A/N: Hello, fellow readers. I have returned once again with a new chapter. I hope everyone had a post 4th of July. I had to be away due to a family loss, but everyone is doing okay right now. So without further ado, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't forget to check the sign before reading. If you missed it, here it is: "I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie."

Carrie awoke as strands of her hair clung to her brow, sensing a strange tension. She glanced at Orchid, Maya, and Pemba, who were asleep before she slithered from her sleeping bag and crept out of the quarters. Carrie checked the other room; Jago was in a deep sleep, but TJ was missing. She stepped outside, where she spotted the ex-boxer sitting on the collapsed arch, gazing at the stars. Carrie climbed to the top in silence.

TJ noted her presence and jerked back before he placed his hand on his chest. "Oh, you scared me."

"I'm sorry, sir. Couldn't sleep."

"Same here. I've never seen the sky so brilliant at night. My mom tells me that God is showing His kingdom to the world. Yeah, I had gone to church before but stopped when I began my boxing career. I need to go back someday."

"Do you believe in God?"

"After everything that happened in my life, nothing surprises me." TJ stared at his scarred arms. "After Ultratech ended my career, I was unsure what path to take until I joined Orchid. Before then, I had a decent job…as a janitor."

Carrie fell silent until she laughed, which was the first time in her life. "I'm…I'm sorry, sir, I can't help but picture you as a custodian."

"Glad I made you laugh. Also, when a person calls me, sir, I half-expect my father to creep behind me. TJ will do. Care, I will be 100% real. When I heard of Black Prom, I'm used to many things, from robots controlling a company to crazy skeletal people, but that Prom incident scared me. When Jago brought you to O's hideout and introduced you to us, my mind told me to run and hide. I'm still fearful of you, but I won't judge you. Orchid's reasoning on wanting to help you rubbed off on me."

"Orchid wanted to help me?"

"Yeah. O had newspaper clippings of the incident on the windows at her old hideout before removing them for the move. If Orchid planned to hand you to the authorities, she could've done it when we stayed in Ukraine. She'd never do it anyway with the government onto her for a crime she 'committed.' Thunder and Aganos better come back from their mission. I don't like the low numbers."

Carrie centered her attention to the starry sky until a vision flashed before her eyes, showing the City of Dawn overrun by cyborgs and Stalker units until it stopped. She shook her head, trying to repel the image.

"You all right?" TJ asked.

"I'm fine. It must be a headache. I should go to sleep," Carrie said.

"I'll stay out here for another hour. You have a good night."

"You too." Carrie headed to her quarters, disturbed by the vision she had.

The Milky Way's dazzling display remained in the sky until the sun peeked behind the trees. Carrie returned to the arch, viewing the sun blessing the citadel. She rubbed her tired eyes to ease the heaviness, tuning to the sounds of the rainforest.

"Carrie?" Jago clambered on the fallen arches, along with Orchid and Pemba; each of them had a piece of fruit for breakfast. Jago handed a banana to Carrie.

"Thank you." Carrie yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Didn't sleep last night?" Orchid asked.

"I went outside to clear my head. TJ was there, and we spoke," Carrie said.

"It's good that you and TJ are getting acquainted," Jago said, "but next time, don't wander by yourself. Danger can lurk everywhere."

They arrived at a plateau near the basin, and after morning yoga, training began. Since it was a rest day for Carrie, only Jago, Orchid, and Pemba trained. She viewed the lake until the same vision returned, only with the same invaders murdering her friends. Carrie snapped to reality but jumped when Pemba rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Easy," she said, expressing concern with the half-siblings. "What's wrong?"

Carrie calmed herself before she explained the contents of this dark sensation.

"Are you sure Ultratech might attack us?" Jago asked.

"It had been a month since we've been living here. I assumed those people have forgotten about us," Carrie said.

"Or they're biding their time." Orchid prepped her comm gear. "Maya, are you and TJ at that trail?"

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"You two stay vigilant. Ultratech could plan a sneak attack."

"What makes you sure?"

Orchid glanced at Carrie. "Call it a hunch."

"Noted," Maya said. "We'll keep you posted."

"What will we do in the meantime?" Pemba said.

"We'll continue what we've been doing. If there are signs of trouble, we'll be ready," Orchid said.

Later in the day, the half-siblings resumed their training. Pemba stayed by Carrie when a soft rumble echoed, and clouds gathered around the distant mountains. Carrie's body shuddered as if a sense of doom encroached the land. She glanced toward the sky, squinting at a tiny dot hovering from a distance.

"A storm is coming, Carrie," Pemba said. "We're heading inside the base for shelter."

"Okay, but what's that dot in the sky?"

Pemba followed Carrie's line of sight. As more storm clouds blocked the sunlight, her eyes widened. Before she could inform Jago and Orchid, an alarm klaxon blared, and sentry guns rose from the walls.

Orchid tapped on her comm device. "Maya, what happened?"

"I spotted a drone! I had already triggered the alarm and grabbing TJ! We'll be there soon!"

Bushes ruffled as Pemba dove into the woods while tapping into her powers. Violent thrashing rattled the foliage. Jago and Orchid kept Carrie close until Pemba—as a black wolf—emerged, along with a Stalker unit, and ripped its throat.

A roar echoed as an Ultratech drop-ship emerged. A heavy cannon shot one down, but more came with Stalkers and Fulgore units. The sentry guns fired on the groups, but the gang slaughtered those slipping in the cracks.

Bodies piled on the ground, but more kept coming. Half the weapons were out of ammo; several more jerked as though seeking to find their targets. Maya and TJ arrived to help, but it was still an immense struggle. Another roar blared through the sky as a fiery comet emerged from the clouds and slammed to the ground, exposing a man whose body was consumed in flames.

"Hello, City of Dawn!" he announced. "Well, well, well, the anti-Ultratech squad. I swear: you guys are experts at hide-and-seek, and you must be Carrie. She's prettier in person than in the media."

"What is it you want, Cinder?" Maya queried.

"Geez, hostile, but since you asked nicely, I'll cut to the chase. You guys have two options to consider. You come with us or continue with this battle. Either way, ARIA wants you…how can I phrase it…silenced, though she wants Carrie alive."

Jago pushed Carrie behind him. "If you think you'll take Carrie from us, you have another thing coming."

"Oh, come on." Cinder lit the flames from his clawed hands. "We want to help Carrie find her happy-place as much as you do. If you pinheads had been in that girl's shoes and endured the same bullshit as she did, you'd never survive. So what will it be? Are you in or out?"

"You're the one who will be out, HeatBlast wannabe!" TJ said.

"Ooh, sick pun, Mr. Fist. I just checked the weather today, and the temperatures will be hot!"

Cinder shot a blast of fire, but Pemba changed into a dragon, blocking the flames with her armored scales.

One Stalker sneaked and yanked Carrie before the crew reacted. The raptor dragged Carrie to a distance, where it lunged for a bite.

Why can't they leave us alone? I must…I must…KILL THEM ALL! Carrie stopped the Stalker and focused. The raptor screeched until its head became red and exploded; blood splattered everywhere. Carrie soared and shoved the Ultratech army off the gang.

After a glance at her friends, Carrie focused on the Ultratech dropships. Many fired their weapons; Cinder hovered to the sky and shot his fire blast, but Carrie reflected them. Several dropships exploded on contact while Cinder's attack struck him.

Before he fell, Carrie froze Cinder in mid-air. She floated towards the lake and formed a twister. She created a barrier and slipped inside the cyclone, shaping it into a water dragon with piercing red eyes. Carrie sucked the flames off Cinder, almost turning him into a near charcoal statue, and tossed him beside the gang. The fiery stream enveloped her as it merged with the water. She raised a boulder from the citadel, broke it into pieces, and let it surround her. She peered at the streaks of lightning dancing upon the cloudy sky. Raising her left arm, a bolt descended and wrapped around the limb. The dragon let out a thunderous roar.

Maya pointed at Carrie. "Jago, did you…?"

The monk only gazed with widened eyes. "I did not teach her that." Something vile has erupted inside Carrie, and her powers are feeding on it!

"Uh, guys, she's pissed," a pilot from an Ultratech dropship boomed in the speakers.

"Well, don't just stand there!" another spoke while the dropships aimed their turrets at Carrie. "Shoot it!"

The aircraft fired their weapons, but Carrie stretched her arms, forming a barrier. They exploded on contact. In reprisal, she shot lightning bolts stored in her left hand, turning the planes into an explosive chain of fireworks. She sprouted tentacles comprising fire and water on her back and swung them as whips, cutting many more in half.

Pieces of destroyed dropships fell into the forest. The local wildlife fled from the danger zone as embers touched the leaves and wood, spreading into an inferno. Carrie paid no mind to the destruction as she glared upon the Ultratech army.

"Yes, kill them all!" the voice spoke in Carrie's head. "KILL THEM ALL!"

Carrie latched her whips on several aircraft and formed a giant water ball around them. After adding streaks of lightning into her creation, she tossed it far from the City of Dawn, where it exploded. The force rippled across the Andes as lightning struck the ground.

Pemba shielded the fighters from any lightning strikes. "Did y'all see that?"

"Yeah, and holy shit!" TJ said. "Jago, remind me never to piss off Carrie!"

"I pray the explosion was not near a village. We must stop Carrie before she wreaks havoc," Maya said.

"Any ideas, brother?" Orchid insisted.

Jago said nothing, for the scene before him reminded of the carnage when possessed by Omen. He needed to reach Carrie before she becomes lost in her rage.

"Sir, the situation is getting dire! Let's leave before she kills us!" a pilot suggested.

The pilots upon the Ultratech dropships changed direction and flew away. Carrie brought a dropship to the ground and charged toward the crash site, where she found two Ultratech soldiers crawling from their destroyed plane.

One of them spotted the incoming danger and sprinted, but the other soldier did not escape fast enough as Carrie stiffened and lifted him. Despite the soldier's pleas, Carrie split the body in half and tossed it.

Carrie sensed where her next victim was and stormed through a village, her whips and stones smashing into houses. The villagers fled for their lives, but it meant nothing to Carrie. She found the Ultratech soldier amongst the fleeing crowd and chucked him away. Carrie encased the soldier with water from her dragon cloak, attempting to drown her victim until something dropped on her head, breaking her focus.

"Stop, Carrie!" Jago said. The dragon roared, attempting to shake the monk off her. With Jago distracting Carrie, Pemba and the other fighters guided the villagers to safety.

"Hey, don't leave me!" the Ultratech soldier yelled, but a swift lightning bolt from Carrie struck his leg, scalding into his clothes and skin. He yowled as he collapsed and grabbed his leg.

Pemba grabbed the soldier and brought him to the crowd.

Carrie swung her head to remove Jago until she brushed him with a water/fire whip. Though none worse for wear, Jago landed in a roll as the dragon glared, bearing her teeth.

Jago focused while his hands gleamed with a gold aura. "Don't make me do this!" As Carrie lunged towards him, the monk shot a fireball above the eye. The dragon shrieked as she withdrew, but after a quick recovery, she roared.

Jago refused to budge while everyone crouched in their position. Several covered their ears from the roar until silence. "Enough! The man you attacked has surrendered. He's no longer a threat."

Carrie softened until she stomped her lightning paw, volts crackling. "No! More will come after us!"

"I don't doubt that, but Ultratech's forces have retreated for now. Carrie, don't let your rage control you. Look around at what you've done."

Carrie surveyed her surroundings, from demolished homes to trees either torn or uprooted. The villagers trembled while uttering words in their native tongues, even while the gang comforted them. Carrie lowered her head and whimpered, shedding from her dragon shroud.

A torrential storm cast on the land, but Jago did not care. He approached a trembling Carrie and embraced her. A slight tap on the shoulder intruded the moment as they glanced at the Ultratech soldier, who used a stick to support himself.

"I'll tell you everything, as long as you keep that child-murdering freak away from me!" he said.

"What did you just say?" Jago said with slight disgust in his voice.

"She didn't tell you, did she? About when she destroyed that town in Maine and killed those people? I doubt she had any remorse since she sent them to—"

TJ punched the soldier before he finished, knocking him out cold. "That oughta shut his trap."

After aiding the villagers, the gang returned to the City of Dawn. Upon their arrival, they examined the damage. They also learn that Cinder was gone, assuming he'd recovered long enough to escape.

Jago massaged a sleeping Carrie in the quarters; the crew questioned the hostage in the dungeon. Jars of incense filled the air to relieve the tension. He paused when steps echoed the room. "How did it go?"

"The bastard sang like a canary," Orchid said. "The nerve of ARIA, planning to use Carrie's DNA to build super soldiers. How is she?"

"A little shaken, but fine. Carrie cried herself to sleep."

"Jago, it was difficult…watching that happen, but…" Orchid paused, for she did not want to dig any deeper.

"When I witness Carrie unleash her power, it caught me off guard. I was aware of the risks, but I convinced her to let me train her. That soldier mentioned Carrie destroying a town and killing people, leaving me with questions. Orchid, you're the only person who researched Carrie's powers, but something tells me you found more than that. What is it you're not telling me?"

The agent swallowed hard but composed herself. "Jago, what you have to understand is—"

"Hey, guys." Pemba approached the room. "Something strange is happening outside. Maya and TJ are there already." She sensed the siblings' concerns about leaving Carrie alone. "You two go ahead. I'll monitor Carrie."

"Thanks, Pemba." Jago and Orchid departed from the room. As they joined with Maya and TJ, the clouds split, revealing a swirling patch of darkness over the peaks.

Suddenly, a roar boomed across the sky as a U-ship emerged. Upon its landing, the bottom of its fuselage opened, revealing its walkway. Metal clinked inside as ARIA emerged and stepped foot on the ground.

"ARIA, what are you doing here?" Orchid inquired.

"With talks of peace."

"Peace? You sure as hell didn't bring peace when you sent your army to destroy us and try to capture Carrie!"

"Until I started the Pinnacle Protocol, which requires all the forces to return to base."

"You may have pulled your army back, but your presence is enough to piss me off!" Electric currents sizzled through Orchid's weapons.

ARIA had her drones ready. "You would go this far to settle a petty grudge? The incompetence of humanity never ceases to amaze me."

TJ pounded his fist. "You need help with this one, O?"

"I can handle it for now." Orchid and ARIA circled each other, waiting on the first move.

"There's still time to settle things without shedding blood," ARIA said.

"That ship sailed the moment you sent your flunkies after us."

"Is revenge more important than what's happening now?"

"Only if it regards you." Orchid attacked with her weapons, but ARIA—in her booster drone—tackled her.

ARIA sent her drones for defense but did not last long as Orchid changed into her FireCat form, destroying the bass drone. Remaining in her booster body, ARIA tackled the agent and sent her blade drone to stop her opponent.

Annoyed, Orchid struck the drone, destroying it. She shifted to her FireCat form and pounced on ARIA. She extracted her claws, bringing them closer to ARIA's face. "Any last words before I send you to the scrap heap?"

"Destroy me if you wish, but my mind will move to another frame. Besides, I bring forth an offering to each of you."

"Anything coming from your mouth means nothing to us."

"What if I told you it is information you crave?"

"Such as what?"

"For Maya, surveillance of the Coven and returning the Night Guard relics taken from Sabrewulf and our headquarters. For you and Jago, the Aries Nine Project and the truth behind your father's death. For TJ, the full disclosure of how his DNA was altered, and more."

Maya placed her hands on her hips. "Why come to us now when you could've destroyed us?"

"The world is at stake. If we don't join forces, everything will perish forever," ARIA said.

Orchid scowled at ARIA until she cursed under her breath and reverted to human form. "Jago, grab Pemba, Carrie, and our little hostage. Tell them we're going on a trip to New York." Her brother did so without saying a word. "Keep in mind, ARIA, that we're only joining forces because our interests align and with one requirement: you and your flunkies will leave Carrie alone. Don't talk to her or even be near her, understand?"

"Fair enough. We'll head to the Pinnacle in New York for discussion. One more thing: I sent a U-ship to pick up Thunder and Aganos from Sabrewulf's castle." ARIA returned to her ship.

Maya tapped on her friend's shoulder. "Orchid, this might be a trap."

"If it's a trap, we'll give Ultratech hell. For now, we'll play the alliance game."

A/N: An alliance is formed. As long as they don't go at each other's throats, they might save the world from something far worse. It's time for my brain to rest, so I'll see you later.