A/N: Hello, fellow readers! Hard to imagine it's almost May. I hope everyone is doing well and following the lockdown procedures with the pandemic still happening. Just remember: if you're sick or experiencing any symptoms of this virus, stay at home; only go out for essentials, and go to the hospital of severe emergencies. Above all, enjoy the new chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie. They belong to their respective creators.

*Translations from Japanese

The activities around the Global Corruption Force Headquarters never ceased. Soldiers continued with virtual reality training. Doctors and nurses helped with the sick and injured in the hospital wing. For breaks, personnel either rested in the barracks or the leisure room.

Rita was amongst in the room, along with George and Sariel. Once at total health, General Wilson granted them asylum. On the T.V. screen, the reporters continued their coverage of the crisis.

"These Mimics are no joke," George said.

Sariel sat on the floor, meditating. "Those creatures are tame compared to what that cult did to us."

The door opened as Sue stepped inside the room. She wore a maternity gown and wheeled a pole attached to her IV bag.

"What are you doing up? You should rest." Rita's voice had a motherly tone.

"I'll be fine. Besides, I need to stretch my legs after being in bed for two weeks," Sue said.

"As long as you don't overdo it," George said. "Tommy scolded me in my dreams on what had happened to you."

Sue almost chuckled at the thought of Tommy's ghost shouting at his best friend. The door opened again as a medical assistant poked her head inside the room.

"Time for your checkup, Ms. Snell."

"Can it wait?"

"No. Dr. Hansen needs to do this today."

Sue underwent the medical checkups. Once the doctors were done, she lay on her bed. Grabbing a compact hand mirror from a drawer, Sue glanced upon her reflection. She almost jumped from the bed when a disturbing sight appeared behind her.

A familiar being appeared with her black hair concealing most of her face. She still wore the worn-out kimono and used the bladed pole to support herself. Below her muddy-caked feet were the vanishing traces of a portal.

"H-Hisako?" Sue hasn't seen the Onryō since the King's Memorial Park incident.

Hisako climbed on the bed, almost prompting Sue to flee. *"Watashi o osoreru hitsuyō wa arimasen. Anata wa yoi hito no hitoridesu. (No need to fear me. You're one of the good ones.)"

Despite not understanding the language, Sue remained on guard but kept her cool. She couldn't call for a nurse nor Sariel, but a lightbulb popped in her mind. Sue dug through the drawer and pulled out a handheld device—a present by Orchid. After a quick check of its functions, she handed it to Hisako. The Onryō tilted her head with her eyes narrowed and her brows knitted.

"It's a translator," Sue explained. "You speak to it, and depending on the language, it will translate to another. I'm not sure if it will work on ghosts, but it's worth a try."

Hisako examined it until she found a circle button at the bottom. She pressed the button and spoke, "Kon'nichiwa?"

"Hello?" the device spoke in English.

Hisako dropped the gadget, screeching. *"Kore wa dono yōna majutsudesu ka?! (What sorcery is this?!)"

"Don't worry," Sue assured. "It only translated what you said."

With eyes still narrowed, the Onryō scooped the device with her hands. She pushed the button and spoke through it. "This feels weird, using this thing."

"Yeah, so what brings you here?"

"I overheard from this Alliance that a cult tried to kill you and your friends."

"You mean God's Crusaders. If Orchid and her friends had not arrived to save us, we would be dead."

"They're kind souls, even though I don't trust those responsible for messing with my grave."

"The thieves you punished? Why are they with the Alliance?"

"They have their reasons."

"As long as they prevent these strange Mimics from wreaking havoc."

Hisako paused, debating if she should expose the truth. "I'm afraid the situation will become worse than Mimics. Gargos is coming."

"What's a Gargos?"

"Not a what, a who. Gargos is the monster born from the shadows. He's also the one that started the invasion."

"What does he want?"

"What most tyrants want: dominion. He's not strong enough to break the barrier, so he sent his minions to create chaos. With enough corruption, he'll come through to enslave humanity."

Chills crept inside Sue as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She remembered the times when Margaret ranted how the world was going to Hell. Did that psychotic woman predict the future? "Sariel mentioned that you're a gatekeeper or something. Can you stop him?"

"Gargos will come to Earth, despite the efforts, but it doesn't mean we can stop him." Hisako glanced at the door as she sensed something. "Someone is coming. We'll talk later." The Onryō formed a black portal from the floor and crawled through it. The portal shrunk until it vanished.

Sue rubbed her face with her hands until a door knock grabbed her attention. "Come in."

The door opened as Orchid stepped inside the room. "Hey. You're doing okay?"

"What happened to your right shoulder?"

"Oh, this?" Orchid caressed the bandages gently. "There was trouble where we stayed, but we sorted it out. Also, those doctors at Ultratech wanted to try something new with nanites."

"Nanites, as in like those sci-fi movies?"

"Yes, but on a medical scale. The nanites would kill the illness-caused viruses or heal injuries."

"Reminds me of that Jason X movie Tommy and I watched on Halloween. The movie itself was lame, but the growing technology intrigued me."

Orchid sat on Sue's bed and held her hand. "You miss him, do you?"

Sue nodded. "Sometimes, I imagine what life would be like if Tommy had survived. We'd be living in a fancy house with decent jobs and raising our baby. Now, everything is shallow. I still have that stupid text Chris sent me on the night of prom."

Sue reached for her phone beside her drawer. She scrolled through the messages until she found the one in specific.

June 22nd, 2013

Your girl looks good. Too bad it won't last. 9:33 P.M.

Orchid sighed and shook her head. "If I were you, I delete it."

"The thought had crossed my mind, but I kept it in case someone needs it—evidence wise. Maybe one day, I will. Since those doctors are done with me, I want to return to my friends."

Sue and Orchid headed to the leisure room. They arrived at the place where Rita, George, and Sariel remained, this time with T.J. and Kim Wu.

"They've caught him?! Finally!" Rita rejoiced.

"Whose been caught?" Sue asked.

"T.J. and Kim were telling us that Mr. Hargensen's been caught," George said.

"The guy was a douche," Kim said. "How he became a lawyer with that attitude is beyond me."

"I understand the feeling," Rita said. "I met him when he wanted to restore the prom privileges for his daughter. She accused me of being 'abusive' because of how I run detention.

"Chris thought she could get away with it until I mentioned her actions on YouTube. I celebrated when someone restored the memory chip from Chris's destroyed phone, enough to have John canned from his job. I don't know who did the deed, but I'd thank him or her."

The T.V. blasted as a reporter announced the latest news. "This just in: a red portal has emerged in the remote parts of Asia!"

The corners of Orchid's mouth drooped, and her brows squeezed together. "Kim, T.J…"

"Already on it. Besides, Kimmy and I are in a contest on who kills the most Mimics. So far, I'm in the lead," T.J. said.

"Quit lying!" Kim countered as she and the ex-boxer departed for the latest mission. "You know damn well I'm ahead! I have Yeo tallying the scores!"

Orchid chuckled. Her earpiece buzzed as she pressed the button. "Yes?"

"Can you come by quick?" Jago's voice spoke from the speaker.

"I'll be there soon." Orchid released the button. "Listen, Jago needs me for something, so I'll be back."

"I'm getting something to eat." Rita rose from her perch as Orchid departed. "Do you all need anything?"

"We're not hungry, Ms. D," George said. While Rita headed to the cafeteria, Sue's lips formed a thin line. "Is everything all right, Sue?"

"I was waiting for Rita to go. I must tell you and Sariel something."

The sun descended on the horizon as night prepared itself. Sue informed George and Sariel of Hisako's recent visit.

George rose from his chair, walking around while placing his hands above his head. "Why didn't Ms. Orchid tell us this when she and her friends visited us?"

"They would've had their reasons, mainly not to scare us," Sariel surmised.

"I'm already scared!" George drew a deep breath while letting the information simmer in his mind. "Can the Alliance stop this thing?"

"Yeah, but if you mean stopping him from reaching Earth, no," Sue said. "Now, I'm debating if I should tell this to Rita."

"Not a good idea," Sariel advised.

The door opened as Rita returned with to-go plates. Her mouth was partially opened, and her eyes widened.

Did she overhear us? "Rita, what's wrong?" Sue queried.

"I need to show you something."

Sue raised an eyebrow before she, George, and Sariel followed her. They found Orchid leaning against the wall next to a room. Rita pointed towards the glass. Sue scrunched her brows, as did George and Sariel. What did Rita want to show them? Slowly, they approached the one-way mirror. Cushion and foamy seats sat on the floor. A T.V. attached itself to the wall, with the remote sitting on the bolster.

Once Sue peeked through the room, her eyes widened as she stepped back. When George and Sariel glanced, they became stiff. Inside the playroom was Jago doing light training with Carrie. Orchid suggested moving Carrie after Sadira's attack.

"Oh, my God, is that…?" Sue covered her mouth with her hands. "How did she…?"

"My brother found her in the temple, deep in the Himalayas. An elderly man brought her there. He's been looking after her since," Orchid said.

"The Himalayas? Is that in Tibet? How did Carrie get there?"

"My guess is that the elderly man smuggled her into the country."

Carrie continued her training until she glanced at the one-way glass and froze.

Jago followed Carrie's line of sight as though they spotted the nervous group. He arose from the floor and approached the door. He opened it, emerging halfway. "I'm guessing you want to speak with her."

Rita swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears. "Yes, more than anything."

Jago stepped outside. "Come inside, but leave behind whatever history you have with Carrie." Though uncertain what Jago meant by that, Sue and her friends obliged. "Hey, Carrie, we'll stop for now and resume training tomorrow, okay?"

Carrie nodded. Once he left with Orchid, she was alone with the former Chamberlain residents. Everything was silent in the playroom, with anyone unsure what to say.

"H-Hi." Carrie braced herself as Rita embraced her, sobbing. Sue also let the tears flow. George and Sariel seemed unfazed—their way of composing themselves of the shock.

Rita released Carrie, her hands cupping her face. "How can this be? How did you survive?"

"I remember little, except holding my mother. The collapsing house would've crushed me, but my powers protected me. At least, that's what Orchid theorized."

"Just seeing you warms my heart. I'm sorry for not protecting you enough at prom. I should've expelled the Ultras for what they did to you."

"Principal Morton wouldn't let you. She succeeded what everyone wanted to see in me."

Sue knitted her brows. "Wait, she? You mean Chris?"

"DON'T…" Carrie's voice rose as the building trembled but composed herself. "Please, don't mention that name."

"Sorry." Quickly, Sue changed the subject. "So, you were in Tibet. How was it there?"

"Freezing, but Jago showed me the beauty of that place."

"Has Jago been treating you well? He doesn't appear to be the friendly type."

"Jago might appear menacing, but he's nice once you know him. He's been helping me with my powers."

"So, he doesn't know what happened…"

"He believes a gas tank caused it, but what scares me is when he'll learn the truth."

Rita held Carrie's hand out of comfort. "It'll be all right. The truth may be hard to reveal, but I'm sure he'll understand. I still found it hard to believe that you're alive. I guess the Alliance wanted to keep your existence a secret."

"They weren't the only ones." Sariel rubbed the back of his neck. "When the graveyard incident was still big news, I visited her grave because being a medium, I can sense spirits, but not Carrie's."

"There's a grave for me?" Carrie inquired.

"Yeah, since everyone in Chamberlain thinks you're dead. They also defiled it."

"I'm not surprised. I was the least-liked person in town."

"What happened next, Sariel?" George insisted.

"Once I touched the headstone, visions flashed in my mind. I planned to decipher what they mean until God's Crusaders kidnapped us."

God's Crusaders? Carrie heard about this group while recovering from the stone spider venom. "Mama's church…"

"Did you say something?" Sue said.

"Nothing."

"No, you said something. You said Mama's church. Carrie, was your mother involved in a cult?"

"I…I don't know. I was too afraid to ask Mama."

Sue, George, Rita, and Sariel glanced at each other. This question needed an answer.

Soldiers sat in their respective chairs inside a lecture room, with General Wilson providing information about the invasion. Orchid and Jago remained by the side of the stage. The opening door grabbed everyone's attention as Rita peeked her head.

"Oh, Ms. Desjardin, what brings you here?" General Wilson asked.

"Are you in a meeting? I'm sorry. I can come back later."

"That won't be necessary. We're just about done. Give me a minute. If anyone doesn't have questions, you're dismissed." General Wilson motioned Rita to come forward. "I take that seeing your favorite student was surprising."

"Yes, but…you, Jago, and Orchid should sit on this." With the lecture room empty, Rita told them upon visiting Carrie in the playroom.

"Do you think Carrie's mother was involved with that cult?" Orchid asked.

"Carrie even uttered the words, 'Mama's church.' It could be possible," Rita said.

General Wilson rubbed his chin. "This is disturbing. If the mother was a member, this means Carrie might have known about them. Jago, will it be all right if I grant Carrie asylum? She'll be safe here should the cult come for her."

Jago nodded. "To me, Carrie's safety is important."

A/N: Well, it seems the meeting Carrie had gone better than expected and was granted asylum. However, more questions still arise, primarily upon her supposed knowledge of God's Crusaders. Time for my brain to rest, and I'll see you later.