It had been a little more than two weeks since Marissa was brought into the tiny community and she was scared everywhere she went. The thought of just knowing that anything could crush her or eat her made sleeping at night troublesome. She just couldn't see how Natasha and Jessica could just sleep at night. For the past week she's been here, she's had nightmares almost every night. Each involving Ryan, the now giant girl that shrunk her to this size tormenting her family. Seeing her parents being crushed under the feet that she remembered so vividly.

On some nights, she'd wake up shaking from fear with tears rolling down her face. She'd just stay up all night, terrified to go back to sleep, knowing what was waiting for her if she closed her eyes. She'd leave the tent her and Natasha shared to clear her head while everyone else was fast asleep. She'd walk around in the dark, not wanting disturb anyone from the light she carried in case of something happening to her.

On this night, like most of the previous nights before, Marissa woke up from a terrible dream. This time had Ryan slowly tearing her family limb from limb while she watched, begging her to stop what she was doing but like the other times, Ryan ignored her and her pleas. Even when she woke up, she was shaking from fear. “It's ok Marissa.” She told herself. “Just need to clear my head.” She wiped the tears off her face and stood up to head out the tent.

She personally hated nights like these. It had been like this ever since she was brought here by the kind souls who fed, clothed and sheltered her after she was unrightfully shrunk by Ryan. She couldn't believe the things that Jessica told her about. How her former best friend would do that to her. She told her how before all this happened, she was the absolute sweetest person she ever met. Then they moved in here and she discovered the fabled colony that gave her the technology that made Jessica, Natasha and herself this size. Now, she was an animal that ruled over the colony that the others told her about. It was a common goal for the people living here that Ryan needed to be stopped no matter the cost.

She continued to walk around the dimly lit place. All the tents were dark except for one in the center of this line of tents. She wondered who exactly would be sane enough to stay up if they had a choice, not like she did. It was either sleep and see nightmares of her family being torn apart or walk around in the night to pay for the consequences later in the day. “Who's up right now?”

Marissa soon got her answer as she walked up to the tent and opened the flap to see a single light keeping the tent from utter darkness like the others. She looked around and saw a few wooden items that was similar to that of furniture. She then looked forward to see a man with his head on the desk. Marissa didn't know who it was but she decided to walk into the man's tent to turn off the light. She tipped toed on the ground over to the desk and eventually reached for the light to turn it off. She then looked over to her left and saw the man start to wake up. She retracted her hand as the man stood from his chair and turned around to yawn.

“Was I keeping you up with the light?” He asked as he yawned again. Marissa looked his body and how trimmed it was. He looked familiar too, she just couldn't remember his name.

“Not that. I've just been having nightmares lately. You know, with Ryan and all.” She said timidly, about to leave the tent and continue to walk around but she was halted by the man’s voice.

“What kind of nightmares? With Ryan? Oh wait, I remember you. You're one of the girls Ryan shrunk right?” Marissa nodded. “Marissa? I'm John if you don't remember.” He said as he got on his bed and pulled up a chair from the desk he was just sleeping on. “Maybe I can help.”

“No, I think I should head back to my tent. Wouldn't want to keep us both up.”

“Marissa, I know the side effects of Ryan's process. I know for a fact you don't want to see whatever crazy thing your mind will imagine in there.” Marissa turned around and looked at John. She burst out crying and ran to him.

“Why would she do this to us?” Marissa put her head in John's chest. “We never did anything to her! Why?”

“I don't know but I want you to know something Marissa.” She continued to look down at the ground with tears still flowing down her face. “Whatever her reasoning for doing any of this, weather it's the colony, you or me, she's going to pay. I promise you that.”

Marissa looked up at him as she got closer to him. “What did she do to you?” She asked as John stood and walked over to the desk and searched through his jacket for something. “What are you looking for?”

“A special thing. Something that I kept since the day Ryan came and took the colony. Here it is.” John turned around with a small photograph in his hand.

“Can I see it?” John nodded and handed it to her. It was a picture of him and his then girlfriend, Ariel. They were smiling and were in their house. “Was that your girlfriend? She's beautiful.” John nodded. “What happened to her?”

John cleared his throat and sat back down. “Her name was Ariel and back home, she was my best friend, and yes, my girlfriend. We dated for three months before Ryan came and ate her. She was saving the lives of a majority of this community before she caught her and brought her up to her mouth. She's a hero.”

“She ate her?!” Marissa was surprised.

John started to tear up as he remembered the memories he and her had in the short time they were together. “Yes. And I couldn't do anything about it. My love was gone in a blink of an eye.”

Marissa then hugged him. “I hope you don't mind if I do this. We both need it.” Marissa then released her grip of him and got on John’s bed. “I can't thank you enough for this John.” John soon got off the bed and let her have the whole, full sized bed. “You know, the bed is big enough for the two of us.” Marissa wiped her tears away with John's blanket. She soon scooted over to the side next to the wall.

“I see what you're doing Marissa. It's not gonna work.” John said as he got on his knees and put his hands on the bed.

“Please?” Marissa gave John her puppy dog eyes again and he cracked. “Maybe being with a strong man like yourself will stop the nightmares from coming.”

John looked at Marissa and grabbed her hand. “You play a hard bargain Marissa but I've been taught to never let an opportunity like this go. Cute girl in my bed, telling me to get in with her, never let that go. Ever.”

Marissa continued to wipe her tears from her face. Soon, a smile emerged as John opened the covers and got in the bed with her. “Thank you John. Hopefully you'll keep me safe from Ryan.”

“I will. I promise. Now, I'm guessing we're both tired beyond belief. Considering it's three in the morning.” John looked at Marissa who faced him as well.

“Sorry for keeping you up John.” Marissa sounded sympathetic as she yawned again.

“It's fine. I'm sort of a restless sleeper too sometimes. Staying up till five in the morning is my life lately. It's just nice to have someone share this experience with.” John caressed Marissa's silky soft cheek. “I guess tomorrow, we'll talk about what this means. When we get up.”

“Yeah. I guess that's night.”

“Night. If you have those dreams again, don't be afraid to wake me up. I'll be right here.” They both smiled as Marissa hugged John as she closed her eyes while still in John's arms. But he didn't mind one bit. For John, this was the first time a girl that wasn't Jessica had connected with him. He smiled as he closed his eyes, joining Marissa in the dream world. He felt a connection with her like he used to have with Ariel.

That day, the two realized how much they had an attraction for each other. Even though John hated Ryan and what they did to the girls she shrunk. Jessica, Natasha, Mia and now Marissa but now she accidentally gave him some hope with Marissa. Even though John knew what was about to come as a side effect of the shrinking process. Depression, anger, and more. But John thought maybe they could feel more comfortable together before and he ask her out before any of that truly hit. He thought maybe he could help her better as a boyfriend rather than an advisor for her problems. He felt like they belonged together.

And so did Marissa who had the same feeling for John. He was kind and sweet. And although she missed her old life, she thought she might be able to make this work for herself. Having the special someone that she could talk about whatever was on her mind. Her mind wandered and she never exactly saw Natasha as the type to listen to her problems. With John, she felt and knew that both of them felt incredibly comfortable talking to one another. It was like the tales of love at first sight she would imagine as a kid. Except her younger self wouldn't have imagined the circumstances she was currently in. She imagined herself being a princess with a handsome knight. Not less than an inch high. But those fantasies were soon out of her mind as her and John talked for hours. Her heart knew what John wanted to do. As did her brain.

The next morning, the couple were still in each other's arms. Like John predicted, Marissa slept soundly throughout the night without interruption. He had this theory brewing in his head that the process used to get the girls here caused them to see terrible things in their heads which proved to be true. But he knew that from the first day that Jessica was here. But it soon subsided as Jessica spent time with Jerry in their tent. He just needed a girl who had the nightmares to test his theory. Although he didn't expect Marissa to one, be his subject last night or even get close to her. No matter how hard he fought it, he fell for Marissa.

John soon woke up and saw Marissa's still sleeping face. She looked so peaceful as she was still asleep. He smiled as he got up out of the bed and continued to look back at her. He walked over to his desk and checked the clock. “11:25. I guess I could've slept later.” He then heard Marissa yawn from behind him. He turned around and looked at her sleepy form. “How'd you sleep?”

“Better than before.” She got to into a sitting position and looked at him. “Thank you John. That was...all I could've asked for. I guess being around you made my nightmares go away.”

“That sounds great.” He paused. “Not gonna lie. You're a sweet woman. You wanna get to know each other? In the time we did last night, it wasn't much time to know one another. I know you came here on accident and scared.”

“I guess. You do seem like a nice guy.” She looked at John. She blushed.

“What?” John joked.

“Nothing.” She scooted over on the bed and welcomed John next to her.

As the couple started talking, they lost track in their conversations and completely skipped lunch, talking about things that were on their minds, their drastically different worlds. The things that were similar were few and far between but the ones that were, sparked so many conversations between them. Hours spent in John's tent could've turned into an all day thing if Marissa's stomach didn't growl like a lion halfway into a kill.

She got up from the bed, bringing John with her. “Thanks John.” Marissa said as she was about to exit the tent. “That was great.” Marissa then reached for John's hands and started swinging them left to right in a small game. Both of them smiled. “I can't thank you enough for being there for me. Talking to me, letting me stay in your bed, everything.

“It wasn't much of a problem.” John whispered as he looked at the clock. It was 4:56, close to dinner time. “Hey, do want to do this thing again? Like a date?” He asked, timid of what Marissa would say next. “Maybe on Friday? Just the two of us?”

Marissa looked at John with some level of surprise but not a lot. She couldn't imagine that the nightmares that haunted her would ever lead to something like this. Asked out by what seemed her soul mate. She felt like they were two puzzle pieces that belonged together. Separated by being born and raised in two separate worlds. She had to say yes but adjust some things around.

“Friday? It's all so soon...” Marissa looked at John while he had disappointment on his face. Marissa let go of John's hand and caressed his face. “I don't mean not to have you ask me out. I'd love you to. But let's change it to Saturday. How's that sound? Gives both of us more time to prepare.” Marissa smiled, showing her bright smile to John. John looked up and saw her smile.

“Better than Friday. See you then. Here?”

“That'd be great.” Marissa then hugged John and said her goodbyes.

“See you then.” Marissa blushed as she walked her way to the tent her and Natasha were.

As John watched Marissa walk away, Jerry came up to him.

“So that's where Marissa went. She didn't get lost going outside. She was in your tent.”

“She came to me. I didn't force her to stay here. She came here on her own free will and see could've left whenever she wanted.

“Uh huh. I mean, I won't judge you for going for a human girl, especially a beauty like Marissa. Even Jessica was slightly jealous when she first got here. I'll admit, she's cute.”

“Just don't tell her just yet. We talked a little bit and I think we have something but I want to be sure after our date so don't tell her. She's been begging me to get over Ariel for weeks now. But I can see why you went for Jessica now. Marissa is sweet and cute. Just like you described with Jessica.” John then started to walk in the opposite direction of where Marissa went.

“So I guess I'm not weird for seeing Jessica?” Jerry followed John as he had his hands in his pockets with a smile on his face. “Since you're going after a human just like I did almost three months ago?”

“Oh, you still are because of what you and her did while she was still her normal size. Sides, I asked her when we're the same size. Not like you were she could've moved wrong and she could kill anyone of us. And I think I remember you two having a little too much fun.” John smiled at his friend. “You going in her mouth if I remember correctly.”

“One time! It was one time!”

As Marissa was heading back to her and Natasha’s tent, she had a smile on her face. It was the first time in two weeks that she felt good. Her heart was pounding from sheer excitement. She couldn't wait to tell Natasha the great news.

Marissa opened the flap of the blue tent to see Natasha sitting on her cot, reading one of the books she borrowed from her close friend and mentor, Darwin. Natasha put her book down and sat up to look at Marissa’s smiling face. She went over to her and hugged Marissa. “Oh thank god Marissa. I thought you out missing! When I woke up, you were gone! Everyone was looking for you. Where'd you go?”

Marissa got out of Natasha's grip and walked over to her bed. “Well, last night, I woke up from one of those nightmares and I walked into some guy's tent. This is probably, no, this is is the best day since I've been this size. I just got asked out.” Marissa then grabbed her pillow and squeezed it.

Natasha's jaw dropped as she walked over to her bed and looked at her. “Asked out? By who? Who would want to date people that used to tower over them less than a month ago?”

“Jerry and Jessica seem to be doing just fine and she used to be like us. Normal, everyday person until she found them. She used to be just like us and she's been dating Jerry for about two and a half months. They have feelings just like we do. And his feelings for me...it's great.”

“Ok I get it, you two like each other. So who asked you?”

“His name is John and he's an absolute sweetheart.”

“John asked you out? Wow.” Natasha said, surprised. “I never thought he'd get out of his tent and talk to other people that weren't Jerry and Jessica.”

“Yeah, we slept together last night and talked for hours today. Just about random things. Oh my god, this is so exciting! I can't wait for our date!” Marissa then kicked off her shoes and started to relax on her cot. “It's going to be great.” Marissa then closed her eyes to take a quick nap.

“Well I hope you have a good date and a good nap.”

“Just wake me up when dinner is ready. Ok? Shouldn't be long.”

“Yeah sure. I'll be back. See if I can find a guy to ask me out.” Both of them laughed. “You never know. I might find a John like you.”

Day 312


Ever since Ryan shrunk Jessica, we've seen ten girls move into this room. All of them have been shrunk. Although we've managed to rescue a few of them from ending up as another one of Ryan's slaves. This includes Marissa, Juliana, Elise and finally Natasha. They're all pretty in their own right. But it was a lot different when they towered above us. The ones we didn't manage to save were taken by Ryan to be a meal or something more terrible. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night, knowing that they're trapped and being tormented by her and I can't do anything about it.


On the bright side, all four of the girls have been more than happy to help out with helping out the others. I must say, all of them work as hard they possibly can. And Jessica said that they're learning how to live like us faster than Jerry can teach them. It's amazing. Jerry has become one of greatest people I've ever meet. Although he wasn't like that when I first meet him. That's thanks to Jessica.


I don't know where we would be if she wasn't here. She risked her life when Marissa shrunk. She ran out there and even got a whiff of some of Ryan's feet like many of us have. When Jessica brought Marissa back here, she thought we would kill her. Kinda makes me laugh now but now that I think about it, we did all crowd around her so I could understand her reasoning.


The first few weeks after Ariel's death, I still believed that she was still alive and fighting Ryan. No one in this little community of ours seemed to share my optimism. But after about three weeks, I finally accepted her fate. She was either dead or a slave, wishing she was dead. It was at that point where I said screw it. I was going to ask Marissa out.


Her and I eventually started talking about our drastically different worlds that we came from. I would tend to let her tell me about her life before this happened to her but eventually, I was forced to tell her some things of the colony. She was curious about what our life was before Ryan came and completely destroyed our home. I tried to keep this a secret but I just couldn't resist her baby doll eyes that she gave me. Oh, it was adorable.


For our first date, we sat in my tent to just talk all day. She told me it wasn't the worst date she's ever had but told me I had to step my game up for our next date. And I guess I did because I decided to take to her to one of the towers that Darwin had made for defense. He made four towers out of trash he found about a month after we moved here. It never served any purpose but it was the most romantic spot in the community in my opinion. The way it showed off every single tent amazed me when I first set foot up there. I knew she would love the view the tower gave so that's where I took her that night.


Flashback.....


"What do you mean you've never seen an ant before? You've had to!" Marissa said, shocked that John had never even heard of an ant. “Especially at our size.” Marissa giggled a tiny bit, revealing her crystal clear teeth.


"Keep in mind Marissa, I was born in that wall over there. The only times I got to go outside was to collect food. I wasn't like you, walking thousands of feet at a time growing up."


"I'm sorry that I was born a thousand times bigger than you and everyone else." Marissa paused and looked at John. "So, when are you going to tell me about your life before this? I have been waiting pretty patiently. Plus, you promised me you would tell me on our last date." Marissa said, teasing John.


"Yeah. I never did tell you about the colony did I? Wait, what have I told you?"


"You told me about Ariel and Ryan." Marissa then brought her smooth hand close to John's. "You always did promise that you'd tell me about your life. You know, before all of this." She smiled, looking down at the tents. "I've always been curious about what you and your people were like before she came and destroyed everything you've ever achieved." Marissa said. John didn't answer her. After a few seconds of silence, she snapped her fingers, breaking the silence that had plagued the pair for several seconds.


"Where do I begin? It all started when I first set foot outside. I was sent on a mission to gather food for the colony. Long story short, a friend of mine got spotted and I took her place."


"Who'd you get spotted by? Ryan?" Marissa interrupted.


"No. It was Destiny. And before you interrupt again, yes. The Destiny that's our size right now."


"So Darwin's not a crazy lunatic? He keeps telling me about when Destiny was my size. Jessica just said to ignore him." Marissa said.


"I guess you can say that. Now, back to the story..." John continued to talk about his adventures with Destiny and about three months later, with Jessica and Ryan for several more hours until Marissa finally called it a night.


Marissa then stood up and stretched her tired muscles. "I think I'll call it a night. You want to walk me home? Or do you want me to walk alone in this dark and lonely place?" John just stared at the light that continued to faded away in the distance. Marissa then got on one knee to get to John's level. "Come on John. You were so talkative a few minutes ago and now you're quiet. Is it something I did? John?" John stood up and walked to the stairs. “John? What's wrong?”


John then stopped on the stairs and slightly turned to Marissa. "I was just thinking about her. I’m sorry. I shouldn't be doing that on our date." Marissa followed him down the stairs. “It's unprofessional and it won't happe-” Marissa then ran up to John and turned him around to kiss him. The warm and surprising lips of Marissa brought joy to John as she pulled away from him. She looked up to him slightly and smiled.


“It's sweet that you care about her. It really is.” Marissa put her hand on John's chest. “It means that you have a heart. The other boyfriends I've had would always go after one thing. But you, you're….” She paused. “You're better. You're sweeter than every guy I've met.” John then hugged her, feeling her embrace it. “But she's gone.”


“And you're here. I know.” John looked down at her slightly. “Hey Marissa?” John separated himself from Marissa and held her hands to start swinging them. “Do you want to see where we used to live? At least a very small part of it?” Marissa shook her head in excitement. “Follow me." Marissa smiled a little as John helped her down the stairs to see his special surprise.


John's surprise for Marissa was the one place that he forbid anyone from going near. The former entrance/exit of the colony he once called home. "This is the once fabled exit to the colony. It's been sealed off by her. No one has come out since that day. We can't go in and they can't get out. When the girl before you lived here, we tried to send a small letter but no response. It's either blocked off so far or the entire colony is gone."


Marissa put her hand around John's and held his. "Don't say things like that. You know what that'll do to you. You have to have hope especially in times like this." Marissa then got closer to John. “You can't always think about the negative.”


"You're right." John turned his head to see the sun start to set. "I think I should take you back home. Don't want to stay out too late. I hear Darwin's going to give you and Natasha a lesson on how not to spotted in the morning." John then turned around and grabbed Marissa's hand to hold it. "This used to be the great trail that the Rangers used to take. I've only taken this way about five times in my life and this is now my sixth."


"How'd it feel walking down this walkway not knowing if you would come back?" Marissa asked, looking around in the ever darkening hall.


"The first time I walked this way, I remember my heart racing. It was going a million miles a minute. Sure I was nervous but I did it all for her." Marissa looked at John as if he was crazy. "Yep. I did this whole thing. I risked my life for a girl. But not just any girl. When we were in school, she was the most beautiful and the most dangerous on the fact that she was a ranger. She told me that if I came back with food, she'd date me. I got back but, she had to rescue me."


"You must've really loved her if you know certain death was almost a guarantee. Under the threat of being crushed by giant girl that lived here. For what?”


“Food for the colony. Scraps and whatever we could find.”


“Like what Jerry and Sarabe do?”


“Yeah. Dangerous thing for someone to do. But necessary. We wouldn't have lasted as long as we did without the Rangers.”


“So she was the reason you wanted to join the ‘Rangers’? Wanted to impress her by committing suicide?”


They then crossed the exit to the tunnel and continued their walk home. "I guess you could say that.” He laughed as he realized the humor of it all. “We dated for about a month. Got a cheap house and lived there for a few weeks until we left for our current residence. We didn't really get to grab much of anything when she came. Pictures of us together, even that stupid dust bunny that I got her for her birthday. They're still in there." They then crossed the border to their tented community. “God she hated when I got her those things.”


"What are dust bunnies? I know what my world calls dust bunnies but what's your interpretation of the things?"


John paused for second. “It's dust that I collected for days at a time. And then I shaped it into an adorable bunny.”


“Aww, sounds really cute. I might want one. You know, you could've surprised me with one.” She smiled and looked at John.


"I just figured you wouldn't want one. Although it was a kind of a pain to collect all that dust. And you're two different people. Some have different tastes.”


"Maybe I would like one. I did like that piece of chocolate you got me though." Marissa then got closer to John. “It was a great way to celebrate my birthday. Even if we've only been together for a few weeks.”


"I thought you would. Jessica told me that you liked chocolate. And we all noticed how you would eat those huge chocolate bars when you were your regular size.” Marissa laughed.


“They weren't huge. They were shareable size.” She giggled again. “I might've shared some with you if I knew you guys were right under my dresser. A tiny piece. Wouldn't have been that big would it?”


“To us they were.” He sighed. “So I thought maybe I should give you something special. Something to remind you of your old life." John and Marissa then started to walk towards Marissa's tent.


"You thought right." Marissa said, careful not to alert anyone to their presence.


"So did you enjoy our little date?" John asked, opening the flap to Marissa's tent.


"I did. It was really great. Had our first kiss, you showed me part of your home. It was really great. Except maybe next time we can go on a double date with Jerry and Jessica. It's just an idea I had."


"You've been talking to Jessica a little too much. You know that right?" John said. "She's been talking about that for a little bit." Marissa smiled and gave him her cute and adorable eyes. "I'll think about it." John said. Marissa then kissed John on the cheek and then went into her tent. "Night..."


The Journal….


As Marissa and I got closer, Jessica gave me some advice on the whole dating a former giantess. In her words, "Try not to bring up that she almost killed some of us while she was you know...a thousand times our size." To be completely honest, she was the only of the girls I had feelings for when she came. Her bright red hair, her porcelain skin and her kind personality kinda reminded me of Ariel if she had red hair. She was the perfect woman.


But back to the rest of the girls. Natasha was the first girl to move in after Jessica. Another blonde just like her. But, unlike the other nine girls, she found us before we found her. I sent a two men team to look for food a few weeks after the event. That day, Natasha moved in and kicked off her shoes. She walked around to my men and stopped in her tracks. She noticed them but unlike what we feared, she was just like Jessica. She brought the two man group back home and she told us that she would give us anything we needed. Food, water and even shelter. But at the same time, we tried to warn her that Ryan was next door and would shrink her if she was spotted with us. But like I expected, Ryan fired her shrink ray and shrunk Natasha. We quickly grabbed her and this nearly caused one of us to get spotted by Ryan.


When we put Natasha in her own tent, the first thing she did was hug me and cried on my shoulder. She stayed inside her tent for a few days. She wasn't like Jessica and this would be considered normal for future girls. The other three girls including Marissa would exhibit this kind of behavior. Natasha was the first and we had no idea how to deal with it. She was obviously traumatized by what Ryan did to her. Jessica told us to just keep our distance until she was ready but unfortunately, that didn't happen.


We tried everything we could think of to get her out of her tent. We were just going to give up on her, that was until Jessica finally intervened and talked to her. Understandable since Jessica was the second and most talkative of the now three shrunken women. Now I don't know what Jessica told Natasha but it clearly worked. She soon came out of her tent after a few hours of talking with Jessica. She was still shocked and still shy but soon she started to talk to everyone including Darwin. But considering how he resented her for a few days just like he did with Jessica, I wasn't buying it but soon Darwin became a mentor to Natasha.


Next up were several failed attempts to rescue the other girls. Ryan would get smarter the longer this cat and mouse game continued. We managed to get Natasha, Marissa and Julianna before Ryan got her hands on them but the others...they weren't so lucky. Ryan would sometimes shrink them at night when the target and we were asleep. Nobody heard her come in but by the time we woke up, the giant girl was gone. The only one lucky enough to escape during this procedure was Elise. That morning, she limped to the community and begged for help. Poor thing. Jessica said that she was lucky Ryan didn't find her.


"John! John!" Marissa said, interrupting John as he was writing in his journal.


"Yes dear?" John responded sarcastically.


"It's nine o'clock and you're still writing in your journal?" Marissa said as she entered their tent and got behind him. "What'd you write about today?" John then handed Marissa his journal and let her read through it. She opened the small book that was about three hundred pages long and growing considering John would write in it almost everyday. Marissa then flipped through the journal to the most recent entry. "Aww, you talked about our second date. So sweet. Wait, I thought you asked me to dinner that night. But instead we went to that tower." Marissa turned to the next page.


"It was still pretty romantic, right? Just the two of us talking." John stood up and walked over to his cabinet. “I remember you telling me it was the best date you've had.”


“It was. It really was. Just the two of us.” Marissa then skipped through some lines. “Better than any date anyone else has taken me on.” John laughed. “You think I'm kidding?”


John then opened the door and pulled his shirt off to put on a new one. "You brought up when Natasha first came here. I'm surprised you didn't bring me up. Oh wait, you kinda did." She then closed the book and put it on John's desk. She walked behind him as he was changing and hung on to his back.


"Why do you do this every time I want to change?" Both of them laughed.


"Because it's fun to annoy you." Marissa then hopped off and let John change. She sat down on John's side of the bed. She then laid back down and grabbed John's pillow that was extremely soft and warm. "How come your pillow is so soft compared to mine?" Marissa then stood up and looked at John who now had a black shirt and a pair pants on.


"Because I found a way to make it soft with magic." She then turned around and was about to leave the tent until John grabbed her arm. "Before you leave, what are you and the girls doing today?"


"I think Jessica said that Elise and I are going to gather some carpet from our usual spot. We should be done in a few hours. Why?" Marissa responded. John then turned around and grabbed his journal. He then put on his jacket and put the journal in a pocket.


"No reason." John said as he walked over to his bed. Marissa followed John and hugged him.


"How about we just take the day off." Marissa said as she gently pushed John onto his bed.


John then laid back with his legs hanging off the bed. Marissa soon followed and laid back on John's bed. "Can't we spend the rest of the day here? Just you and me, like we used to?" Marissa asked as she turned her body to face John.


"Not today. Maybe some other time but not now Marissa. Although I would love to cuddle with you all day, but I promised Jerry I would help him. And you still have your chores to do with Jessica." Marissa groaned and got up to leave. "See you tonight?" John asked before she left.


"Yeah. I'll be ready after you're done with whatever you and Jerry are doing. See you then! Love ya babe!" And just like that, Marissa left John alone in their tent. "Well, I guess it's time to be productive." John then stood up and walked outside.


John looked up and saw the blank wood that was the dresser to stretch out his back that was extremely tense since he woke up.


All of a sudden, he heard the familiar voice of Jerry behind him. "John! Where were you? I've been looking everywhere for you!" Jerry called out, running towards him.


"You looked everywhere except my tent?" Jerry face palmed.


"I saw Marissa go in and I thought she was looking for you and...I just realized how stupid that sounds."


John rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Jerry, what are we doing today? Besides standing around and doing nothing." Jerry got up against John's tent and turned back towards John.


“It's our turn to scavenge for food. Ever since Ryan shrunk Elise a few weeks ago, no one's taken residence in our humble abode. This is a great opportunity to scavenge what we can before another girl moves in. We leave in ten minutes. We could've left earlier but you were busy with Marissa." John started to walk towards the exit, leaving Jerry behind.


"First of all, we weren't doing what you think we were doing. Second of all, how long are we going to be gone? Me and Marissa have a thing tonight." Jerry then caught up to John and explained everything.


"God damn John. Could you walk any faster?" John turned around and looked at Jerry. "I could." John said as he smirked at Jerry. "Anyway, we're going to walk to the kitchen which is about a half an hour walk and then go through each and every cabinet that contains food and finally we're going to go back home. Altogether, it should be a two or three hour mission. If we leave on time, you should be back just in time to you to do whatever you and Marissa want to do." Jerry then saluted John and walked away, leaving John alone.


"Ten minutes? And don't be late this time!" Jerry called out, still facing the other direction.


"Ten minutes." John said, walking towards Marissa to say goodbye to her. “I think I have enough time.”


Marissa was helping pick the carpet to help make new clothes that some of the more talented ones of the community made. It was in the corner of the dresser that was near bare due to use over these seven or eight months. Marissa herself was to collect the picked clothe that Natasha and Juliana picked. Usually, she would have to do this three or four times a week and every time she did this, she prayed that something would happen to get her out of this boring work. Sometimes, her prayers would be answered but that was so far in between, she didn't hold up much faith that it would happen but this time, her prayers were answered in the form of John who stopped by.


John walked up behind Marissa and turned her around to hug her. He soon felt Marissa rest her cheek on his right shoulder. He looked over at the other girls who all had put their equipment and tools on the ground to put their hands over their hearts.


"Ahh, that's so cute." John heard Natasha say. Marissa then separated herself from John's embrace to speak to the girls. She opened up her mouth to speak but Jessica spoke before she had the chance.


"Get back to work ladies! Ignore the two lovebirds, no matter how cute they look." Jessica looked over to Marissa and John, the former of whom started to blush. The girls soon dispersed, leaving John, Marissa and Jessica to enjoy each other's company.


"So where're you going today? Out I'm guessing?" Marissa said as she wrapped her arms around John's neck. John then looked at Jessica and gave her the signal to come closer to them.


"Jerry and I are going outside to collect food and I thought, since I had time, I thought I would stop by and say bye." John then gave Marissa a peck on the forehead before turning his attention to Jessica who continued to stare at the couple as they stared back. “The last time I went out without telling you and saying goodbye, we got into that big fight.” John then kissed Marissa on the forehead. “And I'd hate for that to happen again.”


"I knew you two would make a great pair." Jessica had a huge smile on her brilliant face. "What'd I tell you John?"


John looked at Marissa and mouthed the words ‘I got this.’ John cleared his throat. “Jerry wanted to talk to you Jess. He's over by your tent I think. You should probably go meet him there before him and I have to leave." Jessica then started to run off to the see her significant other. As soon as Jessica was out of hearing distance, Marissa looked at John and smiled as she watched Jessica walked away.


"Have I ever told you that you're the best boyfriend I've ever had?" Marissa asked as she brought John closer.


"Many times. Many times." John said. "But I'm not complaining."


"Well, I think I better get back to my chores. These girls probably won't last long without some proper guidance. And you still have to collect the food." Marissa said, breaking her embrace of John.


"Yeah..." He said. "Oh yeah since you got mad at me for not saying it the last time I went out without telling you, I love you." A few feet behind them, they heard the familiar voice of Elise who continued to stare at them as they had their moment.


"You two are so adorable together." She said as she put her tools down on the ground, getting closer to them. John then looked at his watch and kissed Marissa one last time before he ran off to meet his deadline with Jerry.


"See you tonight! Love you John!" Marissa shouted to John as he ran off to the main entrance. She then saw Elise start to walk towards Marissa with a guilty look on her face.


"Did I ruin your moment?" Elise said, with her puppy dog eyes on.


"We just need some alone time that's all. You know what I mean?" Marissa said as she wiped a small tear from Elise's face. "Nothing personal but we never get to spend much time together and with everyone saying how cute we are together while we're having a sweet and beautiful moment. It's just..." Marissa trailed on as Elise started to cut her off.


"I get it. I'll try not to interrupt your moments with him anymore. I'll try to tell the others too. Now we better get back to work before Jessica gets back."


As John walked to the main entrance of the community, he saw Jerry waiting for him. "Hey Jerry! You ready to go?" John asked as he started to walk next to Jerry.


"Yeah, I got your pack with everything that we should need for the mission." John then reached for the bag and strapped it on. "You know where to go this time?" John clipped the bag on and finally facing the exit. "Yes. Elise told me where she used to keep the good stuff. Bread, even some meat. If we can climb up to the top of the counter, we could be able to sustain ourselves for the rest of the year. Think about it. We won't have to send anyone outside for months." John then exited the safety of the dresser with Jerry following close behind.


"We still have to finish this before we start celebrating. Let's move.”

On the other side of the wall, things weren't so merry. Ariel had suffered great abuses from Ryan while she lived under her. Whether it was her specifically or a group, she was punished in some way. She remembered her first week with her and how she and a few others tried to escape Ryan's clutches. She planned it out perfectly. They would leave right after Ryan went to sleep and cross the floor until they reached the door. That's as far as they got until Ryan spotted them. Everything was going according to plan until she got up and noticed them.


"What the hell is this? I let you and your people live under me and this is how you repay me?" Ryan then picked each and every one of them up and turned on the light to see them better. "My Number one? I guess you get a day in my shoe. This time, you'll be put in there while my bare feet are in there." Ryan picked up her old and disgusting running shoes and dropped Ariel inside. It was the same shoe she used to crush Paul a few days ago. Apparently she liked having a female as her Number one. No matter how much he devoted his time to her, Ryan felt no remorse in ending his miserable life. He went out with a few others that Ryan had deemed ‘ not worthy’ of living anymore. She stuck her barefoot inside and felt the blood spill over her feet. Needless to say, no one survived and she made sure of that by jumping up and down for five minutes, killing everyone inside the shoe.


"Number one! I said, number one!" Ryan said while she laid on her bed with her stomach facing up. Ariel had sat on her knees like a good slave would on. She was on Ryan's nightstand, waiting for her give her anything to do. She sat here naked every single day at six o'clock on the dot and would wait until Ryan got up. She would be the first one up and she would have to climb up to the top of the nightstand and get in her position. It was degrading but it was a lot better than some of her other toys.


"Yes mistress?" Ariel stood up and faced her goddess.


"Now Number one," Ryan plucked Ariel up to her face and put her on her nose. "I'm going on my run and I want a few of your friends to join me. Think you can gather some of them for me?" Ryan then stood up and brought Ariel over to where she kept the undesirables. It was in her kitchen, underneath the sink and next to where she kept her ‘play toys’.


"There you go Number one. I want you to pick eight. One for each toe gap." Ryan dropped Ariel inside the clear plastic box. Ryan had picked out these people herself. They were the homeless of the rebuilt colony. People who would do literally anything for food. They begged Ryan to let them live. She, being the caring goddess that she was, brought them to their current box.


That was nearly eight months ago. It was now a horrible place to be. When this was first started, it may have been of Ryan showing she could do some good. But after more than eight months, it's become something of a punishment for those to defy her orders or for most of them, they didn't believe the orders given to them by the New Rangers, Ryan's security force. It was either death by hanging or complete humiliation going in what the colonists call, Ryan's Playhouse. A fitting name as she had a blast playing with them. Whether it's putting them in her shoe while she goes to work or eating them as a midnight snack. There plenty of ways she tortured her prisoners. Ways that would leave some prisoners beg for death. For some of her play things, she knew what they did to get in her playhouse so she had a special place in her heart for them. For them, it was full on torture.


"Ok everyone. You know the drill. Line up!" Ariel said, concealing her breasts from the perverted men that lived in this container. She always heard them plea for forgiveness from Ryan but every time, Ryan would ignore them. After a few minutes, Ariel decided on who would go with Ryan on her run. "You, you and you. And you five. Get over here! That's all Ryan!" Ariel said as Ryan abducted her and brought her up to eye level.


"Thanks Number one. Until I get back, you're free to go do whatever. Relax back home and eat because when I get back, I'm going to need you and a few friends to clean my feet. The ones you picked won't last long. They'll do anyway. Now go, before I change my mind."


Ariel then turned around and ran towards the new entrance. It had been rebuilt since Ryan discovered them but it was also closely guarded by the New Rangers, heavily devoted slaves of Ryan. The ones that woke up every morning and climbed into her shoes to clean them. The ones that bribed their way into saving their families. Ariel was technically above them but that didn't stop any of them from giving her trouble. She did have to pass through their checkpoint everyday. Some of them weren't so bad. On Tuesdays, she would see more respectable Rangers than any other days. Those were what was left of the original Rangers. She would sometimes think that Ryan or the other New Rangers hadn't gotten to them yet. It was only a matter time before they were corrupted. It's happened before to countless people. Brainwashed into believing whatever Ryan wanted them to.


As she walked towards the gate, she was confronted by a new guy who gave her the clothes she took off to serve Ryan. "Corporal Markos? You're new right?" The corporal just nodded in response. "Not allowed to talk anymore?" Ariel was then handed her clothes but not before the Corporal brought her close.


"After you're done with Ryan, come to the Six Fingered tower. Password is Atheon." Ariel was confused at first. What was this corporal telling her?


“What?” Ariel whispered.


“Just follow my instructions. There is something big going on in the colony. It needs you.” Markos said as he handed Ariel a small medallion and placed it in her hands.


"Corporal! What are you doing with her?” Corporal Markos turned to see a man in a gray uniform with some medals decorated around his chest. Behind him were a group of nine guards that were headed by a feminine guard with all black armor. “Yes you!" Ariel turned her head and saw him. The most vile and disgusting person she ever had the displeasure of meeting. The General of the New Rangers. Luke Efter was his name and pain was his game. The only person he listened to was Ryan whenever she noticed him. After Ryan took control, she gave control of of the city to him and he ruled it with an iron fist. Guards at night to secure his rule. It was a fully militarized state in the colony.


"Sorry General!" The Corporal shouted, saluting him at the same time. The general ignored his salute and punched him in the face. Ariel was going to stop it but she knew better than to piss off General Efter even further. Once he started to punish one of his men, it was best to just let it happen. One of the other guards from behind the General came up to Ariel and held her back.


"I don't think you want to get involved. When he's mad, nothing can stop him." It was a Hyperion Guard that broke the ranks trying to stop Ariel from engaging the General. His armor was completely devoid of any artwork like the other guards in his line who continued to look straight forward. Ariel knew it was a sign that he was the newest addition to the team.


“Rookie! What the hell are you doing?!” The female guard in front yelled. “Get back in line.” The rookie let go of Ariel and headed back into his formation. She fell onto her hands and knees, looking at the beating the General was giving the young looking corporal.


Suddenly there was a massive shadow behind them all. They all turned around to see Ryan's bright pink running shoes a few feet from where they were standing. They could smell some of stench that was Ryan's feet escape the shoe. When the smell reached them, some of the guards wanted to run away from it but they knew the consequence of running in the presence of Ryan. It wasn't so bad considering that there were eight men and women trapped in a worse hell than any guard could ever experience. They knew the odds of survival when Ryan tossed people in her shoe. And they weren't good for anyone.


"Ahem!" Ryan said, frightening the group of tiny people. "I made you General not to kill your own people. That's my job. Let this man go or else you'll go in my stomach. Got it?" The general instantly stood up and helped the man he had beaten half to death up from the ground.


"Yes goddess Ryan. Sorry. I don't know what got into me. That'll never happen again." Ryan then stood up and started to walk towards the door, leaving the group on the ground.


“It better not General. Or else.” Ryan said as she got closer to the door.


"Johnson! Lop! Get this man to the medic.” Two guards from the front of the rest stepped forward to grab the injured man. “And you," the General then turned her attention to Ariel. "Get out of here and if you tell anyone what happened today, I'll make sure you hang on the gallows. I don't care what Goddess Ryan has to say. Do I make myself clear?" Ariel nodded and then walked towards the wall and got dressed. She then passed through the checkpoint and began to walk to her home.


“Should I follow her sir? Make sure she doesn't speak out against her?” The female guard in the front came up to the General with her eight other guards in formation behind her. “I can have Pero and Slit track her. They're excellent at what they do sir. Or even Deadeye. She won't know what hit her sir.”


“No Davis. I think she knows what'll happen if she tells anyone. Leave her alone. And if Ryan doesn't get her Number One, she'll throw a fit. So leave her.”


“As you wish sir. My men await your orders.” Miss Davis then got in front of her platoon. They started walking back towards the entrance.


“Actually, I do have a job for them. The scientists are done with Ryan's girls and they need to be taken back to the labs. I trust your men can handle it?” The group of guards then stopped together as Miss Davis rose her hand in a fist.


“Yes sir. Hyperion guard! We're moving out!” Miss Davis said as they headed out to the subjects of Ryan. The armor of each guardsmen were customized to the guard's desires. Anything from Pero's, the second in command of the guard, helmet was a prototype helmet from an era that was before Ryan to Spark’s chest piece that had a detailed picture of Ryan in a blue spotted bikini.


The Rookie in the back was next to Slit, the squads melee expert. His helmet was a plain Mando helmet with some blood splattered across the top of the helmet. This blood was from just few of his kills he did for Ryan. The blood had become like glue. Even high pressure washes after a mission wasn't enough to get rid of the bright red blood. And Slit preferred it like that. If he saw an enemy of Ryan, he wanted them to fear him.


“You good rookie?” Slit asked.


“Yeah. Just new to this whole thing. Seeing Ryan that close before. I've never thought I'd see our goddess in person before. I guess it's all so much to take in.”


“You get used to seeing her that close. Also don't interfere anymore. Maybe you could do that when you were a captain of a guard squad but not here. Davis won't tolerate insubordination in her squad especially from a rookie like you.”


“Yes sir.” The Rookie said with some despair in his voice.


When the nine man squad arrived at the five pods waiting for them. Miss Davis halted the line and stepped forward in front of them. “Our command here is to get these pods back into the labs. Understand me?”


“Yes mistress!” The squad responded in a loud war cry.


“Very good. Here's the list: Deadeye and Pero will get Whitney. Tup and Spark will get Celeste. Slit and Hardcase will get Misty. Skipper and I will get Chloe. And finally, the Rookie will get Mia by himself since Thorn is still recovering from the last mission. You have your orders, get to it.” Davis then popped on her helmet and grabbed Skipper, the guard with Ryan's footprint painted on his chest, and headed towards Chloe's pod which was in the very front of the pack.


The Rookie's pod, Mia's, was in the back of the pack. He walked over to it and pouched his rifle on his back to get both hands ready for the pods that were bright silver metal with some buttons around the pod and its exterior. The whole upper part of the subjects body would be seen due to the glass ‘lid’.


When he walked over to the front of the pod, he saw this beautiful girl that had skin similar to that of the wall of Ryan's room. It was like a light brown. She had her eyes closed and had her head resting on the side of the pod, her dark black hair flowing down her chest. She was asleep. He sighed. “You're a beautiful.” He stuttered, still a little bit shocked from seeing her. “I mean, I've seen a lot of beautiful girls back home but you're the best.” He whispered to himself as he extended his hands to wake the sleeping beauty that was in the pod. “Come on Allen, get it together. You've talked to hundreds of girls before. This one is no different.”


Allen then tapped on the glass slightly and she woke up. She opened her eyes that were bright blue. Allen knew she was another one of Ryan's girls that he had heard of but he had never actually seen them in person before. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in the colony. Even Ryan paled in comparison to her beauty. Allen was instantly hooked on this girl. No matter what she did to get here, Allen wanted to have her. Even if had to betray everything he stood for these past months.


Mia along with the rest of the girls in the small pods were used to these kinds of things. The test the scientists wanted to perform on them were terrible. Exposure test to see how long the human girl could survive out alone in the room. In the labs were the most terrifying for the lab rats that were the girls. Acid test to see exactly how long the human body could last before it began to degrade. These test resulted in burns and scars on the girl's legs or wherever the acid was poured. The purposes of these test were to please Ryan who wanted many more shrinking devices using the girl's DNA. As well to fill the sick and twisted minds of the scientists who craved and loved hearing the girl's screams in pure terror when they introduced a new test. The girls were only allowed some time to eat and sleep to regain their strength. The one and only rule that Ryan have the scientists was that the scientists couldn't kill the girls. That usually didn't bode well for the girls that were the test subjects.


“Hey.” Allen tapped into the pods microphone and his helmets own. “Don't worry, they won't be able hear us. You can speak freely. I promise.”


“Who are you? Are you here to let us go?” She asked in an excited manner. Mia smiled, revealing her bright white smile that still has yet to degrade after so many months of tests. Her cheeks were soft and full and her dimples were amazing. Allen sighed slightly as soon as she smiled.


“Be honest with her. You're in a Hyperion guards uniform. Sides, girls know when people lie.” Allen thought to himself. “I'm sorry but no. We're taking you back to the lab.” Allen watched as Mia's smile to see him turn into a frown. “Crap. She hates you. She officially hates you.”


“Then why even talk to me if you're just taking us back to the labs?” Mia crossed her arms, rolled her eyes and faced away from Allen. “First your goddess kidnaps me and my friends after shrinking us, then you people experiment on us!” Mia turned back at Allen who still looked at her with his visor making it seem like he was just staring at her. “Ehh, what's the point. I'm talking to a faceless guard that only knows one thing. Obey. You have no freewill. Never have, never will.”


“We're not all like that. Some of us still want to do good. I'm not trying to hurt you. I promise.” Allen said sympathetically. He then started pushing Mia's pod towards the door where the others were pushing their pods towards. “I'd never hurt you or any of your friends. I'm not like that.”


“Why should I believe anything you say? While you're in that armor, your word has no value to me.”


“Come on. Please don't be like that. I'm trying to make this situation better for you.”


“How? Being a slave to this? How would you help any of us?” Allen stuttered to get a response to Mia's question. She scoffed at his pathetic attempts to answer her. “You wouldn't understand what it's like being something you don't want to be, would you? I was brought here by force. I had almost no choice in the matter when that bitch shrunk me. Shrunk and then brought here, naked, afraid, and experimented on.” Mia started to tear up as she remembered what she endured.


“I think I do know what you mean.” Allen said sympathetically. “I know a lot more than you think I do with that.” This caught Mia's attention slightly.


“A big guard feels down? Boohoo.” Mia teased. “We're locked in cages and experimented on.” Allen saw Mia begin to tear up. “The pain...it's unbearable. You get to go whatever you want and you get to keep your freedom.”


“Hey, Mia. My name is Allen. And I promise to get you out of here one day. I promise.” Allen put his hand on the glass but was soon interrupted as Pero called out his call sign.


“Rookie! Bring her in so we can leave!” Pero said as he and Deadeye put put the pod Whitney into a truck. “I want to get home today!”


Allen then turned off the mic and responded to Pero. “Yes sir. Just loading her up now.” He then reconnected the mics and said his goodbyes to Mia. “Well, goodbye. I hope I can see you again.” Allen just saw her roll her eyes again as he put her pod in with the others. “Under better circumstances than this.” Allen then cut the microphone and brought Mia's pod in front of Chloe's. “Next time maybe. Next time.” Allen thought to himself as he walk to the formation of the other guards.


Suddenly, Tup, the third in command of the Hyperion guard walked up to Allen. He was never one to break formation but due to the relaxed nature of the squad currently, he did. “You good rookie? You look like you've been through hell and back.”


Allen was still day dreaming of the girl of his dreams so as soon as Tup walked up to him, he snapped out of it. “What? Yeah. Just still a little jumpy from seeing Ryan that close before.”


“Be honest Allen. As your CO, or one of them, I command you to tell me.” Tup said in a joking manner.


“Well I met this one girl last night at a bar.”


“I see, Allen's going for the ladies.”


Allen laughed. “Yeah, I guess.”


“What's her name? Did you get her address?”


Allen laughed at this. “Of course I did. I'm a Hyperion guard Tup.” Tup laughed. “I walk in and they're all over me.”


“I guess I should go with you then since you're getting so many girls.”


“You two done?” Miss Davis said from the front. They stopped what they were doing and saluted the officer. “Get in line. We're waiting on both of you!”


“Yes mamn!” The two said as they got into formation in the back.


Meanwhile, for Allen, he was still fascinated with Mia even though she was a captive of Ryan, his goddess, he still wanted to help her. By help, he wanted her. But what could he do to convince her? Suddenly an idea popped in his head. Since he was a Hyperion guard, he had clearance to most if not all the inner workings of the colony. He knew where Mia was being held, knew how to get in and that's where the idea came into his head.


“Tup, what's the schedule looking like tonight?”


“Nothing scheduled but Deadeye and Slit are going to a bar tonight. I was planning on going. If you're interested of course.”


“No, I think I'll stay home tonight. Just want to unwind a bit. Make sure I could before Davis kills me.”


As she walked home, Ariel looked around the colony. They've long since rebuilt the damages that Ryan had caused but the scars still remained. The children who weren't there had heard the stories and were frightened beyond belief.


The adults who lived it never wanted to talk about it. And then there were people who lived in high class apartments always talk about how the great and kind goddess Ryan saved the colony from itself. But everyone knew the truth. How they all kissed up to Ryan to get their positions. Some even gave their sons and daughters to her as sacrifices to further cement their statuses as nobles in the colony.


In some instances, Ariel even had to deliver them to Ryan. Sometimes she would grant them mercy which meant she would give them a quick death by just stepping on the quickly and efficiently while other times, when she felt extra cruel, she would crush the legs of the sacrifices just to watch them bleed out. It made her laugh, further terrifying both the victim and Ariel. Her sweet and almost innocent giggle would most likely be the last thing they would ever hear.


The citizens tried not to speak up as this would result in them being hung or if the crime was severe enough and if she was in the right mood, Ryan would personally punish them such as throw them in her playhouse. Even under these conditions, a rebellion was forming. But even they weren't above the law of Goddess Ryan. Several rebels have already been captured and killed by her to show that defiance was not to be tolerated under any circumstances. She along with her guard made some executions public for the entire colony to see if the crime against the colony was severe enough.


Sure it was horrible way to live but Ariel was above all of it. As Ryan's Number one, she was treated with respect from the citizens, not that they had a choice in the matter. But what she most hated about being Number one to Ryan was that everyone feared her as well. No one talked to her and this made her seem like the antisocial girl who was forced to be the Number one to their Goddess.


As Ariel unlocked her house door, she instantly walked to her bed. When Ryan let her go back to the colony, she chose the house her and John shared before...before this happened. She had kept the pictures they took together. To think, she gave up her safety for Jessica to live free. Some days, she wondered if she did the right thing. Did the group she saved even make it to John’s location? If so, did the settlement make it? Or were they wiped out by Ryan later down the line?


"As far as I know, her, John and everyone were all killed by her. Although Ryan keeps mentioning how she keeps losing some of the girls she shrunk." She then picked up a picture of her and John, in fact, it was the same picture John showed Marissa when they first met. "I have my doubts but I still have hope." She stroked the picture. "She thinks she has everyone in the colony but..." She then got on her bed and put the picture on the floor. "I know. John and the others are still fighting Ryan in one way." Ariel then closed her eyes and went to sleep. After all, this was the first time Ryan had given her a break in several weeks. It was fortunate to say the least.

Jaylin was a short girl for her age. She was now a freshman in college and her parents couldn't be any prouder of her. Being of Hispanic descent didn't yield her many opportunities in high school but now that she was in college, she could make a new person out of herself. She changed the way she dressed. She went from wearing athletic shorts and some dark colored shirts to wearing fancier clothes. She also started to wear open toed shoes like sandals and flip flops. She loved the convenience of just popping her Hispanic feet in the shoe rather than keeping them confined in her sneakers. She'd rather have her toes be seen by the world.


As Jaylin walked inside the building, she was very intimidated and frightened. She had heard the stories how the room she was moving into. How the past few girls just disappeared. But there was no other option for her. She left home to come here and her parents congratulated her on her independence. But working a cheap job left her no choice but to move into the All Women's section of the apartments near her parents. Sure it wasn't ideal but it was a lot better than living with her parents with all their rules and regulations.


When Jaylin walked inside, she saw the secretary who was busy typing away on her computer. Jaylin walked up to the desk in front of her and stood there. She didn't notice her and continued to type.


"Excuse me." Jaylin said, bringing the secretary's attention to her instead of the computer.


"Yes ma'am?" The secretary said in a sweet, mellow voice.


Jaylin coughed and laughed awkwardly. "I'm moving into room B-225. Where would that be specifically?" The secretary raised an eyebrow and stood to get Jaylin the keys.


"You must be Jaylin. I'll walk you there. You need help with your bags?" The secretary said as she stood up from her sitting position.


"No thank you. I think I'll be ok." Jaylin then picked up her small shoulder bag and medium suitcase to show off to the secretary. "I don't really have much." Jaylin said awkwardly. The secretary sighed and grabbed the keys to her room.


"Follow me." The secretary said as she left her desk and had the shorter Jaylin follow her.


"Do you know what's been going on in your new room?" The secretary said as she walked down the hallway.


"I've heard about what happened to the other girls. Why?" Jaylin questioned as she picked up her bags and started to follow the secretary down the hall. She turned her head.


"People have been leaving without paying. One day they're here, the next they're gone. It's weird." Jaylin's heart stopped for a second.


"What do you mean they disappeared? People don't just disappear without a trace." The secretary scoffed at her while continuing to walk forward.


"Oh sweet little girl. It's happened before." The secretary said before stopping. "This is your room. B-225. The supposedly haunted room. The room next to you belongs to one of the sweetest girls you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting. Her name's Ryan. I don't remember the girl who lives next to you on the other side though. Do you need me to show you around Jaylin?" Jaylin opened her mouth to speak but she was interrupted by a door opening.


"Oh, hey Ms. Valentine. Who's this?" Ryan said, making her voice sweeter than normal.


"This is your new neighbor, Jaylin. Try not to scare her away." Ryan laughed, causing Jaylin to cover her face to giggle slightly. Ryan then walked up to Jaylin and moved her hand to get a good view of her face.


"Ahh, you're so adorable. I think you and I will be best friends. I'm about to go on a run, you wanna join?" Ryan said, slightly bending over to get eye level to Jaylin. "Maybe after we can go get breakfast. My place. I got the best stuff you'll ever taste." Jaylin set her bags in front of her door and continued the conversation she and Ryan were having.


"I'll pass on the run. I really need to unpack and just relax. My feet kinda hurt plus I don't have running shoes. Maybe sometime after I'm done unpacking? Thanks anyway." Jaylin said as Ms. Valentine handed her the keys.


"That's ok. Maybe next week we can meetup and chat." Ryan then walked away in a somewhat of a fast manner. Outside Ryan may have seemed calm and collected but that was just a ploy. She had used this plan many times before. She would befriend the people she would shrink and usually most would gladly take the offer to go on a run with her. After that she would go to her room and grab her shrink device and after they ate, she would shrink them. It was always so fun to watch them try and scurry away. Sometimes she would lose them in the carpet but she knew they were either crushed by her massive and by that time, smelly feet. But that was only four out the other six girls so she didn't really care.


Ryan then felt the blood of some of her slaves flow around her toes. "Don't worry little Jaylin, you'll be mine soon enough." Ryan then exited the apartment and started to feel her skin warm up. But what she most noticed was that her feet were starting to sweat. "Have fun little ones. At least the ones that are alive." Ryan then bolted out the lobby, crushing whoever was left in between her toes. "Wonder what I'll do with you? Should I eat you? You do smell pretty delicious. Maybe you can replace my Number one." Ryan thought as she continued to bolt across the street, finishing the people at her feet.


"So your name is Ms. Valentine?" Jaylin said, unlocking her door.


"Please, call me Veronica. I'm your landlord until you move out." Jaylin set her stuff inside and looked up at Veronica.


"You think I'll last a week?" Veronica took off her glasses and smiled at her.


"If you last a week, I'll get you anything you want." Jaylin kicked off her sandals and pushed them in front of her bed.


"Is that a deal?" Jaylin said jokingly. Veronica giggled and walked away. Jaylin then closed the door, alerting every shrunken person to her presence.


Marissa heard the two women talking at the door and got frightened. Not for her life, but for John's. "Jessica! We got a new girl here!" Marissa called out, causing everyone in hearing distance to drop what they're doing and run to their homes. Everyone except for Jessica and Marissa.


"Don't worry Marissa. They've survived me, you and the others. This girl will be no different." Jessica then turned Marissa to face her. "Don't worry about them. I need you to protect the others." Marissa's heart was racing as Jessica said this but she knew what she had to do.


"Where do you need us?" Jessica smiled at her.


"Get the other girls to your tent. We don't need one of them trying to be a hero. Think you can do that until this dies down?"


"Yeah....Girls! Let's go! Follow me!" Marissa screamed at the others who quickly followed her. Jessica on the other hand chose to stay behind and observe the goddess that now towered above them. She saw her kick off her shoes and show off her soles. She was almost as dark as Destiny, in fact a tiny bit lighter than her. She stared at the doorway and remembered how tall she used to be.


A few seconds before Jaylin entered, John and Jerry were getting ready to pack up and head back but they just needed a few more pieces before they completely cleaned house. "Is that it?" Jerry said as John handed him some more bread.


"Just a tiny bit more. Think your bag can fit anymore?" Jerry put the piece of bread inside his already full pack and zipped it up.


"I don't think so. It's already a bitch to zip up. I can check your bag to see i-" John cut off Jerry.


"No. Mine's full too." Jerry sighed as he put his bag on and threw John his. "Ready to head back? We're done a few hours early so you and Marissa can do whatever you two had planned." Jerry then heard the familiar echoes of gigantic female voices. "Let's go!" John called as he pushed Jerry off the cabinet. He quickly followed behind.


They didn't jump off to kill themselves though. Since they needed a quick escape method, the girls made them makeshift parachutes to jump off the cabinets. They've tried many times before and it worked for short distances. Although it wouldn't last long enough for them to get back in one jump, it would save precious time. Time that they couldn't spare. Especially with a new girl moving in.


After a few seconds of just floating in the air, they landed on the ground, softer than they would if they jumped off. "So why'd you push me off? I could've jumped off on my own." Jerry took off his shoot and shoved it into his bag. John landed and did the same thing. "Sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better, you beat me coming down." John said as he tossed his shoot into his bag as well. Jerry laughed slightly but it didn't last long as he heard massive footsteps coming. "Move!" Jerry yelled as he and John bolted home. They could feel the steps getting closer and closer to them. They were in front of the dining table and for their pace, they were about five minutes from being home free but the rate a giant walks, that seemed like a lifetime for the two tiny men.


As Jaylin closed the door, she felt her soft soles touch the smooth carpet. She looked around her new room and right in front of her was her twin sized bed. It was more than enough room for her. Then right next to her bed was the dresser. And a few feet in front of that was her table for those lonely nights since she didn't have a significant other. And there was a wall blocking her view but she knew what was next. She turned the corner and knew what she was gonna see. "The kitchen! I really hope there's something in here. I'm starving." Jaylin said, giving the two men even more of an insensitive to keep running.


They had a motto back home under the dresser, ‘Never get in the way of a giant girl when she's hungry.’ It was confirmed by Juliana when she was normal size and hungry, she would basically eat anything in reaching distance and that included John when he was trying to get her attention. When she was brought down to her current size, she saw John and immediately cried, begging him for forgiveness.


As Jaylin walked around to the kitchen, she saw two little things scurrying across her carpet. She dropped what she was doing and got on her hands and knees. She was careful not to disturb whatever these things were. As she was observing these things, she noticed the familiar run of a person. She then extended her hand and crawled even closer to the specks. Suddenly she knew what these little things she'd been watching were. "Oh...my god." Jaylin said, alerting John and Jerry. But not only did the two men hear her voice, both Jessica and Marissa heard it as well.

Jaylin bent over and picked the two specks that were at her feet to bring them to her face. As soon as she had the two dots where she wanted, she gasped and covered her mouth. "You're little men." Jaylin then went to her new kitchen table and dropped her new find on the tabletop. "I guess I should tell you two my name before you two tell me yours. My name's Jaylin. Now you tell me yours." John stood up before Jerry could and addressed him and Jerry.


"Hello Jaylin. My name is John and this is Jerry." John said to the massive Jaylin as he helped Jerry up from his sitting position. He saw Jaylin smiled.


"Hello John, Jerry. Now I have a request that I need you two do for me." Jaylin got closer to the two men. "Got any friends that you share this room with?" Jaylin's question hit both of them pretty hard as this was the second time they've been asked this. John sighed and pleaded with Jaylin.


"Do you mind if you let our girls here? They're much better at this thing than we are." John said, getting Jaylin's attention.


"You want me to call them up?" Jaylin asked as she stood and made an announcement in her room. "Attention! If two girls that are associated with John and Jerry could come over here to have a quick chat with me, that'd be great. You have five minutes before I do something that I don't want to do." Jaylin frightened the two men at her table as she this. Fortunately, Jessica heard it and bolted to get Marissa.


Marissa heard what Jaylin said. Her heart started to race again. "John was always careful. They both are. There's no way they got spotted. That just can't happen." Marissa thought as she looked around. All the girls were looking at her for comfort and here she was freaking out. She had to pull herself together. They needed her to be level headed, especially in these times.


"What's outside Marissa? Is she back?" Juliana asked timidly. Marissa opened her mouth to speak.


"Everyone just remain calm. Remember what Jessica taught you. Don't panic. Take deep breaths with me. In." Marissa released her embrace of Natasha and Elise to breathe in. The rest of the girls followed suit. "Feel your heart rate lowering. Ignore what's out there. Go to your happy place." Marissa said, closing her eyes. Suddenly, the flap to the tent was opened by Jessica.


"Marissa, I need you right now. It's about the guys." Jessica said. The others looked at eachother and started to talk silently, curious as to what happened outside.


"Elise, think you can take over for a little bit? At least until I get back." Elise shook her head and Marissa stood up and left the tent.


"What happened to them?" Marissa's mind and heart were going a million miles a second.


"The new girl found them." Marissa was about to drop on her knees and start to cry but, she fortunately let Jessica continue.


"What do you mean she found them? What's she doing with them?"


Jessica walked between the border between the community and the actual room. "She wants us to be with them. If we don't go with them, I fear the worst." Marissa then walked to the border and looked up at the room she used to live in. She then saw the giant girl sitting at her old dining table.


“Where are they?" Marissa said, clearing her throat and on the verge of crying.


"With her. It seems like we have another Ryan if she keeps acting like this. And we don't need another one of her." Marissa shook her head in agreement. "Let's go. Once we get to her feet, she'll bring us up to the guys. Ready?"


As Marissa and Jessica were making their way to this massive girl, their significant others were forced to have a conversation with the beautiful Jaylin.


"So both of you have a girlfriend?" Jaylin asked after a few moments of silence. Both of them nodded in unison. "Well I guess I won't go near you two. Not that a giant like me would date small men like you. I mean, who in the right mind would do that?" Jaylin said, unknowingly provoking both of them. John then looked over to Jerry who clenched a fist in frustration.


"Relax Jerry." John whispered. "We don't need her pissed off." Jerry half listened to what John said. "We just need to wait for the girls to get here before we start telling her what's going on." Jerry took a deep breath in, settled down and began to talk to Jaylin.


"So what are you going to do with us? Eat us? Use us as slaves because if you're going to do that, we might as well not tell you what's going to happen to you." This made Jaylin sit up in her chair.


"What will happen to me?" Jaylin asked. "If you're going to do something to me, I can't see what'll be. I'm like a thousand times your size." Jaylin said picking Jerry up to her face. "What can you do to me little man?" Jaylin said.


"It's not what I'm going to do it's wha-" Jerry was soon cut off when Jaylin felt a disturbance at her feet.


"That must be the girls." Jaylin then bent over and plucked up the two tiny girls at her feet, gently putting Jerry back on the table next to John.


She then brought them up to eye level and began to examine them closely. "So these are the girlfriends that you guys claim to have." To the left was Jessica and to the right was Marissa. Marissa was clinging on to Jessica out of sheer fear. She had only been this close to a giant girl once and that was when Ryan shrunk her and even then, she was unaware of her presence. Now she was staring at a giant that could easily kill her. "You guys sure are lucky." Jaylin said with her powerful voice, knocking Marissa back a tiny bit out of how loud her voice was. “They're very beautiful.” As Jaylin looked at the two girls that were in front of her, she noticed the one girl on her right, Marissa. "You seem cute." Jaylin then picked up Marissa and brought her closer to her face.


"Marissa!" Screamed John, powerless to stop Jaylin.


"Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me! Do something John!" Marissa yelled as she tried to convince this massive girl to release her. In her free hand, she let Jessica be reunited with Jerry, leaving Marissa alone with her. “I'll do whatever you want!” Marissa began to cry. “John!!”


"Don't worry little one. I just wanted to see how you looked. You do you look pretty cute by the way." Jaylin said, trying to make her actions seem better to the tiny woman.


“I beg of you! Please put me down!” Marissa again tried to convince Jaylin to release her. Jaylin looked at John and then back at Marissa. “Please! Don't kill me!” By this time Marissa had full on tears in her eyes from fear. Jaylin saw this and began to regret her actions.


"Sorry little one if I hurt you. Please try and find it in your heart to forgive me." Jaylin then set Marissa on the table to be reunited with John.


"You ok Jerry?" Jessica asked as she hugged him.


"I'm good. Just fine." Jerry smiled at the sight of his love. "How's everyone back home?"


Jessica looked above his shoulder and saw the dresser. "Panicked but fine. You got the food?" Jerry got on his knees and unzipped his bag to show Jessica his findings. "That should last us a few days, you think?" Jessica said as she knelt down to see what Jerry had found.


"At least."


John ran up to Marissa and instantly hugged her. She couldn't control herself. She brought both of them to the ground and started to cry on his shoulder. John soon felt some tear drops. "It's ok. I'm here for you. You're ok now." John started to massage Marissa's back gently as possible as she started to cry.


"I-I-I thought she killed you. I don't know what I would do if I lost you." Marissa then brought her face out of John's shoulder with tears running down her soft and beautiful face.


"I'm fine. She's actually pretty easy going if you you don't to piss her off like Jerry did. I'll tell you about it later." John then separated himself from Marissa. She laughed a little, wiping a few tears from her eyes as well. John smiled. "There you go. Don't worry Marissa, I'll always be there for you." Marissa brushed some hair out of her face.


"You promise?" Marissa asked as she stared into John's eyes.


"I'll do my absolute best to protect you. I promise with all my heart." Marissa smiled and hugged John again.


"Thanks John. I think I'm good now. Just shaken up a bit.”


“Don't worry, I'm here for you now. You won't have to worry about what I'm doing.” He paused and looked at Jaylin. "Now to business." John then stood up, pulling Marissa up with him.


"What do we do?" Marissa asked.


"We need to tell what'll happen to her. What Ryan will do." Marissa used her sleeve to wipe the remaining tears off her face and nodded in agreement with John. "I'm right behind you."


"You guys keep talking about what'll happen to me. What are you guys planning?" Jaylin said, breaking the barrier of communication that had been present for the past few seconds. The four tiny people looked at one another and then at the massive Jaylin. John and Jerry stepped forward to explain.


"About ten months ago, my girlfriend moved in this room. She was just like you. She towered above us like you are now." Jerry said. "She was shrunk by her best friend. That best friend's name is Ryan. She took our entire colony, a colony of nearly three thousand. She has technology to shrink anyone she wants. Including you. We've warned several girls before but they didn't respond in time." John continued on.


"She's using our entire colony as a slave force. We and a few others have managed to survive here for those ten months. Now that you know what might happen to you, will you help us get our friends and family back?" John asked, with Marissa on his left side.


"Please listen to them. She shrunk me eight months ago. She pretended to be my best friend. The day she shrunk me, she made me the best breakfast I ever had. Whatever you do, please be careful around her." Marissa said. Jaylin opened her mouth to answer but was cut off when then there was a knock on the door, frightening everyone.


"Jaylin! Are you there?" Ryan called out as she knocked yet again on the door.


Jaylin got closer to her new friends and whispered to them. "What do I do? Do I answer it?"


John was the first to speak. "Answer it but be careful. We don't know when she'll strike." Jaylin shook her head and stood up to answer the door. She turned her head to look back at the four tiny people.


"Don't worry about us! We'll be out of the way before you know it." Jessica said as they jumped down to the floor via the chair Jaylin was just sitting on moments before.


"I hope you can." Jaylin thought as she got closer to the door. She then opened the door to see it was Ryan who had just come home from her run. She was red faced and extremely sweaty.


"Hey Jaylin. Sorry about disturbing whatever you were doing but I'm really thirsty. Think I can get a cup of water?" Jaylin was hesitant to let Ryan in her room but if what her new friends told her, Ryan couldn't be trusted.


"Sure but just for a few minutes, I still have to unpack." Ryan looked over Jaylin's shoulder and saw her bag on her bed, unzipped.


"I shouldn't be too long." Jaylin moved out of the doorway to let the slightly taller Ryan inside.


Ryan turned the corner and went straight to the kitchen sink. "You really haven't been here long have you?" Ryan asked as she reached for a glass in a cabinet above her head. "I did just move in today." Jaylin said as she leaned on the table top. "That is true. You want one?" Ryan said as she reached for another glass from the cabinet.


Jaylin didn't want to feel the wrath of Ryan the first day she moved on so she accepted her offer. "Sure. I'm pretty sure there's ice in freezer." Jaylin said as she sat down on table. She then turned around and saw some dots scurry across her floor. Unfortunately, Ryan looked over at her at the exact moment.


"Whatcha looking at?" Ryan asked with a questionable tone. Jaylin instantly turned around.


"Just worried if I had bugs. I know we don't know much about each other but I'll let you know one thing. I really hate bugs." Jaylin said, trying to play it off. For a second, it seemed like Ryan believed her.


"I don't think you need to worry about bugs." Ryan then brought the two glasses of water to table. "Ms. Valentine keeps these rooms clear of any pests. If you have any problems like mice, roaches and mants, tell her."


“What?” She asked, questioning the last answer.


“Ants. Yeah, there's been a lot of sugar ants wandering around upstairs. But it's probably just a problem that'll stick up there.” Ryan then began to sip on her water, swallowing it. The water wouldn't be alone in a few minutes. She had put one of her shrinking pills in Jaylin's glass and seeing the already tiny Jaylin the size of an ant would be hilarious. Then picking her up and feeling her wiggle down her throat. Ryan even thought about putting her in her shoe right before. She learned after some experiments with a few slaves that managed to survive in her shoe during a run. Shocked that they didn't die, she popped them in her mouth and swallowed them. She had found that they tasted a lot better with her sweat on them. She just couldn't wait until Jaylin swallowed her water begin to shrink.


Jaylin picked up her glass and was cautious to drink it. After what the tiny people she talked to said, Ryan couldn't be trusted. But in order to avoid suspicion, she had to drink the water Ryan put in front of her. Jaylin looked at Ryan in the eyes and remained absolutely calm. As calm as anyone would be in her situation. She then took a shallow breath and started to drink the water. She didn't taste anything different about the water so she kept drinking.


Ryan smiled as she watched Jaylin continue to drink her tainted water. She had started her timer and waited for the effects of the pill to kick in. "I think I'll be going. Maybe we can have dinner tonight? It'll be my treat. Come by around six and I'll prepare the best meal you've ever had." Jaylin smiled as Ryan said this.


"Six? I think I can stroll on by. Anything specific I should wear?" Jaylin asked.


Ryan got to the door and opened it. "You can just show up. No fancy clothes. I guess I'll be going. Leave you to unpack. See ya around Jaylin!" Ryan then left Jaylin alone. She instantly ran to the dresser and got on her hands and knees.


"Guys, she's gone." Jaylin whispered as quietly as possible but no matter how quiet she whispered, she frightened everyone who wasn't aware of her presence. John soon came out to the outside to talk to her.


"Jaylin! Bring me up!" John yelled at her. She then picked up John to bring him to her face. John soon started to be picked up and Jaylin began to stand up. As soon as Jaylin brought John to her face, she plucked him up by the back of his collar and put him in front of her eye. "Jaylin..."


"What? What did she do?" Jaylin said, on the verge of tears.


"Marissa and I saw her drop a white pill inside your drink. It was the same one that brought Marissa to our size. You have less than five minutes before you're one of us." John broke the news to Jaylin as gently as he possibly could but that didn't stop her from bursting into tears. She gently placed him on the very top of the dresser and climbed onto her bed and started to cry. "If there's any consolation, you won't be a slave to her. You'll be among friends. You won't be treated like a..." John stumbled with his words trying to comfort Jaylin on her upcoming future as one of them.


"Like one of you?!" Jaylin turned her attention to John, slightly looking up in the process. "Tell me, does it feel good to be the size of an ant? Only living off of the crumbs of what little I'll leave us? And why does she want to shrink people? She's got plenty of slaves if what you told me is true." Jaylin then put her face on her mattress. She then saw two specks making their way to her face. It was Marissa and Jessica, who had climbed her sheets to reach where Jaylin was.


"Don't worry Jaylin, we're here for you when you do....when you do shrink." Marissa said, also tearing up as she said this.


"We've been through this and I was there when Marissa shrunk. It isn't a painful process. It'll only take a second for you to be one of us." Jessica was trying to comfort Jaylin but this statement only cemented her feelings about this situation.


"So how long till I shrink? It been almost five minutes since I finished the glass. And I'm still normal sized." Jaylin said, trying to stay calm as the tiny Marissa got closer to her face.


"It only took a few minutes for me to shrink. A little less than three." Marissa said as she got next to Jaylin's lips. "I don't understand. You should be our size by now."


John jumped down to be next to Marissa. "Jessica, you think she's somehow immune to Ryan's pill?" John said as he sat down next to Marissa.


Jessica began to think about John's theory. "Jaylin, you might not be able to shrink by Ryan's pill." Jessica said as she sat with John and Marissa. "Her ray and other devices on the other hand I don't know about that. But when she finds out that her newest addition to her collection didn't become what she hoped, she'll use everything she has to make sure you shrink to our size." Jessica said, seeing the tears on Jaylin's face start to disappear from vision. She smiled.


"So I have at least one day until she comes back. Wait, I still have to have dinner with her tonight." Jaylin picked the three small beings and placed them in her palm. She wiped away the rest of the tears she had on her face and stood up. "You want me to take you guys home?" Jaylin bent over and let the tiny people run off her hand to let them go. "I'll be right back. I think if I search the kitchen enough, I'll be able to find stuff that none of you have ever had. Ice cream, sweet treats. All kinds of stuff." Jaylin said as she walked to the kitchen.


Marissa kissed John on the lips and started to walk towards their tent. John instantly turned around to see Marissa standing before him, using her sleeve to wipe away the tears she had from earlier. "What's wrong?" John said as he got closer to her. Marissa looked up at him with a smile. “You good?”


"It's been months since I've even heard the words ice cream, let alone taste it. I'm not upset. These are tears of joy." John smiled and hugged her. He then separated himself from Marissa. "I'm glad you're happy, I really am but right now we need to prepare for whatever Ryan is planning with Jaylin. Understand?" Marissa shook her head in agreement. "We can still have ice cream right?" John laughed. "Yes, we can still have the ice cream."


Suddenly there was a knock on the door so Jaylin rushed to the door, hoping her friends would be hidden by the time she opened the door. By the time Jaylin got to the door, Ryan burst into the room, seemingly ready for her newest treasure for her collection.


"Ryan? Did you forget something?" Jaylin said, pushing Ryan by the shoulders to slow her down after she bursted into the door.


Ryan tried to hide her surprise when she saw Jaylin still her original size but she kind of failed in her efforts as she stuttered to respond. "I thought I forgot my phone here." Ryan got on her tiptoes and pretended to look around Jaylin's apartment. "Never mind. I don't think I brought my phone. Silly me." Ryan tried to play it off but it was obvious to Jaylin why she stormed into her room. Ryan backed up from the doorway as calmly as possible before saying goodbye to Jaylin. "Again, sorry for bursting in. I don't know what I was thinking."


"We're still on for tonight? Right?" Jaylin asked as she closed her door very slowly. Ryan turned around to Jaylin. "Yeah I think so. Just don't be late." Ryan said as she unlocked her door and stepped inside. Jaylin then closed her door and knew that her new friends living under her dresser weren't lying to her. Ryan and her antics of shrinking people needed to be stopped.


For Ryan, it was a disaster to see her newest subject still her original size. The newest pill her science division had failed and they would be punished accordingly. That's when she figured out their punishment. Or at least some of them. She still needed some to make more of her devices and pills. But the ones that made the pill needed to be punished for their failures. And with Jaylin coming over for dinner, she figured this would be the perfect opportunity to punish them.

Ariel had the toughest job in the entire colony and throughout these ten or so months, she's had about six total days off. Even on her birthday, Ryan only gave a slightly better punishment than the other days. She simply popped her in her mouth to taste her. Ariel was only in there for a few seconds before Ryan spit her and commanded her to leave her presence. It was one of the best things that she could've done. But this little nap she's had for the past few hours was one of the few kind things that Ryan had done.


Ariel opened her eyes and saw the clock next to her bed and instantly sprung up from her slumber. She knew Ryan would only be gone for a few hours, maybe just one hour if her insoles didn't last. And today's insoles won't last long. She bolted out the door and ran to the exit of the colony as fast as possible. She didn't want to be late. She couldn't be late.


Ariel then got to the exit and saw several guards protecting the outside. They were there to make sure no one escapes or bothers Ryan. They were wearing high class armor that had metallic red stripes and the rest was kind of dark gray. And their weapons of choice were either the lance or a low energy rifle. Although no one was stupid enough to venture outside, they still stood out every day to make sure nobody did.


As Ariel walked towards the gate, she was stopped by the two guards with lances, their blades clinking against one another forming an X out of their sharp weapons.


"What's this? I'm Ryan's Number one and I cross through this checkpoint everyday!" Ariel commanded to the soldiers. They held their positions and stared down Ariel with anger in their eyes.


"Sorry Ariel but Ryan has no need for your services today. She said so herself. She just requested some scientists to see her immediately. She doesn't need you today." There was a high officer behind the two guards wearing a navy blue uniform. "Congrats Ariel. You get the day off." The officer said as he handed Ariel a piece of paper to show her. "Now get out of here before I have my men escort you out." Ariel had no choice but to accept what the officer said. She turned around and headed back home.


Ariel remembered what the young corporal said about the Six Fingered Tower. She looked near the old ranger base and headed there. She's heard of the Six Finger tower before but she always thought it was a fancy restaurant that the most distinguished of the colony went to dine but now that she was invited to it, she could find out what it really was.


The trek to get to the tower took a little less than five minutes and when she got to the entrance, there was nothing but boarded up windows and doors. She was confused and even considered just heading back home until she saw in the corner of her eye one man start to walk to a foot that seemed to be boarded up doors. Ariel got up against the wall to hide herself. The man then knocked on the door and said one word. ‘Atheon.’ Ariel knew she was in the right place so as soon as the man went inside, Ariel went up the closed door and knocked exactly how the man before her did.


She then saw a part of the door open up, a small hatch opened up to see two eyes staring her down. "Yes?" The man said as he looked around and behind Ariel.


"Atheon." The door then opened and the man quickly pulled her inside and threw her in a crowd.


"Hey boss! Look who crawled to the front door! It's Ryan's Number one!" As Ariel looked around, she saw the crowd get closer and closer to her. She saw some of her old friends from school grab sharp objects that they were preparing to use against her. She kept hearing phrases like "I'm going to have fun killing you." and "For my family!" She knew what they talking about. She had been sending people to their deaths for these past few months. This was the rebellion against Ryan and she was their target.


"Did she send you here? Come to kill us?" A tall, bald man came up to her and got close to her face. "I would tell us now traitor before we do something we don't want to." The bald man said as he picked up Ariel by the hair, bringing her to her knees. “Or want to do.”


"Ahhh! I don't know why I'm here! Maybe we can talk about this?" She screamed for them to release her but they wouldn't listen. The man then began to drag her across the floor towards a ladder that lead up to the second floor of the building. Ariel continued to scream the more this bald man carried her to the ladder until they all heard a voice that silenced the whole building.


"Hey!" Everyone, including Ariel, looked up to see a masked man on the second floor. The mask was an all black one that she accustomed to see on a Warpriest, something that was completely abolished after Ryan and the General took control. There were five War Priests in the colony and they were all killed out of fear that they alone could destroy Ryan's newly formed empire. The dark red eyes made of high valued gems have long since been removed but the expression of aggression was ever present, no matter who wore it. "What the hell are you doing with her?" The masked man climbed down the ladder and the crowd soon dispersed leaving just the man that held Ariel by the hair. "You never answered my question Bruce. What are you doing with her?"


Bruce let go of Ariel and saluted the man. "Sorry sir. It's Ryan's Number one and you've sa-" Bruce was cut off when the masked man signaled him to release Ariel. Bruce quickly did as he was told, releasing Ariel and letting her fall to the ground.


"I said nothing about hurting her. Her and I need to have a little chat and she can't talk if she's dead can she? Now leave." Bruce then walked away, leaving Ariel and the masked man alone in the center of the building. He then extended his hand to help Ariel up from her sitting position. "Come on, we have important matters to discuss alone." Ariel was then pulled up by the masked man.


"Who are you?" Ariel said as the man started walking towards the ladder.


"Just get up here and I'll explain what's going to happen to you." Ariel was forced to follow him up the ladder to find out who he was and this little rebellion was.


As soon as Ariel got up the ladder, she reignited the conversation they were having downstairs. "I'll ask again. Who are you and what's up with that War Priest mask? Are you one of them?"


The masked man chuckled a tiny bit as he walked towards a bright blue console and bent over it. "I'm not a War Priest. Although my father was which is why I have the mask. No, I'm the leader of the rebellion that Ryan and the general continue to hunt. I am the hope that this city needs. And as for my identity..." The man took off the mask and turned to Ariel. "I'm not surprised you didn't recognize my voice, we did only exchange words for a few seconds." She gasped and covered her mouth. She saw the man's scar going down his face from the top left of his face to his nose. It had freshly placed stitches on the massive cut on his face.


"You're the corporal from earlier. The one that..." The corporal nodded and walked towards Ariel.


"The one that took the General's blows. He banged me up pretty good. But I'm not just a New Ranger corporal. Name's Christian. Christian Marckos and you're Ariel Garcia." Christian said as he went to the console and typed in a few buttons. "You probably have a lot of questions but we don't have time for those. Look at the window." The orange window suddenly turned into a blue screen that had a similar hologram from when John and her were assigned to shrink Destiny ten months back.


"What is that?" Ariel asked as she got closer to the hologram that was a skeleton with some stats and numbers dotted around. "It looks so familiar."


"It should look familiar. It's based off the same program that you saw when you were told to shrink Destiny." Christian said as he entered in a few numbers to reveal the body of the skeleton. "But instead of a girl who doesn't even know we exist, our 'goddess' is our target. Ryan. She's built this empire through terrorizing the population. She's enslaved this once proud colony into doing horrible tasks like massaging her feet after a run. Eating us for disobeying her outlandish requests. You know what she does. She needs to be stopped."


"Where do I come in?" Ariel started to walk closer to the hologram of Ryan, admiring the detail that the rebellion managed to created such a detailed 3-D model of Ryan.


"You're going to be on the inside as you normally would. I've worked nearly six months to get to the position of guardsmen but I knew if I could take the abuse that Ryan and the general gave me, I might be able contact you." Christian said as he got next to Ariel. "We've already infiltrated her guard, her science division and many more, we just needed to get in her inner circle. You. Now, I think you need to leave. I have a feeling that if you stay any longer, they'll revolt and try to kill you again. I'll escort you out." Christian then popped a strange, clear blue card out of the console and handed it to Ariel.


"What is this?" She took a look around the card and say the initials 'SIS' etched into the card.


"It's yours now. If you keep your pretty little mouth shut, I won't have to kill you." This shocked Ariel as she put the card in her makeshift pocket. "Thanks? I guess. What is it? Besides a blue card."


"It'll let you in on everything that the rebellion is doing. Hold it against your eye and everyone holding one of these cards will appear blue. Anyone who isn't will appear red. Those who are with the New Rangers will be purple. Helps us identify who's who. Now, I'd recommend you take the back way. We don't need anyone associating this abandoned building to Ryan's Number one." Christian then pulled out his card and held it up to a door that soon opened up to an ally that was filled with trash, to be expected of course when the building they're based in is abandoned.


Ariel walked up to the door, stepped out and turned to Christian. "I don't think I thanked you for saving me earlier with the general and just now."


"To be honest with you, if I didn't know your history with John, I wouldn't have stopped them from killing you." Christian said as Ariel left the building and stepped into the alley. This surprised Ariel as she instantly turned around. "How do you know John?" She asked as Christian was just about to close the metal door.


"Of all questions that you might have, that's the one you ask?" Christian said as he shut the door, locking it to prevent Ariel from trying to get back inside. The metal door was pretty secure when Ariel to get it open. She pounded on the door, desperate for some form of communication.


After several seconds of banging of the door, Ariel gave up on trying to convince Christian to let her back in and decided to head back home. She wasn't too far from her house so she started to leave the alley and head home. Putting her hands in her pocket, she suddenly felt a vibrating sensation coming from the pocket that she put the card in. She pulled out the clear blue card from her pocket to see it beeping. She then pressed the beeping button on the center of the screen. As soon as she pressed it, the button disappeared and was replaced by Christian's face.


"Christian. So you don't want to talk face to face so you go with this card?" Ariel said as she got behind a dumpster, concealing herself from anyone who walked by.


"Listen Ariel. We have some big intelligence on the General. If you ever want to see the colony in its full glory again, you'll help us take down the New Rangers. If not, we might live under this 'goddess Ryan' for the rest of our natural lives. Think about it, future generations will suffer under her tyrannical rule." Christian said as she continued to type on his computer.


"What do you need me to do?"


"Later today, we're going to break into Ryan's science division in the old ministry tower. Take her down one step at a time. We'll slowly wither her defenses until nothing is left. Then we strike at her. Get a pill that brings her to our size and then we'll punish her accordingly. You in?" Christian replaced his face with a detailed 3-D model on Ariel's card of the plan. "If it means taking that bitch down and getting my friends back, I'm in one hundred percent." Christian smiled.


"That's great. After you're done with whatever Ryan wants you to do, head back here at six, and we'll gear up. I'll keep you updated on any further developments. Christian out."

"So Marissa, how do I look? Pretty sexy right?" Jaylin said as Marissa was put on the top of the dresser to oversee Jaylin's outfit for the dinner she had with Ryan. Jaylin was wearing her skin tight skirt that she wore for her birthday. It was bright white with some flowery designs sprinkled around her body. It was one of few dresses Jaylin had packed for the one night she planned on meeting a boy but now, it's purpose was changed. It was now to impress the girl who shrank her friends and attempted to do the same to her.


"You certainly do look pretty sexy Jaylin.” Marissa said back to the massive girl. “Now, John told me that Ryan was pretty surprised when she saw you still full sized. That true?”


"Yeah, I guess it was. She better be afraid of me." Jaylin started to walk towards the dresser, getting her face right in front of Marissa. "She tried to shrink me." Marissa then gave her a look, crossing her arms as she raised her eyebrow. "Oh yeah. For you, John and everyone that lives underneath my dresser. By the way, how long have you all been under there?" Marissa changed her expression and moved the bright red hair out of her face. She now had a smile on her face.


"I was shrunk about eight months ago while John and I started to date about seven. He was so sweet when he asked me out. For my birthday a few dates after he asked me out, he climbed onto the counter over there and got some of my favorite chocolate that I left when Ryan shrunk me. He's probably the best thing to ever happen to me. He treats me just right. It's like we were meant to be together." Marissa was then picked up by Jaylin and brought down to her feet to be reunited with John who was waiting for her for the past few minutes, waiting for her and Jaylin to be done.


"Marissa! You have fun with her up there?" John said he helped Marissa down Jaylin's hand by extending his arm.


"Yeah. You know I have the best fashion taste in the community. So Jaylin had me help her pick out her dress to impress Ryan for dinner."


"Wait, why are you helping Jaylin try to impress Ryan? You know what she's done. She shrunk you and your friends. And a few hours ago, she tried to shrink Jaylin." John said, getting slightly annoyed with her.


"Maybe we can't touch Ryan physically but I thought since Ryan tried to shrink Jaylin, why don't we show her that she can be humiliated. Just show the colony that this 'Goddess Ryan' isn't this untouchable being. You know? Give your people hope."


"I guess you're right. Sorry for getting mad at you. I just thought you were losing your focus on what's really important." John said as he started to escort Marissa to their tent.


"Sure, sometimes I like to mess around but this isn't one of those times. I'm just helping your people get a little hope. You know?" John then wrapped his arm around Marissa.


"So how does she look? From down here, all I saw were her shoes and the bottom of her dress." John said, opening the tent to let her inside.


"She looks amazing. Maybe after she's done with Ryan, I can have her show everyone that not all girls that move in here mean us harm." Marissa then stepped inside the tent and kept the flap open for John to follow.


"None of you didn't try to hurt us when you moved in. It was just Destiny and Ryan." John then moved inside Marissa's tent.


"You know what I mean." Marissa then got on their bed and moved over to let John get beside her. "Now do me a favor and forget about what happened today. Forget about Jaylin. Forget about Ryan. Forget about everyone except me." Marissa said as John sealed the flap to prevent anyone from disturbing their private time. “Think you can do that? For little ole me?”


"I'll do whatever you say." John said as he took off his shirt and jeans. He then got next to Marissa who now only had her bra and underwear on. "You know I'll do whatever you want when you're dressed like that." Marissa smiled as she pushed him onto the bed and got on top of him. "That's more like it John. Now just sit back and relax." Marissa said as she leaned forward and put her lips onto John's.


For Jaylin, this wasn't just to get back at Ryan for attempting to shrink her, she also wanted to see if what her new tiny friends said was true. According to John, this would be the first time that someone stepped foot in Ryan's room. He told her after she got some food that there should be a hole in the wall. He told her to watch for obvious signs of Ryan torturing the colony and its people. Also to be careful of what Ryan would do to her.


During her alone time with Marissa, she told her the stories John used to tell her. The ones that had Ryan abduct the entire colony and use them as a slave force to massage her feet after a long run. Marissa was planning on telling Jaylin the one that one of Ryan's escaped slaves told her a few weeks ago when she got curious as to what Ryan did to them. But out of thought that Jaylin might get sick, Marissa held back.


Jaylin walked over to her black heels that were put up against the bathroom door and popped her bare feet into them. She then turned around and carefully walked back to the dresser. Once she was in front of the dresser, she got on her hands and knees to address the crowd that had formed a few inches behind the shadow. From where Jaylin was looking, it seemed like everyone was there to wish her luck. She then saw two people of the crowd step forward. She then picked them up and then stood to bring them to eye level.


"Hey Jaylin! Jess and I just wanted to give you a little advice when you see Ryan for the second time." Jerry said as Jessica stepped forward to say what she had to say.


"Jaylin, please don't trust her. When she shrunk me, she put me at gunpoint. I can't say this enough, don't trust her." Jessica said as Jerry got behind her to calm her down. Jaylin shook her head in agreement.


“Don't worry Jess. I'll be careful. I'll come back. I promise.” Jessica then wiped the tears that came down her face. “I'll come back here, safe and sound. Don't worry.”


“Thank you Jaylin.” Jessica then hugged Jerry.


"So where are John and Marissa?" Jaylin asked as she put the two tiny beings on the top of the small dresser.


"They're having some alone time in their tent. I could tell them what you want to say." Jessica said as Jerry helped her down onto the dresser.


"No it's fine. I was just curious as to where they were. Plus I think they deserve it after what happened today." Jaylin looked at the clock and started walking towards the door, leaving her friends behind, ready to face whatever Ryan was going to throw at her.


Jaylin left her room and went to Ryan's door. She and Marissa made sure to show Ryan that she had failed in her mission to shrink her. She took in a deep breath to let the nerves and jitters out of her system. She then let it all out and began to knock on Ryan's door. She then waited for her to respond by backing up and messing with her rings on her fingers.


After some disturbances she heard on the other side of the door, Ryan finally opened the door. She looked like she was panicked and in a rush. "Jaylin! I'm glad you remembered about our dinner date." Ryan said as she welcomed Jaylin into her room. "You have a great sense of style Jaylin. I'm jealous." Ryan herself was still in her running attire from her long run a few hours before. “Reminds me of a girl that used to live next door to me. Can't remember her name though. I remember her red hair and beautiful eyes.”

Jaylin looked around Ryan's room for some signs of Ryan keeping her friends colony hostage. "So what are we having for dinner?" Jaylin asked, changing the subject. It was obvious that Marissa's fashion was noticeable by Ryan.


"I've got something very special," Ryan then walked in front of Jaylin to get the kitchen. "It should be done in like a minute. Sound good to you?" She asked in her sweet voice. Jaylin nodded in agreement to Ryan. "That's good. You can take a seat while I get dinner ready." Ryan said as she stepped inside the kitchen and grabbed two plates for her and Jaylin. She then reached over to the chicken alfredo that had been sitting on her stove staying warm for the past few minutes. She then reached over to a tiny jar full of about twenty of her scientists and sprinkled them across both plates, trying to make them even across the board.


As Jaylin sat down, she looked around to see any signs to further confirm that her new neighbor kept an entire colony hostage. And if that was the case, she needed to be stopped. But as she watched Ryan prepare their dinner, Jaylin kept a close eye on what her host was putting in the food. She didn't want to end up shrunk in the room of a psychopath and away from the only help she knew of. She then saw her drop what appeared to be pepper in both of their plates. "She wouldn't be that stupid would she? Putting shrinking powder in both the plates?" Jaylin thought to herself as she continued to look around. She noticed the wall that showed some signs of use and repair.


"Dinner's ready!" Ryan called out, bringing the two plates of chicken alfredo in both hands. Jaylin reached for hers and gently set it down in front of her.


"Chicken? It's been a few weeks since I've even heard the word chicken." Jaylin said, trying to make conversation with her attempted kidnapper.


"Really? You've been away from home for that long?" Ryan asked as she dug a fork into her plate, grabbing several of the scientists with the food. She couldn't wait to see the sweet, innocent Jaylin devour the very scientists that were tasked to shrink her. As she was thinking about this, she brought the fork with the three screaming scientists to her warm mouth. She relished in their misery when they entered her mouth, sealing their fate as her future meal.


"Yeah, I left a few months ago and been floating around friends houses until I'm here." Jaylin watched as Ryan popped her fork into her mouth, unaware that she had just banished three men to their deaths in her mouth. Ryan started to chew her food, grinding them into paste while Jaylin watched not knowing the pain and panic that was going on in her mouth. She barely felt their struggles as she crushed their minuscule bodies under her powerful teeth. Even if she could, she didn't care. To Ryan, these ‘people’ were nothing but snacks to her.


Ryan then used her tongue to bring the mess that was once chicken alfredo and her top scientists down her throat. She massaged her throat as she felt the roughness of her meal flow down to the pit of no return.


"That sounds nice. Just moving around from house to house, looking for the perfect place to live." Ryan said as she watched Jaylin pick up some of her food on her plate, just barely missing a tiny person.


"I wouldn't recommend it. Going from place to place wasn't exactly how I liked to live for the past few weeks. Plus I think I might stay here longer than my other places." Jaylin said as she watched Ryan extremely close to make sure she wasn't planning anything.


"Oh really?" Ryan said as she stuck her fork in her plate, impaling an unlucky scientist that didn't get away in time. "What makes this place worth spending your time here? I mean it's just an all women's apartment building." Ryan then brought the barely alive scientist to her mouth, quickly ending his life as she slammed her teeth together, crushing him into nothing but paste.


"I guess it's the people here. I mean there's so many new things for me to experience now that I'm officially on my own. No one telling me what can and can't do. I just feel liberated. You know?" Ryan smiled as she nodded her head in agreement. She then looked at Jaylin's plate and saw three or four scientists all on their knees begging Jaylin to spare them. "That's it Jaylin, be like me. Together we can rule this colony of insects." Ryan thought as she saw Jaylin pick up one lone scientist and bring him to her mouth. She couldn't control her excitement as she watched Jaylin bring the lone scientist towards her mouth. That's when the worse thing possible could happen. She had an orgasm without even knowing it.


"I'll be right back." Ryan then stood up, creasing her shirt as she did so. This saved the unlucky scientists who were on Jaylin's fork. Jaylin dropped the fork as gently as she could before turning her attention to Ryan. "Please continue without me. I'd hate to interrupt your dinner." Ryan then walked away from the table, heading to the bathroom, leaving Jaylin alone with the four scientists.


Jaylin looked around for more signs of Ryan and her regime over her friends colony. She then looked down at her plate and saw the four of Ryan's slaves that had put there by her. She gasped and realized that her new friends weren't lying to her. Her next door neighbor was willing to feed her some of own slaves. But why? Who in the right mind would feed her own slave force to another person? Was Ryan that crazy?


Jaylin then picked up the tiny scientists that were waving their arms in desperation and brought them to her ear so she could hear them at their best quality. One after the other, the scientists spoke to their new goddess. "Help us! You need to take us as far away from Ryan as fast as possible!" She heard one voice say.


Then another voice replaced the one before. "She's using the entire colony as a way for her to enjoy herself. She has my family captive! Please Miss! I don't want to go back to living like insects under that tyrannical bitch!" Jaylin then brought them back to her face and stood up from her sitting position.


"Don't worry little ones." Jaylin whispered to the group as Ryan was close to hearing distance from where they were at. "I'm gonna take you guys away from here. We're gonna go to my place next door. I have some more friends that will make you feel right at home." Jaylin then closed her fist as she started heading towards the entrance. She then opened up her bra and dropped the scientists inside, careful not to crush any of them. “Sorry guys, I know it isn't the best place on my body but it's better than anything here right?” Jaylin said as she closed the bra cup. It wasn't ideal for either parties but she kinda had to do this as she didn't have pockets. She then looked down and saw two black dots scurrying towards the wall. She kneeled down on one knee and picked them up. But unlike the scientists who were desperate to get help and attention from her, these two were desperate to escape her clutches.


Bringing them to her face, she was verbally assaulted by the profanity that came out of these two dots. "Hey bitch! Put us the fuck down before we make you!" One said before the second one added to what was said before.


"We'll get Ryan on you! She'll shrink you before you know it! Eat you and you'll digest in her stomach like so many non-believers before you!" The tiny man said, trying to ignite fear into Jaylin. But that didn't happen, not like they'd hoped. Jaylin just used her free hand to lift them down to her breasts. She then extended her bra and dropped them inside the cup of the white bra, the cup that didn't contain the ones she found in her food.


That's when she heard the bathroom door start to open up. She instantly turned around and quickly adjusted her bra before Ryan came out of the door. "Where ya going Jaylin? You've barely touched your plate." Ryan said as she sat back down at the table, picking up her food, bringing the last of the scientists into her cavernous mouth.


"I think something I ate something earlier didn't really agree with me." Jaylin pretended to clenched her stomach out of pain as she walked towards the door.


"You can stay here if you need to. I think I have some pain relief in my bathroom."


"No thanks. I think I'm good. I don't want to cause an inconvenience for you. I think if I just take a break and relax on my bed, I'll be good tomorrow." Jaylin opened the door and before Ryan could respond, Jaylin left her room and headed towards hers.


Jaylin ran over to her door, unlocked it, got inside and ran to her dresser to tell everyone her find. "Guys! I'm back! And I brought some new faces with me. Some nice, some not so nice." Jaylin kicked off her flats and threw them over to where her clothes were. She then pulled out the six tiny people that she dropped in her bra and got on her stomach.


"Jaylin! You brought new people for us? From the colony?" Jerry said as he brought Jessica to the exit of the tented community. Jessica was just glad that Jaylin had returned unharmed and still her regular size. "That's great news." Jerry then saw Jaylin bring their new guests down to the floor and he soon welcomed the scared scientists in with open arms. He and Jessica ran up to one of the scientists that was on the floor on his hands and knees near Jaylin's hand.


"It's ok sir. She's not like Ryan. She won't hurt you." Jessica said as she helped the scared man up to his feet.


"You're safe. You no longer have to live under Ryan's tyrannical rule. I promise." Jerry added as he helped Jessica bring the scarred scientist to the community. As they headed towards the entrance, they saw John and Marissa waiting for them, holding hands as they watched the scientists be welcomed into their new home.


Jerry soon separated himself from Jessica and the scientist and walked up to John. "John, Marissa! My two favorite people." Marissa smiled as John extended his hand for a handshake.


"So Jaylin brought company?" Jerry just looked at John with a blank face.


"Yeah but she still has more of them that she's keeping from us." Both of them looked up to see Jaylin holding some more of the tiny people from Ryan's room.


"Jaylin! You keeping some of them away from us?!" John yelled up to Jaylin who had her right hand hovering above the people below. Jessica turned to Jerry and looked up.


"Go Jessica. I'll meet with you later. Ok?" Jerry said as John did the the same thing with Marissa.


"I'll catch up with you when we're done." Marissa nodded and started to follow Jessica, helping her with the traumatized scientist. As soon as Marissa was out of view, John signaled Jaylin to bring her hand down to welcome more of the new arrivals.


"I don't really think these two deserve to be under there with you guys. They're a little too fierce." Jaylin said as she picked one of them up, the soldier was shown to the pair for the first time. He was wearing some armor that was very reminiscent of their old armor that the Rangers used to wear with some slight modifications like a red light on the helmet, an extended wing on the shoulder blades as well the all black coloring of the suit.


“Don't worry Jaylin! I think we can handle them." John then whispered to Jerry. "I mean, we've handled Destiny. We can definitely handle whatever these jokers are." Jerry laughed slightly as Jaylin brought one of the soldiers down to them.


"You be nice! These are my friends and if don't play nice...." Jaylin said as lowered the two people down to John and Jerry but she was soon cut off as the bolder one spoke and shut her up.


"You’ll regret this when Ryan notices we're missing you heretics!" The one without the helmet screamed said as Jaylin dropped the two guards in front of John and Jerry. "Sides how'd plebeians like you and your friends manage to survive out here? Did you make friends with this one?" John then gave Jaylin a signal to bring her finger down on the guards, pinning them to the ground.


"Sorry guys but I don't think you have authority here. You're not with Ryan. You're with us now. We'll try to be civil about this but we're not afraid to show you two who rules here. Do I make myself clear?" John kneeled down to the pinned guards and got in front of their faces. John looked at the one without the helmet and grabbed his arm to pull him up. Jerry gave the signal to release this one.


"Think you're so tough? You're nothing compared to Ryan!" The guard said as he punched John in the face, bringing him to his knees. Jerry ran up to the guard and kneed him in the torso, also bringing him to ground.


"You good John?" Jerry asked as he extended his hand to pull him up. John only had a small mark on his cheek and he spit out some blood.


"I'll live. Let's get this one to an empty tent. See what he knows about the colony." John was pulled up by Jerry, looking over at Jaylin who had a slightly concerned look on her face. "Don't worry Jaylin! I'm fine." John signaled Jerry to pick up the now crippled guard. "I guess we'll take this one and you'll take the other one Jaylin?" John asked.


"I guess. What do you need me to ask him?" Jaylin asked as she lifted her finger to let the guard breathe comfortably.


"Things like 'what's Ryan doing with the colony?' Be creative Jaylin! We need answers!" With that John and Jerry started to pick up the guard head to the community, leaving Jaylin and the guard alone. She stood up as gently as possibly as she could and got on her bed mere inches behind her. She grabbed the small guard and put him on the nightstand to stand on.


"So I guess you're not gonna talk to me are you? Last time you and your friend did, you two cursed me out. I hope you learned because if you didn't-" Jaylin tried to make the guard see that she didn't mean any harm but the helmeted guard only back talked her.


"Look, I'm not gonna talk! Especially to giants who make friends with traitors of Ryan's colony!" Jaylin then extended her finger to bring down on the guard.


"I could've killed you both when I brought you here but I didn't. If you talk in the next ten seconds, I won't break both your legs. Now I know what you're probably thinking. 'There's no way this girl is gonna do that.' Try me. I don't think you want to test me." Jaylin then lowered her finger to the guard's right leg. She then applied a tiny bit of pressure on the knee, with the guard barely flinching. In his training, he'd experienced worse by Ryan and the General so he didn't worry too much about what Jaylin did to him. Chances were that she wasn't going to go through her promise to break his legs especially after she showed compassion to the traitors of the colony.


"You're not gonna do it! I've seen worse back home!" The guard said as Jaylin pressed her finger further to the guard's leg. He screamed slightly and groaned out of pain.


"Ahh! I see you do feel pain. Still don't want to talk?" The guard looked up to see Jaylin starting to smile a tiny bit. He could see her bright white teeth start to form a terrifying smile.


"You wouldn't!" The guard yelled, trying to conceal his pain. Jaylin pressed his leg even harder. She could feel his bones begin to break under the pressure. "Ok! I'll tell you whatever you want to know! Just let me go!" The guard begged and pleaded with Jaylin who quickly released the pressure that she had on his leg and let the guard breathe for a second.


“Just so you know, if you don't talk the way I want you to, I won't be able to promise that I'll be so generous."


The guard then stood up and took off his helmet, revealing a blonde haired gentleman with a small amount of facial hair on his chin. "My name is Corporal Lance Parth. I serve or used to serve under Goddess Ryan. When she took over the colony, I had a wife but when she brought them over to the box, her and I got separated. " Lance started to tear up a little as brought up some bad memories. “Her name was Valeria.”


"Come here." Jaylin changed her tone of voice to much gentler one than before. She picked up Lance and brought him close to her face. "So how'd you end up being what you're are now? Trying to punch my friends and telling me off."


"She forced us all to be as fierce as possible. For training, we had maneuver her entire body. From her toes to the inside of her mouth. We had to spend at least ten minutes in there. When we entered, there was twenty of us but when we got out, there were five of us that were swallowed alive." Lance got on the ground and sat up to see Jaylin's beautiful eyes looking down at him.


“Don't worry Lance, you're away from her. We'll keep you safe. That's a promise.”


“She's a monster. Do me a favor and don't listen to anything she says. Every thing that comes out of the mouth of hers is a lie. Do not trust her.” Lance warned. “She's killed so many of us and we've just ignored it.”


“I promise. With every fiber of my being, I'll get revenge for every single one of you guys down there and in there. I promise you that.”

As John and Jerry carried the armored guard to the tent they were going interrogate him, they passed the girls that were helping the scientists relax in this new environment. John looked over at Marissa who was still helping the same scientist that she had carried in. She was about to step with John and Jerry to join them until she saw John put his left hand up, causing her to stop in her tracks. She saw that his nose was bleeding a tiny bit but stayed with Jessica and the scientists.


"Don't worry Marissa. They're fine. Now I don't know what they're going to do with that guy but they'll be fine." Jessica said as she gave one of the scientists some bread that had been collected.


"Thank you. You're all too kind to us even after you know who we are and who we used be under." One scientist said that removed his lab coat and put it on the floor.


"It's no big deal sir. We're just trying to help." Marissa said as she helped another scientist to get into a makeshift cot that the members had made for them.


"You don't know who we are? What we used to do in that laboratory?" Jessica and Marissa looked at each other as they got next to the dark haired gentleman. "Back in the colony, we were some of the smartest and brightest minds. Before Ryan took over, we were assigned to make a serum that would shrink the girl that had been terrorizing us for the past three years. We succeeded but at a cost. When Ryan took over the colony, she had us make more of those serums. More to shrink girls that lived in this room. We'd make them and Ryan would use them to shrink the girls in this room." Jessica looked over at Marissa who tried to stay as calm as she could. "If I could just see one of the girls, I wouldn't waste a single second to apologize."


That's when Marissa looked up at the scientist and put her hand on his shoulder. "I guess you're going to? To me? To Jessica?” Marissa didn't mean to come off as rude and hostile but she certainly sounded like she did.


"Oh my. You're one of the girls? I thought Ryan's top scientists took all of you. I guess I should've known to not trust Ryan and the guards. They always told us that our serums always worked and that Ryan caught all of them." Marissa then extended her hand on the man's shoulder, silencing him.


"It's fine. You were forced to do it weren't you?" Jessica said as she stood up and stretched.


"You don't even know what we had to do to prove to her that we would be ever loyal to her. Whenever our handlers thought we would betray Ryan, they would have us do some unspeakable acts to prove our loyalty or else we'd be sent into her 'playhouse' where we'd be used as toys for her." Marissa looked at Jessica with a concerned look. “Many friends of mine were forced there. I haven't heard from them since."


"Maybe you just need to take a tiny break. To just relax." Marissa said as she helped him stand back up.


"I believe so. By the way, my name's James." James then followed Jessica who was still helping the other scientist who continued to be frightened by everything he saw.


Suddenly, Elise came up from behind Marissa and began to lean on her shoulder like an arm rest. "So Jaylin brought more people? Interesting...." Elise said to her.


"Very. But get this, they're the people that got us to this size." Marissa looked over at Elise who had a slight anger in her adorable face.


"What? And you just let them walk away? And stay here? Are you and Jessica insane! They are the ones that brought us to this size in the first place. Do you want to stay this size forever? Because I sure don't!" Elise released all her aggression and frustration out onto Marissa.


"I'm not mad at them. Did they shrink us when we were in this room?" Elise's face went from an aggressive one to a more remorseful one. "They didn't shrink us. Ryan did." Marissa put both her hands on Elise's shoulders as well as changing her tone. "They're not the enemy. Ryan is. Go talk to one of them. They already feel terrible about what they did to us and the others but you can't change the past. You know that."


"Where's Jess taking them? You know, so I can talk to them." Marissa gave her a suspicious look. "Some empty tent on the other side of the community. Can I trust you not to kill both of them?" Elise sighed and shook her head. "Go but if I hear that you even touched one of them, I'll have Jaylin….."


“Do what?”


“I don't know. Just don't hurt them. They're good people if you get to know them a little bit.”


“Ok fine. We'll just talk.” Elise then walked off towards Jessica and the scientists.


As Elise followed Jessica and the scientists, she still had something to say to them about her current size. She's been this size for the past month and sure, she's met some great people but she missed her old life. Being her regular size and not having to live in fear of a giant girl ruling over her had been in her mind since she came here. And it was starting to get to her.


Jessica continued to comfort them as they turned a corner. "You're among friends sir. All you have to do is just relax until everything is sorted out. You'll be reunited with your family soon without having to fea-" Elise heard the scientist on her right, James, cut her off. "You don't understand. In order to stay alive as a scientist back home, we had to give everything and everyone we've ever known. Cut ties as soon as we entered the building."


"So you don't have a family anymore?" Jessica said as she turned the corner of a tent row, Elise quickly ran to catch up. "No. The general took them and threw them in a camp as soon as I was recruited." This single sentence caused Elise to stop in her tracks and think about what she was going to do next. She nor the ones living under this dresser weren't the only ones that had lost things. Even the people who made the thing that shrunk her in the first place lost their friends and family because of Ryan. How could she be this selfish?


"And this will be your tent James along with, him." Jessica said as she handed him the scientist he helped carry. "His name Tylo. I think he'll be fine after tonight. He just needs to adjust to this new environment is all. I can't thank you and your friends enough for letting us stay here even after you known what we did."


"It's no problem. Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone." Jessica then walked away and Elise quickly hid behind a tent to avoid suspicion. She watched Jessica leave and head back to Marissa. After a few seconds, Elise ran towards the tent that James and Tylo went into. Running up to the entrance, she grabbed the blue-green flaps and took a deep breath. She then opened the flaps and walked in. This slightly frightened James but not Tylo who was already asleep.


"Hello? Do you need something miss?" James said to Elise who was still standing in the entrance of the tent. She had pictured this scenario go much better in her head. She had planned this as a big confrontation between the three of them but what was playing out was just her standing awkwardly between the tent and the outside world.


Finally, she spoke. "You're the scientist that made me this size right?" She said as she stepped inside, sealing the tent.


"Yes. If you're here to hurt me, I do not blame you. Even before we began shrinking girls like you and your friends, we did horrible things. Making that serum and those damn weapons weren't the first mistakes we've made. If you want to get revenge on what I did to you and your friends, grab that lamp over there and bash my head in." Elise initially was going to hurt James but quickly realized that she would be wrong. And he wants her to basically kill him?


Elise stepped forward in front of James and kneeled before him. "I was planning on hurting you but when I heard that Ryan took your family, I changed my mind." Elise stood up with tears in her eyes. "My name's Elise. I'm the most recent one to survive Ryan and the things you made. Please forgive me for interrupting you and your friend."


"Don't apologize. It should be I who ask for forgiveness. We made you our size to save our own lives." Elise wiped some tears off her face as she looked at James. "What do you mean?"


"If we didn't make the things they wanted us to, we'd be sent to our deaths." James then extended his arms to take Elise in with a hug.


"I forgive you. But I'll never forgive that bitch after what she did to every single one of us." Elise welcomed James's hug with a smile and a tiny sniffle.


“I'm glad you feel that way. With that attitude, there'll be nothing that can stop you.”


“Thanks. Marissa keeps telling me that I'm pretty adamant about things.”


“Well, you know, if we get back in the colony, I might have a special surprise for you and your friends. If you interested of course.” James said as he sat down on his bed.


“What is it?”


“It wouldn't be surprise then now would it?” James replied. He then stood back up and looked at Elise. “Let's just say, you're gonna love it. I promise.” James then began to hug Elise again.


“I know you don't know me but I don't really like to be disappointed. Especially with surprises.”


“Trust me. This gift is going to be worth the wait. It won't disappoint you or your friends. I promise.”


With that, Elise released the hug and was going to leave the tent without saying another word. Elise then walked out the tent and headed back to where Marissa's tent was, leaving James alone with the still sleeping Tylo.

As John and Jerry carried the guard, he continued to struggle to break free but with the combined efforts of both of them, they managed to keep him in their grasps. Occasionally, he would call out to the few people walking by them by calling them 'heretics' to Ryan's brutal regime.


"You're all fools!" The guard cried out as he and the pair carrying him neared their destination. "You won't last when Ryan realizes that two of her honor guards are missing! She won't stand for it." Jerry, out of frustration, punched the guard in the side, silencing him.


"About time you learn some manners. And it's best that you learn from us." John and Jerry then entered into a tent and pushed the guard to the ground. "Get some rope and a chair. We're going to be a while." John said as he pulled the guard up and brought him to his knees. The guard knew they couldn't break him. He was one of Ryan's most fearsome soldiers and he intended to show them that.


"You really think you're gonna get anything out of us? We're the guards of Ryan's colony! You'll never get a word out of me!" John clenched his fist to hold back his anger. Jerry then came back with the rope and chair. Grabbing the chair, John brought the still weakened guard onto the wooden chair and tied his appendages to it.


"You really think your Goddess is gonna come save you? I think you're confusing your brainwashing with actual facts. Jerry and I grew up alongside you! You really think that in a colony of almost three thousand, she keeps track of every single person in the colony?" John then clenched his fist and punched the guard in the face, leaving him momentarily stunned. "You're insane if you do!"


The guard laughed slightly as he spit some blood on the ground. "You really doubt her power? She's a goddess that kills traitors for fun! Now since I'm feeling generous today, if you release me and my partner, I'll personally make sure that Ryan doesn't kill you. I'll even make sure that you and your girlfriends stay together. Maybe as insoles if you're lucky.” Jerry then ran up from the corner he was standing in and punched the guard in the face, just like John did moments ago.


"Listen here punk. You don't ever talk about my girlfriend ever again! You got me?" The guard was still smiling, contempt that he was getting to them. "What's so funny?"


"Both of you are so easy to piss off. It's like I can just flip a switch and you'll punch me. You two were never Rangers. Neither of you would last in the new colony. You and your girlfriends would be considered snacks for Ryan. All of you." John looked at Jerry and signaled him meet him outside the tent. "Where you going ladies? Fun's just starting!"


"We're not going anywhere with him. He enjoys the pain and we can't get him to talk." Jerry said as he kicked a small pebble towards an empty tent. "We can't let this guy win. After what he and Ryan have done to the colony."


"I know but how are we supposed to get him to talk?" John said as he started to pull his hair out from the stress. That's when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. John turned around to see the other guard next to Marissa and Elise. The girls had a small smile as they both looked at John and Jerry. "Marissa? Who's this and why is he with you?" John clenched his fist as the guard stepped forward.


"Name’s Lance. I understand if you don't trust me because of me and my partner's actions earlier but I can assure you, I'm trustworthy for whatever you and your friends need." Lance said as he extended his right hand to shake John's.


"He's good John. He talked to Jaylin." Elise said. Jerry walked up to him and shook his hand. “She said she integrated him. You can relax a little bit.”


"Jerry. I hope you're more cooperative than your friend."


“Forge? He's a fanatic for Ryan. Before this whole situation, he was supposed to be promoted to captain of the New Rangers. You know, before your girl abducted us." Lance said as he watched John walk up to Marissa and got next to her. “Snatched us up, didn't get a chance to fight her.”


"So Lance, what made you betray everything you were forced to believe for the past ten months?" John asked. “After all, a few minutes ago, you and your friend, Forge, were condemning us for being here.”


"Because I realized what Ryan was doing. She manipulated all of us into believing whatever she said was real. She took my family from me and she did the same thing with everyone who disagreed with her.”


"Why don't we have this conversation somewhere more secluded?" Marissa asked as she got in between the two men. “I really don't want to make a scene here.”


"I think you're right." John said as he backed down from standing right in Lance's face. He then turned to Marissa and soon grabbed her hand to hold it gently. Lance soon backed down as well and turned around.


"Where's the most secure location here?”


John looked at Marissa. "This isn't the colony anymore. We don't have to worry about anything like that. Nobody's trying to sabotage us." Lance turned back to the group.


"Right. So where to?"


"We can go to my place if it makes you feel better." Elise said as she started heading to her tent. The group looked at each other before following Elise to where her tent was which was in the front row of tents, a few tents from John's and Marissa's. A shortish walk from where they were standing currently.


As Elise welcomed the group into her tent, she held the flap open to let everyone in. "Sorry for the mess. I didn't really expect company today. If I did..." Elise trailed on but soon stopped when Lance looked around her tent.


"Do you have a table Elise?"


"I don't think so." Elise answered with some confusion in her voice. "Do you need one? Like absolutely need one?" Lance sighed and put his hand on his face.


"No I don't need one. It just would've worked better..." Lance said as Jerry, the last person, got into Elise's tent. "Now that everyone's inside, what do you need to know?"


"What's Ryan doing with the colony?" John asked immediately.


Lance took a second to clear his throat before answering. "She isn't really in control as for the colony. She is like a god. She can't make sure the laws she put in place are obeyed by everyone in the colony. That'd be impossible, even for her. What she put in place was the New Rangers." Lance pointed to his left breast where the New Rangers logo was displayed. It had a two headed eagle with its wings spread out. Below it was the colony. "In charge of them is General Luke Efter. Nasty guy. He's basically in charge of everything in the colony. He reports any traitors or violations to Ryan. But what she's doing with our people is simple. She's using them as snacks, insoles, playthings. Basically, we're less than people in her eyes. Anything that she wants us to be, we are. And a lot of people are blind to this fact.


Marissa looked at John who had a disturbed look on his face from what Lance told them. She couldn't blame him. With what Lance was telling them, she was starting to get a little bit frightened. “What else can you tell us about the colony?" Marissa asked. “Anything we might not know?”


"There is a resistance going on. A small one but they're fairly competent. Better leadership than what we have, that's for sure. Rumor has it that they have a War Priest leading them. But that's just a rumor. They were wiped out when Ryan took power.”


Jerry nodded his head. "So how do we join the fight? We can't just let them die in there."


"They've been going on for nine months. They can hold out a bit longer. Sides, your people aren't ready for what's beyond the wall. Not even you John." Lance then looked around Elise's tent. He then noticed something sitting on a shelf made of what appeared to be wood. It was metallic and small that appeared to have some red and green buttons. Lance then reached for it. He cupped it and looked at the front of it. It had the letters B-U-C and then the rest of the name was faded.


"Elise right?" Elise nodded, curious about where Lance was going with this. "Where'd you find this?"


"It was in my tent when I got here. What's so important about it?" Elise questioned. Lance brought the device to John and the others.


"This is a long range communicator. With our current gadgets in the colony, as soon as we reached the bed, comms stop. But with this we might be able to contact the resistance. Now I don't how Elise or anyone here got their hands on this but we could join the fight against Ryan." Lance said as he tossed the communicator to John.


"Does it work?" Marissa asked John who was still confused about what he was now holding. "I don't know. I don't even know how it works let alone if it will." John said.


"I think I can fix it. Or at least try to." Jerry looked at the strange device that John held. "Here, let me see it." John handed it to Jerry who began inspecting the thing. "It shouldn't be too hard to fix. Just give me a few hours to look at it and then I'll tell you if it can be fixed or not." Jerry then left the tent and headed to his.


"Anything else we might need to know about the colony?" John asked.


"Let's see. It's ruled by the General and the New Rangers, not everyone is letting this happen. Oh yeah, John." John instantly sprung up. "Think you can stay behind? So you and I can have a private conversation." Lance smiled slightly. John nodded his head and looked to Marissa.


"Don't worry. I won't be too long. I think." John stepped forward towards and everyone started to leave. "What'd you need?"


"John, what I'm about to say will rock your world. I think you might need to sit down." Lance started to lean on Elise's bed. "The redhead. Is that your girl? By the way, super sweet.”


"Marissa? What about her?" John raised an eyebrow.


"You remember Ariel? From the colony. Your old girlfriend? Yeah she's alive. She's Ryan's number one actually." Lance's words shocked John to the very core. Here he was. For the past eight or nine months, he had been dating Marissa. A girl who used to be three hundred times their height.


“How do you know about us? I figured we were nobodies in there.”


“That's where you're wrong John.” Lance then leaned on Elise's bed. “During the reconstruction of the colony and the forming of the New Rangers, some of us were scavenging the old files and found that you and Ariel were the ones that shrunk our old friend Destiny. I personally started searching more through the records and found that you two were close up until Ryan came.”


“How'd you know she died? Or at least, I thought she died.”


“I asked her. The General sometimes kept an eye on her about two months into the occupation. I was fortunate enough to stay on guard with her for a few days before I got promoted. She showed me pictures of you guys together. Sweet girl but if you got her mad, holy hell.”


“You're trying to fuck with me aren't you? Trying to ruin my life by telling me the girl I dated back home is back from the dead. Sides, why should I believe anything you said? You don't have any proof that you know her.”


"I'm not trying to ruin your life John. Sides, her middle name is Anne, her birthday is October thirteenth, you got her a dust bunny for her birthday and you two went to George Marcus to shrink Destiny. Still think I'm lying?” John looked at Lance, amazed. They were true. All of them. Sure the first he could've looked at her Ranger file but the rest, only she would've known and told people she trusted.


“I just wanted to tell you. You can tell Marissa or whoever you want. Or don't. Just try not to go crazy over it ok?" Lance then exited the tent, exposing two girls that had been eavesdropping the on conversation. It was Juliana and Natasha. "I'll let you deal with them as you see fit John. I've got to go talk to Jerry about the comms." Lance then walked around the girls and headed towards the entrance of the community.


"Natasha. Juliana. Come in here for a few minutes would you?" John stood up and headed towards the girls who were still standing in front of the tent.


"Come on JuJu. Better face the music." Natasha said as they walked up to John.


"So who's this Ariel? And are you going to tell Marissa about her?" Juliana asked.


John sighed. "Ariel was my girlfriend before all of this happened. We dated for about three months and she then was eaten by Ryan. That's all I knew up until now. I didn't know she was still alive and if I knew she was..." John started to pace back and forth, frustrated. “I would've waited for her and not gone after Marissa. We were in love until we got separated.” John then got on Elise's bed and put his hands on his head. “It should've been me. Ryan should've taken me.”


“Don't blame yourself John. You didn't know she was alive.” Juliana patted his shoulder out of consolation, trying to comfort John. “Sides, don't talk like that. It wasn't your fault. And you know that. There was nothing you could've done.”


"So are you gonna tell Marissa any of this? I think she needs to know about this most." John sighed and looked at Natasha.


"You think I should? I mean she already knew about her. I just really hope she doesn't act like I think she will. I don't think she will. I mean I'm telling her about the girlfriend I left for her is still alive. We both thought she was dead. Dammit Lance. Why'd you make things hard on me?"


"I guess the only way you'll to find out is to tell her. I mean, do you love each other?" John nodded his head and let Juliana continue. "Then why are you worried? If both of you feel the same way when you tell her this, you won't have to be worried."


"I mean come on. You two are a match made in heaven.” Natasha said. “You two were made for one another.”


John finally stood up and looked at the two girls. "Just please don't tell anyone else until I tell Marissa. After that, I'll tell everyone that needs to know. Please don't spread this around like the plague. That's the last thing I need right now. Understand?” John said as the girls stood up. Both of them nodded their heads in agreement.


“Don't worry John. We won't tell. I promise. Both of us do.” Natasha said as they held the flap open for the others. To their surprise, they saw Marissa a few feet away from the tent, a tiny bit out of hearing distance. John ran up to the front to get in front of Marissa.


“What'd Lance need to talk to you about? And why'd you bring them in there?” Marissa asked. John put his hands on her shoulders and squatted down a tiny bit to get to eye level with her. He had small tears running down his cheeks, signaling to her that something wasn't right.


“Marissa….can we talk in our tent for a bit? It's really important. It's about us.” John said as he stood up straight and held Marissa’s hand to walk her to the very short walk to their tent.

Ariel and the resistance had been planning out the operation to infiltrate the science division of Ryan's regime for several hours. It was many hours of Ariel having to relearn the protocols that the original Rangers used as well as the individuals she would work with for the mission. She was all decked out in rebel armor with the logo that was hidden by a cloak also made to conceal her identity as Ryan's Number one.

The people were nice once they got passed the fact that she had been part of the regime that brutally oppressed them. Even Bruce, who had brought Ariel in the building by her hair hours before had been somewhat friends with her. Although she could still feel the tension between them, he wasn't dragging her across the floor. Mainly because if anyone touched her, they would be punished severely and personally by Christian who viewed her as an important asset.

"Attention!" Christian said over the loudspeaker. "Everyone to the center of the building." This brought everyone to the center of the building where Ariel had first saw the group of people. She followed the crowd and looked up to the platform to see Christian holding a microphone in his left hand.

"Today is the day brothers and sisters. Today is the day we start our fight against Ryan and her army of savages. For far too long, we've stayed in the shadows, biding our time to strike. Sure we've lost good people but we'll make sure they didn't die in vain." Christian inserted his blue card into a console that brought up a blue hologram of the ministry tower on the ceiling. "Bruce will lead the infiltration team to keep the guards off of Beta team. Beta will be lead by Ariel and I. Our job will be to get in, grab the data on the pill and whatever else will hurt the regime that has oppressed our friends, our families." The crowd started to cheer as Christian raised his glove covered hand in a fist in the air. "Today's the day!" Christian repeated again. "Let's go! Form into your teams and prepare for the worst." Christian then pulled his card out of the console and slide down the ladder to meet up with Ariel.

"Hell of a speech." Ariel greeted Christian as he slid down the ladder.

"Glad you liked it. Now let's get ready. Suit up and meet me in the basement." Christian said as he put on the War Priest mask from earlier. It still had the slight glow of small, green flames on the very top of it. The true markings of a War Priest.

"Don't want anyone to see us coming right? If you want to keep your identity a secret, I'd recommend you get one of these." Christian handed Ariel a black helmet with a white stripe going down the center of the helmet. Ariel instantly took the helmet from Christian and popped it on.

"Now come on. Bruce's team already left and we need to be ready." Christian said as he started to walk down some stairs leading to the basement. Ariel soon followed behind as some other men passed her and Christian. Christian then turned the corner to show Ariel a tunnel that had been burrowed into the wall. "You ready to go?" Ariel looked down the well light hallway. "It leads straight to the Ministry tower. We better hurry. Let's go!"

The building the resistance was heading for was the old Ministry building that had long since been rebuilt into the scientific building that made everything that Ryan needed. It was no longer the center of the colony that it used to be. Now when the colonists would see people go in, they wouldn't come out until weeks later. It was still white but the symbol of the colony from almost a year ago was replaced by the New Ranger symbol and above it was an artist's interpretation of Ryan's beautiful face peering down on the colony.

The tunnel that they were taking was another story. The tunnel had been hand carved out of the stone in the floor for the past five or six months by the volunteer regiment of the resistance, the ones that wanted to contribute in other ways other than fighting.

“How long till we get there?” Ariel asked, her voice being partially distorted due to the mask she was wearing.

“About a minute. You're not getting tired already are you?” Christian’s voice had a dark presence due to the War Priest mask he was wearing. He looked over to his right where Ariel was to see her keeping pace with him.

“You think being Ryan's number one means I sit on a throne with her?” Christian laughed a tiny bit. “I had to work all day with her. From the minute I wake up to the minute I'm back in the colony, my whole life is about her. I know what it takes to be one of you guys.”

“Ok chill out. I was just being sarcastic. No need to get all defensive.” Christian looked up and saw a green light above them on the ceiling. It was the signal for the infiltration team was starting to breach the building. “We'd better move. Bruce's team already started breaching.” Christian ran even faster as Ariel and the other eight people followed closely behind. “Double time!”

After thirty or forty seconds of running, the group of ten reached the basement of the building. Christian looked at his wrist and saw a message from Bruce. ‘Mission is a go. Code 348950.’ Christian nodded. “Let's move. We have ten minutes before the whole mission is a bust.” Christian turned around and kicked the metal door in, breaking the locks that prevented break ins. “Let's move!”

Ariel ran up to the front to stand next to Christian who was pushing the fighters into the building, giving them words of encouragement before they entered into unknown territory.

“Halt!” Christian shouted over the comms, causing the group to stop in their tracks. Christian then brought up a bright blue hologram of the building on the floor. “Right now, we're in the basement. Bruce's team is in the lobby fighting off the Rangers. The place where they make the shrinking devices is located on the fifth floor. We have about ten minutes from now to get up there, take the plans or whatever we can find. Whatever you can't grab hold on to, torch and burn We don't need a single thing left for them to rebuild upon. Got it?”

The squad nodded and continued towards the door. “You know the plan, get to it!” Christian said as he ran up to the door to kick it down. As soon as the door was kicked down, the entire squad rushed up the stairs and headed up to the fifth floor.

“Bruce, we are moving to the target floor. How's your team looking?” Christian said over the comms as he started to climb the stairs right next to Ariel.

“We've killed a few Rangers. But scouts are saying that there’s a group of heavies coming our way. Where's your team?” Bruce responded with some gunfire behind him.

“Third….fourth floor. Have your team secure the stairwell after you're done cleaning the lobby. Got it?”

“Understood sir. Moving up.” Bruce then threw a grenade into the group of four of Rangers. The grenade exploded with a brilliant explosion that filled the air with debris. It shook the building a tiny bit as if exploded as well. “Move up!” Bruce called out to the group.

“Sounds like Bruce brought some heavy weapons.” Ariel said, feeling the building shake a tiny bit.

“Nah, you just haven't known him long enough to know he always does this with ops.” Christian said, stopping in his tracks as he reached the fifth floor. He raised his hand in a fist to halt the team. “Get your masks ready. Make sure they don't come off. Especially you.” Christian pointed to Ariel. He then unclenched his fist and opened the door. Inside the room were bottles of strange fluids and even some smaller versions of the target. Christian stuck his head to look around inside. “Clear!” He yelled.

“Bastards must've cleared out as soon as they heard us.” One soldier said as he entered the room. “Or they heard the explosions and ran.” Christian said, stepping in front on the soldier.

The team followed close behind Christian as he ran to enter the room. “Grab everything related to the plan. Schematics, plans, anything worth having. Anything else, destroy.” Christian then grabbed a pile of blueprints and threw it in his bag.

Ariel left the team to explore her surroundings a tiny bit further. She left the rest of the team take the schematics on the tables but to her, she wanted to see what the rest of the floor was for.

After a few seconds of walking, she saw five metal doors with lite up buttons that were green and red. Near the center were windows that showed the light escaping the room. She then stuck her head in the window and saw a small figure in the corner of the room. At first she thought it was just a shadow but when she saw the figure move, she started pounding on the door.

“Hey Christian!” She called out. “Get over here! We've got some prisoners over here!” Ariel saw Christian stuff the last bit of schematics in his bag and ran over to where she was. Ariel then turned head to see the figure try and stand up as it heard the voices outside.

“Hello?” The figure had a feminine voice and as she turned around, Ariel saw that the woman was almost naked, only having a small piece of clothing that covered her breasts.

“Ms! Don't worry, we're here to help you.” Christian said, banging on the console to unlock the door with the butt of his rifle to get the young girl out.

“What's your name?” Ariel asked.

“C-C-Celeste. Please, you have to get me out of here! They've done horrible things to me and the others.” Celeste got up on but struggled to stay up.

“Don't worry, we'll get you and the others out. I promise Celeste.” Ariel said as Christian finally unlocked the door separating Celeste from freedom. As soon as the heavy metal door was open, Ariel ran inside and grabbed hold of Celeste’s merger frame. It was apparent that whatever the scientists were doing to her were awful.

“Celeste, where are the others?” Christian asked as he checked his watch to make sure they still had time for the mission. His watch read ‘5:34’. “Five and a half minutes left.” Christian said over the comms.

“They're in the rooms next to me. There's four others. Please get them out of there!” Celeste yelled as Christian got on the comms.

“Ariel, calm her down.” Ariel nodded her head and started to talk Celeste down. “Anyone who has a full bag, report to me. We got people to help.” Christian said as he grabbed his rifle and smashed the next console to the door next to Celeste. The door instantly opened.

“I got her sir.” A soldier said as he ran into the room to collect the other girl. Ariel brought Celeste out of the room and saw a label on the smashed console. “Misty. Is that the person who was next to you, Celeste?” Ariel asked as she passed her to another soldier.

“Yes. It's Misty, Whitney, Chloe and Mia. Please get them out of here. Please!” Celeste yelled to Christian as he busted all the consoles to the other doors.

“I can't thank you enough sir.” Misty said as she embraced the soldier who let her go.

“Come on ladies! We're getting you out of here.” Christian said as he helped one of the girls with the tag name of ‘Chloe’ around her neck.

“Thank you sir. You truly are the greatest thing we've seen in months.” Chloe said while she was in Christian's arms.

“It's no problem miss. It's what we do.” Christian said as he passed her on to a female soldier who brought her with the others.

Mia stumbled out of her room, alone as her friends which she shared the lab with, were being rescued from. She was weak from being fed low amounts of food so she instantly fell to to the ground. On her hands and knees, she felt her arms were very weak. She was about to collapse until she felt a pair of arms grab her and prevented her from completely going on the floor. She looked up at who caught her and she saw the guard who talked to her this morning.

“Allen?” She said weakly. She smiled as she realized that he had returned to rescue her from this imprisonment. But the longer she stared at the man who saved her. It wasn't Allen. Although she didn't get a single look at Allen's face earlier, his voice was instantly recognizable. But sadly for her, it was a rebel who just happened to be near her when she fell.

“I got you. Are you alright?” He said, slowly making sure Mia heard all his words. She nodded her head as she felt a pain in her head.

“Where are you taking us?” She asked.

“Away from here. Don't worry, you'll be safe.” The guard then brought her over to the stairs where her friends were being brought down

“You got everybody?” She asked, still cautious as she was brought to the stairwell.

“I'm sure. Your friends will be safe. I promise. You'll all be safe.” Ariel sounded in as she looked over at Mia. She couldn't take off her mask but she knew Mia trusted her.

“Markos? Get over to left side of the room ASAP. We've found something big.” A soldier said over the comms. She sounded like she had just seen a ghost with her voice sounding shocked and even some shivering.

“On my way Dare.” Christian then pointed to Ariel to meet up with him. “Describe your find to me.” Christian and Ariel then ran towards Dare, the female soldier.

“It's about twenty feet long and about five feet high. It's soft as well. It's also white. And it's the thing we've been looking for. It's Atheon. We've found it.” Dare said over the comms.

“So what's Atheon?” Ariel asked.

“It's the thing that you used to bring Destiny down. But it's been modified. Here we were, thinking it was just a rumor.” Christian then started to slow down as he approached Dare.

“Where is it?” Christian asked Dare. She turned around and pointed at it. The pill was a lot bigger than what Ariel remembered.

“Detach it and get it to the basement. Take the freight elevator. Should be plenty of room there. Got it?”

“Yes sir. Come on men!” Dare ordered the five men in her unit to gather up the package as Ariel and Christian left and headed for the stairwell.

Suddenly, the entire building shook with great force. It rocked the pair onto the ground.

“Bruce, what the hell was that?” Christian got up to his feet and brought Ariel up with him.

“Sorry sir. The reinforcements came a little earlier than expected. They're trying to smoke us out.” Bruce said. Christian ran to the stairwell and got in the doorway.

“Get to the basement faster! We're out of time!” Christian felt the building shake again.

“Christian, we've got tanks!” Ariel looked over to window and looked down and saw two green tanks and several infantrymen trying to enter the building.

“Don't worry. Bruce turned on the blast shield for the lobby. It'll take a little bit for them to break through.” The building shook again. “Now let's get out of here!” Christian ran to Ariel and grabbed her arm to bring her to the stairwell.

“What about the blast shield?” Ariel started heading down the stairs.

“That was them breaking it.” Christian followed close behind Ariel as they bolted down the five levels to get down the basement. “I didn't think they would bring tanks to a simple assault. I thought they would bring regular soldiers.”

“Can't always think things ahead. There could be variables no one can account for.” Ariel then reached the basement. They looked around for the girls and the soldiers escorting them.

“Echo, where are the girls?” Christian asked in a panicked manner.

Echo responded. “We're taking them to the base. Where they're safe.”

“That's good. Take care of them, we need to know what they were doing in the lab. Team is falling back now. ETA, two minutes.” Christian then yelled over the comms. “Dare, where's Atheon?” Christian and Ariel headed down to the basement and heard a bell ding behind them.

“Right here sir.” Dare said as she and a few others pushed the massive pill towards the entrance.

“Get it to base. We'll meet you there.” Christian ordered Dare. She nodded and headed towards the base.

“Bruce? Anyone out there?” Ariel said over the comms. She heard nothing but static and the occasional gunshots. She also heard shouting and machines beginning to roll on in.

“Ariel, they're gone. God damn Rangers got em. We've got to go back to base. Here.” Christian threw Ariel some explosives.

“Explosives?”

“We're gonna cover our tracks. Plus get a few Rangers in the process. Put one by the door, two on the entrance of the tunnel and one on the elevator. Can't be too sure you know.”

“Yeah.” Ariel then placed one explosive on the foot of the door, hearing shouting on the outside of the door she ignored the voices and went to the elevator. She threw it in the elevator and meet up with Christian who was at the tunnel entrance.

“Put one right here.” Ariel looked where Christian pointed and tossed a charge on a weak looking pillar. It stuck and Christian pointed to another pillar.

“You're sure this won't bring down the building on top of us?” Ariel asked as she threw the last charge she had onto the pillar.

“Shouldn't but if it does, we run that way as fast a possible. Plus it'll hurt Ryan's regime pretty bad when the only place that makes her shrink rays is gone. Just be prepared to run any way.” They then heard some footsteps coming towards them. “Run. I'll get the explosives.”

“You sure?” Ariel looked at Christian.

“Yeah. Now go.” Christian then pulled out a detonator and Ariel began to bolt down the tunnel as fast as she could.

After a few seconds of running, Ariel heard loud voices as well as some gunshots. Ignoring them, she continued to bolt down the hallway. Suddenly, she heard a loud explosion. Due to the loudness of it, she got on the ground. She then got on the comms and tried to call to Christian.

“Christian? Delta four, do you respond?” Ariel then felt the shockwave of the explosion. By now, it was a small breeze but she knew that it was much bigger where ground zero occurred.

“Ariel, what did I tell you? I told you to run.” She heard Christian on the radio. She then turned around and saw Christian coming from the site that the explosion occurred. “Run means to run to base.”

“How are you….”

“Here? I'll tell you later. Just involved killing a lot of Rangers and running for my life. Now come on, we've got business back home.”

“So what'd you need to talk to me about? Is everything alright?” Marissa asked as they got in their tent. John was still tearing up a bit from his conversation with Lance as he brought Marissa over to their bed for her to sit on. “John? What's wrong? Come on, you can tell me. Remember, no secrets between us? Right?”

“I'm fine Marissa.” John then kneeled down on one knee directly in front of Marissa. He then grabbed her hands and kissed them. “Before I say anything about what Lance told me, I just want to let you know that I love you with all my heart.” John looked up and saw Marissa start to cry as well. “Lance told me something about the colony only I would know. Remember our first date when I told you about Ariel?” Marissa nodded her head. “Well Lance told me that...that she's alive.” Marissa covered her mouth in shock.

“She's alive? How? You said she was dead.”

“I don't know how but apparently she's Ryan's Number One. But I want you to know something Marissa.” Marissa looked at John directly in the eyes. “If we do go back to the colony, and in the chance that she is alive, I just want to let you know that I choose you over her.” Marissa smiled a tiny bit. “Being with you these past eight months have been the best time of my life. I'll choose you over her any day.”

“Oh John.” Marissa pulled John up and hugged him. “I love you so much John.” Marissa said as she embraced his hug. She then separated herself from John and looked at him. She smiled sweetly.

“Me too Marissa. You are the light of my life, my Sun, Moon and stars. I don't know what I would do if we weren't together.” Marissa then looked over John's shoulder to see Lance standing in the entrance of the tent.

“I see you know about John's past girlfriend.” Lance then entered the tent and grabbed John's desk chair to sit on it. “But we've got bigger problems than your relationship. Jerry managed to fix the long range comms. He wants you to be there when he makes contact with the rebel base.”

“What's so bad about that? They're making contact with their home. A home they haven't seen in months.” Marissa said, separating herself from John while still remaining at his side. “What's wrong with then going home?”

“You don't understand Marissa. That thing has a fifty fifty chance of making contact with the New Rangers. Plus the colony they left isn't there anymore. It's been replaced by a colony of...just don't make contact with the colony. I know it sounds bad but with what you've told me, you've held up here pretty nice for the past few months.” Lance confessed to the couple. “We've got food, shelter, and a giant girl for safety. Everything we need. Everything we could ever want is here. We don't have to go back to the colony.”

Marissa then walked up to Lance and slapped him across the face. “Are you insane? You're just going to let thousands of your own people die under her?” Marissa yelled to Lance who instantly got up to smack Marissa. Lance raised his right hand and Marissa shrieked out of fear. She covered her face in defense as well. John then grabbed Lance’s hand out of the air and twisted it in retaliation.

“Don't you dare touch her. If you want to fight, fight me. Not her. Understand?” John then threw Lance’s hand down to his side out of anger. “We've stayed here long enough Lance. I don't care what you say, we're going back in there and we're going to join the resistance. This is for our people. Don't you realize that? Or are you still thinking like a New Ranger?” John walked up to Lance and poked the patch of New Ranger. “You need to to wake up and realize you're not in that monster’s control. She needs to be taken down. Come on Marissa.” John then grabbed Marissa's hand and left Lance inside the tent alone.

As Jerry and Jessica were fixing the radio. Jessica was sitting on the table, helping and handing Jerry tools when he requested them. They then heard the tent flap open. The couple looked at John and Marissa come into the tent. “John, glad you came. I sent Lance to go get you two because I managed t-” Jerry was cut off when John spoke.

“Managed to fix it. I know. He told us. But here's something you might not know about Lance. He doesn't want us to use it.” John pointed to the device that Jerry had on his desk.

“What? Why?” Jessica asked as she got up from her sitting position next to Jerry.

“He wants us to stay here with Jaylin. He thinks we'll be safer here with her than in your old home.” Marissa said as she got next to Jerry to investigate the repairs he made on it. Jerry then handed it to her and swung around on the chair he was sitting on.

“He's nuts. Sure we've survived here for these ten months but that's only because we've gotten lucky. Sides, what happens if Ryan comes back and shrinks Jaylin? Like I said, we got lucky she didn't shrink like the others. We don't even know why she's immune in the first place. Right now, Ryan could have a formula that could shrink her. As of right now, we're out of options. We need to go in there.”

“There is no guarantee that she'll survive the next attempt on her life like you said. It's a matter of when not if anymore.” John said. “You're right, we can't stay here any longer.”

That's when Lance came into the tent with a compassionate look on his face. All four of them looked at him when he walked into the tent.

“What do you need traitor?” John asked as soon he saw Lance. “I knew I shouldn't have trusted you when you came here. Should've locked you up like your friend.” John walked up to him and poked him in the chest.

“Don't compare me to Forge. At least I told you people what I know. Forge wouldn't tell you anything!” Lance yelled in a stern voice. “And I get called a traitor for telling you what Jaylin wanted to tell you guys. Fine. Go in there and die!”

“What do you mean?” Marissa put the radio on the counter and jumped off as well. “Jaylin wanted you to tell us that we should stay?”

“Yes. When she was talking to me, she told me that I should tell John to tell everyone here to stay. She'll protect us with her life.” Lance confessed. “She doesn't want us to go back in there. She says she can save us here.”

“I don't think she knows how drastic the situation has gotten for us and the people in that wall. We got a girl hundreds of times our size killing our friends and family on a daily basis. We can't afford to sit around any longer.” Jerry said as he stood up and walked up to Jessica. “John. It's up to you. Stay here for another ten months to let our colony be ruled by Ryan or connect to the Rebels to join the colony. What's your call?” Jerry asked as he turned on the radio and waited for John's answer.

“Lance, do you know the New Rangers comm code?” John asked.

“08673-0. If you're going to broadcast, make sure you avoid that channel.”

“Jerry. You know what to do. Get it started. We'll be right here.” Jerry then got back in his seat and got on the mic, checked the frequency and spoke into it.

“This is Jerry Saigon. We are escapees of Ryan's colony. We've been away from the colony for ten months. We have two New Rangers with us. One is helping us while the other is uncooperative. We also have about fifty total people here under the old dresser. Please respond.” Jerry said over the comms, broadcasting on all channels except for the New Ranger frequency.

“Now we wait. Let's just hope that the Rebels are home.” Lance said as he sat on the floor and waited for a response. They all knew the chances that they had just signed away their lives but it was well worth the risk.

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned into an hour before they got a message. A distorted one but a message.

“This is Christ{Static}. I am the {Static}eader of the rebel{Static}. Glad to meet you {Static}-rey.” The message was broken in some parts but not enough for them to completely miss the message of the voice. John ran to the comm before anyone to continue the conversation between him and the other end.

“I don't know any Christian from the New Rangers. It should be good.” Lance said as he began to awaken from his small cat nap.

“How do you know?” Marissa asked.

“There's only about hundred of us. I know everyone there. It's good to answer it John. Go for it.”

“This is John. I'm basically the leader of our little community of escapees. We have five girls that Ryan has shrunk here as well. How soon do you think we can join up with your people?”

The static continued. “I'll sen{Static}ome of my men to {Static} the way a tiny bit but it won't stay open for {Static}. We don't need a Ranger coming by a{Static} assuming we're trying to escape. Should be ready in about twenty min{Static}. Understand John? Be at the old entr{Static}ce of the colony. Once your people are in, you'll get to meet everyone here. Call sign is Atheon.” Near the end, the signal started to clear up.

“Understood. Meet you there.” John clicked the button to sign off. He then turned around to see four smiling faces looking at him. Marissa then ran up to him and hugged him.

“I can't believe this is actually happening.” Marissa started to tear up a tiny bit as she said this. “You're going back home.”

“I know. It's great. We're going back John. We're finally fighting back against Ryan.” Jerry then hugged Jessica who was beginning to cry as well.

John looked over Marissa’s shoulder and looked at Lance. “Lance. Gather everyone and bring them to the entrance. I want everyone coming with us in there.” Lance nodded and exited the tent, saluting John as he left.

“You good Marissa?” John asked as he separated himself from Marissa’s embrace. Marissa's face was covered in tears of joy as she continued to cry at this moment.

“I think so. You're going back home John!” Marissa wiped some of her tears with her sleeves. “Your home will be yours again!”

“Let's not celebrate too much. Not before we're done here. We still have to get in there and get Ryan back for what she did to all of us.” John looked over to Jessica and Jerry who just finishing up their words. “You two ready?” Both of them nodded and they headed out of the tent and towards the entrance.

“Wait John, can I talk to you for a quick second? I promise it'll be quick.” Jerry said before John and Marissa left the tent. John looked at Marissa and Jessica. “I'll be right there. Just meet up with Lance.” The girls then left the tent, leaving the two men behind.

“What'd you need?” John asked.

“Well, Jessica and I were talking while I was fixing this and when we got on the subject of leaving this place, we started talking about what to do with Jaylin. We might need her for something. And when we get back in the colony, we'll lose communications with her. Entirely. But if one of us stays behind while the rest of us go home. Since I'm the only one that can fix it if it breaks again, I think I should stay behind.”

“Is this absolutely necessary? It's your home too. Not this place.”

“If we want our home back, yes. Now Jessica's against it but I can understand her reasoning. She wants us to be together when we head home. But, I told her that you and Marissa will keep an eye on her. Can you do that please, for me?”

“I will. Just be careful here. Ok?” John said extending his hand.

“You too. Don't know who you'll be able to trust in there. Also, when you get inside, call me. So I know she's safe.”

John shook Jerry's hand. “I promise. Good luck.”

John then got to the front of the community and the crowd that had formed. In the very front of the crowd was Jessica, Marissa and Lance with Jessica standing next to Marissa.

“Ladies and gentlemen! We're heading home!” John said. The crowd of only fifty cheered and cried as John told them the terrific news. “With the aid of Lance and the resistance, we're heading home and joining the fight against Ryan. This is ten months in the making. What we've sacrificed to get here was incredible but today, we make it worthwhile. Who we've lost, make sure they didn't die in vain. Now let's move!” John yelled at the people as he grabbed hold of Marissa and Jessica headed towards the entrance of the colony.

Jaylin was relaxing as she watched the sun begin to set as she played on her phone. She still couldn't believe what had happened in her first day of moving into her new apartment. It started out so normal. Walking into the building, meeting her neighbor Ryan, thinking she was so sweet. That was until she met the tiny people living under the dresser next to her bed. She still couldn't believe that not even a day here, she had already met the craziest bunch of people she's ever had the pleasure of meeting. The two couples have guided her through this time as she didn't know anything coming into this new environment.

She felt like was crazy believing that tiny people lived under her dresser and there was even more of their people in the wall apparently. That collection of tiny people was captured by her next door neighbor. But she had done even crazier things than help people less than a hundredth her size. For now, she was just doing a good deed for the smaller people that shared her room. She didn't mind though. To them, she was a goddess but not like they've experienced before. She kind and gentle towards them like she normally would be to other human beings.

She then dropped her phone on her chest and sighed. She then turned to her left and saw a blob of tiny people moving towards her bed. She got up a tiny bit and shifted her small body to face the group of people moving towards her bed. The group then stopped in its tracks and halted. Jaylin got closer to the group and saw it was lead, for the most part, by John. She saw his hand go up, signaling her to pick him up. She then lowered her arm and snatched him up from the group to hear what John had to say.

“John? Where you guys going?” Jaylin asked, curious as to why they were all leaving their home to go under her bed.

“We're leaving your room and heading back to the colony. We got a message from the other side of that wall.” John pointed to the wall behind Jaylin. He then got on one knee and put his right fist on Jaylin's soft skin. “We're not completely leaving you behind. Jerry volunteered to stay here with you and the long range comms.” John then saw Jaylin wipe her eyes with her other hand. “The rest of us will go in the wall and fight back against Ryan. We'll be right next door. Don't worry Jaylin. We'll be just fine. We'll be safe. I promise when this is all done, your life will be back to normal. You don't have to worry about anything about us anymore. We'll be out of you way.”

Jaylin cleared her throat and responded to John. “I was never bothered by you guys staying here. I could keep you guys safe from Ryan. You don't have to go back. I can protect you.” Jaylin sighed. “But if you have to, just be careful in there. Ok?” John stood up and bowed to Jaylin as a sign of respect.

“I promise.” John then signaled Jaylin to drop him back down on the floor with the others.

As soon as John was back on the floor, he got in front of the group, right in between Marissa and Jessica. “You two ready?”

“Ready as we'll ever be. Let's go.” Marissa said as he held John's hand to enter the entrance of the colony.

As the group of almost fifty came up the entrance, they were reminded of the day the fled the giant Ryan came and took over. The entrance used to be solid metal door that was silver and light up with strange buttons but now it was nothing but scraps of the buildings that once surrounded it.

“I thought you said it would be open John. What happened?” A man by the of Sal called from the back of the group. John turned around slightly to give him a look. Marissa then elbowed him in the side to pay attention as some of the rubble started to move. Some light started to come out from the darkness and the group all got behind some scraps that had been left behind.

“John?” A voice called from the other side of the wall. It sounded familiar yet he had to be cautious as he didn't know who was who anymore. “John, if you're here it's me, Christian. We talked on the radio.”

“He sounds like the guy on the radio.” Marissa then peeked her head out of the shadows and saw a masked figure standing in the doorway. She saw some green flames coming off the top of the helmet as well some horns coming out of the top. She saw the aggressive expression on the face she was looking at. There was only one word to describe what it was. Terrifying. Marissa then got back down next to Jessica, shaking in fear.

“I already saw you. If I was a Ranger, I would've already ran up and grabbed you.” John looked at Lance who was next to Jessica, just a few feet away from him. Lance nodded in agreement. “Might as well just come out now.”

“Why don't you take off the mask first? You're scaring some of us.” Marissa called out, getting close to Jessica for comfort.

“Sorry. It's ceremonial.” Christian said as he pulled off the War priest mask. He then handed it to the guards who put it gently down on the ground. “There. It's off. You can come out now.”

John stood up and most of the group followed behind him. “Atheon. Now can we get my people inside? You know, before your guards realize we're over here.” Christian walked over to where John was standing.

“Name's Christian.” Christian bowed down to John slightly. “How'd you manage to escape?”

“We got out right after Ryan took the colony away. You know when she destroyed the wall.” John explained while the group was escorted by Christian’s guards. Marissa got close to John as she felt the cold air from the colony come near her. “This is Marissa. She's my girlfriend of eight months. She used to be like Destiny until she was…” John looked at Marissa for her approval as he told Christian her story.

“We were shrunk by Ryan.” Marissa was nervous as she told other people about her and her friends past lives.

“Interesting…. We found a few girls during our raid-” Christian was saying as one of the guards shouted at him.

“Sir! We need to leave! The supports are giving out! They won't last a few more minutes.” Christian turned around and nodded to the rebel.

“We gotta go. You want to continue this inside?” Christian then ran to the entrance and the others followed quickly behind them. “Go John! I'll meet you in there. Just get your people inside my building. Follow my men and they'll get you there safely.” Christian said as he grabbed a metal bar to further support the dying structure.

Lance ran from his position next Elise to help Christian with the dying structure of the small doorway. “I got you.” Lance said as he help Christian.

“Thanks...what's your name?” Christian asked, struggling and shaking as they both held up the metal and wood that dropped every so often on the running members of the community.

“Lance…” He struggled as Christian started to walk towards the colony. Lance soon followed behind as he was meet by two rebels waiting on the other side of the wall along with Christian.

“Lance, you're a guard correct?”

“I was. Does this really matter?”

“Arrest him. Thrown him in with the other one John gave us.” The two rebels the reached out and handcuffed him. “You have a lot to answer for. He who doesn't weep.”

John, Jessica and Marissa then ran through the entrance of rubble and debris to enter the colony. This would be the first time that the girls have seen the inside of the colony and when they stepped inside, the saw the bright lights over head that lite the up colony to have an artificial day and night cycle. The buildings around the entrance they entered from were partially destroyed due to Ryan coming in and making sure no one else leaves but after a few hundred feet of paved road, they saw some people walking into habitable buildings. Marissa was amazed at what she saw. She saw the white tower in the center of the colony. But she could also see some light coming in from the other side of town. She assumed it was Ryan's room.

That's when a few of the rebels came and grabbed hold of them to direct them to the correct location, The Six Fingered tower. “See that tower over there?” A rebel asked. John nodded his head. “Go there. Christian will meet you inside once he's done.”

So the three headed to the building they were directed to. They saw the remains of what the old Ranger base as they past it. It was incredible how the colony had changed so much in so little time.

Once the trio got to the building where they saw people coming in and out, they stepped inside to feel the warmth of the heater. The people inside were wearing old Ranger armor with the ‘outdated’ logo on their left breast. “It's so cold in here. How'd you live like this?” Marissa asked John as she started to shiver.

“You need my jacket?” John asked. He then slid the black jacket he was wearing and put it around Marissa.

“Thanks John.” John then looked over at Jessica who was shivering and alone.

“Jess, you know it's big enough for the both of you. It's not all for Marissa.” Jessica looked at Marissa and she gladly welcomed her under the jacket John had given her. “I did tell Jerry I would take care of you. Remember Jess, don't be afraid to ask for anything while we're here.” Jessica smiled and embraced the warmth of Marissa and the jacket.

“Thanks John. It feels a lot better now.” Jessica smiled. John smiled back.

“John right?” A rebel came into view from an upper level. John nodded. “Christian wants to meet with you in the control room. Discuss what's gonna happen next. I can escort you three there. Just take those stairs up here.” The trio turned to their left and headed up the stairs the rebel pointed at. Once they got up the stairs, the rebel that called them up gave John a handshake. “This way. Christian’s already waiting for you three in the control room. They're discussing the next plan of attack there.” They rebel looked at the girls, how they were under John’s jacket. “How are your friends holding up? They seem cold.”

“Their names are Marissa and Jessica. They're not from here. They used to be like Ryan. Except they didn't enslave us. So they're not used to the temperature here.”

“Oh yeah. You two are some of Ryan's girls? Shrunk by her right?”

“Yeah. Wasn't really a great experience for them. How do you know about that?”

“We found a few girls like them in the science building. Sweet girls. But they're not like your friends though. They were experimented on, trying to perfect Ryan's formula. Bastard scientists. They scarred them, trying to figure out how to make more of the shrinking devices. Glad we got them out before it was too late.”

“Not all of the scientists are bad. We meet some of them when they were brought over to our place.” Marissa said to the rebel. “They seemed like they felt remorseful about what they did.”

“Maybe. Just be careful while Ryan's still in control.” The rebel then lead them to the control room. It was guarded by solid metal door and a control panel. He entered in the passcode ‘3-2-8-0’ into it and the door flung open. “You never know who you'll be able to trust.”

“I don't know what to do with it Christian. It's too much to process. I'm not saying your team didn't get enough data but...we'll still missing something.” A scientist drenched in a white lab coat said as he swiped through the things that the raid team found and took.

“Like what?” Christian asked. “What's missing?”

“I don't know sir. It doesn't look like the schematics your team stole.”

“Listen Trent, whatever is missing, find it and get this ready for deployment.”

“Yes sir.”

“Christian. Glad to see you again.” John came into the room with Jessica and Marissa by his side.

“John. Nice of you to drop by. We were just discussing what our next step is. And that requires some patience on our part. You see, we want to make sure Ryan gets what she has coming. She killed hundreds of of our people. And this is the thing that'll bring her down to size.” Christian pointed to a large pill sitting on a table a few feet away.

“Is that….” Marissa said, getting closer to Jessica out of fear of what she saw.

“Yes. It's the pill John used to shrink Destiny. And part of the core to shrink people from long range.” John turned to see Jessica and Marissa start to shake but not because they were cold. They did it out of fear of what they saw up close. “Are your friends good?” Christian asked, curious.

“They were shrunk because of that thing. It brings up bad memories for them.” Marissa then left the jacket and headed to John. “It wasn't a pleasant experience for them. Especially for Marissa.” John then rubbed Marissa's back to help her. He then kissed her head. “It's gonna be alright baby. I promise, I'm here for you.”

“I see. Maybe both of you can talk to the girls we found. Did Marcus talk to you about that?”

“Marcus?” John asked, hearing that name before.

“The man who brought you here. He was part of the group that helped us get inside the science building.”

“Yeah. He was telling us about them. I think we can help them.” John answer by looking at the two girls. They smiled, making the small tears disappear from view.

“John?!” A feminine voice called from the corner about fifty feet away from where they were standing. John knew who that voice belonged to. It was Ariel's. He turned his head to the left and saw Ariel run up to him. John, not wanting to be a seem like he didn't miss Ariel, released his grip on Marissa and opened his arms to embrace her hug.

“Ariel.” John said, trying to feel to be happy that he hadn't seen her in over ten months. “I thought you were dead.” Ariel then entered John's arms and felt his warmth.

“I thought I was too. I'm glad you're safe and back home. Now we can continue what where we left off.” John cut Ariel off and let go of her. He then grabbed Marissa's hand and brought her close to him to keep her warm.

“Ariel, this is Marissa. She's my girlfriend.” Ariel looked shocked at the pair. Marissa waved awkwardly at her. “We've been dating for almost eight months. She's been there for me and I've been there for her. I hope this doesn't affect our friendship that we had once.”

“You left me? I waited for you!”

“You have to understand Ariel. I thought you were dead up until today. I mourned you for almost two and a half months before I moved on with Marissa. I loved you from the minute I saw you at school to the minute I moved on. I thought you were dead. We all did. It wasn't an easy decision to date Marissa at first.”

“Hey, can you two have this conversation somewhere else?” Jessica said, frustrated by what the two former lovers were doing.

“I agree. We have much more important business than your love life John. And Ariel.” Christian said as he pulled up a blue hologram of the colony.

“Sorry. What's the plan?” John said as he back away from Ariel and reunited with Marissa.

“Well, a few hours ago, we entered the old Ministry building and performed a raid. A raid to get that.” Christian pointed to the pill. “Our plan was to somehow take out the New Rangers and then move on to the big fish but I really don't know how we're gonna do it. We've just been biding time until we were ready to to grab the pill but…we haven't really come up with a plan to use it. Yet. Any ideas?”

“John, what about Lance? He knows about the Rangers. Knows all the codes and everything they use.” Marissa said. “He could come up with something.”

“Lance? What do you know about him?” Christian asked. “Because a few weeks ago, we were searching through some files in the New Ranger database and found that Lance, your friend, did some horrible things to at least one of the girls that Ryan shrunk. Her name was Bailey.” John nodded his head. “Earned himself the name of ‘He who doesn't weep.’ He's dangerous.”

“I think I remember her. She moved in right after Julianna came. Dirty blonde haired girl right?”

“Yes. According to the files, Lance had to quote, put her down after his team performed some horrible things to her. You're lucky that he didn't do the same thing to Marissa or anyone else in your group.”

“That doesn't sound like the Lance we know. Back home, he helped us get here. He didn't even lay a hand on us. I would've told you if he did.” Marissa defending Lance.

“It's true. He did help us get here but if what you said is true...that changes nothing. He was one of the New Rangers before Jaylin took him away. He helped us get here and we need him to get our colony back. Now, get him over here.”

Christian sighed and got on the comms. “Sarah, bring Lance over to the control room please.”

The woman on the other end responded. “Yes sir. Bringing him over now.”

Christian then hung up on the comms and looked at John. “There? Happy? I just hope you trust Lance enough not to hurt your friends.”

“I trust him. He's helped us once, he'll help us again. I don't care what he's done. What's done is done. We can't fix anything in the past. We move on.” John further defending Lance.

“Where do you want him sir?” A female voice called to the room. John turned around to see Lance in handcuffs behind his back.

“At the table and take the cuffs off of him. We can't have a conversation with him like that.” Sarah raised an eyebrow to her commander. “Sir?”

“Did I stutter Captain? Take them off.” Christian intimidating the young Sarah. She then reached into her pockets and pulled out the keys to the cuffs. Getting behind Lance, she uncuffed him.

“Thank you very much. Now what were you talking about before I got here?” Lance stepped forward to John and Marissa.

“The plan. Christian?” Ariel said to Lance before returning her attention to Christian.

“We did a raid on the science building. Hit the Rangers pretty hard but until we can completely eradicate them and their presence here, we can't move on to the big fish. Ryan. With the Rangers still blocking our path outside, we can't use the pill. Now Lance, any ideas to take out Ryan? Any at all?

“Hmmm…” Lance looked at the 3D hologram of the colony and then walked over to the window. The angle the building was at gave Lance a much better view of the still smoking building in the center. “Hit the science division pretty hard right? Stole that right?” Lance said, referring to the pill.

“Yeah. Any ideas? If you don't, you can rejoin your friend in the holding cells.”

“Hmmm...how about we cause a distraction? Rally the people behind us? This will cause the guards to focus on the distraction. Meanwhile, a small team will take the pill to Ryan and somehow, get her to swallow it. And that's where our friend Jaylin comes. While Jerry's back home, we'll give the signal to have Jaylin distract the target. After she's done, we'll bring Ryan back to the colony in her new form. From there, it's up to you. How about that for a plan?”

“That's...pretty solid Lance. We'll make sure the plan will work before we execute it. It'll take a few days to set everything up. In the meantime, your people will be well taken care of while they're staying here. Warm food and as soft as beds we can get. Plus you two can discuss whatever needs to be talked about. Don't need you two arguing in front of everyone. Understand?” Christian said to John and Ariel. Both of them nodded in unison. “Good. Dismissed.”

John then walked up to Ariel who instantly slapped him across the face as Marissa ran up to him. “I'm not gonna say that hurt but don't do that again. I don't care who you are, I'm not afraid to hit back.” John then saw Ariel reach for another slap with her right hand. As soon as he saw the hand go up, he grabbed it and twisted it. Ariel reacted accordingly.

“Hey! John! Ariel! You two used to love each other. And now look at you. I get that you don't love each other anymore but now look at you two.” Jessica said as she ran to break the pair up.

“People change Jessica. People change.” Ariel said as she brought her hand down, forcing it out of John's grip.

Marissa then got in between the arguing couple. She then extended her hand to shake Ariel's hand. “Ariel right? I'm Marissa. I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier. And I apologize for John. He's been through a lot. Here, why don't both of us go talk.” Ariel looked at Marissa with some slight confusion. “Come on. It won't take long. I promise.” Marissa started to walk towards an empty room that had a bed inside. Ariel looked back at John and Lance.

“Don't worry Ariel. She won't bite.” John called out to Ariel as Marissa brought to the empty room. Jessica then walked next to John. “I don't think I've seen Ariel that upset before.”

“You didn't know her when I forgot our three month anniversary. Oh she was so pissed.” John started to laugh a little bit. “She'll be fine. Both of them will. I just hope Ariel doesn't try to kill Marissa.”

“You really think she'd do that? To Marissa?” Jessica asked. “I didn't really know her long enough to know.”

“If someone said the wrong thing to her, she would get aggressive. But I'm confident that Marissa will calm her down if she accidentally says the wrong thing. She's been through worse. She's lived through worse. A lot worse than Ariel.” John then turned his attention to Lance who tried not to get noticed by anyone. “Hey Lance! Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah sure. What's up?” Lance headed towards John as he walked out the room.

“So Christian told us about your time here as a guard.” John said, as soon as Lance caught up to him. “About Bailey.”

Lance stopped on his tracks and looked at John. “Bailey...I haven't thought about her in months. If you're wondering if I killed her, you're right.” John clenched his fist and pinned Lance against the wall with his arm on his neck.

“I trusted you with Marissa and she even defended you! You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I deliver my own brand of justice.”

“Ok. You want to know why I did it? Why I earned that name in the Rebellion?” Lance pulled himself out of John's headlock and walked towards the window nearby. “She was unique in the girls Ryan brought us from the other room. Bailey was cute, smart, blonde, and almost like my wife. She was taken by Ryan when she first came. Never saw her since.” Lance sighed. “My unit, the Hell Hounds, were assigned to escort her to the labs. But in the transport, she started having seizures, and went into cardiac arrest. My squad mate saved her but at a cost. The medicine she gave her, Bailey had an allergic reaction to. She called on me specifically to get closer to her. She whispered in my ear and gave me a simple request.”

“She wanted you to end her suffering. Was it that bad?”

“Yes. I ordered my men to call in Bailey had died on the way to the labs while I made her death as painless as possible. I knocked her out and then gave her a small overdose of Sphinx, a sedative used to slow the heart. She didn't suffer. I didn't want to kill her but if I could've saved her, I would've. But now here we are. With you, John, the guy I just met who trusted me with his girl. The girl who you care about so much. Why? Why trust a stranger?”

“Marissa has the heart of a million people. She automatically sees the good in people. And I trust her judgment. So if she trusted you enough to not hurt her, I'll trust you.”

“Thanks John. You know for not throwing me into the cages again.”

“Just prove Marissa right then we'll be even.”

Inside the room, Marissa took a seat on the bed and patted the space next to her. “Well come on Ariel. We're not gonna get anywhere if you're standing.” Marissa then scooted over and let Ariel get next to her.

“I don't know what we're going to talk about. I mean, I already know John left me for you.” Ariel got on the bed and looked at Marissa.

“Can I ask you a question Ariel?” Ariel nodded her head. “Do you still love John? Even after he showed up here with me? I won't be offended if you say yes. I can understand why. He is a sweet guy.”

Ariel cleared her throat. “These past ten months, I was all alone, thinking about him. I still kept the pictures we took at that little camera place down the block from where we used to live. All the gifts he gave me including that dust bunny. Of course I still love him but now that he's with you...I don't know anymore. I guess I can't really blame him. If I saw him being picked up by Ryan and dropping him in her mouth, I'd think he was dead too.” Ariel began to sob a little bit. “But now he's moved on. I won't blame him for going to you. You're sweet and everything he needs. I mean, I'd never do this. He doesn't need me anymore. Just tell me one thing, does he treat you right?”

“He treats me like a queen. Although I try really hard to get him to not do it so often. It makes me feel spoiled.” Marissa laughed a tiny bit.

“That's good.” Ariel sighed and wiped some tears off her face. “I think John's always wanted a girl like you. Sweet, willing to help him through anything, and most of all, good to him. You two are great together. At least from what I've seen.”

“And you're not? I mean sure, John's told me you could aggressive sometimes but your heart was always in the right place.” Marissa then leaned back on the bed. “It feels nice to be here. I know your home isn't in the best condition but it still seems nice. People here are nice.” Ariel then laid down with Marissa.

“Yeah. We used to full of hope and light in our little home. Trust me, when we're done with Ryan, things will go back to the way they were. Where we live under a protective group of Rangers rather than ones that oppress us. A goddess that didn't know we were here.” Ariel then closed her eyes to try and relax.

“I'm gonna go now. Good chat by the way. I think you and I will be good friends.” Ariel chuckled a little bit as Marissa got us to the door. “What?”

“Nothing. Just thinking about the good times again.” Marissa didn't see anything wrong with the comment so she left the room to let Ariel have it for herself.

“Hey Jessica!” Marissa called to Jessica who was still standing by the console where she was left. She still had John's jacket on to keep herself warm. “Where'd John go?”

“He went to go find you two a room. I think I can show you where he's at.” Jessica got up and started walking towards the door that they originally came into. Marissa followed close behind.

“Did you and Ariel have a nice chat?” Jessica asked.

“I believe so. She said she's gonna let John move on with me. And she said I was sweet and good for John.”

“Well he needs you more than you think. You didn't know him when you first got here but when Ariel was taken away, John spent most of his time in his tent, sobbing over her. You want to know what it took to get him out?”

“Hmm?” Marissa walked a tiny bit faster to catch up with Jessica. She then stopped in her tracks and turned to Marissa.

“It was you. You're the glue that's keeping him together.” Jessica looked over Marissa's shoulder and saw John standing in a doorway a few feet away, staring at the two girls. “Oh there he is Marissa.” Marissa turned around.

“You two good? Talk some sense into her?” John said, starting to walk to Marissa.

“I think I did. But maybe you two need to have a heart to heart one day. Settle this before it turns sour. Last thing we need is a jealous ex girlfriend. I've been in a few relationships that ended with one of us not exactly getting the hint. I don't want that for us. Maybe Ariel and you can still be friends.”

“Can it wait a few days? We need to focus on the problem at hand. Ryan. After that is sorted out, we'll do that.”

“You promise? You know what I'll do if you break a promise.” Marissa got closer to John, smiling a little bit as she looked at him.

“I know. I know. I'll talk to her. Now, come on. I've already set up most of our things in here.” Marissa stood on her tiptoes to see over John's shoulder. “We've had a long day. Why don't we just relax? Deal?”

“Yeah.” Marissa looked behind her to Jessica. “”Hey Jess, you want to stay with us? I think we have enough space in here. Right?”

John looked down slightly at Marissa. She knew he couldn't resist her puppy dog eyes she gave him when he wanted something. “Yeah, I think we have plenty to room for you Jess. I think we can ask for a blanket for you.”

Jessica blushed a little bit. “You two are good people.” Jessica then handed John back his jacket as she walked to the room. “Both of you spoil me.”

“It's not a problem.” Marissa said to her.

“Hey Jess, before I forget and him end up hating me for forgetting, Jerry wanted to talk to you. Make sure we got here alright.” John said as he welcomed her into their room.

“Yeah, he told me in case you forgot. I already talked to him. Thanks anyway.”

“Anyway, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to. We'll be here for you.” Marissa said as she handed her a pillow. “I mean, John and I have the bed….you'll sleep on the floor. Sorry.”

“It's fine. I think I can sleep on the floor for a few days. It'll remind me of high school.” Both of them looked at her. “In high school, Ryan and I shared a room. She got the bed and I got the floor. This was long before she discovered the colony. We were friends back then. The best of friends. Before I knew she could be like this.”

“What are you gonna do if the thing works?” John asked. “You know, to shrink Ryan to our size.”

“Just one thing.” Jessica set her stuff by the bed. “I'm gonna punch her in the face. Payback for what she did to me, you, Marissa, Jerry, everyone she hurt. She's no longer the friend I knew. That friend is gone. Replaced by a monster. The Ryan I grew up with would never do this. Any of this.”

It had been a few days since the refugees arrived in the colony. Ariel, to keep up her appearance, would leave everyday to go to Ryan and gather information for the Resistance. The plan was almost a few hours from ignitions and everyone was excited to see the goddess they feared for months brought down to size.

Jessica had gone to help the new girls get accustomed to the new life of not being experimented on. Even the scientists that had been part of the experiments on them volunteered to help them recuperate from them seeing only the worst side of the colony. This left John and Marissa alone in the room, time to just talk. Something they haven't done since the day before they left.

“So is your home as good as you remember?” Marissa asked, she hugged John on their bed. She cuddled with him as got closer to him.

“Well, I don't remember it being this cold but maybe because I was used to it.” John then brought the blanket that was to the right onto Marissa. “Hey, as soon as Ryan is gone, why don't you and I try to find a nice house. I think I remember hearing that there's great houses in the center of the city. Great view of everything. After this is all done, I'll show you. I'll let you pick out the house too.”

“Really? I've never picked out a house before. This is gonna be exciting. Can the house be any color? Any color at all?” Marissa looked at John enthusiastically.

“Any color you want. Just find a house you want, I'll get it for us.” Suddenly the door opened up to have Christian in full body armor.

“John! There you are.” Christian had been looking for him a few minutes.

“What'd you need Christian?” John let go of Marissa and stood up.

“We're just about ready. We need everyone on deck.” Christian was then about to leave the doorway until he heard John shout.

“I'll be ready. See you then.” John then turned to Marissa and sat back down in front of her.

“I know what this is.” Marissa said.

“Really?” John grabbed Marissa's hands and brought them together. Marissa giggled slightly.

“Ok. Maybe I don't. What is it?”

“You know my part in the operation right?” Marissa nodded slightly. “I just want to let you know, if I don't come back…” Marissa stopped John right where he was. She didn't need to hear it.

“Don't say things like that. It's gonna be just like home. You've lived through worse back then. Elise, me, Natasha. You're gonna come back. And when you do, we'll get a house and live out our lives. Together, just like you said.” Marissa got on the floor with John and hugged him. “Please don't go.”

“I have to and you know that. When I come back, we'll buy that house. We'll finally settle down and maybe, start something new.” John stood up, bringing Marissa up with him. “Would you like that for us?” Marissa started to tear up a little.

“I'd love to have that for us.” Marissa then hugged John again.

“Then let's do this.” John said as he brought Marissa to the door. He opened the door and stepped out. “Whatever happens out there….I love you.”

“I love you too.” Marissa then watched John run to the control room. As Marissa watched John run down the hallway, she whispered to herself. “Good luck.”

“Jerry, you here?” Christian asked to Jerry who was over the comms, waiting in Jaylin's palm. When Jaylin first had this plan explained to her, she was a little hesitant to go through with it but this soon faded away after some changes to the plan were made and a little persuading on Jerry's part, she was on board fully.

“Yes sir. I'm here. So is Jaylin.” Jerry responded.

“That's good. Here's the plan. Group Alpha will be the distraction. Cause chaos in the colony. Make sure you get the guards attention stationed at the wall or else the whole plan goes to hell. Group Beta is the team that will deliver the package to Jaylin. She will then drop the pill into Ryan's drink. That's when Beta team will bring her back here and prepare her cell.” The room all nodded their heads in understanding. “Get suited up. Alpha will wear the light masks. Prepare smoke grenades, Molotovs, everything that you'll need to cause as much chaos as possible. But there is one rule! Do not, I repeat, do not damage personal property. If it has the New Rangers logo on it, go nuts.”

“When does Jaylin come in this? So I can tell her the role she has.” Jerry asked.

“As soon as Beta team is at the drop zone is when you'll have Jaylin go next door to pick up the pill and have Ryan swallow it. Tell her to be creative. Whatever gets Ryan to our size. Got it Jerry?” Christian said over the comms to Jerry.

“Understood sir. We'll be here, ready for orders.” Jerry said, signing off.

“Very good. Get into your groups and prepare for the mission.” Christian then dismissed the soldiers and turned off the hologram. “John! Ariel! You're with me!” Christian called out to the group. The two then ran to the front and got next to Christian.

“Glad to see you two aren't trying to kill each other. Now, we're going to deliver the package to Jaylin. After that, it's Jaylin's job to make sure she swallows it. To get there, we're gonna take the long way to avoid getting shot at. Once we're through the exit, we're going hang a right and deliver it Jaylin. Understand?” Both of them nodded. “Good. Get set up and ready to go. We're going right after we hear the first signs of chaos. Get your gear on. Come on John, I'll get you set.” Christian said as he walked to the armory go get John set. “Ariel, make sure Atheon is ready. We'll be there in a few minutes.” Ariel then saluted Christian and walked away from the pair.

“Is getting the armor necessary? It's not gonna do anything against Ryan.”

“Was the armor necessary when you were with the Rangers? No. It may not be against Ryan but here in the colony, it's vital. The New Rangers are brutal here. I mean, you've seen the victims before. They try not to send anyone to Ryan but that doesn't change anything. They'll use whatever doesn't kill us. Which is why we wear full body armor. Here's your chest piece, your gauntlets and finally, I'll let you pick out your own helmet.” John slipped on the chest armor and then the gauntlets.

“I think I'll get this one. It's got a cool design. I think Marissa would like this.” The helmet John picked out was an all black helmet but it had small streaks of reflective blue on the sides. As for the visor, it was solid gold with it fading into the breathing areas. “Her favorite color’s blue.” John laughed a little bit. He then popped it on and faced Christian.

“Looks good. Let's go.” Christian then started walking towards the exit, where all the soldiers were heading. “So, I never did ask. How's Marissa taking this? I've been curious as to what the affects are from the pill.”

“Back home, when Ryan shrunk her, we brought her home and she was extremely terrified. Finding out you're gonna be tiny for the rest of your life will do that to someone. We comforted her for everything she needed. We found that the victims would tend to develop some forms of paranoia and nightmares But those faded away after a few days. Although Julianna’s symptoms lasted about three weeks after she was shrunk.”

“Oh yes. Julianna. Sweet girl. Likes to hang out with Natasha right?”

“Yeah. Natasha was the first one we rescued after Jessica. When we brought in Julianna, they hit it off and became inseparable.” John and Christian then caught up with Ariel who was standing by the package.

“You look nice John. Wish Christian let me pick my helmet.” John bowed his head slightly to Ariel's comment.

“Like that helmet doesn't look good on you.” John then tapped the top of Ariel's helmet. “So when you sending the team out?” John asked Christian.

“Now.” Christian then got on the radio. “All insurgents, move out. Remember, only target Ranger property. Move!”

“Now we wait for the first few minutes of the chaos. Then we head over there. Give us a few minutes to embrace the calm before the storm. Maybe even say our goodbyes for the last time.” Christian said, leaning on the pill that was put on a cart that was surprisingly light. Light enough to push anyway.

“I already said my goodbyes to Marissa. I'm ready to leave whenever you two are.” John then started walking around the pill as he heard the first gunshots, indicating the plan was underway. The trio heard shouting, some gunfire and even some fires starting.

“Timer starts now. If Lance’s plan gets the guards off our backs, we should have a straight shot to the drop zone.”

On the outside, the riots have started. Everyone except the trio in Beta team was apart of the destruction team. Their job was just to cause as much chaos as possible. That was their primary objective but the secondary objective was to find the General. He was reportedly somewhere near the center of the colony, being guarded by some of the most feared guards in the colony.

Lance lead the Alpha team and walked them to a New Ranger blockade. This was obviously due to the attack on the Science building performed earlier in the week. Lance had denounced his allegiance to the New Ranger cause when he arrived to the Rebel base. He longer believed what he had been taught. He had a new outlook on this colony. One he hasn't had in months.

“Sir!” One guard turned around and saw Lance all by himself. “You can't be over here. It's a restricted area until we can get this fixed. Please, go back to your home.” The guard the saw Lance raise up his hands. “Did you not hear me punk?” The guard then walked up to Lance.

“Now!” Lance shouted as he got down on the ground to shield himself from the rebels attack. He used his long coat to cover his face as he heard the first bits of gunfire and shouting. The rebels were placed on the buildings around, ready to open fire on the guards just ten feet below them. When they heard the signal, they went out of hiding and opened fired on the guards down below. They threw everything they had at the ten guards they saw. Gunshots rang around the colony, signaling the beginning of the riots.

There were cryers meant to run around the colony, alerting people of the upcoming attack on the Rangers that belittled them. The rebellion knew that with the numbers they currently had, they wouldn't last against the New Rangers. But with the colony behind them, they stood a chance.

“You're good Lance.” A voice on the radio called to Lance. He then stood up and got the dust off his jacket. He then walked over to guard who was still alive after he had a bullet in his leg.

“You bastard! You're ruining everything we worked for!”

“What? Suppressing the people who used to look up to us? See us as heroes!” Lance then got on the ground, kneeling before the fallen guard. “I used to be like you. Thinking we ruled the colony. But maybe you can be reborn. Be better than what you are now.”

“I'd rather die than lose my power! We earned this! Ryan gave us this power!”

“By the monster who took killed our families?! Do you even have a heart anymore?” Lance brought the wounded guard up to his face as he signaled the rebels to move up. “I want you to think about this when you're talking to a tribunal.” Lance then dropped the guard back down as he handed him to another rebel. “Be careful with him. He knows things I don't. Like where the General is hiding.” Lance then kneeled down and grabbed a rifle that a guard had thrown on the ground after he was killed by the rebels. He cocked it and fired it in a three round burst, screaming as he did so. “Let's do this.” He said to himself as he followed the block of soldiers heading around the colony.

Around him, he could hear doors opening with both men and women pulling anything they fashioned as a weapon. All around the colony, people who were too afraid to speak up and act against the ruthless dictatorship rose up from the ashes like a phoenix. These people were ready to fight and hungry for victory. They were ready to fight back against the ruthlessness of the New Rangers.

“Lance, how we looking over there?” John called out on the radio.

“We're doing well for the first few minutes. Got the people behind us. Should be ready to move forward in a few minutes. Maybe even less.” Lance then fired the rifle at a building where he saw a sniper, waiting for his chance to take out a rebel.

“Good luck. We're moving out now.” John said as Ariel, Christian and him boarded the truck carrying the pill.

“You too. Tell Ariel I said goodbye too. Alright?” Lance said as he ran to a group of rebels.

“Yeah. I got you. See you on the other side.” John the hung up and looked at the pair. “You two ready to move out?” They both nodded. “Let's do this then. I've been waiting to get her back after what did to us.”

“We all have. Let's move. Do not want to waste this opportunity.” Christian said as he got into the driver's seat. Ariel then got in middle seat while John got in the passenger side. Christian then turned on the small car they were in and opened the garage door. He then floored it out and headed out towards their target, hoping that Lance’s plan worked, ending all of their misery.

“Attention! Attention!” Lance called on one of the Rangers broadcast beacons. They were set up to broadcast propaganda for the New Ranger brand and to instill fear into the colonists. “You no longer have to be afraid. Of Ryan! Of the New Rangers! Of anyone anymore. Join our cause! Join the rebe-” The feed was cut off. Lance’s voice no longer echoed through the colony.

“They cut the connection sir.” A rebel said to Lance.

“Digitally?” Lance asked.

“Yes sir. I can track where the origin is.” Lance nodded and the rebel got to work.

The General’s penthouse

“I want all of this shit shut down. We don't need Ryan coming in here and seeing this. Think about what she'll do to us.” The General sat in his penthouse overlooking the chaos down below him. He saw a few explosives go off every now and again. The ringing shots of gunfire always filled the air of the colony.

A women in all black armor minus a helmet which she had in her right hand and a remote device in the left entered the room. It was Miss Davis, commander of the Hyperion Guards. She came up to the general. “Sir, we're getting a few disturbances with the broadcasting system. The rebellion has managed to get past our firewall.”

“Shut them down. All of them. We don't need any more lies that they're spreading. Got it?” The General said as he picked up a cup of liquor.

The women pressed a few buttons on her remote and there was silence in the colony for a split second. “Already done sir. Anything else?”

“Round them up in the center of the colony. I don't want anyone going past 5th street. Understand?” The General asked Davis.

“I understand fully sir. I shall prepare my men.”

“Good. Now go. Kill this resistance once and for all. I'll feed them to Ryan personally at this rate.”

“Yes sir.” The woman said as she left the room, sealing the door behind her. The women then popped on her helmet when exited the “Pero, get the team ready. We're gonna get our feet wet.”

“Yes mistress.” Pero said, the second in command of the Hyperion guard. “Get ready boys! We're going out!”

“One more thing Davis.” The general said over the comms on her helmet. “If you fail, and your team lives, I will personally send you each and everyone of the team down Ryan's throat.” The general smashed an empty glass against a wall, showing his frustration.

“I understand general. I won't fail you or Ryan. This I promise you. This rebellion will wish they were never born when my team and I are done with them.”

“I hope you're right. Your life depends on it.” By this time, Miss Davis was in the garage where her Hyperions were located and getting ready for the mission ahead of them.

Miss Davis looked at her guard who were getting their armor on. She surveyed from right to left and noticed the rookie of the squad struggling to get his gauntlets on. She walked over to him and grabbed both gauntlets and slapped them onto his wrists.

“I know you're a rookie but enemy doesn't know that. Show that you're one of us. If you don't, I'll personally feed you to Ryan and get a replacement. Understand me rookie?” Miss Davis looked at him with no remorse. “When I or Pero address you rookie, we expect an answer. Do you understand?”

“Yes mistress!” Allen yelled to her.

“Very good. Now get your rifle and form up!” Allen grabbed his weapon and threw on his helmet which had a pin up style of Ryan with the phrase ‘Do it for my colony!’ under his visor and breathing apparatus. It was a new addition since his last deployment on the outside. Thorn, as soon as he recovered from his injuries from the previous mission, had added it. Allen then got into one of the two lines of Hyperion guards next to Slit, his usual partner.

Miss Davis then got in the front of the formation and put her helmet on. “Troops, l have hope that we will defeat this rebellion. If we fail, our merciful goddess will punish us all. Remember, kill any rebel on sight. Show no mercy. Now let's ride gentleman.” Miss Davis then pressed the button and the garage opened up.

Allen, who was in the back hesitant to join the Hyperion guard when he was offered the role nearly a month ago. He was brought on to the guard due to his unrivaled method of dealing with protesters of Ryan's colony. He was replacing the guard who was killed in line of duty almost two months ago during a rebel engagement for control of a remote Ranger base outside the colony. In his funeral, he was given a ceremony that ended with Ryan giving him one tear to send him off into the afterlife. Afterwards, Ryan consumed his body as sign of respect and appreciation of his work serving her. It was quite the show of respect for her guards.

After much consideration and pressure from Miss Davis and Pero, Allen took the offer to replace the now dead guard. He left his security job guarding the new entrance of the colony. Unintentionally however, this gave Christian an easier time to get closer to Ariel, setting this whole thing in motion.

His name was now HG-0010 due to him being the newest member of the squadron. Personally, he never really cared about Ryan's occupation of the colony. As long as he stayed a ranger when she took over, he didn't care. That was until he joined the guard of the most brutal men and women in the New Rangers. Now he was starting to see what the rebels were starting to see. And there still lingered the sight of the shrunken human girl in his mind. The one he promised he’d release from her prison.

On the field

“Found the origin sir.” The rebel said as he dodged a few bullets as he ran from his safe position behind a building to where Lance was. Lance was propped behind an overturned desk that offered a surprising amount of cover and safety.

“Where is it?” Lance then brought his weapon up and blind fired it into the guards in front of him.

“Fourth street and Seri street. About a ten minute walk from here. You know, if it wasn't for the guards all around the colony.”

“I've heard of the address before. I know that address.” A guard then came from above the desk. Lance grabbed him and shot him. “I know it! It's the General’s home. How about a few of us go and uhh...pay him a visit?” The rebel nodded as he called over a few others.

“Where we going sir?” A rebel in a green and yellow helmet asked.

“We're gonna make sure the General has a proper welcome to the new colony we're making here.” Lance called out to the five rebels. They all nodded their heads. “Then let's move. Out the alley!” Lance then lead the rebels towards an alleyway, in the general direction of where they were heading.

“You're sure this is the way sir?” A rebel called out as the group of five turned a corner of a building.

“You know a better way Parsh?” The rebel, Parsh remained silent as they continued running towards the General's home.

Back in the truck, the trio was just about to get to the exit of the colony. “Look! Lance’s plan worked!” Ariel pointed to the empty security entrance that would normally be filled with guards.

“Now let's fill our part of the bargain!” Christian then floored it and plowed through the gates separating them from the metal door. “John, radio Jerry to send Jaylin in. We're just about ready.” John nodded and got on the radio.

“Jerry. Do you copy?”

“John? You guys ready for us?” Jerry responded back.

In Jaylin's room, Jerry was preparing Jaylin for the plan ahead. She was scared, nervous to meet Ryan again.

“Jaylin! Are you ready?” Jerry called out to Jaylin who was sitting on her bed. She was in her casual wear without any shoes on. Occasionally, she would move her toes to show herself that she was still in her body. She was nervous. If she failed, it meant the colony's only hope goes down the drain. She didn't need to sacrifice any more girls lives. She took a deep breath in and out. She then looked at Jerry who was sitting by her feet. She nodded her head and picked him up.

“Jaylin, I can understand that you're afraid of what'll happen in that room but you have to understand this is for our home. Our people that Ryan has taken from our peaceful lives.”

“It doesn't make me any less nervous.” Jaylin put Jerry on her shoulder. He then got intermingled with Jaylin's hair so he wouldn't fall off while she walked.

“Don't worry Jaylin. You'll do great. When we win, you'll be a hero to everyone in the colony. I can see it now. ‘Jaylin the Merciful’. You like the sound of that?”

“Let's get through this ok? I don't want to get your people's hopes up if I fail.” Jaylin then made sure she had everything before she began to make her way to Ryan's room. “I think I have everything. Let's go.”

“John, Jaylin is on the move. We're heading for the room. Be ready.” Jerry called on the radio as Jaylin walked out of her room and into the hallway.

“Copy that. Tell Jaylin that the pill is going to be where the entrance is. Good luck.”

“You too.” Jerry then looked at Jaylin. She was still nervous. “Jaylin. Can I tell you something?”

“Hmm?” Jaylin said as she was about to knock on Ryan's door.

“Try to act like you belong here. Try to be confident when you see her. But as soon as you pick up the pill, I want you to make her swallow it. If she fights back, then you fight even harder. You understand?”

“Yes I understand. And what about you? What if she sees you?”

“Don't worry about me. I'll be hidden while you do your part of the mission. I'll be fine.” Jerry said as Jaylin began knocking on the door.

“Coming!” Ryan called out as she was just finishing off her snack for the day which consisted of a protein bar, a glass of water and finally to top it off, about ten or twenty slaves. This kept her focused and full for pretty much the whole day.

The trio in the truck heard Ryan open the door. They all looked at each other and nodded. Christian reignited the engine and drove through the metal door. This then gave them the opportunity to look at Ryan's room. The room they feared to go into. But then they turned their heads and saw Jaylin talking to the owner of the room.

“I think it's now or never.” Ariel said as Christian took a right and unhitched the giant pill from the back of it. John and Ariel got out of the truck and prepared it for Jaylin to pick it up. John looked at the two giant girls as he and Ariel pushed it towards the wall. He was ready for revenge. This wouldn't just be for Marissa and the other girls she shrunk, this was vengeance for the colony that she stole and claimed for her own.

Ariel then put her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his hallucination. “You ready?” John nodded his head and looked back at the girls still at the doorway. “Tell Christian to get the truck back inside the colony. We don't need her noticing it and the plan going to hell.” Ariel then ran to the cab of the truck and told Christian.

“Jerry, tell Jaylin to distract Ryan just a little bit longer. Copy?”

“Got it. Jaylin, distract her a little bit longer. The setup team needs more time.” Jaylin was busy talking to Ryan about her life. She had gotten comfortable talking to her so she didn't really need permission to distract her anymore.

“John! I've gotten confirmation that Lance has captured the general in his penthouse. Patching you in now.” Christian said as he reversed the truck back into the wall they came from.

“John! Glad you came!” Lance’s video feed was broadcasted directly into John HUD. In front of him was the general, tied up in a chair and in a dark and shot up room that had flames around them.

“Lance, mission on our end in going smoothly. What about yours?”

“Great. Just need the general here to order his men to stand down. Then we'll be getting somewhere.”

“I'll never do that! Do you have any idea what you are doing here? If she finds out that there's a revolution, she'll kill us all!” The general said as one of the rebels brought up a pistol to his head. “You can't kill me!”

“And why's that?” Lance said as he pulled out his sidearm and put it in the General's face as well. “Oh I get it. You're too important to Ryan aren't you?” The general nodded in agreement.

“Exactly! If she finds out you killed me, she'll go on a rampage looking for my killers.” Lance then cocked his sidearm.

“You really think that? Well, what if I told you that's complete and total b.s? That she doesn't care about a single one of us! She only sees us all as one thing. Disposable. To her, we're nothing but slaves. Made to do her bidding. And as for you, you're just a pawn like the rest of your guards.”

“Lance, don't kill him. When this is over, we might need him. Just keep him alive for at least, an hour.” Christian said as he parked the truck in the colony and ran back out.

“You have no idea how long I've waited to get my revenge on him.” Lance then flipped his head camara off, leaving him and his men alone with the General.

“Jerry, you're good. Bring her in.” John said as all three of them rushed to camouflage that Ariel had set up.

“You want to come inside?” Ryan asked. “I was just about ready to have lunch. You want some? I made my mom’s special ham and cheese casserole. I think you'll like it a lot.” Run said as she walked by the three tiny people as well as the small white pill by the wall. She just kept walking towards the kitchen.

“It's working. She ignored the pill.” John said, peeking a little out of the camouflage. “Jerry, Jaylin, you see the pill?”

“Looking….looking….there it is. Right there Jaylin.” Jerry pointed to a broken part of the wall. Jaylin then reached down and picked up the pill and clenched her fist to conceal it.

“Whenever you're ready Jaylin. No pressure or anything.” John said as he watched pick up the pill.

“So this is the girl you're putting the colony’s future in? Doesn't look like she can hurt a dust bunny.” Ariel commented. “Let alone the great goddess Ryan.”

“Will you relax? She's perfectly capable of dealing with Ryan.” John then whispered to himself. “I hope.”

In the General's penthouse

“Looks like I'm in charge now.” Lance said as he lowered his sidearm and pulled up a chair. He put it directly in front of the General and looked at him intensely.

“I'm still in charge here! There's only one person I listen to and that is goddess Ryan. The merciful! The savior of the colony! Where would we be without her! We'd be dead!” Lance then slapped him across the face.

“I want you to listen to me. The next time you talk about Ryan, it won't just be a slap to the face.” Lance pulled out his pistol and showed to the General. “See this? It's a mark 2.6 sidearm. Standard issue for the guardsmen. Have you ever wondered what it feels like to receive a bullet from one of these?” Lance pointed the barrel to the General's forehead. “Exactly. Now, order your men to stand down.”

“Lance! We got a problem in the courtyard. Hyperions.” A rebel that was on the roof called out on the radio. Lance stood up and went to the window. “Looks to be about five Hyperion guards. Heavily armed and armored. The rebels seem to be unarmed.”

He looked west and saw about fifty rebel fighters surrounded by the guardsmen. He then pounded on the glass, slightly cracking it. “Shit.”

“Looks like you're not in charge anymore son. The powerful always prevail against the weak. Now just let me go and I promise to only have my men kill half of yours.” Lance then cocked his pistol and shot the General's right knee. “Ahhh!! I thought you needed me alive!” Blood was dripping down his pant leg as he yelled out in pain.

“I do need you alive. A little bullet won't hurt you. Now, tell your men to stand down! Or your kneecap won't be the only thing that has a bullet in it.”

“Attention all resistance fighters. A cease and desist order is now in effect! Lay down your arms and no harm will come to these men and women.” Hardcase got on the broadcasting system throughout the whole colony. “Surrender now and I will personally promise all of you a minor punishment from goddess Ryan. Two months in her playhouse sounds about right. You have ten minutes to lay down your arms and turn yourselves in or we will begin executing these prisoners. Understand me? Yeah you do you rats.”

“The only way they'll stand down is Ryan sir. Phase two needs to accelerate.” A rebel said with binoculars said as he backed away from the window. “We can't just let them die.”

“I'll be back. Keep an eye on him while I'm gone. Don't kill him. That'll be my job when this is done.” Lance then headed for the elevator and went down stairs. “John, give me a sitrep on phase two. How's our girl doing?” Lance said as he left the General's tower.

“Phase two is still operational. We're not dead yet. How's your end?”

“A number of my men are cornered by Hyperion guardsmen. They said we have ten minutes before they start executing them.” Christian overheard this and got on the comms.

“Hyperions? Shit. Didn't think they would send them out. Well just stay focused on the mission.”

“Will do sir. I'm heading to your location. I've gotten what I can from our dear friend the General. ETA two minutes.”

“Copy. Just stay out of sight until necessary.”