Chapter 3 is up and running! It's around this point you're gonna get some poetic chapter names, instead of just the names of our four main characters! I already have the story outlined so I have the chapter names for them all!

…I also had the realization that the Defense Destroyers are a lot like the Fantastic Four. Think about it: Four friends (three male, one female), all of whom different in some way, and their team name starts with the same letter. Their personalities even match up! Gentle giant (Bulldozer/The Thing), smart nerdy boi (Mr. Fantastic/Randy), graceful woman (Invisible Woman/Olivia) and hotshot (Copper/Human Torch).

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and if you like the story, why not do me a favor and vote + comment on it? I would REALLY appreciate it if you did! Thank you ahead of time!

Chapter 3
Strangers, Yet Friends

"Sister Olivia, please, stop!"

"It hurts – it hurts so much –"

Screaming. Pain. Blood. Organs. Oh, so delicious. Without faltering, Olivia woke up to see the gore she had caused. It was all her fault. She picked up the katana her sister Sylvia used, the blood on her face and her tears dripping onto the blade.

"…I'm sorry, my sisters."

And then Olivia was awake, gasping and coughing. From the way she spluttered and struggled to get up, one would think that she had been saved from drowning had she not been bone dry. Bulldozer glanced over at her, mildly relieved that she was awake. He didn't want to be the cause of a death – worst case scenario; she would've been the second death because of him.

"Good, you're up." He mumbled. Bulldozer soon returned his gaze to out the window; paranoid that someone would figure out that he was the one who hurt a Summoner and come after him.

Olivia slowly turned to him, before she remembered what she had tried to do to him. "…Why didn't you…?"

"Kill ya?" Bulldozer finished her sentence for her. "Wouldn't've been right. Already might've caused someone to die, don't want someone else's blood on my hands."

Olivia was curious, but didn't push the issue about Bulldozer's potential murder.

"Ya don't have to lie to me, either. I know you're The Consumer."

Olivia's eyes widened a fraction. "H-how did you –"

"You're a monster that tried to eat my flesh. How could ya not figure it out?"

Olivia fell silent at this. She…couldn't argue with Bulldozer's logic. After a minute or two, Bulldozer began to speak again, trying to fill the now awkward silence between the two. Olivia briefly noted that she was lying on her bed in the hotel room she had rented out. How Bulldozer figured out where she was staying, she would have to ask later. Olivia's body practically screamed for flesh, which made it difficult to concentrate.

"I just wanna know: why?"

"Because I need it." Olivia knew exactly what Bulldozer was talking about. She sat up on the bed. Her yellow and white uniform was wrinkled, but that's what to expect after passing out with someone at your throat – quite literally. Olivia shook her head a tad.

"…For as long as I could remember, I've needed the flesh and blood of monsters. When it first started, a drop of blood was all that needed to calm a strange feeling in my body." Olivia started. "One drop became two, two became four, four ten, and before I was five I was purposely creating cuts and gashes on my friends to suck out some of their blood."

"I thought I was a Neostone Agent and Vampire hybrid at first." She realized she couldn't stop talking even if she tried, so Olivia just went with it. She chuckled a bit, but there was no humor behind her laughter. "It honestly would've been easier to deal with had I been one. I'd be able to drink a silver-star monster's blood and be done with it. I had my first taste of flesh, and from there, it was like I was an addict. I tried to ignore the urge to consume, but it turned out to be a close encounter with death and passed out."

"The resident healer on my island at the time, Chloe, told me that had I been found a minute later, I would have died." Olivia shook her head, concluding her ramble. "…I'm sorry for talking so much."

"Eh, it's alright."

"…Are you going to turn me in or something, now that you know what I really am?" Olivia's stomach quivered as she waited for Bulldozer's response.

The silence from him felt like an eternity, but at last the Frankenstein spoke up. "I ain't gonna, don't worry."

"Oh, thank Artamiel…" Olivia exhaled the breath she didn't realize she had been holding in. "…But why do you spare me?"

"In a way, you're a bit like me." Bulldozer shrugged. "Different, I mean. People consider you something terrifying, yeah?"

"You have no idea." Another clipped laugh came from Olivia's throat.

"Well, ya ain't the only one who's different around here." Bulldozer raised up one sleeve of his red jacket to reveal a metal arm; glinting in the moonlight. Not once did he turn away from the window. Olivia stared in awe, not just because of Bulldozer's oddity – but because, even though he had seen her darkest side, he was still willing to give her a chance.

Olivia tried to stand up, to go to Bulldozer's side, but fell back down onto the soft sheets, whining as another wave of agonizing hunger struck her. Bulldozer finally turned to look at her, wincing as she fell back, clutching her stomach. It hurt so much. Before long, Bulldozer remembered what Olivia said about the first time she tried to starve it out.

"…Ya need flesh, don't ya?"

Olivia weakly nodded. "…I must consume…"

"You've never been savvy with the black market, I see." Bulldozer held out his hand to help Olivia up. "My Summoner used to buy monster organs from there every now and then. Her experiments were...strange."

Olivia gladly took his hand. It was chilly, but not lifelessly cold. It felt quite nice. "You're right; I've never taken an interest in the black market, but…" Here she paused to fend off the urge to try and consume Bulldozer's flesh, "...what I do know is that even the weakest of organs would be expensive."

Take some of his flesh while you still can.

Don't go for his arms. His neck is regular.

No.

I will not consume him.

"Yeah. Don't have many Mana Crystals on me. What about you?"

"I only have enough for the hotel fee…" Olivia hung her head, studying Bulldozer's arms. It was clear that they were handmade, made from the finest metal that Olivia had seen. Thousands of gears, joints and wires were inside the metal shells, all working together to create a beautiful piece of work.

"…How long do ya think ya can stay up like this?" Bulldozer asked.

"…Not long. Perhaps five minutes…why do you ask?"

"Fastest way to get Crystals is the Arena. Was kinda hoping, ya know, we could earn 'em somehow."

Olivia's eyes widened. "You would really do that for me…?"

"Yeah. Besides, not like I got anywhere else to go." He shrugged.

"I understand." She nodded. "…Well, I believe it would be best if we got started as soon as possible. I'll try my best not to pass out, I promise…"

"Yeah, that'd probably be best. Heads up!"

As Bulldozer turned to the door, he chucked an Angelmon behind his back. Olivia yelped and held her arms out, fumbling about as she managed to catch it. Two tiny black eyes peered up at her from the Angelmon; its yellow body jiggled like it was caught in a breeze, tiny wings flapping. On its head was a golden halo. A Gold Angelmon, whom Bulldozer had gotten just for Olivia. She suddenly appreciated him a lot more than she had just seconds ago.

Deep down, the elegant yet starving Neostone Agent knew that it would give her the energy to go for maybe a day, but that didn't matter. She was touched by Bulldozer's small gift, and she chomped down on the Angelmon, taking in the halo whole as her teeth cut into part of the Angelmon. It squeaked in pain as Olivia ripped the fluffy mass away, letting the taste dissolve on her tongue.

Light and airy, like a marshmallow. But the taste was so pure and sweet. To Olivia, it was like heaven. The Angelmon was gone before she knew it, and its effects were almost instant. Already, Olivia felt more alert. The painful hunger was gone, but it was only temporary. She knew that in 24 hours, the bloodlust and the need to consume would return.

To Olivia, she and Bulldozer were friends now.

Olivia would've thought that she would be terrified during her first few times in the Sky Arena after getting kicked off her island. After all, in her paranoia, there could be someone that figured out she was the Consumer, and all it would take was one well-timed arrow through her neck. But to her surprise, she was completely calm. Bulldozer looked uneasy, though; pacing back and forth silently while gripping onto his jacket as he tried to hide his metal arms.

"Scared?" Olivia asked, though not in a teasing tone.

"Nervous." Bulldozer replied, never once faltering. "First time in the Arena. The Summoner only brought me to Guild Wars."

"I know that feeling…" Olivia sighed. While she wasn't as inexperienced in the Sky Arena as Bulldozer seemingly was, Olivia wasn't as good as other monsters on her previous islands were – before Olivia had eaten her, Megan was one of those monsters. A team of Frigate, Megan, and the Lushen brothers had been a favorite for her last Summoner. Her hazel eyes scanned over the list of people waiting for a challenge in the Arena.

"I believe we should start with one- or two-monster defenses." Olivia hummed. "What do you think?"

"You're the natural-born leader, not me."

Olivia smiled softly. It was true; Neostone Agents always made good leaders, not to toot her own horn though. She went back to looking at the arena waiting list, blonde hair tied up into a neat little bun. Bulldozer, though his nervousness, was thinking. As the two left the town and started for the Sky Arena, he had looked behind him at Olivia.

Things felt off about Olivia. He doubted she would try and eat him again, though; she had all the chances in the world earlier and she didn't take one of them. Instead he saw her push a small handful of crystals to Katarina. She whispered something, but he couldn't make out what. Bulldozer realized that she was going to disappear afterwards.

"Hm, perhaps we should try the Veromos and Belladeon defense –" Olivia started, but was quickly cut off.

"You're gonna leave after this, aren't you?" Bulldozer stopped pacing for a moment to look up at her.

Well, that was certainly unexpected. The sounds of the Sky Arena seemed to be muted around the two of them. Olivia kept her back to him; not to be rude, though, but because she didn't want him to see the look of sorrow on her face. Olivia sighed tenderly, knowing he saw.

"…Yes." Olivia muttered; barely a whisper. "I always have to run. Every two or so months. This way it would be harder for someone to track me down if they found out."

Bulldozer came up to her side, and they stood together in silence. "…Where ya gonna go after this?"

"I don't know…" She shrugged. "Perhaps to Vrofagus Remains? I tend not to think about my destination too much beforehand; I just get up and go. Why do you ask?"

"Was thinking maybe we could travel together or somethin'. I mean, you seem nice and all, and I don't have anywhere else."

Olivia smiled wide; remembering the wish she had made so long ago. "…I'd love to. But for now, let us try our luck against Veromos and Belladeon."

"Sounds good to me." He grinned a bit at her, and together the two accepted the challenge.

For the first time since Olivia's permanent status of becoming a nomad, the travels didn't seem so lonely anymore.