"Wake up, kid."

Gon blinked himself awake, the hint of a purr rising up in his throat as a warm hand rubbed the top of his head. The young hybrid glanced up to his left, where he found Ging.

Amber eyes met Gon's, and for just a moment Gon found a hint of emotion there. It was a caring emotion. Ging blinked when Gon looked up at him, gave Gon's head one last pat, and then grumped his way back to the cockpit to lean against the side of Ryder's chair.

Gon watched him go, and then felt a soft smile slip across his lips.

He sighed to himself, and then glanced to his right, where Killua was still sleeping on his shoulder. Gon's smile grew, and he gently stroked the back of his hand against the Valkyrie's pale cheek.

"Killua," he whispered. A pair of clear blue eyes opened, and wordlessly the two of them stood up and joined the others.

Ging, Pariston, Gon, and Killua squeezed into the cockpit to see out the front windshield. Their tiny ship was suspended in empty space, and before them was a larger, sleek vessel painted in black and silver. It had wings like a dragonfly, and two jet engines protruding from the underbelly. It looked like an upgraded version of the fighter jets from the flying lion show, just Chimera-fied.

"Woah," Gon breathed, "Is that our contact?"

"Yup," Ging sighed. "He's in there."

"He? Does 'he' have a name?" Killua retorted.

"Not that he's told me," Ging responded, "All of our communications have been very secretive." He pulled his beetle phone from a pocket in his suit. "I gave the four of you beetles because they were provided by the rebels. It's their chosen form of communication, untraceable unless you have the master unit."

"Are we 'boutta meet this bitch?" Ryder asked

"I would certainly hope so," Ging grunted. "It's entirely possible that he's been caught, and that the entire ship is overrun with insurgents, or worse, the Queen's forces."

A solemn silence fell over the cockpit.

"But let's not think about that!" Ging chirped with a cheerful clap of his hands. "Let's go, dock her, Ryder!"

"If I die you assume full responsibility," the purple skinned male grumbled.

"Pleasure's all mine," Ging said facetiously, clapping Ryder on the shoulder.

Ryder rolled his eyes, and then gently pushed the yoke forward. Their ship tentatively crept towards the one they'd board to finally meet their contact. Gon's eyebrows drew together. Ging had told them that he'd been in contact with this particular Ant since the war on Chimera had started. This plan had been in the making since Gon and Killua had been in Yorknew City.

As they approached their contact's ship, an enormous door opened, revealing a moderately sized docking bay. The insides of the ship were glimmering white with black metal beams and muted chrome plates. There weren't any other ships in the docking bay, so it was unlikely that the ship was flooded with insurgents.

But still. The possibility was still there.

The closer they got to the ship, the more Gon's heart began to race. He'd never been in close contact with any Chimera Ants before in his life. He'd heard the rumors, and decided to stay away from the ones on Overworld. You just never knew.

Yet here he was, millions of miles away from his home, and about to get involved in a war on the most dangerous planet in existence. What would their contact be like? Based on his impressions of Chimera Ants in Leol, Alligator, and Koala, Gon was expecting a huge, terrifying Ant.

If this person was the chosen pilot for the King himself, then he was probably extremely powerful.

Gon set his jaw as Ryder slowly eased their ship into the docking bay. The huge door began to slide shut behind them, resealing the hull so that the bay could be repressurized. Gon frowned, his fingers gripping white knuckled on the headrest of Ryder's seat. Killua noticed his tenseness, and slipped his hand into the one dangling at Gon's side.

The hybrid squeezed Killua's hand, and shot an appreciative smile in his future mate's direction.

The ship touched down, and Ryder expertly flipped the various switches to shut down the engines and begin the power-down sequence. In a tense silence, the five males moved from the cockpit to the back of the ship. They slipped on their packs, tightened the straps on their suits, and adjusted their weapons.

Then, all five males waited at the back. Once the surrounding bay was fully pressurized and filled with air, they'd step out to meet their contact.

Ten long minutes dragged their feet. Gon was starting to get restless. Once he stepped out of this ship, his the mission would finally begin. From now until the King and Komugi were safe, it would be all business. And then, he'd finally discover the truth behind his species.

A little mechanism on the hull of their ship chirped, and its lights flashed green. Ryder swished his tail, signaling that it was time to go. Gon tightened his fists around the hilt of his scythe. It was time.

Ryder reached up to flip a switch on the ceiling, and with a hiss of hydraulic pressure the hull opened, and the boarding ramp extended.

The five males watched in various stages of impatience and nerves as the smoke cleared, until finally, their contact was revealed.

"Greetings Overworldians!" came a cheerful cry.

Gon blinked in confusion. There was no one… there?

Killua elbowed him in the ribs, and Gon flicked his eyes down.

Oh.

There, no more than a couple feet tall, was an octopus Chimera Ant. He had squishy looking red flesh and big, expressive eyes. He was waving enthusiastically with one of his tentacles, and had a welcoming grin plastered across his squishy little face.

Gon's eyebrows rose into his hairline.

He's not at all what I expected!

Ging was the first to exit the ship. He marched down the entry ramp, the joints of his metal gauntlets clinking with each sway of his arms. Pariston followed at his right shoulder like the practiced companion he was. Ryder, Gon, and Killua all exited after them.

"My name is Ging Freecss," the man in charge grunted. He held his hand down for Ikalgo to take. "I'm the Zodiac hired to escort the King from Chimera to Nirvana."

"Pleasure to meet you!" the Ant responded cheerfully, "My name's Ikalgo! I'm the one who's been in contact with you for the past year! It's great to have you!"

"The pleasure's all mine," Ging responded smoothly.

"I didn't expect there to be five of you," Ikalgo admitted, leaning around Pariston's legs to take in the three young males hiding in the back.

"Yeah, neither did I," Ging snorted. Gon resisted the urge to rub the back of his head. "This is Pariston," Ging said as he gestured to the Demon. "Don't look directly into his eyes, he'll try to possess you."

"Uh, got it," Ikalgo said while making sure to look at Pariston's nose. He sounded a little off put by that statement, which was understandable. The Demon waved innocently at him, as if he wouldn't jump at the excuse to turn his mind inside out.

"The three stooges are Gon, Killua, and Ryder," Ging said, pointing dismissively over his shoulder. "I didn't intend to be babysitting, but they've got a knack for sticking their noses where they don't belong." An inaudible growl rose up in Killua's throat, and Gon brushed their shoulders together to remind him that killing Ging wasn't allowed.

Ikalgo chuckled, "Nice to meet you boys! The more the merrier, we'll need all the bodies we can get." With that menacing statement, Ikalgo turned on his heel and waddled towards the doorway leading to the rest of the ship. "Come with me, we've got a lot to discuss."

Gon plopped down next to Killua on a circular couch surrounding a large circular table. The surface of the table was a dimly glowing light, and it illuminated all of the males' faces. Ging's group sat around the table, with Ikalgo standing on it at the head.

Ikalgo's ship consisted of two docking bays on either side of the hull, and then the habitable space. There were a few bunk rooms in the back of the space, with a spacious cockpit at the front. In the middle was a large, open area with the circular couch and table, a kitchen, and a whole lot of empty floor. The cockpit was closed off from the rest of the ship by a wall. On the other side of the wall was the neck of the ship, of which the sides could open up like a troop carrier.

Everything was blindingly white, like a hospital. But Ikalgo had lowered the lighting and exchanged the white bulbs for muted blue ones, making it feel much more relaxed inside. Gon could understand why he'd done that to the lights. He'd told them on the way up here from the docking bay that he'd been living in this ship ever since the war had started.

He hadn't left, or seen another person face to face for that matter, in an entire year. His only social contact had been over beetles with the King, Ging, and the occasional Royal Guard.

Ikalgo took a deep breath, and then clasped his tentacles in front of him. "First of all, I truly am thankful for all of you coming here. It means a great deal to myself, the King, and all of Nirvana that the five of you have come to our aid."

He said Nirvana, not Chimera. Ging told us that the King is creating a new world called Nirvana, that's separate from Chimera, and different from any world ever created.

Hearing Ikalgo speak for Nirvana is strange… It's strange hearing a Chimera Ant talk about coming from anywhere but Chimera.

I'm excited to see just what this Nirvana is. If the King of the Ants is willing to give up his throne for it, then it must be incredible.

"The first order of business," Ikalgo continued, "Is to catch all of you up on exactly what's been happening on Chimera. Over the course of the past year, I was not able to inform Ging about anything that was happening, other than the fact that we were at war. It was for security purposes, just in case any of you happened to get captured or put under torture."

Gon stiffened slightly. We did get captured and put under torture, or at least, Killua did. He scooted a little closer to Killua. He never wanted to see Killua hurt like that ever again.

"As far as the five of you know, the war on Chimera has been between three different sides. The Queen's forces, the insurgents, and our side, the rebels. The Queen's forces and the insurgents are fighting in a loose alliance, as in, they are working somewhat together against the King. However, if he ever were to lose - or win for that matter - then they will turn on each other. We hired you to help us escort the King, his Royal Guard, and Komugi off of Chimera and to Nirvana.

"We did not, however, tell you that the first attempt to escape failed. Chimera went to war not simply because the King started a war, but because he failed in his assassination attempt of the Queen on the day of his coronation. This is critical information, because it discloses our predicament.

"The King's assassination attempt on the Queen was what started all of this chaos, and it is what caused the three way schism in Ant society. When the fighting burst out, the King rushed back to his own palace to make sure Komugi was safe. Long story short, over the course of the past year he has been fighting his way back to the Queen's palace all the while juggling battles on insurgent ruled landmasses. His goal is to assassinate the Queen once and for all.

"We contacted you two months ago to put the plan into motion. And just as the King predicted, at this very moment he is on the hill at the Grand Palace's flank. At dawn tomorrow, the King and the last of our rebel army will march on the Queen's Palace. While the armies clash, the King, Pouf, Youpi, and the Zodiac will storm the palace and kill the Queen. While this is happening, I will pick up Pitou and Komugi, and once the Queen is killed I will swing by the palace to pick up the rest of you.

"Obviously, there are a whole lot more of us than we had intended. I suggest Ging and Pariston get dropped off to assist the King, and the other three of you stay behind in the ship to help Pitou move Komugi. Sound good?"

Ging groaned, stretching his arms high over his head. "Yup. Exactly what I signed up for. Good luck with the children, I have monkey leashes if you need them."

Ikalgo chuckled, "I don't think that will be necessary, but the offer is appreciated."

"What time will the operation commence?" Pariston asked in that saccharine voice of his.

"In six hours," Ikalgo answered. "We begin at dawn. It will take an hour to travel to Gorteau, so I'll begin moving the ship into position in five."

"Perfect. So everything's nice and peachy then?" Ging said almost jovially.

"Exactly!" Ikalgo chirped. "The hard part begins at dawn, but we've still got a few hours of downtime before we have to start getting headaches over the details. So far, everything has gone according to–"

Out of nowhere, the entire ship lurched to the side. Lights flickered, and a shrill alarm sounded. The six at the table cried out in surprise as they were flung into the floor. Gon hissed as the ear piercing noise rattled his skull.

"What the hell is going on?!" Killua demanded as he helped Gon back to his feet.

"That alarm!" Ryder called out, "It's the–"

"-Umbilical gateway," Ikalgo finished with him.

Ging's teeth bared in a snarl. "Fuck! Is someone trying to board the ship?!"

"Yes," Ikalgo growled. The Ant bit his lip open, drawing a thick drop of blood. He activated a thin coating of Ren, and then an enormous rifle materialized on his shoulder. Ikalgo acted without hesitation, immediately hurrying for the door leading to the cockpit. "The umbilical gateways are located in the neck of the ship, if the intruders make it to the cockpit then we're done for! Come on! We have to intercept them!"

Ging's group braced for battle, and rushed after Ikalgo. Ging cocked the concussive battering rams on his gauntlets, Ryder drew his swords, Killua slipped halfway into assassin mode, Gon activated a hint of his biochemical, and Pariston loosened his glamour.

The six of them sprinted for the door, but their enemies were faster.

Before any of them could make it halfway across the room, the door to the neck of the ship slid open with a hiss. Steam hissed from the hall, which hadn't been properly pressurized before it had been forced open.

The six males froze in their tracks, this was bad. It appeared to be a stroke of luck that their enemies had chosen to storm this side of the ship instead of fucking things up in the cockpit, but in actuality this was the worst possible scenario. It showed that their enemies were not showing any hesitation, and that their objective was to kill the six rebels no matter the cost.

Gon snarled as he slid to a stop. Shit. This was bad. How had the insurgents found them?! They'd just started their mission, how were things already going horribly wrong?! Was Gon ready to fight higher level Chimera Ants?! Would he be able to protect Killua this time if he got captured again?!

The smoke cleared, and what Ikalgo and his hires found standing in the doorway to the hall was shocking enough to freeze every one of them on the spot. Six jaws hit the ground, and even Killua found himself too taken aback to move.

For there, standing in the half-pressurized neck of the ship, with unruly blasts of air and chemicals whipping about them, stood Shaiapouf and Neferpitou, two of the King's Royal Guards.

When Gon laid his eyes on the two Royal Guards, a strange feeling fell upon him.

He took in the two Ants. One - Shaiapouf - a tall, slender man with honey colored hair and delicate features. The other - Neferpitou - a shorter, androgenous Ant with wild white hair and the tail of a cat.

For some reason, Gon's eyes were drawn to Pitou.

When he gazed upon those orbs of swirling pink and sunset orange, a chill ran up his spine.

For some reason… he was overcome with a feeling of unease. As if, in another life, his meeting with the Guard Neferpitou had been one of far more drastic circumstances.

Ikalgo was the first to break out of his stupor. "P-Pouf! Pitou! What are– what are you doing here?" He scrambled to kneel before the two higher ranked Ants. Ging's group quickly followed suit, sheathing their weapons and retracting their claws.

Gon hurried to his knee, suppressing the biochemical as fast as he could. Being in this close proximity to such powerful humanoids was making his heart race. Chimera Ants were considered to be tied with the Valkyries, but according to Ging the hierarchy did not apply to Royal Guards and the King.

The four of them were akin to gods.

Gon had never met a Fae up close that wasn't suppressing their aura and oppressive presence, so he was not entirely sure how the power of a Fae felt… However, he had the creeping feeling that these two Ants were either on par with that of the Fae, or just a hint above them.

If the submissive position of Killua's tail was any indication, then Gon's hunch was correct.

Gon swallowed his spit as he felt the gazes of the Royal Guards wrack over him. The uncomfortable prickle between his shoulder blades persisted as they observed Killua as well, only dimming when it was clear that they would not attack Gon or his future mate.

I've never experienced such a copious onset of instinctive reactions in my entire life…

"There are five of them," Pitou observed. Their voice sent a chill down Gon's spine… there it was again… that creepy feeling…

Ging stayed quite, shockingly, allowing Ikalgo to speak up for him.

"Yes, sirs!" he said in a rush. "The Zodiac hadn't intended to bring along anyone other than the Demon, but unforeseen circumstances arose, giving us five reinforcement soldiers instead of two!"

The human part of me doesn't like being called a soldier as if I am an Ant, but the humanoid part of me feels honored. More accurately, it feels uncomfortable because I do not deserve to be considered subordinates to such powerful beings… Gods, this is so unreal.

"No matter," Shaiapouf said smoothly. "This is beneficial. The more numbers we have at our disposal the easier things will become."

Pitou nodded in agreement, "You're right."

"Um, sirs?" Ikalgo stuttered. "Excuse me for speaking out of turn, but what is going on? Why are the two of you all the way out here instead of by the King's side?"

Pouf and Pitou were silent for a moment, tense, guilty even.

It made Gon uneasy. He was so aware of their emotions that their blatant fear and anxiety urged Gon to alleviate their strife in any way possible. I'm starting to understand why Killua hates the Fae so much… I've never been around higher beings like them, but Killua has. Now that I know what it does to your body and mind… I totally get it. I'll never make fun of him about it ever again, not after this.

"Ikalgo… as you were," Pouf said, almost quietly.

Slowly, with a rising fear in his gut (that Gon could smell) Ikalgo pushed himself to his feet.

"There's been a change of plans," Pitou said, their voice smooth and calm. Completely opposite from the implications of their words, which sent a knot of anxiety roiling through Gon's stomach. "It's Komugi," Pitou continued, "She's been abducted by the insurgents."

Ikalgo was completely silent, and Ging's group struggled to conceal their reactions.

What?! Komugi's been captured?! But how was she taken out from under the Royal Guards' watch?! How– How is this possible? If- If they weren't able to keep Komugi safe… what will we do now?

In less than a minute… this entire mission has been blown way out of the water. This is– this is way over my head. What is this feeling? What is this fear? I knew the stakes would be high, but I'd completely underestimated what this mission would entail. I thought this would be easy, boy was I wrong.

"What do you mean…?" Ikalgo breathed.

"Exactly what I said," Pitou confirmed. "Komugi was… captured. Under Pouf and I's watch. The situation has changed, and the King has adjusted the plan."

Gon swallowed, though there was no saliva in his mouth to swallow in the first place.

"What are we going to do?" Ikalgo breathed.

"We're going to rescue Komugi," Pitou declared. Their voice was intense and determined, it burned like the fire in their eyes. "And we're going to assassinate the Queen. The King's part of the mission cannot be upset, we must prevent him from worrying. Come, we have much to discuss."

With that, Pouf and Pitou walked over to the circular table, passing in between Gon and Killua on the way. Gon's eyes were wide as saucers, and glazed over in instinctual fear and submission. When Pouf and Pitou were finally behind him, he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Ikalgo, once again, never missed a beat, and immediately followed Pouf and Pitou back to what would now be the official briefing table. Ging and Pariston straightened up and followed after him. Ryder, Gon, and Killua all exchanged shaken glances, and then followed suit.

As Gon stood up, he locked gazes with Killua. The Valkyrie slipped to his side as they returned to the briefing table. They walked shoulder to shoulder, and Gon brushed his pinky against Killua's.

Killua wrapped his around Gon's.

I know, the touch said.

Killua understood. Gon was not facing this alone.

The Valkyrie and the hybrid joined the others at the briefing table. Pouf and Pitou sat on one side, with the other six in a line on the other: Ryder, Pariston, Ging, Ikalgo, Killua, and Gon respectively.

Pouf and Pitou once again took in the six faces before them. Gon's back tensed up, and he grabbed Killua's hand under the table. Killua laced their fingers together, and Gon was able to relax just a little.

"The King remains in his position across the plain from the Grand Palace," Pouf began.

"He cannot leave his position," Pitou added, "Or else all will be lost. Komugi is currently being held on Marathon, and though the King longs to, he simply cannot leave his position to come to her aid. Which is where we come in."

"Marathon," Ikalgo said darkly, "That's the landmass occupied by Rammot and his kingdom."

"Correct," Pouf nodded, "His squadron is vile and cruel. However, Marathon is the most well defended of the insurgent landmasses that still remain after this year of war and violence. Komugi will be held there until half an hour before dawn, when she will be transported to the battlefield and used as a hostage to force the King to surrender."

"I will be storming Marathon and freeing Komugi, and will be bringing some of you with me," Pitou declared. "The rest will travel with Pouf to the Grand Palace. The King's initial plan was for Pouf, myself, the Zodiac, and the Demon to storm Marathon and rescue Komugi. However, we have three more people than expected."

"It will greatly alleviate the King's stress if I, along with any number of you, were to return to the King's side," Pouf explained. "It will assure him that Komugi's safety is guaranteed, and he will be able to proceed with the assassination of the Queen without hitches or the influence of emotion."

"Before we work out the details, we need to know the extent of all of your abilities," Pitou said, "There is only one Zodiac among you, but I assume that the rest must be uniquely powerful to be allowed to join in on this mission. So inform us of your abilities, and Pouf and I will plan accordingly."

Ikalgo glanced out the corner of his eye to Ging, signaling his permission to speak. Ging blinked slowly, acknowledging the order.

"I am Zodiac Ging Freecss," the man announced. "I am a hybrid with half Terran Elf blood and half human. In the ranks of the Zodiacs, I am considered to be the most powerful, and I am sanctioned to use Unseelie Fae blood in my sorcery. I am skilled in hand to hand combat, and have made a pact with a Demon that gives me particular immunities to specific aspects of aura and the social hierarchy, as well as to enhance my own aura and Blood Magic capabilities. My Hatsu is a spell that allows me to mirror any attack performed on me. I can learn and replicate that attack perfectly, be it physical or Magical."

Gon blinked, utterly shocked. He hadn't known what Ging's abilities were, or that he used Unseelie Blood. Wasn't that… impossible? How was it that Ging had access to Unseelie Blood?

Pariston was the next to speak up, "I am a Demon from the Belian Faction of Underworld. You may refer to me as Pariston, for that is my name on this plain of existence. I am held in a contract with Zodiac Ging Freecss, and therefore bound from stepping out of line in accordance with the Binding of Heaven and Hell."

Gon wasn't sure how Demonic summonings worked, but he did know that the Binding of Heaven and Hell was a condition Demons had to fulfill if they were to exit Underworld. The only way a Demon could escape their prison was if they had been summoned, and the ties of the ritual bound them under the Binding of Heaven and Hell, which prevented them from acting of their own volition until they completed their contract with whoever had summoned them. It prevented them from taking their revenge upon Overworld and the Angels, who had ensnared them in Underworld thousands of years ago.

"My name is Ryder Thace," said the purple skinned male, the next to speak up after Pariston. "I am a hybrid of Cryptid and mixed Alien bloods. I am a master in combat with twin swords, and my Hatsu ability allows me to manipulate gravity and friction."

So that's what his Hastu is. It sounds pretty complicated for a dumb ass like him.

Gon peeked out the corner of his eye at Killua, knowing that the Valkyrie would be speaking to Pouf and Pitou next.

"My name is Killua Zoldyck. I am the Crown Prince of the Dragonite Valkyrie Clan. My wings are permanently sealed, but my tail remains. I am a trained Valkyrie assassin and mercenary. I have several Hatsu abilities that allow me to both convert my Ren into electricity, and move faster than light."

"My name is Gon Freecss," the hybrid said, proud of how smoothly he was managing to speak, "I am a hybrid, and only know the contents of my blood that were passed down to me from Ging, my father. I have a second form that I can access through the use of a chemical in my blood, I can also shift partially depending how much of the chemical I use. The shift greatly enhances my strength, speed, and senses. I can secrete a neurotoxin from glands in my neck, and can adjust the potency of the poison. The highest potency being capable of instantly killing. My Hatsu abilities are powerful blasts of energy that I can use in short, middle, and long range situations."

Pouf's eyebrows raised, and Pitou's tail twitched behind them.

"A Belian Demon and a Dragonite Valkyrie Prince. You certainly have powerful subordinates, Zodiac," Pouf mused.

"I wouldn't call any of them my subordinates," Ging snorted, "Paris is a nuisance that I have to put up with, and the other three are little more than whiny children biting at my ankles."

Gon, Killua, Ryder, and Ikalgo all blanched.

Pariston grinned in delight.

Ging's refusal to respect literally anyone was showing…

"Meow I get it," Pitou hummed. "Thank you for sharing this information with us. Now we can devise a plan to rescue Komugi and assist the King. Tell me again, Killua, did you say that your Hatsu allows you to move faster than light?"

"Yes. I have three abilities. Lightning Palm, Thunderbolt, and a Mother Spell called Godspeed…"