Chapter 1

She was too fast for them. Even in this field where magic barriers blocked everyone's sensors, she was still able to out manoeuvre them and second guess every single one of their moves. Lured out into the open, Kisara summon a long sword and tried to hit her with a surprise attack. But she was already ready for it with a dagger of her own which sliced cleanly through Kisara's sword like a knife through butter. And that was when Kisara made her fatal mistake. Reeling in the shock of the counter attack she let her guard down. Within seconds she was ensnared in a trap of vines, which bound her arms and legs in an unyielding position.

To the sounds of a loud and angry battle cry, Lus and False leapt out of hiding with a double barrage. But this didn't faze her and she handled the two toned assault with all the ease of a tiger trainer taming a kitten. Within a mere matter of moments she'd managed to turn Lus and False's attacks against each other, causing them to ensnare each other within their own varying webs. With three down already the rest of the team were in trouble. Sighing in disgust Arados lowered his Balance issue binoculars and allowed a sour expression to creep across his face.

'They still might turn this around you know,' Jo lowered her own binoculars and shifted her gaze towards him. 'It's not over yet.'

'Please,' he rolled his eyes, 'it was over the second Kisara was captured and you know it. If I were down there I would never let that happen.'

'Well you're not down there, you're up here, taking care of a much more important job.'

'I should be down there.'

'You're six months pregnant.'

'So?'

'So you can't even sneeze right now without someone worrying about it. Training is out of the question.'

'But so long as I'm up here they won't listen to me. They think I can't possibly know what I'm talking about because I'm not actually there.'

'And do you know what you're talking about?'

'Yes, I've spotted every single one of her weaknesses and I'm getting a good idea of how she thinks now. If they would let me do anything other than just incubate little Princess then I could have them winning these things in no time.'

'Right now they're not going to listen to any of us,' Helen sighed, as she too lowered her binoculars in order to join in their conversation. 'I mean, just last night I was telling Lus about how she always drops guard right before using an encapture technique and he completely shrugged me off. Said there wouldn't be enough time to turn things around before getting caught.'

'And Crovell's no better,' Jo shook her head, 'it's like she's got all of them so worked up they can't even think straight anymore.'

'Well maybe she has,' Arados pressed his lips together, 'we all know its well within her capabilities to do it. Maybe she's trying to test them in more ways than we know.'

'It wouldn't surprise me,' Helen tilted her head, 'she likes to push them above and beyond their limits.'

'And that's exactly why she has the three of us out here watching them,' Jo wearily massaged her forehead, 'so that we can see what their limits are and help them.'

'The only problem there Jo, is that they won't let us,' Arados rolled his eyes.

'Not yet anyway, I think once we're able to get out there with them…'

'When are we ever going to be allowed to get out there with them,' Arados allowed frustration to take over his voice, 'as soon as we drop these kids will be expected to put all our time and effort into taking care of them. We'll be side-lined again and expected to take it.'

His grip on his binoculars became so tight the plastic casing shattered in his hands. Gasping in pain, he pulled his hand back in order to examine the bloody damage.

'I shouldn't be mollycoddled like this,' he gritted his teeth, 'I'm physically stronger than all of them combined. I can take care of myself. Or could, if they'd ever let me.'

'But they're not ever going to let you.'

'I know,' he shook his head in disgust, 'all I seem to be good for as far as they're concerned is incubating little Princess.'

'And coming up with the worst name imaginable for her.'

'What's wrong with Princess,' he blinked.

'How about you tell me what's right with it?'

'Look, just because you still can't think of a name for your bump doesn't mean you can criticize mine.'

'No,' Helen smirked, 'but she can point out that its stupid.'

'Why am I not surprised you agree with her?'

'Because you know we both have good taste in names and you don't.'

'What's wrong with the name Princess?'

'It's like calling a child Miracle,' Jo smirked.

'Watch it Jo,' Arados shot her a warning look, 'I have absolutely no problems with hitting a pregnant sister.'

'You really need to learn to control that temper of yours Ara,' she shrugged, 'it's sucking all the humour right out of you.'

'Well maybe that's because you're just not funny, ever think of that?'

'You know Ara that thoughts never actually occurred to me.'

'I wonder why you arrogant p…'

'Ara,' Helen cut him off, 'not in front of the bumps; they can hear us you know.'

'Right, right,' Arados rolled his eyes, 'and we wouldn't want to be teaching them bad manners before they're even born now, would we?'

'No,' Jo smirked, 'you should be saving that for when they're a few minutes old.'

'Are you saying that I'm going to teach my kid worse manners than you will?'

'I'm just saying you don't exactly have the best track record in that department Ara. I mean, you were an adolescent thug.'

'Only because you and the rest of the world were too ignorant to recognise my intelligence.'

'What intelligence?'

'Don't start Jo,' he warned, 'you really don't want to start with me right now.'

'God I hope lil Princess inherits her personality from False,' Jo shook her head, 'because I really don't want a female version of you running around.'

'There would be nothing wrong with that if she was,' Arados defended, 'in fact I think that's the best thing that could possibly happen to her.'

'You would.'

'Just shut up Jo.'

'Or what?'

'Or nothing, I just want you to shut up Jo.'

'You're really just too mumsy to be threatening right now Ara,' she laughed, 'maybe I really should make you that smock.'

'Oh shut up Jo. Just shut up.'