Agatha couldn't even see the abomination until the eggs were out. Alex forbade it. She already had an idea of how to test and see if any of her viral tissue was truly in the corpse.
"What do you have in mind?" Robert asked. Robin was listening in to report to Alex.
"The tentacles of my hair are like blood hounds. I found it out with the smaller piece of me. If that thing just has my face and form, I'll know. If it's another part of me, I may be able to extract what part of me is trapped away. It's something I know I can do. Instinctive. I'm starting to wonder if they still have the true piece of me locked up and just using various parts of it to enhance clones. The lesser memories are hinting something like that to me now," Agatha blinked at what she went over.
"You think so?" Robert thought.
"I'm starting to believe it. When the lesser part of me couldn't reproduce from being too small, they tried to use small parts of it in various ways. When it got less and less, they stopped. In the end, it just became something for antiviral uses. The parts that came from it were too weak and died off. They had to keep what they had alive in order to continue getting funding."
"All that for money," he muttered. When Robin opened the door, he turned to find out what it was. Agatha looked over now with a small smile.
"My Liege is returning," the drone said. "My Empress, do you need anything?"
"A cooked steak would be appreciated," she nodded. "Thank you."
It was delivered quickly and demolished just as quickly. When Robin suddenly blocked the door, Robert was there to find out why. When he saw it was Bruce, he gave the nod to show it was fine. He waved the man in to follow and gestured for him to sit in a chair.
"My Liege is on his way back," Robin said. "He is now frozen."
"Thank you. You're, ah, Bruce?" Agatha smiled.
"Yes. Um...when do you plan for me to help?" he asked.
"After this next birth of eggs, an egg will be made for you. You'll be called on when it's ready for you to bond with it. Have you heard of what was found on the island?" she asked now.
"Bits and pieces," he said. Now he was informed, and even he was appalled. "I won't be allowed to join, will I? I'll be stuck here."
"If you have an egg that wants to bond with you, there will be no way you can leave," Robert frowned. "However, you may be able to help with camera feeds."
"You think so?" Bruce grinned. "It would be nice to do somethin' worth my time."
"Come with me to my room. You may be able to help me set up something for Alex and the kids to use. If you're as good in reconnaissance as you say, we may be able to set up something. Alex can't hear what my kids say. He needs a form of communication with them."
"I get ya," Bruce smirked. "Ear buds tend to work best."
"Osiris can help us get what we need. We'll brainstorm," Robert chuckled. They walked back to his room where Apollo was waiting to help them. Now that Agatha was alone, she made a deep sigh and ran a hand over her swelling belly. She was very worried over Alex leaving her for so long. He was going to make sure that Cronus was gone with Rhea as a precaution. The last thing he wanted was for me to instinctively take another King as my mate with him gone. We had discussed it at length. We simply can't take the chance of it happening.
"Mother?" Dionysus asked when Robin let him in. "Everything will be fine."
"I don't know that," she trembled. He walked in to sit with her and hug her.
"We won't let Father be with you while my King and Emperor is away," he whispered. "We'll have the young Queens keep you company. There will be no need to worry."
"I do know that," she nodded. "What do you think of the thing being brought back?"
"I want to obliterate," Dionysus growled. "To know that parts of you are being desecrated like that...it's disgusting! We'll find out what it's all about. You can trust me in that. We all want answers. We'll get them."
"We will," she sighed and leaned into him. He gave a soft smile and paused. She was treating me like my King and Emperor. His eyes widened, and he carefully pulled away.
"Athena needs me. I need to see her," he said softly. She nodded with understanding. As he thought to the hive mind at his retreat, the realization struck them all. She was thinking that their King and Emperor was going to leave her for too long. Her body was instinctively testing any that could replace him. This included bonded breeder males. In Rhea's room, Cronus was agitated. As a King, he knew that he should be the one to replace Alex if something went wrong.
"Cronus..." Rhea winced. "You need to be with me."
"Rhea," he frowned with his deep tone. "I know I am bonded to you. I will leave with you, too. But, do not think for an instant that I would be forced to return. It would be too hardwired in me. An Empress like her would need a proper King to replace the Emperor if something happened. I know that my Emperor is stronger than me. Far stronger. But, I am the only King right now. Who's to say that she would create a King for herself? Your father could even become a prime candidate, too. Any of the breeder males would be at risk."
"Cronus, you are made for me!" Rhea hissed. "You are my mate!"
"And would you have our Empress be without a mate?" he growled.
"I have your eggs in me now," she said. "My first breeders were birthed. Would you rather have Carlos be the one to constantly have me?"
"You would dare..." he snarled and cringed. The thought of a human stud constantly having her made him fume. She was right. I can't leave her. At least, not alone with the stud male. A deep sigh escaped him, and he let her hug him tight. He hugged her just as tight.
"We'll leave right after these eggs are birthed," she whispered.
"Fine," he nodded. He listened to various thoughts in the hive mind. It was agreed to only have drones tend to Agatha until Alex got back from the cryo tube. After what was witnessed with Dionysus, it was the safest thing to do. Even Agatha was forced to agree. The time passed slowly for the wait on the cryo tube. The moment it appeared, Alex was livid at what he learned through his drones.
"I think a meeting with every viral male is needed," he muttered. He sent the mental notice and moved straight into Agatha's room. The drones left to leave them alone. "Hera. It's not your fault. You had no control, right?"
"Zeus..." she shivered hard and looked quite scared. That gave him pause. He knew she had no plans on being with one of her sons. Or any others. "I really wish...that you didn't have to leave. That none of this had to happen..."
"Hera," he smiled softly and was soon at her side to let her snuggle into him. He rocked her with relief that she still clung to him. No one could ever replace me. "I'm not leaving until your next breeders are birthed. I'll make sure that only females can be with you to keep you company until my return. You know I have to stop this threat personally. I evolved when I killed that abomination of you. As of now, the other things are being tracked. There are more drones in Japan than we know."
"I know there is," she nodded. "It's just...knowing you will be away from me..."
"I'm having a nice talk with the others now."
"Don't kill anyone..."
"You have my promise. Only if they touch you will that happen."
"I don't want anyone killed."
"It will happen if any of them fuck you while I'm gone."
"I..." she frowned hard and pressed her face into his chest.
"Don't think about it right now. Like I said, I'm not going to leave until your next breeders are birthed. And don't forget, Hera. I have a part of myself here, too. I'll swap it out. If something happens to me, that piece will be used. The drones should still be able to inform me of what happened. I'll still remember everything."
"And then that piece of you will go back to Japan to claim vengeance on whatever killed you," she winced. He gazed down at her and sighed.
"You're supposed to be a bitch. Not a wise ass," he grinned. She gave a small smile and took in a deep breath, as she shook her head.
"I'll feel better when those bitches are dead," she growled.
"There you are," he smiled and kissed her passionately. "Don't worry, Hera. The one I killed seemed quite surprised that she wasn't the true project. I'll find the computer that hordes the memories and have it sent here. We'll go through it piece by fucking piece to find out what happened. If there is a main part of you, I'll see if I can talk to it. The cell you had me consume of you completely evolved me. It should be easy to confront that part."
"I can only hope," she nodded. "And don't worry about Osiris trying to lay claim to me. Isis has him on a leash. Literally."
"I don't need to know that!" Alex groaned to get her laughing.
"Okay. Go talk to my sons and come back to me," she smiled.
"All right," he smiled back. They nuzzled and kissed each other again. Now that he was present, the need to test other males was gone. He was sure that the instinct would come back after a day or if she got worried. I'll have to keep her constantly preoccupied while I'm gone. When he walked out of the room, Robin was quick to barricade the door. Nick and Aden were there within seconds. Kim and Eddie were next to appear. Her elite guard was going to tend to her needs. No others would be permitted.
He walked into a conference room and glared at all of the breeder males there. Hermes, Apollo, Dionysus, and Geb actually looked nervous. There were quite a few others that hadn't left yet. Cronus had his arms crossed from where he was near the back of the room. Alex's glare hit his gaze before sweeping to the others.
"We figured this was going to happen," Apollo nodded.
"Of course," Alex said dryly. "Dionysus. It was wise of you to leave when you did. Thanks. But, this warning goes to all of you. If any of you touch your mother while I'm gone, you're fucking dead. I don't care who you are. I don't care how much I appreciate you. I. Don't. Care. Your mother is my mate! My Queen! My Empress! If it wasn't for me, none of you would fucking be here! If any of you need to talk to her, you will use the hive link. Do not, under any circumstances, approach her while I'm gone. Even your father is going to be kept back. I'm sure you all know this."
"We do," Hermes nodded.
"If I come back and she's pregnant, I will force her to abort the eggs," he growled. This had all of the males stiffen at once. "If there are eggs birthed, I will destroy them. If there are other drones or breeders, I will kill them off. Only I am allowed to fuck her. Now, if your father is able to be with her, I might be lenient with the breeders made. I still won't let him touch her. But, if other breeders are made by other stud males, I will destroy them and kill the studs."
"Understood," Cronus agreed. He would do the exact same.
"Cronus, your ass is going on a submarine after Rhea births her next set of drones. She has to go with you. I'm sure you know. And, if you come back while I'm still gone, my drones will tell me. I'll kill you if you do," Alex warned. "You know I can kick your ass. Don't force me to do it. As much as I would enjoy it, Rhea wouldn't like it."
"I already had this discussion with her," Cronus muttered.
"Then you understand what I'm saying," Alex muttered back. "Anyways, I'm going back to your mother. Only disturb me if it's important. Let a drone do it. I don't fucking care. The Hunter should stay drugged up. Hopefully it won't die, but I doubt it will. Just keep it stable. We can only have it wake up when we're ready for it."
"Hermanubis is taking control of that," Apollo smiled. "He wants to be the one to tend to it at all times. If anything happens to it, you will be the first to know."
"Good," Alex said. Then he turned and moved swiftly back to his mate. Only after he left, the other breeder males looked at each other nervously.
"Have we detected where the other things were?" Apollo asked.
"Not yet," Hermes said grimly. "The drones are scouring everywhere."
"The sooner we find them, the faster our King and Emperor can return. I don't want Mother to start asking for me," Dionysus frowned. "I like having my ass attached."
"Don't we all?" Hermes sighed. "I'd better get back to Dana."
"I'll stay with Rhea. I would suggest that only our females keep our Empress company," Cronus said. "I'll be preparing for my transfer to the Australian base."
"You do that," Apollo nodded.
"I do want to see what that impostor looks like. At least what's left of it," Cronus said.
"I think that goes for all of us," Hermes said. "Dana...she understands. I'll go back to her until we are ready to help Mother."
They all nodded and dispersed. It wouldn't be until an hour later that Agatha was egg free and ready to confront what Alex killed. Ragland was right next to her to evaluate her.
"It's kept over here," the doctor said, as he led them into the cellular chamber. The corpse was laying down in a small half-tube to keep from decomposing. Agatha studied the smaller body structure and what the face used to look like. She gave out an instinctive snarl, and her hair shifted into the lethal tendrils they were. Alex smirked and watched her tear the corpse apart. It was when she removed the vital organs that the heart was brought out.
"Mine!" she seethed and sank her teeth into it. That surprised them all. It was instinctive for her to claim the heart of her rival.
"Make a note. We save the hearts," Alex muttered out. "If we can save the corpses, we'll do that, too."
"Done," Cronus nodded. Osiris would see to it. Only after the heart was eaten did Agatha finally calm down. She stood up tall and glared at the dismembered corpse.
"Was there any part of you there?" Alex asked her.
"No. If there was, it's not enough for me to find. It was mainly just the structure of the body done. It...infuriated me. I had to claim the heart."
"Maybe it's the hearts that have the piece of you," Alex suggested. That had her blinking. He may have a point. She didn't feel any stronger, but it was just the fact that she had to consume it by eating it. She had to prove that she was the better. When Robert was told to be with her, Alex went over the ideas for communication with the breeders in the field. He was quite pleased with the results. Now, all they had to do was test them. That wasn't going to happen until after the new breeder eggs were developed.
