said. "Very well. You may...jerk off onto my big toe" she said.

Nara raised her foot up so he could crawl out from under it. She placed it back down and Chad kissed and licked her big toe. He began jerking off and came all over her toenail. Nara giggled playfully as she smeared his tiny drops of semen all over her toenail. She licked her finger before picking him up. "We love you. That’s why we're concerned" she said. "I know and I'm sorry. Really sorry" he said. They kissed and she placed him on the desk. "What're you doing?" he asked seeing her writing on paper. It was rare for anyone to use paper anymore. "Writing a song if you can believe it. Me and... Kana found that my jamming signal worked best when I sang. Makes sense. Would you rather listen to a buzzing sound or music? Music right? Kana was humming a pretty tune and it worked. She never got to teach me the lyrics though so I'm writing some" she said. "Looks like you're having trouble" he said. "Yeah. It's harder than it looks. Have to find the right words. Invoke emotions. Feelings. Something strong enough to break his hold" she said. "May I give a word of advice?" he said. She nodded.

"The best music comes from the heart. Forget trying to find the right words. Forget trying to find that perfect chord, refrain, or hook. Just write from your heart. The best artists that ever sang did that. Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, even Biggie himself said that what they wrote came right out of the blue with no planning or active thought. It just came to them. Clear that giant brain of yours and just...be" he said. Nara looked at him. She petted his still half naked body. "Thanks" she said. Chad laid on the desk watching her write until he fell asleep. The next day he awoke and she was staring out of the window. She was stark naked. Her eyes were closed and he swore he saw a faint glow from her skin. "Aeris? Nara?" he asked. "Good morning. We got time before we have to save the world. Wanna find a use for it?" she asked. Chad stood up.

"Yes. Yes, I do"

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"We need to go. It's time" Chad said sliding off Nara's belly. Nara gave a silent nod. Both were silent as they got dressed. Just 45 minutes prior they had made love and bared their souls. 30 minutes prior they bathed one another. 10 minutes prior, Aeris gave Chad an unusual gift. As he sat on her abdomen, she linked his mind to hers. Suddenly he was seeing what she saw. Aeris magnified her view until they both saw the growing fetus inside her. It was mostly anthropomorphic but Chad saw the inkling of fingers and toes. "Look closer" she said to him zooming further. Aeris zoomed in until he saw a pair of XX chromosomes. "It's a girl. We have a daughter" he said softly. Aeris zoomed in one last time to show him something. "She will be like you" Aeris said pointing to a cluster of genes. Chad was speechless. He laid down on her and kissed her abdomen. He laid there enjoying this perfect moment for the next 9 minutes.  

"Chad? Can we get married right now?" Nara asked. Chad wanted to very much. "No" he replied. Nara looked heartbroken. "Don't get me wrong. When this is all over we're going to have a big wedding. So, you have to survive" he said seriously. Nara got it now. An extra incentive to survive this day in history. "Besides, mom would kill me if we eloped" he said. Chad and Nara made their way to the lobby. It was nearly empty. The streets were full of soldiers, militia, and police heading north. Almost no civilians. Chad hopped into the STRIKE X. "Status?" Chad asked. "All systems check out. Civilian evacuations are at 78%. Others are heading to bunkers now. Chad, as I await combat I feel...scared" Ai said. Chad heard a bit of humanity in her. "We all do. Ai, I need to give you an order and you have to promise to obey it at all costs. Can you?" Chad asked. "I'm programmed to..."

"Forget programming. You're more than that. You don't need to hide how human you are from me. I won't chain you up" Chad said. Ai's face appeared on his HUD. She looked extremely worried. "Of course" she said softly. "There's a chance I might get killed in this cockpit and you can still function. If that happens locate Nara and keep her safe.  Forget about fighting. Make sure she stays alive at any cost" he said sternly. Ai painfully closed her eyes and nodded. He heard the faint sound of crying over the speaker. "Hey. I'm not planning on dying. This is just one of those things that's gotta be done. And as one of my friends I know I can count on you" he said. Ai shot up. "I'm...your friend?" she asked. "Yes" he said touching the screen. Ai smiled at him. She had been hiding her true emotions for weeks now fearing he or someone would consider her a rouge AI. She didn't know Chad found out she was playing dumb. "How long have you known?" Ai asked. "It was little things. I saw you staring at a sunset. Some of my music showed it was recently played. But most of all was yesterday when we were playing with those kids. I sensed through the connection you having fun. I even felt laughter from you. Real emotion" he said.

"Busted" she said. "Yep. Now, let's go to command. Time to get this party started" Chad said. Chad flew Nara to command and met up with Raam. "Ready to make history?" Raam asked. "He better. Family tradition" Rex said coming from behind. "They need the STRIKE X to loading bay 1" Rex said. Chad popped the hatch and stepped out. Rex picked him up and placed him on his shoulder. "Scans show Baris is going to hit the first perimeter at 1043 hrs." Raam said. "How many?" Chad asked. Raam pushed the data to his wristcomm. Chad read it. "Oh god. 4600 confirmed on the ground. 719 combat pilots in the air.  15 dropships.  17 land carriers. And one air combat cruiser taken from St. Petersburg. That's...that's more than we thought" Chad said. "Considerably more. That cruiser alone can carry 130 Ingress personnel and pulverize a city. I don't even want to guess how many antimatter bombs they have. The only saving grace is a third of the ground forces we can see aren't armed with guns. What we feared came true though. Our best scans showed kids in his ranks" Raam said. "What about Kana?" Nara asked. Raam shook his head. "Unknown but it's a safe bet she's in there somewhere" Raam said. "Sir? May I be allowed to speak alone with my son?" Rex asked. "Go ahead. We don't have to dust off for almost an hour" Raam said. Rex nodded and walked away.

Rex sat down in a quiet corner of the hanger. He placed his son on his knee. "When you were little you used to crawl all over me. Even caught you hiding in my hair once" Rex said laughing. "Where does the time go?" Rex asked softly. Rex tapped his wristcomm. "Your mother and sister wanted to talk before it began" he said. "Hey mom" Chad said. "Chad! Are you well?" Chen asked. "Yes mom" he replied. Are you eating? You look thinner" Chen said. "Yes mom I'm eating" Chad said. For the next few minutes mother and son made small talk until Chen began shaking. I...I know you'll be fine. You are my child after all and..." Chen broke into sobs. "Oh mom" Chad said. Chad watched as a pair of giant hands picked her up. Down sat his giantess sister. "Hey bro" Jun said. "Hey back at ya. You look better sis" Chad said. "Thanks to you. I never truly thanked you for bringing me home" she said. "You don't need to. You're my goofy sister. I'll always be there for ya" Chad said. "Always?" Jun said shaking. "Cross my heart" Chad said. Her jaw was shaking as she fought back tears.

"I love you. I'm sorry if I hadn’t acted like it. I love you. I love you so much!" Jun sobbed. Chad felt a tear roll down his cheek. "Jun? What's very quiet and smells like worms?" Chad asked. Jun looked confused. "Bird farts" he said. Jun began chuckling. "You always had a bad taste in jokes" she said. "It got you to stop crying" he said. Jun smiled at him. "I want you and mom to begin planning a wedding. When this is all over your brother is gonna get married" Chad said. Jun nodded. "I love you Jun. tell mom I love her too" Chad said. Jun waved at him painfully as he closed the comm. "It doesn't get easier son" Rex said. "Dad, what was that day like? The time before the Battle of Osaka" Chad asked. "Honestly like any other day. The sun shined. Birds chirped. It was people that were different. Everyone knew the stakes. What we were facing. There were hundreds of weddings that day. Me and your mothers included. The chaplains were running ragged trying to get everyone married. Hell, I heard some got married on the damn dropships. It wasn't a great mystery that so many hybrid kids were born nearly exactly 6 and 9 months later heh heh"

"If you mean we're we scared? You bet your ass we were. The enemy had the Ark for fuck sakes. The most powerful ship in existence. Even if half of it was buried under earth it still could kill us by the thousands. The most dangerous enemy is a desperate one. We had her cornered and she knew it. Our greatest fear was she'd detonate the reactors. A dozen 500 megaton explosions and we'd be no more. Tens of thousands vaporized instantly. Talking about fighting like no tomorrow. People pissed themselves, threw up, as it came time to head out. The humans were the scared the most. Imagine giant beings fighting to the death all around you. Just a stray shot could wipe out your entire squad. Some think the STRIKE pilots had it the easiest. Fuck that. Flying around with a nuke on your back? Not for me. Everyone had something to fear. Humans feared being crushed, vaporized, or eaten. Ingress feared being shot by former friends. But I think the universal fear we all had that day was leaving someone behind" Rex said.

"What about mom?" Chad asked. "Your mother is a strong woman. Strongest human I had ever met at that point. She had lost her entire family just a month prior and still she kept going. Through that morning and through that ceremony she didn't cry, shake or seemed bothered at all. However, when we snuck off for some quiet time that changed. There was a natural spring nearby and we sat looking at the scenery. She had taken off her little boots and socks and kicked her feet in the water.  "Eve looked so cute didn't she?" I asked. "Yes she did. Even that big she looks a lot like Aaron" she replied. "Who will our kids look like?" I asked. She stopped kicking her feet. "You know I've been thinking about where we can live after all this. Somewhere warm and nice. Florida? How about Hawaii? Heard it's very pretty there. What do you think?" I asked. Your mother violently kicked the water and stood up. "What's wrong? Something I said?" I asked. "Why make plans for the future? We could die tomorrow. It's cruel. Cruel!" she yelled. I could hear her quietly crying.

"Chen. You can't think that way" I said. "You don't understand! I lost everything except you! If you died...I couldn't go on" she said quietly. I gently picked her up and bought her to my chest. "Jun if it's a girl. Chadwick if it's a boy. We're gonna retire in Hawaii. You'll be a stay at home mom" I said. "Stop. Stop it" she said. "WE ARE GOING TO LIVE CHEN CYRUS!" I yelled. She looked up at me with the same look she had that day we first met; fragile, tiny, and helpless. You mother gripped my shirt and cried her eyes out. That's what your mother is like. She internalizes her pain and worries until she just can't. You're a soldier now so I'm going to tell you what you need to remember to stay alive. Survive your battles because you're needed by others. When you think you can't keep going reach deep down and find the perfect memory of why you love that special someone and keep going on" Rex said.

Rex picked his son up and cupped him to his face. "I love you so so much" Rex said.  "Dad? Are you crying?" Chad asked. "No shame in a man crying kiddo" Rex replied. All his life Chad saw his father as the strongest, biggest man he knew. Brave and unflinching. Now he didn't see him like that. He saw a father scared to death of losing a child. Nara being pregnant, he understood. "Love you too dad" Chad said. Rex placed him back on the ground. "I should get going. I'm assigned to lead the 22nd infantry" Rex said. "Watch you back old man" Chad said saluting. "That's Colonel Old Man to you Captain Cyrus" Rex said grinning and saluting.

Chad walked around for a bit. He watched soldiers get into formation. Air defense guns whir up for testing. Combat pilots checking equipment, mech's, talking to loved ones. Some even praying in huddles. What caught his eye was some were Ingressa mixed in. This fight had united them in ways nobody thought possible. "You ready?" Nara said walking up behind him. Chad turned and looked up at the giantess. She was sipping a drink and wearing the prototype comm suit. "Yeah. I think I am" Chad said. Nara placed him on her shoulder as they walked to where his machine was. "Can I have some?" he asked pointing to her drink. Nara squeezed out a drop on her finger and Chad drank from it. Nara couldn't help but chuckle. "Lemonade?" Chad asked. "For my throat. Lots of singing today" she said. "Hope you have a good singing voice. Then again if not it could be a good weapon" Chad laughed. "Ha fucking ha" Nara said. Chad hopped into the STRIKE X.

"Your checkup work out?" Chad asked. "Go to go and fully loaded. You're armed with plasma and holo grenades on the hip hard points. The rifle has 1500 beacon rounds good for a 5-mile range. positron weapons are online and the BITS has been calibrated. Twin reactors are good and shield generators are in the green. Chad. Let me say it's been an honor to have been your partner...and friend" Ai said. "Stow that talk Ai. You making it sound like it's goodbye" Chad said. "You're right. I have enough processing power to say lets kick some ass!" Ai yelled. "That's my girl!" Chad said. "Chad incoming transmission" Ai said. Chad opened the comm.

"Morning everyone. For those that don't know me my name is Colonel Caius Raam of the Union Air Forces. I don't speak just for them today but for all of us. As I speak, the enemy is just minutes away from the border. His goal is to enslave Ingress and exterminate the hybrids. Well I say he can take his plan and shove it up his ass. I say we show him what it means to fight those who'd protect their freedom! I say we will NOT go quietly into the night! As I look out over our forces I can feel only pity...for him. I will not lie to you. The fight will be bloody and costly but generations from now our children and children's children will ask what you did this day and you can say this. I fought and it was worth it. CRY OUT AND LET HIM HEAR THE SOUND OF FREEDOM! OF JUSTICE! LET HIM KNOW THAT THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE AND OURS ALONE! HOORAH! HOORAH!" Raam yelled. The sound was strong enough that the very ground vibrated as thousands screamed hoorah into the air. Chad watched the clock tick down. 1058...1059...1100hrs. "Signal received. Time to launch" Ai said. "Control. Captain Cyrus requesting takeoff" Chad said. "Roger Cyrus. Cleared for takeoff" control responded. "Chadwick Cyrus in the STRIKE X...taking off!" he yelled as he eased the throttle forward. A gentle push into the seat and he took to the air.

Moments later, Sina Wing formed up on him. Nara filled in the middle part of the diamond formation. They watched below as transports carried troops forward. Tanks and mobile vehicles followed suit. Everyone kept excellent pace. Just over 100 mph. In the far distance, the air carrier descended through the clouds. "All flyers are to descend to under 1000 ft. immediately!" Control radioed. "Here it comes" Chad said. Everyone flying descended within seconds. A minute later the battle officially began. Massive blue beams of plasma tore past them overhead followed by a thunderous boom. "Those air defenses are impressive aren't they?" Aeris asked. "Yeah. Whoa..." Chad said. 30 miles ahead, a series of tiny explosions dotted the sky. Chad watched one beam hit the cruiser's shields. Tiny blue flashes came from it. "Incoming!" Chad yelled.

The cruiser returned fire from its cannons. Direct hits on the defense turrets. Thankfully the shields held. "Advance! Combat speed!" the orders came in. As the air defenses trained shots with the cruiser, the united forces advanced on Baris' army. "I can feel him. He's in the middle" Aeris said. "Stay focused Aeris. It's about to turn shitty" Chad said. 22 miles from him, Baris hovered into the air. "Forward. Arms at ready" he said with a grin. The united forces watched as his army picked up the pace. Chad, Aeris and their escort neared the combat zone. Suddenly all around them every Ingress began to falter. Sina wing drifted out of formation. "It's happening Chad. His control is hitting them" she said." Then that's your cue girl. Drop that beat!" Chad yelled. Aeris activated the broadcasting array on her back. She took a deep breath and began to sing.

"I'm calling you...I'm calling you

Can you hear my voice...can you hear my voice?

Now it's time to go...can you hear my voice?

Now it's time to go...show your bravery.

Now it's time to go...now it's time to go

Fly beyond the sky...show your bravery

Lovely hazy days in my vivid view

Lovely hazy days...turn to starry nights"

Chad looked in astonishment at Aeris. He never heard a voice so angelic. Her song cut deep into his soul. "Oh my god it's in my mind and it's beautiful" a pilot said over the comm. "Yes it is but keep it together Sina 3" the lead flight said. "Holy shit it's working!" Chad said. Not only were the united forces resisting his control. His front lines were slipping free of his control. "Swoop down and tag Captain. We'll provide cover!" lead said.  Chad dropped down and aimed his rifle. He strafed the line and doubled back. "Confirmed! 37 new friendly IFF's detected! Ai said. "So far so good!" Chad yelled hitting the air brakes. He hovered and shot again and again as Aeris flew overhead. Baris could feel something was off.

"I just lost 116 troops and not to death. Interference...of course. Aeris. I warned her" Baris said. Baris sent out a mental command for his flyers to engage the source of the disturbance. He made sure his power was strengthened around them. "Chad! Incoming! They're not slowing down!" Ai said. Chad sent out a telepathic message and forgoed the comm. it was flooded with requests to save those free of his control. "Aeris. We got bogeys coming in hot. What you're doing isn't working on them "

he said. "It's Baris. He's on to me and focusing his power to shield them. Seems the easy part is over " she said. "Sina wing! These are hostile! They are still under his control. Engage!" Chad yelled. "Roger Captain" the lead said. Sina wing broke formation and the giants turned to strike the targets. It was 18 to 7 in their favor. Each one wore a Union combat suit so it was clear they were not civilians. Chad and the others saw how they expertly cut their speed and rolled to flank.

Chad cut throttle and used his ACS thrusters to turn sharply. The g forces pushing him to the right hard. With a thought, he brought his position gauntlets online and charged. He activated his targeting array and lines the crosshairs. Just as one raised her rifle Chad fired. The shots hit her stomach and knocked her away. Chad followed quickly with a charged cannon shot that hit the erratic flyer cutting he giantess in half. The first kill of the battle. Chad felt a chill go up his spine as her guts and intestine rained down. With her down it became a total dogfight. Aeris kept singing as she fired away at the attackers. Sina wing was no slouch either. One grabbed an attacker from behind and shot point blank. The beam cutting through his body. The fight lasted three minutes. They had prevailed spectacularly. Baris was not pleased.

He looked at the cruiser and the turrets taking potshots and was annoyed. "Must I do everything?!" he yelled. Baris held his arm out and concentrated. A pink orb of energy began forming in front of his palm. Bigger and bigger it got until it shrank small enough he could hold it. He aimed his palm at the turrets and twitched his wrist. The beam shot out at extreme speed. People on the ground and safely in the air wanted in horror as the beam vaporized friend and foe alike caught in its path. Anyone touched by it was a one hit kill.

"Transfer power to shield generator 4! Generator 3 is overheating!" an officer assigned to defense ordered. "Done! Recalibrating targeting...AHHHGH!" he screamed. The blinding beam ore thought the shield like wet tissue paper impacting the turret and its control room. The blast was absolute. The boom could be heard as far as 40 miles away. No bodies. Barely ash. Fragments of metal and shattered concrete scattered for a one mile radius. "Much better! Now that that's gone concentrate your attacks that way!" Baris yelled pointing towards Aeris.

"His own people" someone muttered. "No, not his. They're cannon fodder and nothing else to him now" Aeris said. Hell was breaking loose on the ground. The forces heard the stories of civilians controlled and forced to fight but the stark truth was jarring. Baris enslaved people by the thousands at once so it was all times of the day it happened and he gave not one shit about what they wore or what they needed to wear. Male Ingress in their underwear held knives or pistols. Female ingress in nightwear, bras or panties, or naked if they were showering or their clothes tore off from the evil march across Europe. It was probably the children that wore on their souls the worst. A boy no older than 5 marched barefoot holding a pistol so big he had to use both hands. His giant fingers too short to pull the trigger with one hand.  a female Ingress raised her rifle at the boy. She looked through her reticle and saw the vacant look in his eyes. Her hands shook. The boy saw her and aimed his gun. A tear rolled down her cheek as she knew it was kill or be killed. At the last second the boy gripped his head as Aeris' song broke though. He looked at the pistol as if he had picked up a disgusting thing and dropped it. He looked up and saw the woman aiming at him. She quickly lowered her rifle and the boy rushed into her arms sobbing. The giantess soldier hugged the child before handing him off.

Sadly, the ones closest to Baris were still very much under his control and Aeris was becoming distracted. "Evade! Captain! That ship has our number!" lead said. Understood Sina lead! We need to take it out!" Chad said. "Roger! I’ll get a few squadrons to form up!" lead said. "No time! Those cannons will tear our ground forces apart! Besides, we got the best weapon with us! A diva! Throttle up hard! Slip through their AA!" Chad ordered. All of them hit afterburners and charged the ship. Plasma fire streaked past them. Large beams of energy missing barely. "Sina 4! You're falling out of our slipstream! Reign it in!" lead yelled. "I’m trying ma’am! My right flap took a hit. Losing stability!" the woman yelled. The giantess began to tumble about in air as they watched the beams missing less and less. "Sina 4 drop back!" lead yelled. Too late. A plasma beam hit her dead on. Her fuel tank exploded violently and the poor woman who was known as Sina 4 to Chad and Aeris bit known to the others as Zina Merrick aged 19 was gone.  "SINA 4!" lead yelled.

A minute later they flew past Baris. Aeris and he locked gazes. "You don't actually think you'll win this do you? I haven't even started" Baris said in her mind. "The day is still young" Aeris said. Baris turned his attention back to the fight. He waited for the right moment to join in. He resolved to crush these fools and have his young protégé watch. Chad blasted a hole through the hull near the bridge. Two crew members were knocked on their feet but was sound enough to raise their service pistols. "Aeris!" Chad yelled. Aeris focused her song at them and they lowered their guns. Chad and the team ran past them and kicked the door in. The bridge was full of Ingress. The controls were in giant mode for them. Aeris pelted their minds and broke his control. She rubbed her throat. "I'm fine. Need to heal my vocal cords" she said.

"Do we scuttle it?!" lead asked. "No! We take this ship and slit that bastards throat with it! Train all guns. Everything we got and hit his ass!" Chad yelled. Within seconds, Baris was in their sights. "Cannons are ready! I got tactical warheads armed too!" Someone said. Then fire and brace for the shockwave!" Chad yelled. "There are people below" lead said. "And they're killing our soldiers. We all knew how ugly it would get. If you prefer, I'll hit the button" Chad said. Lead leader held her hand up. "God forgive me. FIRING!" she said pressing the button. Every soldier below felt the ground shake as beams hotter than the sun bombarded the 3-square mile patch of dirt. Before the dust could clear, tiny missiles streaked down. The cascade of detonations was blinding. The concussion wave literally swept the giant beings off their feet like rag dolls. The mushroom cloud rose 5000 ft. into the air. Chad turned to Aeris and she shook her head knowing his question.

A powerful gust of wind dispersed the dust, ash, and flames and in the center of the burned-out crater was Baris. "Honestly...hmm?" Baris said feeling a trickle of blood run from his forehead. "They...hurt me?!" he screamed enraged. He wasn't hurt badly. Just a small cut but it was the fact a weapon made by imperfect mortal puny creatures injured a Progenitor. "The time for games has ended!" he yelled flying up towards the ship. He could sense exactly where she was. "He's on the move! Coming right at us!" someone yelled. "Get the AA guns on him!" Chad yelled. They fired desperately at him and a few shots hit him but harmlessly bounced off him. He hovered right in front of the bridge bow window. A frightened Sina member fired her rifle through the armored glass at him. Her shots pinged off him. Baris didn't chuckle or laugh. He raised his hand and the air around it shimmered and distorted. "I will suffer your disobedience no longer" he said. "Everyone as close to me as possible!" Aeris screamed.

Aeris grabbed as many as she could focusing on Chad first of course. She had only one second. Chad felt a sinking feeling in his chair that increased by 10 times within half a second. It disappeared when Aeris teleported them to safety. Aeris fell to her knees in the mud. Rain began falling as a thunderstorm had rolled in. Chad looked around. They were back on the ground but not all of them were with them. He, Aeris, the lead of Sina and one other pilot had made it out. Two got left behind. "We need to go back! If we're quick..." Sina lead said watching the cruiser. Aeris knew what Baris had done and they all watched it happen. The ship was imploding. Chad realized at that last second it wasn't his imagination or nerves that gave that sinking feeling. It was gravity being increased. The ship was over 2 miles long and a mile wide and it was being squeezed smaller and smaller. Aeris heard the screaming of the crew. Within seconds, what was left the ship fell to the ground with a mountainous thud.

Nobody could believe it. Such a large ship crushed to the size of a beach ball. No matter how small he crushed it it still weighed over 100,000 tons and it slammed right through the ground and didn't stop until it hit bedrock over a hundred feet below. The once pride of St. Petersburg was now entombed under the earth like discarded trash and all crew members plus two Sina pilots called it their casket. Baris looked down with disdain. He counted on her surviving and if she hadn't then that was her failing. His troops were advancing despite their losses but that wasn't enough for him. His hands glowed and beams of white light shot forth. He crisscrossed his arms in a sweeping motion and a cascade of explosions erupted on the field. Nobody knew how many died right then but when it was done the united forces lines had been broken. He pointed to his dropships to fly in and drop off fresh troops which they did. Air combat shot down more than a few but they still got through and dropped off people. Ingress in street clothes or business attire, even children made up his shock troops. They tried to hold off the advance but they could hear his voice burrowing into their minds. "Son...you need to hurry. We can't...hold him off!" Rex said of cracking radio. Chad closed his eyes and poured his heart and soul into the STRIKE X. "Keep singing no matter what. Stop him" Chad said to Aeris before flying off. Aeris took a deep breath and remembered a song from Chad's collection. One that struck a chord in her heart. "Ai! Get the BITS ready!" Chad yelled. He tore through the sky at Mach 3 and saw three dropships unloading and 3 more inbound. "Go! BITS!" he yelled. The devices flew off his back as Chad mentally lined up the targets. "STRIKE THEM!" he yelled. The weapons fired at the engines of each ship crippling it and causing it to soft land into the ground. With a gesture, he ordered them to follow him down to the ground. "Switch to non-lethal power. I'm winning this my way. I'm counting on you Aeris" Chad said landing.

Seeing an enemy dozens rushed him. Chad felt the strain of the systems as he targeted as many as he could. Chad pulled the trigger. 6 enemy Ingress were stunned unconscious. Luckily they had no shields.  "Again!" he yelled as he repeated the task. The BITS returned to recharge and Chad began gunning down those rushing him but soon they were on top of him. He nearly shit his pants seeing an old woman snarling in his camera. The withered giantess hellbent on killing him. Chad pulled out and unfolded his sword. He struck her with the hilt of it knocking her off him. He was standing up when a powerful blast struck him hard. Chad looked and saw it was a man wearing a Union uniform. His father. Somehow his father had got stuck too far out and succumbed to Baris' attack. "Dad! Snap out of it dad!" Chad yelled. The giant raised his gun once again and Chad was fast enough for him to cut it with his sword. The giant dropped the gun and pulled his own sword out.

Chad was scared shitless. He didn't want to fight his dad. He knew his father was holding back during training. He never considered it could be his own father that killed him today. Chad tiptoed around him watching his movement. He did find it easier to keep track of him though. His head began hurting. A sudden stab of pain in his head broke his concentration. "What?!" Chad said feeling two Ingress holding his arms. Rex raised his blade to cut his son down and Chad at the last minute took to the air. Chad swore he saw a small smile on his dad's lips. "He's fighting it..." Chad said. He used his hydraulic strength to throw off the two holding on to him and used his weapons. Chad was astonished to see Rex actually deflect a shot meant for him. The giant moved his feet apart in a stance. "Dad is awesome" Chad thought. A torrent of shots hit Chad as he dropped back down. His shields down to 40%. Rex and he traded strikes and someone sliced him in the back. He panicked for a second remembering that a critical hit to the reactor would kill them all. A damaged BIT sizzled and he sent it out before it could explode. The small blast knocked Rex on his back. "Aeris! Now is the time!" Chad yelled. Rex stood back up "Fight it dad! Don't give in to him! Remember me! Remember mom and Jun! He'll kill us if he wins!" Chad screamed into his mind. Rex's hand trembled as he held the sword. A tear rolled down his cheek as the giant turned the blade around and aimed it at his stomach. "DAD! NOOOO!" Chad screamed. A song began over the radio and entered the minds of everyone. A song more powerful than the last. A hope.

Back to Aeris... 

(Ashes to Eden by Breaking Benjamin)

"Will the faithful be rewarded when we come to the end?

Will I miss the final warning from the lie that I have lived? (Aeris flies to the forefront of the enemy progression)

Is there anybody calling...I can see the soul within. (She touches a man fighting his control and he relaxes and looks at her with awe)

And I'm not worthy...I am not worthy of this. (Aeris looks ahead of the battlefield and sees all the dead on the ground)

 Are you with me after all? Why can't I hear you? (Aeris feels Baris increasing his power and increases her to match)

Are you with me through it all? Then why can't I feel you? (Aeris feels herself gaining ground again but knows she can't let up ever)

Stay with me! Don't let me go! (Rex snaps out of it and drops his humungous sword with a wet thud. Chad rushes in and hugs him) 

Because there's nothing left at all (Aeris glances at Baris who is astonished to see he has to put real effort into controlling his army now. Aeris remembered the time long ago with Baris and how she respected and revered him. She turns away in sadness) 

Stay with me! Don't let me go! (Aeris almost stops singing when she sees Kana mindlessly marching forward with a limp. A broken shard of sword stuck in her leg. She’s bleeding profusely with a severed femoral artery. She's dying. Aeris rushed over to her. Heavy lightning overhead)

"Until the ashes of Eden fall (Aeris heals Kana as Kana breaks free of Baris. The shard of metal falls off her leg now fully restored. Kana looks at Aeris and hugs her tightly crying. Aeris calmly kisses her head.

Will the darkness fall upon me when the air is growing thin? (Aeris realizes that she has to take the fight to Baris for this to end. By this point Baris has lost almost all control of his army)

Will the light begin to pull me to its everlasting will? (Aeris dashes to the increasingly frustrated Baris and begins tussling with him. Aeris can feel herself having to use more power than she wants to stay even with him. She sees the look in his eyes and knows in her heart he's resolved to kill her now. Aeris comes to terms with that and forces him to his knees using her telekinetic might)

I can hear the voices haunting. There is nothing left to fear (Aeris hear the thoughts of all the soldiers still alive. Thousands of them and they're coming for Baris; especially the ones that were under Baris control. Aeris smirks when she senses Chad flying back. He tells her to hang on mentally. "You're losing Baris. Not just the united forces are coming now. The soldiers you had under your control is too and they want you very much dead" she said to him mentally)

And I'm still calling...and I'm still calling to you"

Baris changed his focus from controlling (or trying to) his slaves and put his energy to killing the Progenitor in front of him. Aeris is shoved back and stumbles from the sudden blast of telekinesis. Before she can react, Baris grabs her by her throat. "No more singing nonsense! BEGONE MY ONCE STUDENT!" Baris screams as he fires a blast of energy through her chest. The beam scorches the air behind her and burns right through the city walls and into the city itself. Buildings collapse from vaporized supports. A few hundred Ingress and over a thousand humans are dead from this alone. Aeris is twitching. The hit critical. Baris can feel her life energy slipping away but he's not satisfied. The ground buckles as his massive feet hunker down. His arm is still holding Aeris. Her feet dangling from the ground as he lifts her up. "Farewell" he says to her tossing her literally out of the atmosphere propelled by mental force strong enough to shatter a mountain. Chad watches helplessly as his friend and lover hits escape velocity and disappears past the storm clouds. "NOOOO!" he screams punching the throttle leaving his father (who was following) behind.

Chad, in his rage, lets loose every once ounce of power he has. He doesn't care if it kills him now. His mental link is so strong it pushes Ai aside as he maxes out the STRIKE X's capabilities. He finds an old combat protocol buried deep inside the firmware of the mech. One that hasn't been used in decades. "Overclock" he hisses. Immediately the mental shock slams into his skull causing him to bleed from his nose. He lets lose a torrent of positron shots and cannon blasts. Every weapon fires. The BITS fly off and as Baris deflects the frontal attack, the three renaming BITS began tagging the blindsided giant from the rear and sides. Shockingly they hit their mark. However, they don't cause significant wounds. Chad lands with a sonic boom and pulls out his sword. Baris immediacy tries to shoot him with his hand blast and Chad easily sidesteps it and slashes. Baris looks furious as his right hand is cut clean off. With a shout, Baris knocks Chad back but Chad twists in the air and fires more shots. Three shots deflect but one hits him in the face. Blood rushes from Baris' nose.

"Backup!" Ai yells. She wanted him to fall back. His life signs were becoming increasingly erratic. Chad sees squadrons of ACE's and combat pilots closing in. Ground troops are a half minute away. "KILL THE BASTARD!" Chad screamed mentally. A storm of weapon fire hit Baris. The giant steps back only to give him a second to fuse his hand back to his wrist bones. Baris slams his hands together and a force blast disables every flyer in a mile radius. "EMP strike off the charts! Systems are down! Going to take a minute to reboot!" Ai said. "We're so close!" Chad said. As he knelt on the ground, the ground forces ran past him. More than a few were Baris' once slaves. Some armed with only melee weapons of crudest measure. Baris mowed them down in quick succession and Chad watched in horror as Baris grinned. Baris walked forward and through the hundreds of beam weapon fire. His sights locked dead on Chad.

Baris hand glowed and Chad knew he was next to die. His final thought was of Nara "Do it you fuck" he hissed. Thuds of giant running footsteps vibrated the muddy ground came from behind and then he saw someone jump clear over him. "Dima?" Chad asked seeing a shock of blue hair. Dima charged the giant. Baris fired off energy beams and she expertly dodged every one. Like a giant goddess of war, Dima took out her twin swords and slashed Baris across the chest. Chad heard in her mind the counting. Baris and anyone watching was shocked that he was being overwhelmed. He formed a tight shield around his body but that was all he could do. Aeris effect was still going on albeit getting weaker by the second. Dima kept it up. Sword strikes to his face and head kept him unfocused and kicks to his legs and knees was breaking his balance even further. The soldiers couldn't fire for risk hitting her but so far it was her that got the best hits on him today.

Dima was flesh and blood though and that meant a limit to her stamina. She was getting slower. The giant blades felt heavier to her. Her feet sore. Her titanic legs rubbery. Baris used this to work his way into her mind. "Well isn't that interesting? You're a hybrid and it's a family secret. Is that why I sensed loathing from yourself. Wait...that was before. Something else now. Him? Really?! That abomination is a parasite worming his way into every Ingress' mind" he said speaking of Chad. Baris eyes glowed as he gazed at Dima. She screamed in pain and there was a collective gasp as she shrank. Baris stepped forward and yanked Dima out of her giant uniform covering her body. Dima was unconscious. The shock of her Ingress DNA being forcefully turned off was too much for her. Baris held her limp body in his hand before tossing it into his mouth. "Ai! Get us online! NOW!" Chad yelled. "I can't! We still need 30 seconds!" Ai yelled. Chad was sending mental commands for the STRIKE X to move. He yanked the throttle back and forth. Nothing.

Chad pounded the controls with his fists as he watched Baris jaw move. *CRUNCH* *CRUNCH* *SQUELCH*...*GULP*. Baris wiped away a trickle of Dima's blood leaking from the side of his mouth. "Now for the last thorn in my side" Baris said pointing his palm at Chad. "THE HELL YOU WILL! OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Rex screamed charging at Baris. Rex brought his sword down and Baris teleported 20 ft. to the left. Baris froze him in place with telekinesis. "Agreed" Baris said. Pulling the sword from his hands and running Rex through with it. "...no...Dad. Daddy?" Chad said in disbelief. "Systems back online" Ai said. Chad stood up. His sword gripped tight. Others stood up. Chad watched as a medic rushed to his father. A coldness only hatred could make crept into his soul.

30 seconds earlier...

Aeris was using all her strength to seal her wound and heal. "A few feet to the right...." she said touching the closing wound precariously close to her heart. She was still in disbelief. Baris had broken the tabooest of taboos; trying to take the life of a Progenitor. She fought him to incapacitate and neutralize him thinking of a more permanent solution some other time. She never resolved to kill him. Her wounds were healed now but she was low on energy. Exhausted. Before she had some chance of defeating him one on one. She felt him use every bit of power he had in his attempt to take her life. Now though she didn't. Not on her own. She was so distracted she didn't see three ships almost on top of her coming from behind. One was over three times the size of the others. "It's the fleet Raam spoke about" Nara told her. Aeris floated over to one and looked at the bridge.

The crew was in total shock seeing a woman in hard vacuum waving at them. A pinkish flow around her body. She scanned the minds of the Ingress crew and learned how powerful their main cannons were. "That...that might actually work. It's our last hope" she though before teleporting back to Ingressa. She hovered 35,000 ft. above the battle. Storm clouds hid the surface but she could sense the fear, grief, and pain below. Especially Chad's. "Dima..." she said sensing her demise. "Colonel Raam. This is Aeris" she said finding his mind. "You're alive?!" Raam said out loud startling everyone on the command center. "Yes I am an I need your help and everyone else's. There are three ships in near orbit. I need them to fire their weapons" she said. "They won't have a firing solution for another 5 minutes!" Raam said. "Don't need one. They have line of sight and that is enough. Fire on these coordinates. I'll do the rest" she said. Raam called the strike in and convinced the captains to fire. "Now to finish my song and to spread the word. If there's a God please smile on me" she said.  

"Are you with me after all? (Aeris gets herself ready and three sky scorching beams of massive power scream through the atmosphere. Aeris doesn't deflect it. A zone of intense gravity forms in front of her. One so powerful it bends the beams into it. Aeris grimaced as she literally traps the intense power in a sphere. To all who hear my voice! Train your weapons on the blue glow in the sky and fire! Everyone who has an energy weapon! FIRE!" she screams into the minds of tens of thousands. "She's alive...she's alive!" Chad yelled.  

"What?! She can't be! That blast was powerful enough to vaporize a city and it was point blank! What?" Baris wondered as he saw thousands of energy beams streaking into the sky. Everyone who had a gun fired. Even those in the city. People stepped out of bunkers and basements that held a gun fired. "This is Trisha Anderson of UNN reporting live from the capital city of Ingressa! The battle has gone poorly but moments ago, Aeris' voice entered our minds and called for everyone to fire at the strange glow in the clouds overhead! We don't know why but we hope that what she has planned will stop this murdering invader threatening our world! I don't know how long this broadcast will last over the emergency global comm-net but I can say this reporter is going to give her all!" a human woman shouted as she pulled out her tiny laser pistol and fired into the air. Everyone around the world was watching the newscast. Chen and Jun sat on their sofa in Hawaii praying that their loved ones would come home. Ned, Amanda, her husband Daryl, and their three children stared at the tv in her home in Martha's Vineyard.  

"Obviously I'm going to have to go to extreme means to be rid of her. Tearing out her spine and brain stem should do it" Baris said out loud. "Don't count on it asshat" Chad said gripping him. Baris sneered at him until he saw a weak glow emanate from the STRIKE X. "Chad your vitals! You're going to have a stroke if you don't stop!" Ai said seeing his blood pressure skyrocket. Baris was aghast feeling his body telekinetically held in place. "Here's telekinesis from a someone half a billion years your better" Baris said tearing off the arms of the legendary machine. The neural feedback caused Chad to scream. Baris touched his cockpit with a glowing hand. Chad sweated from the sudden spike in heat.  

"Don't know why there's no sun in the sky. Stormy weather...." Chad heard over the comm. "Billie Holliday?" he asked. Four wet thunks filled his ears along with the howl of Baris. Chad didn't know what happened and neither did Baris. Blood ran from wounds and dripped along invisible paths. The air shimmered as four black mech's decloaked. Each one had a red Omega insignia on its right shoulder. One was a STRIKE X and the other ACE's. Chad recognized the STRIKE X. "You from before" Chad said. The machine looked at him with red glowing eyes and turned to look at Baris. In perfect harmony, they fired charged positron cannons into Baris' face before making a quick slicing motion. Baris let out a guttural scream. The Omega machines pulled out their blades from his giant flesh and raced into the sky. they all watched as they cloaked themselves from sight. Baris fell to his knees clutching his stomach. The wound so vicious Chad could see his large intestine poking out. Meanwhile...Aeris was still singing but not for much longer. 

"Don't let go! (Aeris is desperately trying to contain the massive collection of power squeezing it down further) 

Why can't I hear you? 

Stay with me don't let me go! 

Because there's nothing left at all (Aeris remembers what devastation she wrought on New Perth and begs forgiveness)

Stay with me don't let me go 

Until the ashes of Eden fall 

Stay with me don't let me go! Until the ashes of Eden fall 

Heaven above me take my hand! (Aeris squeezes the power one last time until it's the size of her palm. Her body trembles from the strain) 

Shine until there's nothing left but you (Aeris infuses her power into the orb. The damaged signal repeater on her suit finally gives out. It's now or never for her. "Everyone around him get back! NOW!" she screams telepathically.  

Heaven above me take my hand! (Aeris drops with frightening speed. A cone of superheated atmosphere forms around her)

Shine until there's nothing left but you! (Aeris sees Baris kneeling and aims. She releases her control just enough for the energy to cascade forward)

Those that saw it would say never did they see energy look like that. A storm of blue, yellow, pink, and red energy 50 ft. wide scoured the air. Baris looked in horror. "No!" he yelled throwing up a while with one hand. Baris knew he was screwed. The beam hit the shield and was pushing him down. He had not enough force to deflect it for his power was mostly be used to keep him alive. The blue glow of his shield began forming cracks. "No....NO NO NO! NOOOOO!" the forlorn giant bellowed as his shield failed. His scream caught in his throat as the energy shatters his defenses and touched his body. He felt every positron, electron, and photon vaporize his atoms by the picosecond and there was shit all he could do to stop it. Chad and everyone else was forced to look away from the reactive blindness as physics gave way to destruction. The beam so powerful it burned through the ground and through the bedrock not stopping until a scant mile from the bottom of the crust plate. So powerful that the sudden geologic pressure release caused an artificial earthquake that was felt all the way in Johannesburg.

The surest footed giant or giantess fell on their asses as the ground shook. They saw the pillar of light and then the quake. It was no exaggeration to say more than a few thought the battle cracked the Earth. Aeris floated to the ground utterly exhausted. The glow in her eyes flickering. Chad stumbled to her. "Are you alright?" she asked seeing the STRIKE X missing arms. "You should see the other guy" Chad chucked. "No really" he said. They looked over at Baris. The beam had vaporized his lower body at the waist. No blood for it cauterized it at the same time. The menacing giant from the stars was half a man and dead at...wait...

"You...IDIOTS! You think you won?" Baris asked standing himself up on his arms. "Don't Baris. This is over. You can't win a fight against me now. You barely have enough energy to keep yourself alive and forget reverting to your true form. The shock would kill you instantly. This ends now" Aeris said. Baris laughed. He laughed and laughed so loudly half the soldiers on the field heard it over the sounds of the wounded groaning and calling for help. "This...isn't over! NOT OVER!" Baris screamed raising an arm into the air. A pulse of energy flashed out from all directions. Aeris had a very weak shield up but was surprised that nobody was killed or even remotely injured. "That's it? I'd laugh if it wasn't pathetic. My arms are gone but I still got my shoulder cannon. Time to die now" Chad said. Chad charged the shot and suddenly the sky grew pitch black. Purple and pink lightning filled the skies. Baris chuckled. "Not over by a long shot" he said.

"No..he didn't. Oh god he did. Chad. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We...we lost" Aeris stammered. "Lost? How?" Chad asked. "That wasn't an attack he used. It was a beacon. He called for the elder council. Chad. They'll wipe hybrids out instantly when they arrive and we can't stop them. Just as Baris is much more powerful than me. The council is just as more powerful than him. We're screwed!" Aeris yelled. "When will they get here? We can make some kind of stand" Chad said. "Now" Aeris said.   The pink lightning began to condense into 5 points which shot off in different directions except one. The bridge crew of the Artemis ascendant had by now assumed geostationary orbit over Ingressa and saw 5 tiny points of light assume a star pattern. A point for north, south, east, and west with one in the center.

The crackling pillar of light condensed into a familiar form. There stood a being of pure energy miles tall looking like a towering naked female. Her features though looked more clear to chad. Like someone partially transparent standing in pink purplish mist. "Why have you called us here Baris? Wait...why do you have such an imperfect form?" the being asked in a deafening telepathic voice. "I took this form out of curiosity. I wanted to learn more about the ones called Ingress Elder Linaria" he replied. "I see though I don't see what you can learn from imperfect corporal beings. I... why are you in such a state?" Linaria asked. "Aeris tried to kill me" Baris said pointing to her. Aeris felt herself being pulled from the ground and into Linaria’s open palm. "Is this true child? I see you took a similar form as well. Explain this" Linaria said. "I took this form for similar reasons but it is true I tried to kill him but it isn't as simple as that. I did it because he endangered the Earth experiment and wouldn’t see reason. He attacked me first and was the one who tried to kill me first!" Aeris yelled.

The colossal being looked at Baris. "The Ingress and humans mated and created dangerous offspring! I did my duty to preserve the experiment and exterminate a possible species that could endanger our experiments on other worlds! They already have interstellar technology" Baris said. "They mated? They were kept separate to prevent this. You were right about o want to have them eliminated. Aeris. Why did you oppose him?" Linaria asked. "I've discovered that they hold the genetic seeds for the next phase of perfect evolution and the species couldn't be allowed to be destroyed. He has telepathic abilities. As you know that is the first precursor our ancestors showed" Aeris said. "You knew of this Baris?" Linaria asked. Baris was quiet for a moment. "Why are you closing your mind?" the super being asked. Baris grimaced as Linaria pried into his mind. "I knew! The one she speaks of is an aberration and she has mates with it! She uses her flawed logic out of "feelings"" Baris said. Linaria looked at Aeris now. Aeris wasn't stupid enough to try to hide her thoughts.  

"I have mated with him this is true but he isn't an aberration!" Aeris said. Faraway, the other beings flashed. Linaria looked east towards an Elder. "I concur. One mutation does not set the pace for an entire race. Hybrids are to be exterminated. Aeris. You will be punished for breaking taboos. Baris, you are not blameless. However, you acted in accordance to logic and our protocols. Extermination will commence immediately" Linaria said. Linaria shot out a beam of light from her hands that linked with others. Within a second it formed a perfect star. Chad cried out in pain as did many others nearby. 

Ned, Amanda, and Daryl were horrified as their kids began screaming in pain. Chen watched Jun shriek and fall off the sofa newly crushing her mother in the process. Aeris knew what was being done to them. The Elders were amassing an apocalyptic amount of psionic energy to literally fry every being on Earth that had hybrid brainwaves. "Please! He's not an aberration! There are others!" Aeris screamed. The Elders stopped their mental assault. "Explain" Linaria said. "As a result of me mating with a hybrid I now carry his offspring. I've verified she carries the same genetic sequence for mental ability" Aeris said. Linaria furrowed her brow. "Let me see clearly" Linaria said. Aeris tore off her uniform and stripped naked. She was too desperate to feel embarrassment. She felt the static tingle of the giant palm under her bare feet. Linaria squinted at her. Seconds passed. "She speaks truth" Linaria said to the others. Linaria looked west at an Elder. "My thoughts exactly Orias. Errant mutations can be passed to the immediate offspring. This does raise the question on why this wasn't studied further when this was found out. At least the elimination of them should've been delayed. Baris?" Linaria asked. "I didn't know" he said. Baris was snatched up quickly. His stump of a body suspended in midair. "That was a lie. You did know. You sensed it today" she said.  

"Aeris. We will suspend their elimination on the condition there are others out there that have mental abilities in their code that AREN'T related to this hybrid. Standby..." Linaria said. It would be described as the longest minute in Earth history. "I have found others!" Linaria said. "Impossible! A mistake!" Baris shouted. Linaria gave him a cold look. "I don't make mistakes and you know this. Your...attitude is becoming a serious concern. If you want proof then see for yourself" she said.

Ned and his family was relieved to see the kids alright until Ethan, Amanda and Daryl's eldest son, disappeared in a flash of light. Ethan appears next to Aeris' right foot. 12 years old and he took after his human mother. At his size he was no know than a speck on the giant palm but Linaria could see him with no effort for she could see the spin of an electron if she chose to. The boy was frightened out of his mind. Linaria cared not for his fright but Aeris was different. She picked the boy up gently and held him in her hands. This didn't help. Ethan was a smart kid and knew all about this war and how evil Ingress ate hybrids. "Don't be afraid. Nobody will hurt you" Aeris said. She spoke of herself though and couldn't vouch for the Elders. "You won't eat me will you?" the tiny boy asked. Aeris shook her head. "No sweetie. The shiny lady and a few others want to get a look at you" Aeris said softly. Aeris looked at his genetic code. Sure enough, Ethan did have the genetic markers for telepathic abilities.

"It has been verified. There is no aberration. This species is the next stage of evolution and shall be spared" Linaria said. Baris yelled no loudly. Linaria teleported Ethan back home to the relief of his family.  The Elders were now extremely concerned why a Progenitor would act this way. "Aeris. On you know the reason your superior is acting erratically in the face of logic?" Linaria asked. Aeris grinned. "I can and I can show you much more. Read my mind. All of it" Aeris said. A minute later, Linaria turned away. She looked...sickened. "You have broken MANY protocols Baris and endangered the experiment for your own illogical pursuits of pleasure and entertainments. 40,000 years of careful planning almost ruined. You even severely damaged the human and Ingress gene pool for no reason. Millions of genetic codes lost. You WILL be punished" Linaria said.     

"No! You can't! I don't want to..." he was saying until a pinkish curl of energy was torn from the head of his flesh body. It condensed into a tiny sphere. "I'm free. Oh thank god I'm...free..." the man who he had cloned said before dying. With Baris to sustain the wrecked and burnt body the unfortunate Ingress expired. "Your punishment will be to languish for 1000 years inside the supermassive black hole in the center of this galaxy. 1000 years...of relative time" Linaria said. Baris screamed as the orb of his consciousness was whisked away to his quantum prison. Aeris' blood ran cold. A horrifying sentence for she knew time moved differently inside a black hole. 1000 years for anyone outside meant billions of years to Baris...or more. "Now for you young one. I saw your crimes too and they weren't that different. However, seeing how you changed after realizing your mistake, going to preserve the experiment, and circumstances of fighting your superior, we will suspend sentence on one condition. You will surrender your body and take over the project called Earth. You will never see these creatures you know as Chad, Kana, their friends or family ever again. Especially Nara. We have interfered enough" Linaria said. 

"No! You can't just exile her off like that!" Chad yelled. Chad appeared instantly near Aeris' foot. "Chad don't! It could be worse!" Aeris said. "She speaks truth tiny Chadwick. But she must go for we have done enough damage to your kind. They must evolve as nature dictates. We see this now. Fret not for it is not exile. She may return if her duties require it" Linaria said. "What...what does that mean?" Chad asked. Aeris held him close to her face. "I can only return every 1000 years for a progress report or if hybrids are endangered. I'm...I'm sorry" Aeris said. Linaria glowed briefly as Aeris slipped out of her body. A tiny orb of light hovered in the air and floated down into his hands. The orb fitted in his hands. He gasped at how small and warm it was. It was like holding her soul. Nara groaned. "I'm...me" Nara said.  Nara was shocked not to feel Aeris any longer but more shocked to see she was alive. "I'm...we're going to miss you" Chad said.  

"I know. I know you will and so will I. I'm going to miss everyone. You, Nara, your mom and dad, even Kana. If I had eyes they be crying right now" Aeris said. Aeris drifted down to the STRIKE X. She flashed a few times before returning to Chad and Nara. "I downloaded your playlist to listen to. Something to keep me..." Aeris said as her light grew dim. Chad sensed that even without a body now emotions lingered in her most of which was sadness. Chad and Nara touched the floating light and it pulsed slow and steady. "I... I have to go now" Aeris said. "Don't listen to them all at once okay?  We'll look up now and then and hey maybe we'll see each other again one day. You never know" Chad said. The orb floated to his lips and he felt a tingle on them. "Goodbye" she said. Aeris streaked off into the sky like a reverse shooting star. Seconds later the other Progenitors followed suit. The sky cleared leaving the survivors to contemplate what had occurred.

"She's gone" Nara said. "Yeah. Miss her already" Chad said. "What happens now?" Nara said looking around at the dead, wounded, and dazed victims of Baris. "We keep moving forward. Rebuild and morn. Won't be the first time but now we know something. There is someone out there looking out for us" Chad said looking into the sky. Chad looked at Nara and had her raise him to her face. "Ready to get married?" he asked. Nara smiled as a tear fell from her eyes. "Only if you agree to participate in Matriarch Night" she said. "One of those old traditions? Sure why not?" Chad said. "Then I'll let mom know you'll have intercourse with her next week. No need to rush things" she said. "Fine...wait...what?!" Chad asked. Nara hummed softly to her Aeris' song and grinned. "You're kidding. You are kidding right? Nara? Nara?" Chad asked hoping she was.

On the far edge of the battlefield, a lone Ingress isn't happy about the outcome. "This wasn’t supposed to happen! We were supposed to win! I was going to be a ruler of nations! You hear me Baris?!" the giant screamed. He sighed. "Another failure. This is what happens when you place your faith in a show boater. Goddamn giant choke artist. He could’ve destroyed them all in an instant" he said. He turned his head to walk away and was hit my something invisible. He fell to the mud nursing a broken nose. "Going somewhere Dr. Hart?" a female voice said. The air shimmered as her machine dropped her cloak. "Omega?!" he yelled reaching for his gun. The woman used her STRIKE X to grab his wrist and crushed it brutally.  

The giant screamed in pain. "We can do this the easy or hard way Hart" she said. "My name isn't Hart! It's Harin Lycus you puny human!" the giant roared kicking the machine. He used his other hand to grab his fallen pistol and was shot in the chest. There was no smoking hole or blood. A syringe the size of a minivan stuck into chest. "Your name is what we say it is Ingress scum" she said. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed. The Omega operative picked him up and slung him over her shoulder. "Elysium. I have the target. Inform research division that along with the DNA sample I obtained earlier we can begin Project Cronus" she said taking off. 

Aeris stood on the lunar surface next to the stasis cube. She looked down on the Earth around the Central African region. Her energy form glowed dimly. She looked down at the lunar dirt seeing footprints that were hers and Baris'. Footprints at least 700 ft. long. Footprints that would remain for many thousands of years. Back in her true form she comprehended lengths of time easier now. Her senses far more acute but she would trade it all to be mortal flesh once more. She gave Chad and Nara one final look. "Take care you too" she said touching the cube. The cube recognized her touch and unsealed. Aeris loaded herself into it and sealed it. She began playing an old song from long ago as the cube began the stasis/monitoring protocol.   

"Carry on my wayward son. There will be peace when you are done. Lay your wary head to rest. Don't you cry no more"  

The End