Mika thumbed through his father’s journal, frowning at some of the smudged ink on the pages. Considering what it had been through, the leather-bound tome had held up fairly well over the years. With Emilia in the group locating the temples using his father’s own musings was no longer necessary, but he’d still found himself glancing through it now and again during the long train ride.

He smirked as he found a small passage, hastily scrawled in pencil in a margin.

Talked about Egypt with Mika today, similarities and differences to what we’re seeing here. Need to remember to take him to see the Pyramids when this is over.

Mika chewed his lip, trying to recall the memory, but nothing came. Even with Emilia’s magic washed away, there were still some things too far distant in the past to recall. He closed the old book, sliding it into the disheveled backpack that had seen several continents at this point, and with a sigh he glanced at Emilia. The Neko’s hair twitched slightly, almost unnoticeable, unless you knew that there was a feline ear beneath the blond wig she wore.

Emilia noticed his look, smiling uncomfortably, and Chloé subtly shifted closer to Mika as the train clacked along the tracks.

“We should be at the station soon,” Emilia said quietly, glancing out at the passing Bulgarian countryside. The rolling green hills and forests had changed less over the last century than many of the places Emilia had been, and she recognized a few of the hamlets nestled in the valleys as they passed.

“I’ve got to say,” Oklahoma chuckled, sliding into the booth next to Emilia, “I’ve never been one for trains, but this was nice. I don’t suppose you’ve got a luxury cruise ship lined up to take us to our next stop?”

Emilia smirked, “Unfortunately not, but my private yacht is docked on the far side of the Bosporus strait. We can take it south, refuel in Cyprus, and then continue on to Egypt. It doesn’t carry a regular staff, so we’ll have to cook our own meals.”

“A private yacht too?” Oklahoma asked with a frown, “How rich are you?”

Emilia frowned, looking at the ceiling a moment, “I don’t exactly know,” she said finally, “I stopped keeping track of my finances a long time ago, and I can’t use any of my normal accounts while Natasha is looking for us anyway.

“I can’t wait to travel over the ocean again,” Chloé sighed, “I need to eat Mika, fish are a lot easier to get ahold of than livestock…” She looked forlornly out the window at a passing herd of cows, licking her lips idly.

Chloé’s ability to stay in her human form had grown considerably, but Mika could tell that the combination of the exertion and the lack of full sized feedings had started to wear on her over their train ride. They’d only had the opportunity to let her return to her true form once during the trip, during a remote stop at the base of the Swiss Alps. There Cécilia had arranged for “difficulties” in the train’s maintenance, giving Chloé several hours to rest, camouflaged from sight, before being forced to shrink back down to her human size to reboard the locomotive.

It had proved impossible to find her a suitable food source as well, and while eating as a human sated her somewhat, it didn’t truly nourish her. It was starting to become apparent, there were dark circles under Chloé’s eyes, as though she’d lacked sleep, and her skin seemed paler than usual, her hair slightly frayed at the ends. It pained Mika to see her in such a state, but all he could do was circle his arm around her shoulder and hug her close. She smiled, leaning into him appreciatively.

“Is there anything we can do for her?” Oklahoma asked quietly, nodding at Chloé, who had closed her eyes with a sigh.

“Nothing that I know of besides feeding her,” Emilia said with a frown. Chloé had slipped into a soft slumber, her breath slowing. Emilia chewed her lip a moment, then softly voiced a question that had been on her mind, “You said Chloé doesn’t eat humans?”

“I made her promise not to,” Mika retorted. He hugged Chloé closer almost defensively.

“That may be a hard promise for her to keep,” Emilia warned, “even in the old days they fed on humans, there’s a lot more to one of you than there is to anything else… My own people gain immense strength and speed following a feeding .” Emilia grimaced as she said the last part.

“Chloé isn’t like your people,” Mika replied, a little angrily.

“She is a giant snake-girl Mika,” Oklahoma said with a shrug, “granted the people she’s eaten so far were all trying to kill us, so it won’t exactly keep me up at night.”

Emilia looked out the window, “It’s a difficult thing to come to terms with…” She scowled suddenly, “my own people always relished it, they loved the sound humans made going down their throats so much that they even added it to their names.”

“What do you mean?” Mika asked with a frown.

“Ahhh,” Emilia mimicked a scream, “most of us added that sound to our names, regardless of the language we were using at the time.” She sighed, “Before the war with the humans I was called Emilie.”

“Emilie,” Mika mused, “do you… want us to call you that instead?”

Emilia, or rather Emilie, blinked, “I… I’ve been going by Emilia for a long time now, it would take some getting used to.”

“Well Emilie ,” Oklahoma chuckled, “I dropped the name everyone called me in my hometown around the time I turned twenty, it was a silly thing, but it did make me feel better.”

Emilie nodded, then smiled slowly, “We could try it, I suppose.”

“Good,” Oklahoma beamed, “now, before we get where we’re going, I have a few questions about Jesse James.”

Mika groaned, “Not this again…”

“What?” Emilie asked, confused.

“Oklahoma has a rather romantic view of old west outlaws, evidently,” Mika explained.

“I’m just saying, how does she know it was the real Jesse James?” Oklahoma retorted.

Emilie raised an eyebrow, “It certainly was the man, his wanted poster was everywhere at the time.”

Mika groaned, leaning back into his seat and cradling Chloé as the pilot began a lengthy interrogation of the immortal across from him.

…

Mika watched from a distance, holding a tired Chloé upright in his arms as   Cécilia bid farewell to Emilie and Oklahoma by the train’s car. Given what had happened last time he’d been close to her, he’d opted to remain farther away, and in Chloé’s state he didn’t want to stress her out anyways. Emilie and   Cécilia hugged, then waved goodbye to one another as they parted.

Emilie sighed softly as she walked up to Mika, “She says she’s sorry, she’s going to go into the wilderness for a while I think, avoid all humans for a few months at least.”

“The curse really be hell on those of you who still have a conscience,” Mika muttered, watching  Cécilia disappear into the crowd.

“That’s why I couldn’t just leave my people,” Emilie nodded, “I knew some of them would realize what they were doing was wrong, and I wanted to help them find their way back.”

“Is Chloé going to be okay?” Oklahoma asked with a grimace.

“I’m fine,” Chloé muttered, her eyes fluttering as she leaned on Mika for stability, “I just… need to get out of human form.”

“Let’s go,” Mika nodded, gently gripping Chloé’s hand as the four of them left the train station.

…

Yukia leaned over the railing of the small dock, looking at the harbor as Charboneau raised a cigarette, clenched in the iron tongs of his prosthetic, to his lips, taking a long drag and exhaling slowly. The team of mercenaries that had met them at the airport were scattered throughout the city, keeping in communication via earpieces as they searched train depots, cargo docks, and other places the hitman had suspected their quarry would visit before traveling on.

“Why don’t we just search all of the yachts?” Yukia asked, glancing at the boats in the harbor.

“I don’t know exactly which one is Emilia’s,” Charboneau said with a frown, “I’m sure if I had more time I could determine it, but she will be arriving in the next few hours. A lot of these yachts are owned by rich and powerful people, not as powerful as our own masters of course, but enough so that we would have to deal with police or private security. It’s easier to simply watch all of the docks, on both side of the strait.” He glanced at her, pulling the pack of cigarettes from his pocket, “Smoke?”

Yukia stuck her tongue out, “Blech, I’ll pass… our people don’t do that.” She reached into her own pocket, pulling out a small bag of cat treats, popping a few into her mouth.

Charboneau shrugged, “Natasha used to.”

Yukia almost choked, “Natasha smoked?”

“I think she was just humoring me,” Charboneau chuckled, “she certainly never picked up the habit in full…” He frowned, hearing chatter through the earpiece.

“What is it?” Yukia asked excitedly. Her own feline ears, tucked beneath a black wig, were too large to use the communication earpieces.

“They’ve been spotted,” he said, leaning down to pick up his guitar case. He grunted at the weight, remembering for the millionth time that he was not a young man anymore.

…

Mika grunted as Chloé leaned against his side, stumbling as they walked through the streets. He helped steady her while Oklahoma and Emilie looked on with concern, and even a few of the other departing passengers at the train depot glanced their way curiously.

“How far is it to your boat?” Mika asked quietly.

“It’s on the Asian side of the strait,” Emilie said uncertainly, “we could take a cab across the bridge, or a ferry, or-“

“Let’s get Chloé to the waterfront,” Oklahoma suggested, “that way she can get back to her full size. She can meet us somewhere else later.”

“That sounds good,” Mika sighed, “Come on Chloé.”

“Mmm?” Chloé’s eyes fluttered, and she nodded, but otherwise didn’t respond.

The group moved out of the train station and into the busy streets of Istanbul.

…

“They’ve deviated course,” Charboneau muttered, turning down a side street as Yukia hurried after him.

“Emilia’s with them?” Yukia asked eagerly.

“It’s the boy, Mika, Emilia, the Pilot, and another girl without any identification,” Charboneau said with a frown, “recon says she seems sick, injured maybe…” He swore under his breath, “that’s got to be the Naga… I’d hoped they’d separated from her somewhere.” He turned to Yukia, “what do you know about her shapeshifting abilities? Natasha never told me much, only that they could walk among humans for a short time.”

Yukia blinked, “I uh… well, you know as much as I do, I guess? I thought they were all dead, learning more about them didn’t really interest me much.”

Charboneau sighed, “it amazes me how some of you spend your long lives. Ready yourself for battle, we’ll want to grab Emilia and Mika and withdraw immediately.” He reached into his pockets, drawing out a long rubber glove. With a grunt he managed to use his prosthetic to slide it over his good hand. “If I’m going after one of you, I’ll need to avoid skin contact,” he explained, seeing Yukia’s curious look. “The rest of the team has their arms, forearms, and faces completely covered.”

“Right,” Yukia nodded, suddenly a little tense, “it seems like you’ve got a whole procedure in place for us…”

“Indeed, Natasha expected no less,” Charboneau chuckled, “and she had such preparations in place long before she decided she was done with Emilia.” He tapped his earpiece again, nodding. “We’re placing faked police calls throughout the city to draw emergency responders away from us, we should have a small window before police response.”

“Sounds good,” Yukia grinned, following after him.

…

“Just a little further Chloé,” Mika said softly, helping Chloé along the concrete waterfront. Oklahoma and Emilie were glancing around, watching the crowd as Mika got her closer to the water. He bit his lip, wondering if they could slide Chloé into the sea without being seen. The water was murky enough that she could dive lower and not be seen, but the number of boats made Mika nervous. At minimum she’s going to be causing some waves when she shifts size, he thought grimly.

“Look down there,” Oklahoma said quietly, pointing to a large orange barricade. The wording was in Turkish, but it was easy enough to tell the cordoned off area was closed for some kind of maintenance. Beyond the orange painted plywood, construction equipment was strewn about, and a few large divots were dug in the concrete for new bollards to be placed. Most importantly, there were no other pedestrians walking beyond it.

“It’s as good as we’re going to find,” Emilie nodded, going to Chloé’s other side and hefting her arm over her shoulder, “Come on, we’ll slide her into the water once we get a little further from the crowd.

…

“They’re moving into a part of the waterfront that’s under construction,” Charboneau grinned, hefting his guitar case as he picked up speed. “We might just get lucky and take them all without witnesses.”

“And the Naga?” Yukia asked, hurrying to keep up with him.

“She won’t be able to follow us deeper into the city,” Charboneau remarked, glancing at the buildings, “not without taking human form… and if she does?” he shrugged, “I am certain she’ll be more manageable at a smaller size.”

…

Oklahoma nonchalantly leaned against one of the construction site’s portable outhouses, glancing around as Emilie and Mika led Chloé down to the water. Nobody seemed to be paying them any mind, even after they’d crossed the barricade, but something was still setting her on edge. She felt her gaze lingering on an older man, carrying a guitar case at his side. She couldn’t quite say why, but it didn’t feel right.

That thing looks heavy, she thought, seeing the man grimace slightly, What kind of guitar is heavy enough to-

Her eyes went wide, “MIKA, GET DOWN!” with a shout she pulled her pistol, diving for the nearby pile of concrete bollards.

Mika’s head whipped around just as Charboneau unclasped the guitar case, pulling the large automatic weapon out with one smooth motion. Summoning all of his strength, Mika tackled Chloé and Emilie to the ground just the loud bark of automatic gunfire filled the air.

“Bonjour mon cheri!” Charboneau laughed, watching the mercenaries descend from the nearby alleyways, cutting off his prey’s hope of escape.

“Oh no,” Emilie muttered, her ears going flat beneath her wig as she realized just who Natasha had sent after them.

“Bonjourno to you too, fucker!” Oklahoma hollered back, squeezing off several shots with her pistol from behind the concrete. They went wide, but they were enough to cause Charobneau to scowl angrily, taking cover behind a large concrete potted plant.

“Mika?” Chloé asked dreamily, blinking.

“Sorry about this,” Mika muttered, gritting his teeth and shoving her over the edge of the concrete waterfront with all of his might. There was a splash below, and he sighed with relief.

It was short lived, and he groaned as he saw a trio of men in nondescript black suits and ties hurrying towards them, handguns drawn. He weakly raised his hands, showing they were empty.

“Get up, and keep your hands where we can see them!” the leader barked.

Emilie licked her lips, “I-I’m hurt, can one of you help me up?” she extended a hand hopefully.

“We know to avoid skin contact with you,” the man growled, gesturing with the pistol. Mika saw that each man was also wearing a long pair of rubber gloves that ran up their arms and under their sleeves.

“Hi Emilia,” Yukia laughed, practically skipping over to the men.

“I’m going by Emilie now,” she muttered, getting to her feet with Mika.

Yukia raised an eyebrow, “really going all in on the traitor thing, huh?”

“I’m trying to save us!” Emilie protested, “Mika is the only one who-“

“Yeah, he certainly does have a nice smell to him,” Yukia chuckled, causing Mika to tense as she sniffed playfully in his direction. “Maybe when Natasha’s done with whatever she’s got planned, she’ll let me have a little fun with your little chosen one here?”

Yukia winced, lowering her head as another burst of gunfire echoed out from Charboneau’s weapon, “Come on out girl,” he called to Oklahoma, “I’ve got your friends! You can all live!”

Oklahoma’s eyes edged over the pile of bollards she’d taken cover behind, scowling as she saw Mika and Emilie’s predicament. She ducked back down immediately, weighing her options as she looked around for a way out. The only way back up to the main streets, and the alleys within, were blocked by pairs of armed men, brandishing their weapons as they surrounded her. One of them was even carrying a large rocket launcher over his shoulder, no doubt meant for Chloé, but certainly good enough for her too.

…

Chloé felt the water splash over her, her human lungs burning as she sank into the seawater. Her first reaction was confusion, both at being submerged, and at not being able to breathe. Her hunger addled mind finally realized what the problem was, and a moment later she felt the familiar sensation of her legs fusing together into a tail, her scales sliding over her skin as her lower half became less human, more serpentine.

Above her the water began to roil as she increased in size, and she felt a wave of relief wash over her as she felt the tension of keeping her human form in place slip away . Her fatigue was receding, but her hunger was as strong as ever, a rumbling roar in her belly that was thankfully muted by the water around her as she got her bearings.

Mika, she thought, blinking as she looked up at the surface.

…

“I’ve got this,” Yukia chuckled, taking off towards Oklahoma’s barricade at a sprint.

The pilot peaked over the top, snarling as she squeezed off a shot at the approaching Neko. Yukia laughed, cartwheeling to the side, leaping expertly off a bulldozer, and then up into the air. Oklahoma looked up, squinting in the sunlight as Yukia came down on her, the Neko’s booted foot coming down on the pilot’s chest and sending her to the ground with a grunt. Her gun skittered out of her hand, and as she reached up to throw a punch at Yukia’s knee, the catgirl caught it with a smirk.

“Too slow,” she teased, watching as her prey shrank below her.

Oklahoma panicked, thrashing from side to side as the catgirl grew larger, and heavier. Soon Yukia was leaning down, pinching her arm between her fingers as she continued to reduce her victim in size, leaving her pinned beneath the massive rubber wall of the boot’s sole.

“Quit squirming,” Yukia chuckled, “even if you got out from under there, where would you go? You’d probably get caught in a mousetrap or something…” She gripped the now tiny, and naked, woman around the waist, lifting her boot up and regarding her with a grin. “Yummy,” she teased, licking her lips.

“W-What the hell,” Oklahoma stammered, “Let go of me you overgrown fleabag!”

“Be nice,” Yukia said with a grin, dangling the tiny woman in front of her face, “you’re cute, I could see myself keeping you if you’ll learn to be nice. Otherwise?” She chuckled, leaning back and dangling the tiny pilot over her open mouth. 

“D-Don’t!” Emilie begged.

“Don’t worry, I just ate,” Yukia remarked, gently stuffing Oklahoma into the pocket of her jacket, “I won’t eat your little friend until after we’ve gotten a chance to ask you all some things.”

“Get gloves on Emilia,” Charboneau shouted, hurrying up to them, “We need to go!”

Mika felt as though the world fell away as he saw the man approaching, the sun glinting slightly off the hooked prosthetic.

“You,” he whispered.

Charboneau paused, chuckling as he looked down at Mika, “Ah, you remember… I’m so glad I won’t have to explain everything.”

“You bastard,” Mika snarled through gritted teeth, “you killed-“

“Yes, your parents, and plenty of other people,” Charboneau said in a bored voice. He glanced beyond Mika, nodding as his men covered Emilie’s hands before cuffing them behind her back. “Emilia, I’m glad to see you again.” He gave her a toothy grin, “To tell the truth, this is an unexpected boon in my old age, you caused me so many headaches when we worked together.”

The men hoisted Emilie to her feet, ushering her and Mika away from the waterfront. Sirens were blaring in the distance, no doubt responding to the reports of gunfire on the waterfront. The crowds of pedestrians had largely disappeared for the same reason, and they were alone as Charbonneau led them back towards the alleyways of the old city.

There was a splashing sound behind them, and a moment later a large shadow fell over the group. Charboneau scowled as he turned to face Chloé as she rose out of the water, a furious look on her face. The men backed away nervously, looking to him and Yukia for instructions as Chloé loomed over them, all pretense of stealth or surprise forgotten.

“Give them back now, ” Chloé thundered, laying her hands on either side of the group, her palms the size of tanks as they flanked the mercenaries.

There was silence, and out in the water Mika could see people on ferries pointing, taking photos, and shouting in surprise as Chloé’s massive, and naked, form loomed out of the water.

There goes any chance of getting out of here without attracting attention, Mika thought miserably.

Charboneau dropped his rifle, grabbing the rocket launcher from the stunned man holding it. Using his good hand he lifted it over his own shoulder steadying it as Chloé turned, looking down at him angrily.

Good luck, Mika thought, a rocket will only make Chloé mad.

Charboneau wasn’t aiming for Chloé though, and the naga’s eyes went wide as her head turned, following the vapor trail of the rocket as it flew past her side. A second later screams echoed over the water as it collided with one of the harbor ferries, causing it to tilt on its side.

Charboneau didn’t waste any time, grabbing Mika’s shoulder and forcing him towards the streets. The men took his lead, grabbing Emilie and following as Chloé looked from them, to the sinking ship, and back again in a panic.

Chloé didn’t understand Turkish, or the half dozen other languages the tourists cried for help in, but she didn’t need to. She felt instinct take over as she dove into the water, her tail whipping back and forth behind her as she propelled her massive form through the water.

The ferry was lilting in the water, and the people on the deck were pushing against one another as gravity forced them to one side of the vessel. Bringing herself up underneath the hull, the channel was just shallow enough for her to brace her tail against, as her shoulder slammed into the bottom of the boat, she pushed upward with all of her might.

On the deck people stopped screaming, looking on in wonder as the ship began to right itself. Several pointed to the churning water, where Chloé’s shadowy form could just barely be seen.

“Out of the way!” Gloria Chesterfield shouted, elbowing her way to the boat’s railing, shoving her weekly world news press pass at a confused captain.

“It’s some kind of sea serpent!” someone shouted.

“That’s no sea serpent,” Gloria muttered, raising her new camera and snapping photos.

Chloé gritted her teeth, feeling every fiber in her muscular tail burning with exertion as her belly howled with hunger. With a final cry that sent bubbles roaring to the surface, Chloé shoved the ferry onto the shore, relishing the scraping of the rocks against the steel hull.

Mika! She thought, the panic chasing away whatever momentary relief she’d found at saving the ferry passengers.

Gloria cried out in triumph as she captured a perfect photo of the massive snake-woman leaping out of the water, diving back in as she sped to the far side of the strait.

Emergency exits were being deployed as she watched Chloé race away, and she sighed angrily as she followed the rest of the crowd. Beside the boat she noticed a small motorboat with a police logo on it pulling up next to them, the police clambering out onto the shore and waving to the passengers, directing them away from the wreck.

Gloria licked her lips, noticing how the pair of police had their attention full with the crowd, ignoring their now empty speedboat. With a giggle she broke away, practically skipping down the rocky shore towards it.

…

Charboneau chuckled to himself as he heard the sirens outside the empty warehouse. The entire team had met him back here, at the industrial parks at the outskirts of the old city .  A series of vans were waiting, fueled and ready to take them out of the country. Emilie and Mika were under guard in the center of the room, and Yukia was toying with the pilot in one corner, tossing the flailing woman into the air, mockingly opening her mouth below her, and catching her at the last minute.

“I thought you retired,” Emilie said bitterly.

Charboneau shrugged, “Beaches and casinos get boring, and I owe Natasha so much, how could I refuse this last favor?” He grinned, “And then there is you of course, how many souls did your mercy cost me over the years? This is settling accounts.”

“You’re a monster,” Emilie spat, “and you’re not Natasha’s friend, you’re barely even a pet to her!”

Charboneau laughed, “That’s better than most people get from the Princesse, so I’ll take that much as an honor.” He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a satellite phone. He slowly dialed Natasha’s personal number with his hooked prosthetic, and a moment later it began ringing.

“Yes?” The princesses’ voice asked, echoing through the quiet warehouse.

“I have Emilia here,” Charboneau said with a grin, “I believe you wanted to speak to her, one last time?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone, then a sigh, “I’d hoped to do it face to face, but this will do I suppose. Hello Emilia.”

“It’s Emilie again,” she said softly.

Natasha went quiet again, “I see,” she said finally. “I always knew we’d come to this at some point, but I wanted to enjoy as much time with you as I could.”

“Is there any way you’d just forget the whole thing?” Emilie asked, “You can go back Natasha… I can help you.”

Natasha laughed softly, “Goodbye Emilie.”

There was a click on the other end of the line as Natasha hung up, and Charboneau grinned like a demon as he placed the phone back into his pocket. With his own low chuckle, he reached for the small switch on his prosthetic hand, arming the small pistol built into the base as he leveled it at Emilie and Mika.

Call to her , a voice in Mika’s head said.

He frowned, what?

CALL. TO. HER . The snake goddess all but roared.

With the end of his life potentially mere seconds away, Mika did the only thing he could think of, he took a deep breath, and shouted as loud as he could.

“Chloé!”

…

Chloé’s massive form slithered through the streets, crumpling cars and sending people screaming in all directions. She winced, ignoring the light tickle of police gunfire as she looked around madly for any sign of her friends. She grimaced as a building collapsed while her tail slammed into it, and it was only small consolation that she could tell from the lack of human vibrations inside that it was empty. The streets of Istanbul were too narrow for her, and she paused, hesitant to cause the trail of destruction that moving through the ancient city would almost assuredly bring. 

One particularly brave officer stepped into the road right in front of her, leveling a high powered rifle at her face. She blinked as the crack of the gun produced nothing more than a feeling like a grain of sand in her eye, vanishing as quickly as it came. Her stomach growled, and she loomed over the now stunned officer, opening her mouth as she reared up to strike.

No!

She forced herself to sweep the man out of her way, flinging him to the sidewalk where he landed bruised, but otherwise unharmed.

Eat them! Her instincts screamed, there’s food everywhere! FEAST!

Days of hunger and the fatigue of the lengthy stretches in her human form wore on her, and Chloé heard her heart pound as her own thoughts grew dimmer, her instincts louder, her hunger more powerful.

FOCUS!

Chloé wasn’t sure whether it was her own voice, or the goddess of the temples, but she closed her eyes, drowning out the din of the panicking city as she put her remaining willpower into her senses. The vibrations of the ground were hard to parse, there were so many humans and vehicles nearby that finding the familiar gait of Mika, Emilie, or Oklahoma was impossible.  

Then she heard it.

“Chloé!”

Mika’s voice.

Her eyes shot open, and with a roar she slithered away from the city , a renewed drive forcing her hunger down as she bore down on the source of her beloved’s cry.

…

“CHLOE!” Mika shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Hey, shut the fuck up!” Yukia shouted, dangling Oklahoma in front of her face with a scowl.

“FUCK YOU CAT!” Oklahoma’s tiny voice squeaked, “You’ll choke on me!”

“Die like a man boy,” Charboneau scowled, “your father had the decency to do so without screaming like a-“

The wall of the warehouse caved inwards, and through the wall of dust and debris a scaled tail was visible in the midday sun. Chloé’s hand reached in, grabbing Mika and Emilie and pulling them out.

Yukia was blinking dust out of her eyes when she felt a sharp pain in her finger, “OW!” she yelped, dropping her shrunken prisoner as a small blossom of blood appeared from the bite. She hissed, raising her boot to crush the tiny woman, but Oklahoma had already disappeared into the swirling cloud of dust that was filling the warehouse as Chloé tore the walls away.

…

“Go to the water,” Chloé said, placing Emilie and Mika down, “I’ll meet you there. Where’s Oklahoma?”

“Hey!” a tiny voice squeaked down by Emilie’s shoe.

The stunned Neko looked down, almost leaping upwards in surprise as the tiny woman waved triumphantly up at her.

“Please tell me you can fix this?”

“Y-Yeah, of course,” Emilie said, shocked. She reached down, scooping the tiny woman up in her palm. She quickly tucked the pilot into her front pocket for safekeeping, “I’ll return your size as soon as we get you some clothes!”

“Sounds good,” Oklahoma nodded.

“We’ve got to move!” Mika shouted, grimacing as he heard the sound of approaching sirens. Worse yet the distinctive whir of helicopter blades was in the air, and Mika wondered how much longer Chloé would be able to move about Istanbul without the military responding.

Gunfire from inside the warehouse interrupted his thoughts, and he gripped Emilie’s hand, pulling her out into the street as Oklahoma raced behind them.

Chloé felt their footsteps going, shielding them from the random gunfire with the scaled wall of her tail. The dust cleared, revealing several mercenaries, along with a man she recognized well, a man she’d watched kill her beloved’s mother and father.

“ You ,” she growled, looking down at Charboneau with a poisonous gaze.

The man froze, a rare look of fear on his face as Chloé reared up over him. It quickly turned to rage, and he raised his hooked hand, squeezing off a few shots from the hidden weapon he’d pointed at Mika and Emilie just moments ago.

Every instinct in Chloé’s head was roaring at once, and it was like a dream as she leapt down into the warehouse, her mouth open.

…

Mika rested against the waterfront, panting softly as Oklahoma and Emilie looked back at the chaos in the city. Finally, he looked himself, a worried frown coming over his face as he realized he didn’t see any sign of Chloé at all.

“Should we go back for her?” Oklahoma asked uncertainly. She was dressed in a pair of stolen jeans and a T-shirt she’d taken off a clothesline minutes after being regrown, from the way she kept scowling and looking down at her hip, Mika could tell she missed her handgun. 

“This city will be crawling with police and soldiers soon,” Emilie muttered, glancing across the water.

“If we don’t have Chloé, there’s no point in going any further,” Mika said, “We’ll wait here for her.”

“Looking for someone?”

They all turned to see Chloé walking out of an alleyway, back in her human form. She had a spring to her step, and her hair was shining and vibrant as she smiled, her skin practically glowing. She was wearing a scavenged tourist t-shirt featuring the Hagia Sophia that was at least two sizes too large, and it flapped in the wind as she leapt into Mika’s arms with a giggle.

“Are you okay?” Mika asked eagerly.

“Yeah,” Chloé smiled, “I’m feeling great actually… I guess I just needed a little time at full size again.”

Emilie frowned, glancing at Chloé’s renewed vigor, “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she said hesitantly.

“Thanks,” Chloé said, her smile fading slightly s they made eye contact. In that moment Chloé knew that Emilie had already guessed what had really happened back at the warehouse as Chloé had covered their escape, but thankfully the Neko said nothing, simply turning away from her.

“We need to get to my boat,” Emilie sighed, “Chloé, can you carry us across the bay? It’s just over there.” Emilie pointed to a small private dock.

Chloé nodded, walking towards the water again, this time running and diving in with a gusto. A moment later Chloé’s house sized face rose out of the water, smiling eagerly.

“So, we’ll need to go under the water to avoid being seen,” she giggled, “You know what that means?”

“Chloé, I’ve spent the last half hour with a psychotic cat threatening to eat me,” Oklahoma scowled, “Can I please ride anywhere else?”

Chloé blushed, “Well uh, there’s always my-“

“Nevermind,” Oklahoma said, waving in annoyance as she walked towards the Naga, “your belly’s fine.”

There was a gurgling sound, the telltale sound of Chloé emptying her stomach’s contents lower, “Just clearing out some fish I snacked on earlier,” she said with a smile.

Emilie grimaced, thinking back to the war with the Naga, how they could consume whole armies of foes… She hadn’t thought of Chloé in the same way as she had about those ancient foes until now.

She was always a predator, Emilie reminded herself, even if she’s on your side now…

“Ah hell, here we go again,” Oklahoma muttered as Chloé’s lips closed behind her. Chloé giggled, tilting her head back and listening to the pilot’s scream of surprise as the swallowing motion sent her rocketing downwards.

Mika went next, relaxing in Chloé’s grip as she placed him onto her familiar tongue. He slid down of his own accord, relishing the feeling of security as her throat’s muscle squeezed around him after the dangerous day he’d endured.

Emilie was last, sighing as she looked up at Chloé, “I know what happened,” she said softly. She held up her hand before Chloé could reply, “I won’t tell the others,” she said, “but you might think about what you’ll say if and when they find out.”

“Uh, right,” Chloé nodded. “Do you still feel okay going inside my…”

“I don’t have any other options, do I?” Emilie shrugged, stepping forward onto Chloé’s waiting palm. “Just do it quickly.”

Chloé nodded, and a moment later she was gulping Emilie down too, sending her into her belly with her other friends.

With the three of them stowed safely, she slipped beneath the waves again, swimming undetected across the sea floor to the far side of the Bosporus strait.

…

It was nighttime when Chloé finally surfaced next to Emilie’s yacht, and while military helicopters still hummed in the distance, the Naga felt secure in surfacing next to the luxury yacht Emilie had described in detail. 

Within her belly her friends looked upward, waiting for their release. 

“So,” Oklahoma said loudly, startling the other two passengers, “All of this hardship has been making me wonder about this temple in Egypt… Does it have any decent loot? Also I’d like my gold to be curse-free thanks, no mummy stuff.”

Emilie rolled her eyes, “There is plenty of gold, silver, and other valuables in the Kemet temple. As far as the films regarding the so-called “mummies,” I have seen all of the Boris Karloff ones, and while they are very entertaining, they are not at all accurate to what awaits us! I tried to explain this to Abbott and Costello once, when they visited Europe on a tour, but I don’t think they cared to listen.”

“I was thinking of the movies with Brendan Frasier,” Oklahoma chuckled, “but no curses, that’s good to know!”

…

Natasha’s fists shook with rage as she read the front page of the Weekly World News, where Gloria Chesterfield’s latest article was printed with several impressive color photographs.

“Snake woman foils terrorists, saves ferry?” Natasha hissed, “Killer Captain Hook Taken Down?” She slammed the paper onto her desk, fighting the urge to flip it over.

Yukia’s ears went flat as she meekly backed herself into the corner, “I did everything I could to save Charboneau, Princesse,” she lied, “I stayed at his side until I couldn’t anymore.”

Natasha breathed out slightly, blinking away a single tear before turning to her subordinate, “It’s fine,” she muttered, “He… He wouldn’t have wanted to die of old age anyways.”

Yukia tilted her head curiously, but didn’t press the issue, “We know they’re going to Kemet next, with your permission I’d like to set up another ambush, but this time a big one! With some stuff to really hurt the Naga this time.”

“Do it,” Natasha muttered, “this time just kill Emilia… Emilie, if you get the chance, we’ve said everything we need to say to one another.”

“I’ll let the humans know she’s off the capture list and onto the kill one,” Yukia nodded. “Is there anything else?”

“No,” Natasha sighed, slumping into her chair, “but have the butler bring me a bottle of wine.” She glowered at the tabloid again as the other Neko left, “You’ve cost me much, and I’m going to make you pay for it,” she muttered, staring at a blurry photo of Chloé’s face, gracing the front page.

…

The warm sun of the Mediterranean bore down on the deck of Emilie’s yacht, a boat large enough for luxurious amenities, yet just small enough to avoid any undue attention from other passing boats. Mika was relaxing on the deck, sipping from a cool fruit flavored drink he’d taken from the cooler. Oklahoma was sunbathing in a bikini a little further down, and Emilie was reading from her expansive grimoire. Chloé had returned to her Naga form, and was swimming beneath the boat to feed on schools of fish.

“I didn’t think we’d make it out of there,” he said finally, turning to Emilie. “That man, Charboneau, you had a history with him, didn’t you?”

“He was Natasha’s personal catspaw for a few decades,” Emilie replied, “he was a violent sort who never turned down an opportunity to take a life… he didn’t like me because I’d keep him from doing so.”

Mika nodded, “I’m guessing you didn’t want him killing my parents then?”

“No,” Emilie muttered, “They wanted to go public with the things they’d found, but I wanted to convince them to stay with our organization, work with us more instead.” She looked off into the sea, “Charboneau didn’t feel like waiting for an answer, and Natasha was just happy that things were covered up.”

“If I see that bastard again, maybe I’ll get a chance to get even,” Mika muttered.

“If he made it out of there,” Emilie said hesitantly, “maybe he already got what was coming to him?”

“Maybe,” Mika sighed, leaning back into his folding chair again. He was quiet for a few minutes, before chuckling softly, “This has all been a lot to deal with…”

“Yes,” Emilie said, looking back to her grimoire, “It has.” She ran a hand over a page from near the beginning, detailing from when she and Natasha had first met in their village, ages ago. She slowly tore the page loose, crumpling it up and tossing it into the sea.

…

Higgins frowned as he looked at the pair of long gloves that the sales representative had laid in front of him. He pulled a knife free from his belt, running the sharp edge along the side of the gloves, nodding in approval as he saw that they remained intact.

“These are the finest gloves our company makes,” the sales rep said proudly, “breathable, flexible, and impervious to all acids, toxins, and nearly anything else a chemical worker might encounter in even the most dangerous jobs! I’d wear a pair of these to handle just about anything.”

“Good,” Higgins growled, “Do you have a full body suit? Ideally one that goes over the face?”

The sales representative frowned, “I suppose one could be made, but the expense would be-”

“I’ll only need a few dozen of them at most,” Higgins replied mildly, “Price isn’t an object, I just care very much about my employees safety.”

“It’s good to see someone so worried about his subordinates in this day and age,” the sales rep said, his eyes already gleaming at the potential profit. “How will you be paying? In installment? Or-”

“Euros, Dollars, or Rubles,” Higgins said, “cash, take your pick and I’ll have it ready when the suits are done.”

The sales representative gulped, “I uh… Our company doesn’t really deal in cash-”

“You do now,” Higgins said with an icy smile. He flipped his knife into the air, sheathing it again with a flourish. 

“Y-You’re not with a chemical company, are you?” the sales representative whispered.

Higgins shrugged, “It’s better not to ask about specifics in the industry I am with, you’re not committing any crimes by selling me these suits, so that’s good enough. Now which currency do you want?”

“Euros,” the man said quickly. 

“Smart man,” Higgins nodded, “I’ll see you real soon.”

I suppose we’ll soon find out if Charboneau’s doctrine on engaging rogue Nekos is worth anything, he thought to himself. His phone buzzed, and he frowned as he looked at the text message he’d received. It was one of the men he’d recruited, but it wasn’t regarding their mission, and he stopped, rereading it a few times.

Hitting the bars with the guys later, do you want to come? First round’s on me…

Higgins blinked, feeling a mix of emotions, revulsion, surprise, and… excitement? 

You never know who’s going to turn traitor, leave, or just flat out die in this line of work, he thought, it never pays to make a friend.

And yet…

Will be late, but will meet you there, he texted back, exhaling slowly as he typed the words. 

He stared at the wall a moment, Emilia, did you do anything else to me? He wondered. The thought vanished instantly, as the Neko’s mental commands kept his mind from focusing on her… for now. Still, he felt oddly happy about things, and couldn’t quite say why.