Emilie sighed as she waited outside of the temple. Her stomach growled, she had been waiting for her friends to return from the temple’s interior through the night and now into the next morning, and while she’d brought a bottle of water and a bag of mixed nuts from the airplane, she quickly found herself hungry, tired, and thirsty.

They have to still be alive in there, she thought, fear starting to eat away at the edges of her mind. She gulped nervously, there’s no way they came all this way just to fail now? They can’t be… ” She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Slowly she moved to the edge of the water, considering taking a drink… it certainly looked clean enough. She frowned as she saw something come out from behind the waterfall, carried by the current, and with a start she realized it was a Naga’s leavings.

It was a mixed emotion, it certainly proved Chloé  was alive, but she no longer wanted to drink from the water.

…

Oklahoma watched the men refueling the plane, sipping from a glass bottle of Coca Cola. The hangar wasn’t air conditioned, but it didn’t bother her. She wished for the millionth time that she could speak whatever language the two men were using, being able to listen in on conversations in Spanish or Portuguese while feigning ignorance had saved her life in the past, but as it stood all she could do was keep an eye on the two as they worked and hope that the worst thing they’d do would be to overcharge her for the jet fuel.

That’s right boys, she thought grimly, glancing at a nearby clock radio, we’re just rich American tourists, squeeze us for a little extra cash, then send us on our way. She had no illusions that the two would keep any secrets for them, but by the time any of their pursuers tracked them to this little airstrip they’d be long gone anyways.

Her thoughts turned to what she might do when the “quest” was over, and with a frown she wondered if she’d have to stay in hiding or if she’d have a chance to enjoy the financial rewards Emilie had promised. There were places, even in the United States, where a person like her could go and not be found, but none of them had nice beaches.

She studied the clock again, wondering how long to wait before setting out into the jungle after her friends.

…

Mika felt his ears pop as Chloé  dived deep into the subterranean cavern. The world shifted and turned, causing him to grip her tongue as she swam through the twists and turns of the underwater river. It was slick with her saliva, and he grunted as he slid along its length, getting closer to the entrance to her throat. A rumbling giggling vibrated the soft world around him, and he cocked an eyebrow.

We’re almost out of here, she can’t really mean to-

The familiar slurping feeling of a vacuum sucking him backwards cut off his thought, and with a small shout of surprise he was swallowed down with a loud *gulp*. In the underwater cavern Chloé  paused a moment, smiling to herself and enjoying his aftertaste as he slowly slid down her throat. The familiar feeling of him plopping into her belly was a pleasing one after the ordeal they’d been through together, and she rubbed her stomach affectionately before continuing her swim through the murky cave.

Mika sighed, laying his back against her stomach as the contents sloshed slightly with her movements, It’s more comfortable down here anyway, he thought with a chuckle.

…

Emilie started in surprise, leaping into the air like a surprised cat as Chloé ’s massive form burst from the lake like a breaching whale, splashing Emilie and knocking her blonde wig off as the wall of water caused her to stumble. Any happiness she might have had at seeing the Naga alive was dampened by being soaked, and her feline ear twitched in annoyance as she crossed her arms.

“Well?” she shouted.

Chloé  turned to her, an excited grin on her face, “We did it!” she shouted, crossing the lake with one burst of movement. Emilie couldn’t help but gulp nervously as the girl’s massive upper half rose out of the water as she reached the shore, leaning over the catgirl and blocking out the sun.

She’s not your enemy, Emilie reminded herself, her heart pounding, “That’s good,” she said with a smile, “And Mika is…”

Chloé  patted her toned tummy with a smirk, “He could use some company.”

Emilie’s ears drooped, “Yes… I suppose that would be the fastest way back down the river.”

“You still don’t like being swallowed by me, do you?” Chloé  asked with a small smile, tucking a chin under her fist in thought as she regarded the tiny neko before her. Emilie shifted uncertainly, trying to come up with a polite explanation, but Chloé  cut her off, “We saw it all,” she explained, “the war, you begging for your people’s lives…”

Emilie blinked in surprise, “Wait, you saw it all? How-“

“Naga secrets,” Chloé  smirked, “We also made a decision about you .”

Emilie gulped as she saw the end of Chloé ’s tail slowly snake out of the water, curling around the Naga girl’s human form and behind Emilie like a scaled wall, “And what might that be?” she asked, struggling to remain calm.

“Mika and I want to help you save your people,” Chloé  explained almost casually, “and that means there’s going to be some sex, ” Emilie almost jumped, both from the statement and from the tip of Chloé ’s tail curling around her ankle.

“Y-Yes,” Emilie stammered, “I’m sorry, I know it upsets you- EEP!” she squealed in fright as the very tip of Chloé ’s tail curled tightly around her leg, pulling her into the air and dangling her upside down before Chloé ’s smug face.

“I said Mika and I want to help you,” Chloé  said, “so you’re going to be with me too, whenever it happens anyways…” Emilie blushed, suddenly feeling very warm in a way that had nothing to do with the humidity as the Naga dangled her closer to her enormous face.

“Oh,” Emilie whispered, “I um… Okay?”

“I’m not sure how it’s going to work either,” Chloé  giggled, “but I’m going to try getting more comfortable with you… It does help that you have a nice taste.” She slowly opened her mouth, letting Emilie gaze down the chasm of her throat as the pink welcome mat of her tongue extended, glistening with saliva as the edges of the Naga’s mouth opened in a smile.

The tail released Emilie, who landed on Chloé ’s tongue with a grunt, feeling a new mixture of emotions as it retracted, drawing her into the humid cavern of the Naga’s mouth. She was still in shock over what Chloé  had told her when the enormous girl tilted her head back, swallowing loudly and sending Emilie down her throat.

Within her stomach Mika looked up casually as Emilie slid into Chloé ’s stomach, “That’s the fourth temple,” he said with a grin, “Chloé  told you about what happened in there, didn’t she?”

“Yes…” she muttered, shakily getting to her feet and smiling weakly.

“Obviously it doesn’t need to happen right away,” Mika said, raising his hands, “but when this business with Natasha and Ouroboros is over…” He chuckled awkwardly, “Then we’ll all figure it out together.”

Emilie nodded, her tail swishing nervously as she thought it over. She’d had lovers during her long life of course, but never like this!

She was flirting with me before eating me, Emilie thought, shaking her head in wonder. The strangest part was that it had worked, her face was flushed, and she felt the telltale sign of arousal between her legs as her tail flicked back and forth excitedly.

…

Making their way down the river didn’t take long, and Chloé  returned to shore, regurgitating the pair onto the jungle soils before taking her human form a moment later and joining them. She stumbled slightly as she approached Mika, feeling slightly dizzy.

“Are you okay?” he asked, moving to steady her.

“Just hungry,” she muttered.

Mika frowned, “We’ll figure something out soon, if we have to we’ll head to the coastline and let you catch some fish.” Or maybe we’ll get lucky enough to have someone try to kill us again, he thought. Somehow he didn’t think the sentiment would sound good if he voiced it.

She nodded, standing upright with a smile, “Yeah, sounds good!”

Oklahoma waved to them from the edge of the airstrip, “About time!” she laughed, “I was about to come looking for you guys! Did you do what you needed to do?”

“Yeah,” Mika said grimly, “I can see the whole picture now…”

“Ominous,” Oklahoma remarked, clapping him on the back with a grin. “I’m not in any of these prophecies or anything, right?”

“No,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes, “I haven’t seen you yet anyway.”

“Good,” she smirked, “it’s too much responsibility for me!” She turned to Emilie, “Are we ready to head out of here?”

“Yes,” Emilie nodded, “Mika and Chloé  know where we need to go next.”

“Home,” Chloé  said softly, “back where we met I mean…”

“Back to Brazil then,” Oklahoma muttered, “okay, you guys go get comfy, I’ll check the plane’s range and see what our best route for a refuel is.”

…

Natasha’s feline ears flickered in the harsh wind of the private airstrip. Patagonia’s high winds howled angrily, reflecting her mood as she watched the black suited men loading the planes, automatic weapons slung across their backs. For the first time in decades she was armed herself, with a long knife tucked into a sheath on her thigh. She drew it, admiring the thin sharp blade of the miséricorde, meant for slipping through the gaps in armor back when humans used such things.

That was a fine war, thinking back with a smile to when the Dauphin had presented it to her. She didn’t remember much of what the war had been about, only that she had aided the French in fighting some foreigners or another. Not for any love of the humans themselves of course, she’d been masquerading as a wealthy lady and the interlopers had disrupted her plans with the local nobles, plans she’d long forgotten now as well. She frowned as another curious memory presented itself, there was a human woman on the battlefield with me once… Odd.

Yukia approached, drawing a coat around herself as the wind roared again, making her ears go flat. Higgins was behind her, dressed down to a suit and jacket, his face a stone mask in spite of the chill weather.

“The planes are being loaded,” Yukia said, fighting a shiver. “I think everyone is here that’s going to come.”

Natasha glanced down at the aircraft. Dozens of the Neko tribe’s survivors were gathered beside one of the jets, flourishing steel weapons as they waited to board. Swords, axes, bows… They’d mastered different weapons through the long period of exile among the humans, and Natasha had to smirk as she saw one of the cat-women had a flintlock musket strapped across her back, bayonet at the ready. Aside from her knife, a simple nine-millimeter handgun waited in a holster at her ankle, something she’d picked up recently in the last few decades. It was far from an enjoyable weapon, but she’d grown skilled with it as a practical matter, and Charboneau had taught her a few tricks with it.

“Did you expect more of your people?” Higgins asked quietly.

“Herding cats,” Natasha muttered, “It can be like herding cats. Many of them get distracted easily, doubtless some of our sisters meant to come, even set out, but simply found themselves distracted along the way.” She smiled sweetly as she turned around to face them, “It won’t matter where they are soon, right Yukia?”

“Right,” Yukia said with a grin.

Natasha chuckled, enjoying discussing the finalities of her plan in the presence of a human without him knowing what was to come. She nodded at Higgins dismissively as she walked towards the airstrip, going to join the rest of her clanswomen.

Yukia chewed her lip, shifting awkwardly, “We’ll be waiting for another hour or so for takeoff, right?” Higgins nodded, and Yukia grinned, sidling up to him and grabbing his hand. “Come with me,” she whispered, pulling his hand.

Higgins blinked in surprise behind his sunglasses, but followed her.

…

Higgins and Yukia crashed through the door to the small dormitories attached to the aircraft control tower, meant for the personnel of this remote hinterland outpost. Yukia had leapt on top of the man, wrapping her legs around him and holding tight as she forced her tongue into his throat.

“W-What brought this on?” he gasped, tumbling onto the room’s small cot.

I might not get a chance again! She frowned as she almost said it out loud, instead separating from him, “Wait just a minute!” she said eagerly, reaching into the small bag at her side and withdrawing her grimoire. Higgins watched curiously as she laid it on a table, opening it to the blank pages. She pulled a pen from her pocket next, a modern click-style one that looked out of place next to the black leather bound tome she normally carried.

“What are you writing in there?” he asked finally, sitting up.

“Craig Higgins was a human who managed to hit me when we sparred,” she said aloud as she wrote, “he was handsome, dangerous, and no matter what I did to him, he was never afraid. We had a wonderful time together.” She turned back to him with a smile, “Sorry, I just wanted to make sure I remembered.”

The room was silent a moment, and Higgins nearly laughed when he realized that neither of them had the slightest idea what to say.

“Thanks,” he said finally, “nice to know someone might actually miss me.”

“Your men seem rather enamored with you,” Yukia chuckled, sauntering her hips from side to side as she walked back to him. She leapt gracefully onto the cot, crawling over him as her tail drifted back and forth, “No doubt because you put yourself between them and…” she licked her lips seductively, “ Us. ” She traced a finger down his chest, worming it between the buttons of his shirt and to the skin underneath.

Higgins grunted as the now familiar feeling of being shrunk in size rocked his body, leaving him looking up through the towering walls of his shirt collar as Yukia grinned down at him eagerly.

“You can feel it,” she whispered, “can’t you?” Like lightning her hand darted out, grabbing him before he could react and dangling him before her grinning face. “Every instinct is telling me to just pop you in my mouth…” She turned over, resting her back on the pillow. With a groan she reached down to unbutton her own shirt, exposing her toned stomach. Higgins tensed in surprise as she released him, letting him fall and bounce off it slightly as if it were a trampoline. “You just know you’re in the grip of your natural predator,” Yukia said teasingly, bringing her finger down on his back and gently, but firmly pressing him against her belly button, “that you could end up right here… ”

He felt his heart pound as he heard the soft gurgle of her belly beneath him, and he glanced up at her, wondering for the millionth time if his end would be as Yukia’s snack.

No, he realized, she’s a killer, and she’s half mad, but… she’s just toying with me.

“Do it then,” he grinned, “I promise not to squirm on the way down.”

Her eyes went wide, “The squirming is the best part!” she growled, swiping him up so fast that his world blurred. Higgins was brought towards Yukia’s mouth so fast that he didn’t realize what was happening until he was being forced through her lips, her tongue curling behind him and cradling his body to force him towards the back of her throat. For one terrifying moment he thought he’d fatally miscalculated, but his journey stopped, letting him look down the glistening cavern of the catgirl’s throat, and as the seconds slowly dragged by, he felt the tension leave him.

“Pfft,” Yukia spat him into her palm, sniffing disdainfully as she saw him soaked in her spit. “I probably will do it one of these days,” she said with a grin, “but there’s still a lot to do.”

“Of course,” he said, fighting a grin.

Yukia scowled, hating the fact that he’d won her mental game, “So long as you’re that size you might as well make yourself useful!” Her thumb hooked around her pants and underwear, pulling them away and revealing her wiry black pubic hair, just above a glistening womanhood. The smell of her arousal filled his senses as she forced his tiny body down, pressing his face into the soft folds of her labia. The enormous catgirl groaned, forcing his entire body up and down against herself, and a moment later her hand withdrew, leaving him alone.

“Finish me off,” she ordered, “then I’ll regrow you…” She sighed, leaning her head back against the pillow as the shrunken man’s hands began to explore her most intimate place, and she shivered as the slowly slid over her clitoris. Why can’t I just eat him? She thought, anger mixing with arousal as he toyed with her pussy, what’s holding me back!? Yukia’s eyes went wide as the tiny human’s efforts bore fruit, bucking her hips and cupping the crotch of her pants as her climax came seemingly from nowhere. As the pleasure subsided she fell back to the cot, panting and gritting her teeth in frustration.

I will do it when I’m ready, she vowed, then I won’t have to worry about these weird… thoughts.

Yukia felt her tiny lover make his way up her body, trying to crawl out of the prison of her panties, “No,” she muttered, reaching down and forcing him back in with a single finger, “You stay in there for a little longer…”

…

Chloé  looked out the window of the plane, watching the vast ocean go by below them. Oklahoma had explained they would be refueling at an island called “Madagascar,” a quick stopover before another jaunt to South America. Her stomach grumbled angrily, and while there was ample food in the plane’s pantry behind her, she knew that none of it would sate the kind of hunger she was feeling.

With a groan she got up, walking past Mika, who was sleeping, and Emilie, who was engrossed in her grimoire. She slid the cockpit door open, startling Oklahoma, who glanced back at her from the small jet’s controls.

“What’s up?” the pilot asked, pulling her headphones off.

“Hungry,” Chloé  groaned.

“And not for peanuts,” Oklahoma murmured, “I can’t help you, sorry.”

Chloé  walked in and flopped in the co-pilot’s chair, “Can we just talk for a little bit?”

The other woman grinned, “That I can do.”

“I was just wondering about how two women could do things together, like sex stuff,” Chloé  said neutrally.

From the pilot’s expression that hadn’t been what she’d expected, “I uh…” she cleared her throat, “Well Chloé … I’m flattered that you’d pick me to explore this, but you and Mika should really-“

“Mika knows,” Chloé  said with a smile, “we’ve already talked about it together!”

Oklahoma blinked, “ Really? ” Chloé  nodded, and the pilot just shook her head in disbelief, “Chloé  I’ll level with you, you’re cute enough to get me swinging that way, but I have a lot of bad experiences jumping into bed with friends, so I don’t know if you and me would make a good-“

“Oh!” Chloé  exclaimed, blushing, “I meant Emilie!”

Oklahoma sighed in relief, then burst out laughing, “Whew! Okay then… I don’t know a lot, but uh… listen up I guess.”

…

Emilie looked up from her grimoire, pausing her recollection of her own adventures in the third century to study Chloé  as she walked back from the cockpit. The auburn haired girl had a strange smile on her face, and Emilie suddenly felt alert, wondering what the Naga was up to.

“H-Hi Chloé ,” she stammered, grinning.

“Relax,” Chloé  chuckled, taking the empty seat next to the catgirl, “I’m in human form, I can’t eat you up!”

“I know you’re safe,” Emilie said, smiling, “It’s just… old instincts I guess.”

“Mika needed to get over it too,” Chloé  said with a shrug, “people being a little afraid of you is just part of being at the top of the food chain.” She glanced over at his sleeping form, “Mika likes the whole thing, he loves being toyed with, and he loves when I…” she giggled, tracing a finger along her neck playfully, “you know.”

“I was worried about that,” Emilie muttered, “If he likes his women like you, how am I supposed to make this work?”

Chloé  rolled her eyes, “you have the same powers as all the other cat-girls, right?”

“Yes,” Emilie said curiously, “Why?”

Chloé  put a finger over her mouth to silence her, giggling as she gripped the Neko’s hand and pulled her out of the seat. She slowly led Emilie over to Mika’s sleeping form, then leaned in to whisper into her ear. Emilie’s eyes went wide, and she blushed as Chloé  told her what to do.

…

Mika yawned, feeling himself jostled against the soft cushion of his seat, turbulence maybe? He thought. He slowly blinked sleep out of his eyes, taking in Chloé  and Emilie’s smiling faces. He frowned, realizing the two girls completely filled his field of vision. With a start he looked down, realizing he wasn’t in his seat, but was in a hand, Emilie’s hand, and he was naked.

“He’s awake!” Chloé  giggled.

“W-What’s this?” he stammered, instinctively covering himself.

“What do you think of Emilie at this size?” Chloé  asked with a smirk.

Emilie grinned sheepishly, and Mika gulped as he tried to pick his words carefully. The truth was she had always been beautiful, but held in her hand like this… At least some of the same strange appeal he felt with Chloé ’s Naga form was here, and as her slender fingers slowly curled around him, caressing his body, he blushed as he felt the natural reaction begin between his legs.

“Stunning,” he said simply.

“See?” Chloé  asked her.

“I don’t usually handle a lot of humans like this,” Emilie admitted, “it feels a little mean!”

“It’s not mean if he wants to be mouse sized for you,” Chloé  sighed, “Look!”

Mika grunted as Chloé  snatched him from her grip, dangling him by one arm above her grinning house-sized face. Her humid breath washed over him as she exhaled upward, extending her tongue and slowly running the warm and wet appendage up his body. The sensation of the bumpy tastebuds sliding over his body made him groan in pleasure. The spit cooled rapidly on him as Chloé  pulled away, making him shiver slightly as she passed him back to Emilie, who took his arm gingerly.

“Well? Have a taste!” Chloé  said eagerly.

Emilie gulped, then extended her tongue. Mika felt it made contact, and gasped as she dragged the soft pink tendril up his body. Her tastebuds were stiffer than Chloé ’s rougher, but not at all unpleasant. He twitched in pleasure, suspended by his arm as Emilie’s tongue lingered between his legs for a moment, the tip tracing up and down his erection.

She pulled him away, her face red and her catlike ears twitching with excitement, mussing her blonde hair slightly, “D-Did that feel good?” she asked eagerly.

“God yes,” Mika said with a grin.

“If you keep doing that, you can make him finish, ” Chloé  said with a grin.

Emilie looked to Chloé , then to Mika, “C-Can I?”

Chloé  grabbed the shrunken Mika, sliding her thumb and forefinger under his armpits as she brought him closer to Emilie’s face. She gently angled him so that his hips were up against Emilie’s mouth, and with just a split second of hesitation, her massive lips enveloped his member, causing him to spasm in pleasure as the gigantic Neko slowly sucked on him, sliding the pillowy lips up and down his length with the slightest of motions.

This close to her face, the catgirl’s blue eyes were massive saucers, looking down at him and sparkling with excitement. Her blonde hair billowed around her face like theater curtains, wafting a soft scent almost like vanilla over him as her work continued. Her tongue gently came forward, sliding up and down his erection again as her lips parted, tasting him and building his excitement.

“Oh… Emilie,” he moaned, throwing his head back.

“Keep going!” Chloé  said excitedly, leaning in close.

Emilie obliged, picking up her pace until a moment later Mika cried out in pleasure, squirming in the grip of Chloé ’s fingers as Emilie sucked down every last drop of the tiny human’s seed.

With a wet *pop* sound Emilie leaned her head back, swallowing audibly as the tiny amount of cum slid down her throat. She blinked a few times, giggling excitedly as she looked from Mika, then to Chloé , then back again.

“T-That was interesting,” she stammered finally, “let me restore Mika’s size…”

“No, he needs to sleep a little longer,” Chloé  said casually, walking forward. Emilie squeaked in surprise as Chloé  shoved the hand holding Mika down the front of the blonde Neko’s shirt. Mika’s world went dark as he was wedged between the twin hills of Emilie’s breasts, held up by a lacey blue bra. Chloé ’s hand withdrew, and she smirked at Emilie’s shocked expression.

“You just shoved him between my-“

“It’s a good place for him to sleep,” Chloé  chuckled, “it’s warm, it’s soft… the only better place is…” she gently rubbed her hand over her belly, patting it affectionately, “Well, he can’t go there right now. Just relax, read your book or something?”

Emilie nodded, slumping back into her seat and reaching for her grimoire. Mika felt himself sinking lower between the catgirl’s breasts, finally stopping dead in the center of them. He yawned as tiredness took him again, and the slow rise and fall of Emilie’s chest, combined with the warmth of her body, quickly lulled him to sleep.

Emilie just smiled, turning to the blank section of her grimoire and retrieving her pen.

Things with Mika and Chloé  moved much quicker than I expected, she scrawled, tapping the pen against her chin, very enjoyable, excited for more…

…

Higgins chewed his lip, thinking over the encounter with Yukia, she’s part of this, whatever their plan is… She’s going to be part of wiping out the human race, there’s nothing wrong with her being killed along with Natasha.

It was a cold and rational thought, of the sort that had dominated his life… And yet he found himself coming back to it, trying to look for some way he could justify quietly telling Yukia to leave the airstrip.

She’d just tell Natasha, then we’d all be cooked, he thought miserably, and why do I care so much?

He clenched his fist and decided it didn’t matter, too much was in motion. He looked up at his men, carefully curated from those disillusioned with the cat-women. It had taken some doing to get them all on the same plane, and without any of the Nekos themselves, but fortunately while their long term schemes were impressive, their grasp of day to day details was murky at best. Relative to some agencies he’d worked in and against, it was almost comically easy to get some special supplies snuck onto this particular aircraft.

“Okay,” he said in a gravelly voice, standing up, “This is the big one, Natasha’s there, and a bunch of the cats are too… We won’t get another shot at this.” He walked to one of the crates in the center of the cargo hold, unclasping the top and pulling out one of the cellophane wrapped hazard suits. “These are skintight,” he began, “and they’re durable, but don’t take any chances when one of these cats gets close to you with those weapons of theirs, keep your distance from them and shoot to kill.” He tossed the first of the suits to the waiting group of men, “We’ll hit them from behind as soon as the Naga shows up.”

He felt the buzz in the back of his mind as he thought over the targets, Mika, Chloé , Oklahoma… and Emilie, for some reason she mattered, but the thought was fleeting.

…

Oklahoma slowly brought the private jet down for a landing on the airfield. Nestled against a large nature preserve in Madagascar, it was ideal for their needs. Like before Oklahoma had been able to peddle a story to the air traffic controllers of a group of American celebrities, seeking exotic sights far from the prying eyes of paparazzi.

“Hey!” Oklahoma called, stepping down the folding steps, glancing around. She frowned, seeing none of the airstrips operators anywhere. “They must be over in the control hut or something,” she muttered. She put her hands on her hips, observing abandoned tarmac with a frown, “looks like a slow place, they promised me they had jet fuel on the radio though.”

“Let’s stretch our legs,” Emilie suggested, walking down the steps with Chloé  behind her.

“Okay,” Chloé  sighed, ignoring the empty feeling in her stomach.

“When you find the airstrip guys, maybe ask them if there’s any kind of herding around here,” Mika said softly, “sheep, cows, that sort of thing.”

“We’re American tourists looking for organic beef, got it,” Oklahoma nodded, starting towards the small tin control hut.

…

“Targets sighted,” the voice over the radio crackled, “all four are confirmed.”

Higgins felt the familiar icy tension of pre-combat adrenaline as he checked his weapon a final time. He and his men were secluded in the jungles beyond the airstrip, while the Nekos and the rest of the men were hiding closer, within the airstrip’s handful of buildings.

“Remember, we need Mika alive,” Natasha’s cool voice echoed over the radio, “if he is killed… It would be unfortunate for the person that did the deed. Chloé  is merely to be driven off.”

Driven off, Higgins thought disdainfully, easier said than done… If this was my operation, I’d have a sniper take her out while she still looks human. He’d very nearly tried the same thing with Natasha herself, but her human security was as tight as any world leader’s. Oddly enough she was most vulnerable now, leading a small army of her followers.

Here we go, he breathed out slowly.

…

Chloé  looked up at the striped creature in the tree, staring back at her, “Emilie?” she asked, “what’s this monkey?”

“Oh, a lemur!” Emilie said excitedly. She adjusted the wig covering her feline ears as she joined her friend, “I’ve never seen one in real life before, they’re adorable!”

Chloé  licked her lips, “Do they live in big colonies? Like if we followed this one, would there be a lot of them back where he lives?”

“They’re endangered Chloé !” Emilie said, “just wait a little longer, Oklahoma is going to find a cattle ranch or something!”

…

Oklahoma frowned as she and Mika got closer to the control hut, “Mika, something feels off,” she whispered.

He froze, “what do you mean?” he asked, glancing around.

“We’re the only plane here,” she said slowly, “I don’t even hear any others, and suddenly a bird full of rich people drops down, and nobody’s running out to try to upsell us on stuff? We’re a flying payday to people that aren’t doing a lot of business.”

“They might just not like Americans?” Mika offered, tensing up himself as his eyes scanned the trees for movement.

“Even people who hate Americans love dollars…” she growled, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Mika nodded, turning back towards the plane, but froze as he heard the sound of feet on the tin roof of the control shack. At least a dozen black haired neko women sprinted over the roof from the far side, grinning and holding steel weaponry, most wore tight black martial arts robes. Below them the door burst open, and a group of men in jungle fatigues fanned out, readying automatic weapons.

“Oh shit!” Oklahoma drew her pistol in one smooth motion, firing a few haphazard shots that caused the men to take cover as the cat-women leapt as one off the roof, sprinting after them. The two fled across the tarmac towards their plane, a small army of Nekos razing weapons and calling out taunts in a dozen languages behind them. 

…

“Chloé , I’m serious,” Emilie pleaded, “I’ll buy you an entire herd of goats, sheep, whatever you want! Just leave the Lemurs alone!”

“They are kind of cute,” Chloé  admitted grudgingly.

The sound of gunfire caused the animal in question to leap off into the jungle, and the two girls looked at each other in surprise. A moment later the quicker pop of automatic weapons rang out.

“They’re after us!” Emilie gasped.

“Someone picked a really bad time to fuck with me,” Chloé  growled. She hadn’t finished the sentence before her legs were sliding together, her cloths ripping at the seams as she expanded upward. Emilie stumbled back as the Naga’s body grew, her skin replaced with scales and her tail whipping out dramatically behind her. The ground shook as the now massive Naga slithered back towards the airstrip, a grim expression on her face that made Emilie’s heart skip a beat.

S-She’s on your side, Emilie reminded herself, sprinting after her.

…

Natasha chuckled as she walked with the slowly advancing men, following them across t he tarmac as more of her minions appeared from the airstrip’s handful of buildings. The rumble of vehicles down the road let her know that the rest of her forces were being brought to bear, and when the Naga revealed herself she’d have the claws to strike at the snake . The group of Nekos chasing after the two humans before her were calling taunts, slowly encircling the two as the pilot brandished her handgun angrily, putting herself in front of Mika. 

Oklahoma looked at the dozens of catgirls, whooping challenges and twirling blades, “Looks like y’all brought a knife to a gunfight!” The slide on her handgun clicked into place as she racked it again, “Mika, you’re the one they want!” She shouted, keeping her eyes on the crowd, “go! Find Chloé !”

He gritted his teeth and ran, hearing the steady pop of Oklahoma’s shots behind him.

“You’re about to learn a lesson about bringing knives to a gunfight!” Oklahoma growled, drawing a bead on the nearest Neko. She pulled the trigger, swearing as the cackling women leapt gracefully out of the way, their feline tails dancing gleefully at the game they played with her. Every time she stopped to reload they all got a little closer, and she felt herself start to sweat as they licked their lips, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized she was down to her last magazine. 

Time to see how well they count, she thought, firing off a few more shots, making sure to leave one final round in the chamber. “I’m out!” she called in fake panic.

“Time to die!” a laughing black haired Neko shouted, running right at her. 

The gunshot was the most satisfying sound of the day, and Oklahoma grinned as she saw the stunned Neko blink in surprise once, before slumping to the ground. 

Her excitement didn’t last long, howling with fury the crowd of Nekos was only driven back for a second or two, but while they preferred their own era’s weapons, they knew exactly what the extended slide on her handgun meant. 

“Shit!” Oklahoma tossed the empty weapon as a dozen hissing catgirls surged forward, no longer afraid. She started running, only glancing over her shoulder long enough to see Mika being swarmed by them as half of them broke off to continue their pursuit. Sorry kid, she thought, gritting her teeth as she looked for a place to hide.

They’re fast! Mika thought in a panic, feeling a stitch in his side as he tried to outrun them. It was no use, one of the catgirls leapt, tackling Mika to the ground. She laughed madly, her ears twitching in excitement as she touched his face , quickly reducing him to a few inches tall. She scowled as the neko in question eagerly rose Mika over her face, opening her mouth and preparing to swallow him whole.

“Don’t you dare!” Natasha roared.

The group of Nekos all turned to her, and even those who were pursuing Oklahoma stopped, their noses twitching as Mika’s smell started to spread amongst them. Natasha rolled her eyes in annoyance as she saw the pilot disappear into the jungle at the edge of the airfield. In truth the woman mattered little to her alive or dead, and she turned back to the group surrounding Mika.

The Neko holding him glanced up at the flailing human, then back to Natasha, the others around her licked their lips excitedly, ready to pounce at Mika themselves.With an angry sigh Natasha drew her knife from its sheathe, throwing it in a smooth motion. The Neko holding Mika jerked as the blade made contact, then crumpled to the ground.

She caught Mika’s scent as she approached herself, chuckling at the rich flavor almost calling to her, “None of you touch him,” she ordered, pulling the knife free from her victim and sheathing it again. She bent down, snatching the inches tall Mika before he could scurry away.

“Y-You must be Natasha,” Mika stammered, trying to give her a defiant glare.

She laughed, her tail swaying excitedly behind her, “Yes, Mika, that’s me…” She brought him up under her nose, taking a long sniff that caused his hair to sway as if in a breeze. “Mon dieu,” she chuckled, “Emilie was right, you certainly have the scent of a male of our race at least, combine that with a human’s size and scent and…” she chuckled, eyeing the mob of Neko who were still looking hungrily at Mika, “it ignites some very interesting instincts. If I were you I wouldn’t try to escape from me, I doubt you’ll get very far with this lot.”

Natasha slowly unzipped the front of her catsuit, revealing her ample breasts, held in place by a tight black sports bra that barely contained the twin orbs. Mika squirmed in her grip as she brought him to the edge of the fabric, sliding him inside and poking his body until he was forced up against her nipple, reduced to an indent in the synthetic fabric. He tried to squirm free, but the tight fabric of Natasha’s sports bra made it impossible, and a moment later the loud sound of a zipper going back up sealed his imprisonment.

“There we are,” Natasha chuckled, playfully squeezing her breast. She glanced back at the gathered Nekos, who looked at her with a mix of awe and jealousy. “Mika. Is. Not. For. Eating.” she said sternly. She giggled, “Yet…”

“We’ve got contact!” one of the human mercenaries shouted from the edge of the airfield. The sound of splintering timber and automatic gunfire echoed as the Naga met their first line of defenses, and even in his humid prison Mika could hear it, grinning as he realized what it meant.

Chloé .

…

“Let’s get her!” The Nekos flourished their weapons, running towards the massive Naga as she slithered onto the airstrip, the gunfire bouncing harmlessly off her scales. Chloé  kept coming, ignoring them until they were no more than a few dozen yards from her, then with a shimmer she seemingly disappeared.

“Camouflage,” Natasha growled, “Always made them difficult to pin down.” She waved to a group of mercenaries near her, who quickly pulled thermal goggles down over their faces. Further down the road a group of trucks pulled up, and groups of men began pulling out larger weapons. “They used to be so hard to kill with slings and arrows,” Natasha chuckled, watching as a group of mercenaries ran forward, placing a large crew served machine gun on the ground, “let’s see how the Naga like humanity’s new toys…”

“Over ther- AAAH!”

Natasha frowned as one of the mercenaries was lifted into the air by a seemingly invisible force, then disappeared with a loud *gulp.*

Chloé  fought the urge to groan in pleasure as she sent the latest morsel directly to her second stomach, sending a wave of energy through her body that felt like a warm bath after a day in the cold. Thanks to the goggles the mercenaries could see her, but she made short work of them, bowling her massive body into them as the gunfire sparked against her lower body. She bent low, leaping down on them and closing her lips over another victim, curling her tongue under him and swallowing him quickly.

She winced as a higher caliber weapon began barking somewhere behind her, stinging her slightly, with a flick of her tail the crew manned machine gun was tossed aside. 

The first few morsels had lit a fire in her, and she began to feel her more predatory instincts take over. It was like the world slowed as she moved among the mercenaries, her mouth watering as she chose her next victim. She slowed her movement, relying on her camouflage to hide her as she silently came up behind a man who was waving a rifle from side to side, looking for her. She didn’t bother grabbing him, instead opening her mouth and bringing it down on him in one smooth motion. 

The mercenary looked around in panic, it was like the world had suddenly been replaced by a dark, moist cavern, and he screamed as Chloé ’s tongue hooked underneath him, pulling him up. He squeezed the trigger of his rifle, peppering the inside of her mouth with bullets that sparked harmlessly against her just before a loud *gulp* rang out, sending him down her wet throat. 

Chloé  shivered in excitement as she felt him tumble into her stomach, and she giggled wickedly as the rest of the men panicked, breaking their formation and fleeing from her. She continued her stealth attacks until she had a dozen mercenaries squirming in her first stomach.

Chloé  could hear their screams, but she'd learned to take things into her own hands: they'd chosen their fate and it was up to her to seal it. She paused briefly, observing her surroundings and feeling her prey pressing against the lower sphincter of her first stomach. She opened the passageway and sent half the contents of her first stomach downwards. The relative serenity of the first stomach gave way to the implacable destiny of the second.

 Her gaze drifted to the group of Nekos, who flourished their weapons, glancing around for any sign of her. She slowly moved around them, letting her tail encircle the group, creating a wall. 

“Hi!” she said with a grin, shimmering into visibility and startling them all.

“There she is!” Yukia shouted, pointing up at her. 

Chloé  struck like a cobra, coming down on the crowd of Neko and catching two of them in her mouth at once before they had a chance to move. She reared up, giggling at the ticklish sensation of the cat-girls crawling over her tongue in a panic.

*gulp* 

She ignored the bullets bouncing off her skin, remaining visible and letting the Nekos watch the small lump that was their comrades slide down her throat. With a smirk she patted her belly, glancing down at them. Her stomach gurgled loudly as her first round of prey was forced lower, preparing room for more, and from the way the feline ears on their heads went flat she could tell her prey had received the message. 

“Yukia!” she said with a grin, “When did we last see each other? Egypt?”

Yukia paled, “K-Kill her!” she snapped, raising her own sword defensively. The Nekos around her darted out of the way, and Yukia deftly leapt out of the way as Chloé ’s hand came down for her, slicing back and grinning as she drew a thin cut across Chloé ’s thumb, causing her to hiss angrily as she pulled back.

“Where’s Mika?” she growled, rearing up again. The Nekos saw the muscles along her tail tense, and knew that even their reflexes wouldn’t save them when she struck again. 

Come for me and I’ll cut that pretty cheek! Yukia grinned, readying her sword, “I’ll never-”

“N-Natasha has him!” one of the Neko behind her shouted, pointing to their leader at the edge of the airfield, surrounded by a dozen mercenaries. 

Chloé  glanced in Natasha’s direction and smirked, “You should have told me Yukia!”

The world slowed, and Yukia flipped backwards, jumping over the Neko behind her and planting her feet on her back, kicking her and giving just enough momentum to clear Chloé ’s strike, while causing the other catgirl to stumble right into the spot she’d been as Chloé ’s mouth came down. 

Yukia’s heart raced as she looked up, watching the other Neko kick feebly in the air as Chloé ’s lips closed around her. There was a slurping sound, and then the other catgirl disappeared, and Yukia grimaced as a loud *gulp* sent her sister in arms to her fate. Anger crossed Chloé ’s face as she realized she’d missed her target, and the other Nekos slowly looked to Yukia, then leapt away from her as Chloé  reared up again. 

Yukia glanced around, grinning as she saw one of her sisters had abandoned a longbow and a quiver of arrows in the panic. She leapt, scooping them up and nocking an arrow in a smooth motion, aiming for Chloé ’s eye. The Naga saw, and the two shared a hateful millisecond of eye contact before she shimmered, camouflaging herself once again. 

Chloé  winced slightly as she felt the Nekos she’d swallowed striking the walls of her stomach with their weapons. It was a futile attempt, but they were a harder prey than humans, and would take longer to finish. 

“They all know where I’ve placed the traps, and they’re still mucking around over there,” Natasha growled. She sighed, looking to the men, “I really should have forced them to wear those wonderful thermal goggles… but they’re all so set in their ways. Hit the snake with something big, something to get her coming this way.”

One of the men with the goggles nodded, moving forward and shouldering a large rocket propelled grenade. The hiss of the rocket was music to Natasha’s ears, and she grinned as the exhaust ruffled her hair. 

Chloé  winced as the explosive hit her, bruising her arm and taking her out of her feeding frenzy. She looked across the airstrip, spotting Natasha and the man with the rocket, who was readying another. With a scowl she slithered in their direction, deftly dodging the second rocket as it whistled over her shoulder.

“Okay, she’s in position,” Natasha laughed. Next to her a man clicked a button on a small remote, activating a series of small disks no larger than dinner plates that had been painted and painstakingly camouflaged to match the tarmac’s surface the day before. 

Chloé  sensed something in the ground, and quickly shielded her face a split second before a series of small explosions at the level of the pavement rang out. She frowned as she realized she wasn’t hurt, but as she looked down the intention of the trap was clear. Large splotches of paint covered her, revealing her place even with her camouflage.

“All right, there she is!” Yukia called excitedly, twirling her katana as she led the other Nekos in a charge against the now visible Chloé .

“Ah!” Chloé  cried out in pain as the first of the Nekos leapt up on her tail, slicing at her with their steel weaponry. The human mercenaries were aiming at her now too, unleashing barrages of gunfire on her upper half that stung like hornets as the catgirls climbed over her lower half like ants. With an angry growl her hand came down, sweeping a row of the mercenaries away like they were flies, and with a whipping motion she threw most of the Nekos off her tail, but to her dismay they all landed gracefully, sprinting back towards her with mad grins.

“That’s right,” Natasha chuckled, “suffer…” The pain on Chloé ’s face as the attacks landed one after the other was a sheer delight.

“Miss Natasha,” one of the mercenaries bellowed, distracting her, “We’ve captured a prisoner!”

“If it’s the pilot just shoot her or something,” Natasha muttered, turning angrily, “Actually wait, I’m a little hungry and-“ she stopped, slowly grinning as she realized it wasn’t Oklahoma that the perimeter guards had brought her. “Emilia!” she drawled, clapping her hands together excitedly, “this is the day that continues to give!”

“It’s Emilie,” the blonde Neko muttered, “Where’s Mika?”

“He’s safe, for now,” Natasha smirked, patting her pocket. “Take her back to my helicopter.” The men nodded, hefting Emilie by each arm, careful to use gloved hands to do so as they led her away.

Chloé  gasped as she endured another sharp cut from one of the Nekos, and with a howl she whirled around, her hand flying. This time the Neko was so lucky, and Chloé  shoved the catgirl into her mouth with an angry grunt. She tilted her head back, swallowing angrily and making sure her attackers heard the scream as the Neko passed down into her belly.

The response wasn’t the fear she’d hoped, instead the Nekos leapt off her, laughing as the humans unloaded more of the weapons from a row of massive trucks idling at the far edge of the airstrip. A loud *boom* rang out, and Chloé  gasped, falling backwards as a cloud of fire burst on her chest. As the smoke cleared she sighed in relief as she saw she was only bruised, but her heart began pounding faster as she saw three more of the artillery pieces being wheeled next to Natasha.

“Let’s keep going until she breaks a few bones, then leave her,” Natasha ordered. The men nodded, loading more shells into the small cannons.

A burst of gunfire rang out, and the men at the artillery emplacements cried out in panic, several of them falling over. Natasha’s eyes went wide, and she whirled around to see her own rear guard charging at her, guns blazing. Reflexes took over, and she leapt backwards, cartwheeling into cover behind an old truck.

“TRAITORS!” she roared, “DO YOU THINK YOU’RE THE FIRST HUMANS TO TRY THIS!?” She waved at the Nekos, who were already sprinting back towards her, “Kill them all!” She forced herself to her feet, tapping the pocket to make sure Mika was still safely in place. Her ears went flat against her head as she heard someone behind her, and she had just enough time to leap to safety again before Higgins burst of gunfire cut her to ribbons. She pulled her own gun, squeezing off four shots as the human dove and rolled, responding to her with his own stream of bullets until a *click* rang out.

“Uh oh!” she grinned wickedly, holstering her pistol and leaping towards him. Her tail traced through the air behind her, but a gloved fist making contact with the side of her face, sending her sprawling with a cry of pain as she rubbed her jaw. She blinked numbly for a moment, stunned that a human had managed to land a blow on her, then hatred and bile filled her as she got to her feet, drawing her blade.

“As a great man once said,” Higgins growled as he advanced on her, “Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

“I’ll remember that while you’re digesting later!” she hissed, stabbing at him. He was fast for a human, but now that her guard was up none of his own blows got close to her. “Did someone pay you for this?” Natasha rasped as they circled one another, “tell me what you’re throwing your life away for!”

I remembered I was human, he thought, wincing as she slashed across his shirt, causing the fabric to fall away.

“Clever,” Natasha muttered, seeing the skintight outfit beneath it. She glanced around them, watching as Higgins men pinned one of the Nekos down with gunfire, finally ending another of the immortals. In spite of everything she smirked, regarding Higgins with an eyebrow raised, “I wish you’d have just come for me at one of our bases, I’d have gladly met you like this, if that’s what you wanted, your name would have been written in my grimoire forever!”

“It’s already in one,” Higgins said, readying himself for her next attack.

“NATASHA!” Chloé  roared, recovering and looming over the battlefield. Another burst from the artillery cannon caused her to go rigid and fall to the ground again, but this time she’d anticipated it, and was already getting up , her damaged tissues knitting themselves back together before she hit the ground as her regenerative abilities took full effect.

“This has to end I’m afraid,” the Neko leader muttered, turning to Higgins with an almost regretful smile , “she’s fed too much, she could withstand nearly anything now.”. She leapt away from Higgins, placing a hand on the neck of one of her own men. “Time to sacrifice for the cause!” she said with a grin, shrinking him into her waiting hand.

“No, wait!” the mercenary shouted, but he was already disappearing down Natasha’s throat, and she moaned in ecstasy as she felt the man kick and squirm on his way down. The fire lit within her, the familiar predatory euphoria that had started her on this path so many eons ago.

Natasha was a blur, nearly impossible to follow with the human eye as she leapt into the air, coming down in the center of Higgins’ men. Her dagger flashed, cutting their protective gear to ribbons as she moved through them like a whirlwind, dodging gunfire, knives, and fists. She skidded to a stop on the other side of them, simply closing her eyes and listening to the laughter of her sisters as they descended on the now unprotected humans. She turned back to Higgins, her eyes gleaming.

“RETREAT!” he called, shoving another magazine into his submachine gun and raising it at her. He fired off bursts of gunfire as he fell back, trying to pin down Natasha as she leapt gracefully around his shots, laughing maniacally. His heart raced as he reached for a grenade on his belt, but Natasha was already on him, grabbing it away and tossing it harmlessly into the jungle just as he pulled the pin. The explosion ruffled her hair as she licked her lips at him teasingly.

There was a hiss in the air, and Natasha suddenly cried out in pain as an arrow hit her in the shoulder. Higgins took the opportunity to run, looking back just long enough to see Yukia throwing a bow and quiver to the tarmac, sprinting away from them.

Natasha pulled the arrow free with a roar of pain, spinning around to see the archer, her rage building as she saw no one.

She… saved me? He pushed it from his mind, he and his men had a fallback point to meet up at, and he ran through the jungle towards it.

Natasha looked towards the fleeing Higgins and his men, then back to Chloé ’s monstrous and looming form, already advancing on them. Her heart was pounding, and thousands of years of hate coursed through her as she tried to focus, but finally she knew what she needed to do.

She pulled the radio from her hip, “Fire all cannons at the Naga, but fall back to the trucks and retreat immediately.” She sighed, clasping her wounded shoulder as she watched the mercenaries and surviving Nekos follow her orders.

Which one of you tried to shoot me in the back? She thought angrily, looking over them.

…

Chloé  held her hands crossed in front of her face, wincing with pain as another artillery shell hit her. She was aware of the humans falling back, but couldn’t focus on anything but protecting herself as the heavy guns covered their retreat. She slid forward, taking advantage of the reloading time to bring her tail down on the machine, smashing it to bits.

Distantly she felt the rumble of vehicles starting, and her eyes went wide, No! she slithered to the edge of the tarmac, tears in her eyes as she felt the vibration of the cars racing away down the dirt roads, faster than she could hope to catch them.

…

Oklahoma gripped the pocket knife so tightly her knuckles turned white, hearing the battle slowly fade as she hid in the outhouse at the edge of the airstrip. She slowly breathed out, forcing herself to push the wooden door open. Dimly she couldn’t help but compare it to one at her family’s lakeside cabin, only missing a half-moon cutout. 

Okay, she told herself, looking at the bodies scattered around the airstrip, this is… harder stuff than you’re used to. She forced down vomit, swearing at herself angrily, Cowgirl up you bitch! She told herself, Doc Holliday did this all goddamn day!

“Ung…” a groan startled her, and she slowly made her way to one of the black haired catgirls, laying on the ground and holding her hand over a mortal wound in her chest, a bowie knife and a flintlock pistol lay discarded a few feet from her. 

“H-Hey,” Oklahoma stammered, holding the knife in front of her, “Uh… surrender?”

Neko glanced at her, smirking, “You’ve seen death, you know it’s coming for me.”

Oklahoma sighed, “yeah… If you promise not to do that shrinking thing I’ll end it quick for you, one cut across the throat.”

The Neko chuckled, “you’re American… I love America, I’ve been trying to be American…”

Oklahoma paused, “Ah, well sorry that we’re on the opposite side then…”

“I was at the Alamo,” the Neko whispered, “With David, and Jim…”

“Ah hell,” Oklahoma muttered, chewing her lip, “you’re not fucking with me, are you?”

“No,” she sighed, her eyes starting to glaze over, “No more time for bullshit.” They laughed together for a moment, then the cat-girl continued, “Since you’re my countrywoman, I want you to know…” she winced in pain, “it’s impossible to beat Natasha, she’s bringing all she has.”

Oklahoma’s heart sank, “What do you mean?” she asked quietly.

“Thousands of men are going to the temple in Brazil,” the Neko muttered, closing her eyes. “She has things she shouldn’t have, helicopter gunships, tanks, a nuclear weapon… You can’t beat her.”

“Are you bullshiting me!?” Oklahoma shouted angrily.

“She’s ending it all,” the Neko whispered, her voice growing faint, “despair if you wish, or fight her… I don’t care now.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?” Oklahoma asked sadly.

“P-Promise me one thing,” the Neko rasped as her life left her, “Remember the Alamo…”

Oklahoma stared at the dead Neko, the dead Texan, for a moment, then wiped tears from her eyes. She slowly made her way down the tarmac towards Chloé ’s massive form. Idly she saw her empty handgun, forgotten in the chaos of the battle, and with a sigh she picked it up, noting how heavy it suddenly felt. 

“Chloé ?” she shouted.

“Where were you?” she sobbed, startling the human woman.

“C-Chloé ,” Oklahoma stammered, suddenly nervous in the presence of the enormous Naga, “Even someone like me only carries so many rounds…” She held up her pistol, showing the slide retracted and the chamber empty. “I had to run, I gave Mika all the time I could!”

Chloé  nodded, “Don’t be scared of me,” she muttered. A hand went to her stomach, where the mercenaries and Nekos she’d eaten were panicking. “We’re going to Brazil,” Chloé  said quietly.

Oklahoma sighed, “Chloé …”

“They’ll be going back to the temple,” she explained, “they’ll have Mika alive…”

“And they’ll have a bigger army than that one waiting for you,” Oklahoma groaned, “T hey’ve got things that will fuck even something like you up Chloé , Natasha’s got an A-Bomb at least. We’re beat, we’re not going to win by running right into a bear trap they’re setting up for us!”

“So what do you think we should do?” Chloé  asked angrily.

“I don’t get a lot of this,” Oklahoma sighed, looking away a moment, “all of this magic stuff, ancient goddesses… I joined this thing for a quick payday! I love all of you guys, but if Emilie is right… I think they’re causing the end of the world, Chloé .” She looked Chloé  in the eyes, blinking away a quick tear of her own, “I think I want to go home, back to the States, I have some accounts I’d like to settle if this is the end of everything.”

“I don’t believe you,” Chloé  growled, “after everything, you want to just go home and mope!?”

“You can come with me,” Oklahoma said quietly.

“No, I can’t,” Chloé  muttered, “goodbye.”

Oklahoma looked like she wanted to say something else, but just sighed, tossing her empty pistol into the dirt. With one last sad stare, she started walking down the road.

.…

Natasha purred happily as she stroked Mika’s head with a single finger, enjoying the way Emilie looked at her hatefully from across the helicopter.

“Did you send Higgins to try to kill me?” Natasha asked with a smirk, “that’s so cold blooded Emilie!” Emilie didn’t respond, just staring at the floor with her ears flat against her head. Natasha rolled her eyes, “Fine then, don’t talk, I have this little morsel to chat with!” she grinned down at Mika, “I’m sorry it won’t be you and the Naga opening that final chamber, but I’ll take you in, don’t you worry!”

“You’re insane if you think I’ll help you with anything in that temple!” Mika spat.

“Hmm… They say cats always land on their feet, but I wonder if Emilie over there can manage it from this height?” at her words one of the mercenaries slid the door of the helicopter open, causing wind to whirl through the cabin.

“Okay!” Mika shouted over the wind, “Just don’t do anything to her!”

The mercenary slid the door shut again, and Natasha grinned, “I can see you’ve already gotten close! What does the Naga think of Emilie’s little repopulation plan?” Natasha blinked as she saw Emilie blush and look away with a small smile. “You know, I really wish you could have had an experimental phase while we were on the same side,” Natasha muttered.

“What’s behind the door?” Emilie asked in a tired voice, “you owe me that much…”

“Curious until the end,” Natasha sighed, “the Naga had the World Tree Emilie.”

Emilie’s eyes went wide, “I-It was a myth!”

“No,” Natasha said with a sad smile, “We could have shared this knowledge as friends, once upon a time…” She sighed and continued, “it connects to all of the Lemurian trees that remain, and can command them all.” She flourished her hand playfully, “The Naga could use it to share their gifts with the world, with each other, and I intend to share our gift with the world. When I lay my hands on it, the pollen of thousands of Lemurian saplings will carry my power with it, and the wind shall carry that to the humans… They’ll shrink away on the breeze!” Her grin widened, “and then we will feast, it will take a long time to get them all, but with humanity reduced to their true status as vermin? I’m confident we will manage.” She laughed as she looked down to Mika, “and with this adorable morsel’s bloodline… it will be permanent!” She grinned as she saw Emilie’s face darken, “It’s such a far flung thing, to see a human with the male Neko bloodline… It’s providence!”

“You’d use the World Tree itself for something like this?” Emilie asked, horrified, “do you have any idea what could be done with it!? What knowledge could be gained?”

Natasha stared out the helicopter’s window, “I don’t want to cure diseases, find treasures, or talk with the stars Emilie, I want to finish my war… humans belong in the bellies of the Neko Clan!” Mika shook slightly in her grip, realizing the scope of her plans, “ All humans,” she said with a grin.

Chloé … you’ve got to find us, you’ve got to stop her!

…

“What now?” Richard asked Higgins as the group lounged around the clearing, “do we go into hiding?”

“I don’t think there will be much of a point to that soon,” Higgins replied grimly. He looked at the survivors of the attack, of the men he’d set out with he had twelve left. This isn’t like losing men you don’t know, he thought grimly, fighting a wave of emotion he was unprepared to deal with in front of them.

He took a deep breath, blinking a moment, “If anyone wants to go, I won’t hold it against you. I only have one idea left, and it’s not one any of you will like…”

…

Chloé  coiled herself angrily next to a jet plane that lacked fuel, and which she couldn't’ fly anyways. She felt the squirming prey in her upper stomach, and with a spiteful growl emptied them into her lower, enjoying the brief screams before they went silent, nourishing her. The Nekos had earned their fate, and she didn’t feel any remorse or regret for sending them to it. The aches and pains of the battle vanished as the power coursed through her, boosting her regenerative abilities. She glanced down at the blue paint along her body, then started rubbing at it, frowning as it wouldn’t come off. 

I need to get to Brazil, she thought angrily, but how?

She looked up as she felt footsteps at the edge of the airstrip, humans, at least a dozen of them. With a scowl she reared herself up, readying to confront them.

“I’m not here to fight you!” Higgins shouted, holding his hands up as he walked onto the tarmac. 

“You…,” Chloé growled, “I don’t care what deal you had with Emilie, you almost killed Mika!”

“And you’ve eaten plenty of my colleagues,” Higgins replied, “but we don’t need to like each other to work together… I think we should talk.”

Chloé  wanted nothing more than to leap down and swallow him down, but with a sigh she restrained herself, “Talk.”