Of all the ways Lyza could have woken up, this, by a very large margin, was the worst possible scenario. Woken up from an awful sleep by a sudden call from Roxanne, the designer was quickly aware of the absence of both Maya and her miniscule obsession, Aiden. Ready to tear into the two of them for having left her alone, especially after the previous situation of Maya nearly killing the 3-inch beta, Lyza was shocked to hear from Roxanne that the two may be in trouble. 

Shock quickly turned to fear when Roxanne explained that Maya may very well be in great danger, and by extension Aiden. Any sort of anger Lyza had felt previously was quickly forgotten as, to her knowledge, two of the few people she actually cared about were in trouble. Working under the assumption that Lynette had something to do with this, which was the actual case, Roxanne instructed Lyza to get ready as she was already on route to Maya's apartment. No argument was given as the weight of the situation was felt by both. 

Everything was coming undone faster than either woman could properly process. They were operating on sudden bursts of adrenaline, trying to make sense of everything. Even after Lyza had been picked up in some old rundown van and now sat besides Roxanne as the two of them made their way to Maya's last known position, neither could fully wrap their heads around these developments. It was Lyza who first broke through the silence. 

"What… the hell happened?" A question meant for both her and Roxanne. None of it made sense. She had only been asleep for a few hours. She asked again, more firm and aggravated than before. "Roxanne, what the fuck happened?!" 

For perhaps the first time, the taller scientist had no reasonable response. "I don't know,  this wasn't supposed to happen." Maya had done something, of that she was certain. Pissing off Lynette most likely, which likely had disastrous consequences. "This is bad… really, really bad…"

"Yeah, no shit!" Lyza remarked, her frustration continuing to rise. "Some fucking night this is! First I'm pissed at the both of them, now I need to make sure they don't die? The fuck?!"

Neither woman was concerned with each other's altered appearance. Lyza didn't care about Roxanne's return to her original appearance as well as her normal height, nor did the scientist think it appropriate to ask questions regarding Lyza's more 'beta-like' appearance. There was a time and place for everything, and right now they had larger issues to deal with. 

"How did she even get Aiden anyway?" Lyza asked, sinking into the passenger seat as she tried to calm herself down. "He's supposed to be with my sister learning anything important. And if not with her, then with you Roxy."

Roxanne felt a lump form in her throat. "About that…" Everything was falling apart just as her efforts were beginning to bear fruit. Roxanne didn't wish to tell Lyza about her true intentions until things were in order. She didn't want them to know that she had planned on replacing Josephine Minerva as head of this new world order. At least not yet. Part of the reason why she had confided in Maya her true intentions was because they'd be able to smooth out the details with the designer. In truth, it was impossible to tell if Lyza would even take such a mantle. But with Maya backing the idea, along with Aiden if he had been given the chance to know as well, she might have accepted it. Now everything has gone to shit… so Roxanne may as well come clean. 

"Maya had Aiden… because I asked her to get him for me…" 

Lyza felt silent as Roxanne continued to drive. Even if her eyes remained glued to the road, the scientist didn't need to look to see that the designer's gaze had shrunken in silent rage. 

"What…" Her voice was barely a whisper, and yet it sent chills down Roxanne's spine.  

Roxanne gripped the steering wheel tightly, preparing for something akin to divine retribution. It never came, though that did little to do away with the hole Lyza was drilling into the scientist's skull with her burning gaze.

"I lied… at least a bit." Roxanne explained. "I do what to hear of what Aiden learned, but odds are I probably know most of what he's going to say… the truth is I needed him out of my hair while I went to work on a few experiments. I asked Maya to retrieve him for me in about a week, enough time for me to wrap up my work. You sort of already saw the results of that..." 

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, while getting Six, Maya also threatened your sister." Roxanne added on, noting Lyza's disturbing lack of responses. That in itself was more chilling than any anger she might be feeling. "That might be the reason why she's in trouble. She wasn't exactly in the best mental state when I last saw her… honestly, I should have seen that as a red flag…"

She had grown too confident; too cocky, and as a result everything was blowing up in both their faces now. "Lyza look, I'm sorry I didn't tell-"

Before Roxanne could finish, Lyza's fist struck the side of the scientist's jaw. The quick strike nearly caused Roxanne to crash, prompting her to sharply turn as the sudden pain took away her previously unwavering focus. Thankfully the roads were empty at this time of night, which also served to give Roxanne room to straighten the car out before setting it into park on the side of the road. 

The moment she did however, Lyza was already upon her, both hands squeezing tightly around the scientist's throat. Roxanne was taller, and from the looks of it stronger too. Not by much, but enough to pry away Lyza's hands with some effort. But currently she was forced against the car's door, and had fallen into a painful position within the driver's seat. Lyza had her pinned quite well and was in complete control. 

"You lying, manipulative, piece of shit!" The designer's grip grew tighter; her intention quite clear. "You're dead!" 

Roxanne struggled as best she could, oxygen becoming scarce, but to no avail. "Lyza… please! Let me explain!" 

"You don't have the fucking right to-" 

"I know!" In a last ditch effort to save herself , Roxanne reached behind her back in search of the car door handle. Finding it, she managed to open it and give herself just enough room to force back Lyza. While neither woman fell out of the car, Roxanne was able to kick the designer square in the chest, the solid sole of her flats knocking the wind right out of them. 

Taking this chance, Roxanne pinned Lyza against her side of the car. They struggled fiercely, but as suspected Roxanne was the stronger of the two. She managed to keep Lyza in place, pinning them by way of gripping their wrists. 

"I'm a horrible person, I know!" Roxanne yelled. Not in self-defense, but to clear the air between the two of them. "We all are! Maya! You! Fuck, even Aiden! We're selfish and cruel! We hurt people, intentionally or not! But Lynette is worse!"

"The people she works with are worse!" While it seemed a lifetime ago now, Roxanne still recalled how those who got under the 'shadow organizations' skin would just… disappear. Everyone knew what happened, of course, but no one could question it. Even now, she recalled more than a few peers who seemingly vanished overnight. This situation with Maya, while possibly enacted by Lynette and so was more sloppy, was no different. "Minerva! Your mother! Your sister! All of them, worse than us! I never wanted to hurt Maya or Aiden. Dammit Lyza, I even consider the little guy a friend. But I'm a fucking idiot despite my intelligence. But your sister's different. She WANTS to hurt Maya, because it'll hurt YOU. We can still help them, but you need to calm down. You can hate me all you want after this is over, but I'll be damned if I let your sister get what she wants!" 

Lyza was silent, unable to think straight as Roxanne continued to hold her wrists tight. She wanted nothing more than to strangle the life out of the scientist's body. Crush their windpipe, let them choke on their own air. But as much as she hated to admit it, Lyza knew Roxanne was right. They could still help Maya and Aiden. Fighting amongst each other wasn't going to solve anything. 

Lyza's entire body shook with anger and fear. "Fuck…" she wanted nothing more than to scream into the night sky, as though that would fix everything. "FUCK! DAMMIT! FINE… fine…" The designer hung her head in defeat, forcing herself to calm down. She'd need a leveled head and a calm body for what was to come. 

"I'll keep calm…" Lyza focused on her breathing, inhaling and exhaling deeply to keep her nerves cool. While better than moments before she still felt as though she'd come apart at the slightest touch. "Just… please tell me you have a plan…"

Roxanne released her hold over Lyza, allowing them both to slide back into their seats, and smiled half heartedly. "You could say that…'' she pointed towards the back of the van, drawing Lyza's attention there for the first time. 2 to 4 silver canisters, no bigger than a thermos. In truth, they looked like something you'd take to a cafè. 

"Lovely!" Lyza sneered, unimpressed by what she saw. "We're bringing over coffee! I'm sure someone's going to need a little pep in their step…" 

"It's what I've been working on." Roxanne corrected. "It's why I needed Aiden away for a bit. While he wasn't aware of it, the little guy's helped me with this for over a year now. These last few steps though… I didn't want him to see them… not yet. Now, our hands are forced. We're going to need this if we wanna keep Maya and Aiden alive."

Lyza eyed the canisters curiously. They looked… familiar. "Hey, have I seen these before? They look an awful lot like-"

"The containers that held the original Beta formula." Roxanne finished as Lyza's eyes widened in surprise. "The very same that ended up making the world the way it is now. You can think of them as that, yes. It'd be more appropriate, however, to call these an upgrade. Thanks to Aiden's unique properties, I was able to alter the original formulae." 

"Alter in what sense?" Lyza questioned. Her only response from Roxanne was a hopeful smile.

It was incredibly tight within the vents' air ducts. For Maya, it was just a long haul through a steel sphincter. For Aiden though, it was continuous suffocation between two massive mounds of flesh. He wished Maya had placed him elsewhere other than in between her breasts. Given the circumstances, he could cut her some slack. She was working through a life and death situation, and as such couldn't care greatly over how comfortable it was between her tits. Aiden had no right to complain. 

At least his position was soft thanks to Maya's decently sized bosom. 

She was giving so much to ensure his safety. Far more than she had ever done before. So much in fact that Aiden was more than a little worried for Maya's life. She was working off of whatever endorphins her body produced; only really able to move because of that. Once that wore off she was dead in the water. Yet that didn't slow her down one bit. Maya still continued to climb through the vents, undaunted and unwilling to back down. 

Aiden felt his heart race upon witnessing such bravery. It almost made him forget the history the two of them shared. "She really does care about me, doesn't she?" So kind one moment, and then dreadfully cruel the next. For all that she's done, for every sin that she has commuted, Maya never ceased to amaze Aiden. 

Even now after he considered himself one of the few people who truly understood her, or at least had begun to, she still managed to surprise him. "And here I thought she was done with all the surprises…" 

Bravery or not, they were still stuck in a precarious situation. Maya was scared, Aiden could tell that much. From the frantic beating of her heart, he knew she was terrified. Neither of them knew if they would be able to get out of this alive. 

But they still remained hopeful… or at least Aiden did. 

Maya on the other hand was mentally berating herself for having grown so bold as to threaten Lynette. In her own home no less. 

"Way to go, idiot!" She mentally slandered. As Maya continued to crawl through the vents she groaned and moaned from the constant pain she was putting her body through. "Piss off an apparently bloodthirsty CEO, steal Aiden from under her nose. Then try and KILL said Beta because you're feeling sad. Come on, can't I do anything right?!" 

One issue after another, all brought on by her hand. Would any of this have come to pass had she not killed Josephine Minerva? Would her life have been less hectic had she never tried to kill Aiden? Perhaps things would have turned out better had she never been born. Perhaps worse. 

But now was not the time to dwell on what-ifs. 

"Keep your mind off of the past, Maya." She thought to herself. "Focus on the here and now. You've never done a single damn thing right with your life. So, just this one time, do something. If you can keep Aiden safe then maybe, just fucking maybe, it'll all have been worth it."

Bold words. Brave. Yet still a task easier said than done. Every little motion was torture; Maya couldn't think of a time where she's been hurt this badly. "Ow… this sucks…" 

Maya needed to catch her breath and stopped for a quick break as she struggled to move onto her back. "Okay Aiden, time for a breather…" there was hardly any space to move her arms without bumping them against the vent walls. At most, all she could offer her dear little Beta was the chance to crawl out from her cleavage. "You'll need to pull yourself free though if you wanna come out… can't really move my arms in here."

It took some time for Aiden to work through the mounds of flesh, his own body in pain because of Maya's previous actions. He was better at hiding it then her however, being quite accustomed to such treatment. That said, it was still taking on the Beta's arms, pulling and pushing through tons upon tons of tit flesh. 

"Let it be known, Maya…" Aiden's head popped out from in between Maya's breasts, eliciting a soft chuckle from the giantess. "That you have a killer chest…" the Beta huffed, exhausted, trying to keep his breath steady. 

Ahead, he heard Maya snort softly "Really? Jokes? Think this is the best time?" 

"It's called being optimistic…" Aiden replied as he slowly managed himself to a standing position. "I've been giving a lot of things the benefit of the doubt tonight, so let me just keep on doing that m'kay?"

"That's fair…" 

Maya's head rested against the floor of the vent. She didn't care for the grime that coveted her body or clung to her hair. She just needed a moment's rest before continuing onward. From there… she'd have to wing it. 

"...we're so fucked" 

"Yeah, probably." Aiden agreed. "Or… we could get lucky. Never know how things could go. Maybe Lynette'll call off these thugs after she thinks you've been taught a lesson. That could happen right?"

He heard Maya snicker. "Yeah, I don't think so either. But optimism and all that, just doing what I can to brighten the mood." 

"Oh, of course. We wouldn't want to ruin it further, now would we?" The two shared a laugh as they just laid there, with Maya on her back and Aiden laying against her collarbone. They are silent for some time, trying to enjoy the relatively peaceful moment. Were they to close their eyes than they could almost picture themselves somewhere else. Anywhere really, where they weren't getting shot at; Lyza's home chief among the possible images. What Maya wouldn't give to apologize to the designer one final time for being such a mistake. And Aiden actually wished he had the chance to say… he appreciated her efforts. Their relationship had started off rocky, with both being unable to stand one another. Now… there was a definite bond between the two, he won't deny that. Words unspoken for both as they weighed their chances of survival and came up short. 

"I'm going to keep you safe Aiden, I promise. It's just that…" Maya struggled to position herself upright, the cramped space making her attempt uncomfortable. Propping herself up slightly with her arms, she paid no mind to the creaking metal around her as Aiden slid slightly back onto her chest. While still scared, Maya's eyes also carried with them a sense of resignation. As though everything was unavoidable now. "If… I don't make it out of this in one piece… I want you to know that…"

"You're sorry…" Aiden cut in, already aware of where this was going. "So you have said time and time again I think. I know, Maya. Better than you may realize. And I'm sorry too…" 

Maya's brow rose in confusion. "For? There anything you've ever done that needs apologizing for?"

"Other than letting you kill so many people? Not really, no. Kinda grew used to it so long as it meant I was fine." Aiden answered honestly. "I'd say… I'm more sorry for you than anything. 

"Whatever happened in your life, the events that caused you to become who you are; do the things that you do… I'm sorry. Really, I am. Whatever it was, it must have been painful for you to turn out the way you did." 

Maya felt her heart skip a beat, and her chest suddenly felt tighter. While he was perhaps unaware of it, Aiden's words were greatly appreciated. "Thank you. That… means a lot. More than you may think." 

"I aim to please" Aiden responded with a dorkish bow. Once more it felt as though the two were dating again, just as they had in college. 

Maya needed to stifle a laugh so as to keep it from echoing throughout the building. "Riiiight, now you do." Though painful, Maya managed to pull an arm free. Just so she could pet the Beta's head with her index finger. Now Aiden decides to play nice, after so many attempts and coercions on Maya's part. "You're making it sound like I never had to force you to…" 

A sudden creak caught the duo's attention. Metallic and loud, neither knew what it was. "That doesn't sound good…" 

Another loud creak clued Maya into what was happening, along with her rear dipping lower than should be possible in such a confined space. "FUCK!"  She wasted no time, quickly wrapping her fingers around Aiden and holding him close as the air vents gave out underneath Maya's weight, having been continuously strained during her brief respite. 

Maya fell down hard in one of the old mall's shops; directly on one of its countertops. Pain leagues greater than she thought possible assaulted every cell in her body, and for a time the simple act of breathing became impossible. Maya's whole body was screaming, begging for release. From the pain, from life, from everything. It took all she had to simply catch her breath, and even then that hurt something fierce. A few bones HAD to be broken because of the fall, or at the very least sprained. Whatever the case, further moving wasn't an option at this time. Unfortunate as, thanks to her fall, Maya was certain she heard the shouting of several hired thugs, one of which was exceptionally close by. 

That wasn't her greatest concern though. Releasing her hold on Aiden, Maya was relieved to see Aiden unharmed. A miracle to be sure, as that fall had wracked Maya's whole body. She was afraid that she had squeezed her hand too hard, and thus crushed the Beta as a result. Thankfully that wasn't the case, and even if a little her spirits were lifted. 

"Maya, are you okay?!" Aiden asked. A rather pointless question as, upon asking it, Maya started daggers at him. He promptly shut up. 

"No, of course I'm not!" She tried to move, which only served to cause her back to pop. Maya recoiled from the sudden pain, unable to so much as arch upwards and sit. "Dammit! DAMMIT! Shit!" Well and truly stuck, Maya could only lay and wait as a set of footsteps grew closer. Likely the thugs already knew she was missing, as well as having killed one of their own. 

"Wait… waitwaitwait, where is…" Maya frantically looked around, turning her neck left to right as she tried to find what she was looking for. Then she saw it, to her left, resting on the floor. "There's the damn gun!" 

Placing Aiden on the counter, Maya practically threw herself onto the floor, gritting her teeth the entire time as she worked through the horrible pain afflicting her body. Another sharp crack signaled the spraining or breaking of something else, but Maya didn't care. 

Holding the firearm in one hand, Maya used the other to pull herself up to a standing position; wanting to cry as it hurt the entire time she stood and waited.  Raising the gun to eye level, Maya made sure the safety was off before pointing the pistol straight ahead. Never in her life has she used a firearm, even one as small as the pistol she currently held. Ever a fan of knives over other weapons, Maya never had a need for a gun.

Now she was regretting her preference in martial weapons as she couldn't keep her hands from shaking. Combine her fear with the cold and her sights were dreadfully off. The sound of footsteps grew closer until it seemed someone was just a few feet away from the door. Closing her eyes, Maya fired twice and prayed as a bullet flew by and grazed her cheek. 

That was the only return fire as, after missing her first shot, Maya's second found purchase. Opening her eyes she was astonished to see the corpse of her would-be killer, at the entrance of the old store and dead on the ground; killed instantly by a lucky shot to the head. Had their aim been even a little more accurate than they'd have taken Maya out before dying. 

"I got him…" Maya huffed as she let her gun arm fall to her side. Another dead thug, out of who knows how many, killed by her using a gun that the others likely heard. Still, Maya had hit her mark.

Even if it was by complete luck. 

"That's… awesome…" Maya fell to her knees, fatigue finally catching up to her. "Kinda badass really…"

This was it. The end of the road. While faint, she could still hear dozens of footsteps, like a small stampede, all headed her way. She didn't know where in the old mall she was, but it was certainly close to where she had woken up, meaning everyone was nearby. Maya looks to Aiden, noticing how he too is realizing the fact that they've run out of options. No more running, no more bidding. This was the end. 

"You can still run, you know?" Maya suggested with a weak, bloody smile. "Hide away, stay safe… would mean the world to me if you did seeing as that's what I want for you…" 

Struggling to maintain his optimistic composure, Aiden met Maya's smile with one of his own. "And let you leave again? That's the whole reason why I'm even in this mess. This time you aren't going anywhere without me… so deal with it. I'm not going anywhere."

Maya's smile revered faded. In fact, it only grew wider as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "I know… and thank you anyway… for staying with me." 

The pair closed their eyes, accepting the inevitable as the footfall grew louder and louder. With her hand on the counter, Maya felt the small touch of Aiden holding onto her index finger. She held onto that touch, wanting it to be the last thing she felt before being sent to hell. 

"Let's get this over with."

One second passed

And then two

With each passing moment of nothing happening, their ends were delayed as rather than footfalls, all the two began to hear were thuds and crashes a dozen feet away. Up above, the vents began to hiss, going live after years of being inoperative. 

Opening her eyes slightly, Maya quickly took notice of an odd green vapor exiting the vent she had fallen through. 

"That's…" Her eyes grew wider as she quickly recognized the gas spreading throughout the mall. Relief flooded Maya's body. It's just as Aiden had said before, they got lucky. 

Maya felt herself ready to cry, elated to have had her life saved. It had to be Roxanne who pulled through and came to their aid. She had gotten their message. In all honesty, Maya hadn't expected it to work. And even if it did, they shouldn't have been able to find her.

Questions for later as, right now, Maya lamented the fact she couldn't jump in joy. 

She still felt Aiden's hand upon her finger and smiled. "We made it… Aiden, we actually made it!" 

Maya felt good. Despite everything that's happened to her, all the pain she's endured, it didn't even bother her at the moment. In fact, it felt as though she couldn't feel anything. Like her whole body was numb. 

Placing both hands on the counter top, Maya tried to catch her breath, now noticing how difficult it was to breathe. Her smile faltered slightly as she noticed her chest felt peculiarly tight. She was panting heavily as sweat began to build up and fell from her face. 

Droplets of sweat splashed around Aiden who, now knowing death had been averted, looked up at Maya in concern. "Hey… you good? You seem kind of winded." Not just that… her jacket seemed larger as well. 

"Yeah, yeah, I feel fine…" Maya kept her smile, trying to play off the odd occurrence. "Great now that I'm not getting shot at… just, is it hot in here? Feels hot… at least I think it does. The inside of my body feels hotter than the outside, ya know?"

Maya was rambling; her mind racing. "But hey, I can move my arm now. Just watch." Raising her arm slightly up, Maya quickly noticed how her sleeve seemed too long. "That's… odd." 

She took a step back, tripping on her own currently oversized shoes. 

"Maya?!" Aiden could only watch as, before his very eyes, the impossible was happening. 

"So that's what's happening." Surprisingly calm, Maya realized what was going on as her clothes began to grow heavier. "Didn't think this could actually happen. Hey, aren't Betas supposed to pass out during this? Feels weird to not be doing that." It wasn't long before her clothes began to envelope her body and blocked off her sight. 

"At least my body feels numb," Maya thought. "The shock from actually shrinking would probably kill me in this state…" 

Maya couldn't tell how small she had gotten, only that she couldn't get her jacket off of her. Has it always been this heavy? 

"Guess I'll just stay here then… maybe… maybe take a nap." After everything that happened, and was still happening, Maya could certainly use one. 

"One step forward, two steps back. She told herself. "Things could certainly be worse. Well, probably, I guess."

"Just like Aiden said, gotta stay optimistic."

The beta above looked down at the like of clothes that once used to fit so nicely around Maya, now a lake of garments that concealed her form. For whatever reason she hadn't climbed out yet. Was she alright? Was she dead?! 

"Maya!" 

The now shrunken woman's voice yelled out loud and clear. "Christ, this floor's fucking COLD!" 

No, not dead. Just choosing a poor spot to rest.