Chapter One : The Battle at Liberty Island

''After breakfast, a shower and a change of clothes , the three were ready to start the day , helping with Adalene's bakery. Brandon especially. He wanted to make everything smooth and calm today, unlike yesterday when a customer made a fuss about seeing one of his horns. Brandon isn't totally human, he has a heritage that is the rarest on Earth : being a hybrid. His mother was a Dragon Queen, etched in royalty and fortune , whilst also being very benevolent and compassionate  to her subjects. She was described as having beautiful eyes and scales that was a vibrant shade of red, which describes his features : a long , horned tail , half his body being covered in reptilian scales , not nearly as hard as a dragon's but just as tough , his red , luminescent eyes and perhaps the most noticeable feature , his horns. Two sets, one each on the top and sides. He had worn a brown jacket with a red shirt adorned with a star, cut-out gloves and jeans with black and white sneakers. He also had to wear the hood of the jacket to hide his horns. Unfortunately, most people aren't forgiving of strange looks .''

''Misty was the first to get on the ball and serve, walking around and taking others' orders. She was definitely the most " normal " looking of the group, with dark - skin , a tall stature , fit build and a very effective form of work ethic. Perhaps the most peculiar part of her appearance is her jet - black hair, which she wears over her eyes most of the time. Still, she is of the most " human " of the group .''

''Spica walked outside, clearing her head for a bit. She also had to cover her head with a jacket as to not cause a scene, but her peculiar height still turns a lot of heads. Luckily, the busy streets of New Jersey are a lot less busy today , giving her time to breathe. Looking up at the skies, the clouds resembled little strokes of cotton , intensified by the dramatic lighting of the sunrise. Shades of red, orange and yellow were abundant in the atmosphere. The glow of the sun felt warm as it peaked over the buildings. This was exactly what she needed. A few minutes to herself. To just .....think .''

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''It was strange ...to converse with people of this world at first. All of them were so hostile. So condemning, so ......unfriendly. It was a daily occurrence to have a person chase her down or spit at her feet for looking different. Or to have a person run at her with a weapon. So many horrible things, just for being unusual. But, alas , it is definitely a small price to pay for her freedom. She remembered the threats from Andromeda, being captured by her after her failed attempt to escape. She remember the cold firing range, and the massive , metallic structure hanging over her head , levitating. Her worse invention. The click of a firearm was heard, but it was only a click. Nothing more. A misfire. Again. A click. Again. Click. Again. Click. It was the worst ten minutes of her life. She was incredibly pallid and flinched every time the gun clicked. It was awful. Finally she was sent back to the palace with a whipped. bleeding back. .......''

''To think of it now was a bit ..unnerving, but , she succeeded. She succeeded in escaping her captor, succeeded in finding a new home and succeeded in finding peace with herself , once and for all .''

''Spica's thoughts were put to a halt as a familiar looking face peaked at her from the corner of a nearby coffee shop. Her eyes widened in shock as the face of Dahlia, Andromeda's sister , was visible , gas flame blue eyes and all. A twinkle of light sparked as she motioned for Spica to come to her. She hesitated but began to run to the alleyway she saw her in. As Spica ran to the alley, Dahlia was nowhere to be seen. Her heartbeat was fast, she was deathly worried. 'WHY ?', she shouted internally. 'Why was Andromeda's sister here ????!!! Of all people !!!!!" Her feet found their footing as she dashed back to the bakery, less than a block away . Misty and Brandon were beginning to serve the last few customers of the early breakfast bunch , getting ready for the others as the sun rose up slightly higher , giving the city a marvelous red-orange sky to look at . Suddenly , the calm was put to a stop as Spica ran through the doors , knocking one of them in on itself , shattering it in the process .''

"What the hell -" Misty exclaimed, only to be cut off a few seconds later by a worried mess of a Cassiopite before her .

''"Guys, I'm sorry , but shit is going down ! " she replied anxiously , brushing glass shards off. " It's Dahlia, she's here !! "''

Misty, Brandon and Adalene all stood up , fully attentive to what she was saying .

" I'm not sure why but, I know that it's for no good reason ."

''" I'm puzzled as to why she is even on Earth ." Brandon chimed in. He rested the last plates of pancakes onto a table before a elderly couple, shocked at the scene a few minutes ago. Their grandchild was snickering blissfully .''

''"I-I'm not really sure ." Spica responded, stammering now. "But I know it's not for any good reason . I think we should stalk her ."''

" Good idea, but how ? "

''" I-I don't know, ugh , I need a drink ." Spica was sweating nervously now, her body shaking slightly .''

''" I have an idea ," Adalene added. "We drive around town tonight, looking for her . If Spica is such a ploy of interest for Dahlia , then most likely , she would want to meet again ." Adalene then placed a hand on Spica's shoulder, rubbing it slightly. " It's going to be alright, okay . Earth will be fine ."''

Misty and Brandon exchanged worried glances .

''" Okay, then , we'll look for her tonight , we'll find her , then ask her why she's here . It'll be fine ." Misty proclaimed .''

-

''That night, the group was anxious , all of them cruising along on the crammed city streets , worried about why their biggest enemy's sister was on Earth. A friend came along and picked them up, his name , Rigel. He was a feminine-looking chad with blond-red hair cut to his shoulders, wild and frizzy. He had came as soon as he heard the news, desperate to help them. With a tank full of diesel and coffee in the cup-holder, the gang knew that a long night was before them .Rigel began to ask them all sorts of questions and Spica , all jittery and anxious , despite Brandon's best actions to comfort her , essentially ignored them. They just kept driving and driving, the highways crammed with traffic and pedestrians. Fresh breeze blew past her face, giving her some more comfort. along with her husband's caressing hand there to sooth her as well. Misty and Adalene were busy looking through their binoculars, gazing at nearby alleyways and the like , lamps and streetlights flashing by. The air in the car was tense and claustrophobic, worry making it thick enough to cut through with a knife .''

The group was all in all, very tense .

''A line of traffic had accumulated from the intersection that led onto a normal road slicing through their neighborhood. A few hours had passed and they were going to go back home and try again tomorrow night. Rigel was still chock-full of questions, but decided not to pry any more. As they were on the turn, a silver Cadillac pulled up as well , stopping at the red light. Spica noticed the vehicle but didn't pay any mind to it, gazing up at the stars and looking at the yellowish - white one , barely the size of a speck of sand. Rigel also noticed the car, due to it being right next to his side of the vehicle. The glass was turned down, and a strange looking female was looking at them behind pitch-black sunglasses. Her hair was silvery-white and had black tufts. Her horns were rather large as well, curving back like those of a goat , although much more elegant-looking. Dahlia. She was there, looking at them. Spica, Misty , Brandon and Adalene were all alerted and wide -eyed , the effects of drowsiness fading instantly. As the light turned yellow, Dahlia lifted a finger in a ' come-hither ' motion , speeding off as the light turned green .''

" Oh God, " said Adalene , " It's her ! "

''" Rigel, floor it !!! " Both Spica and Misty shouted in unison. Rigel complied before anything was said anyway, stamping on the acceleration pedal and careening down the opposite direction , going back onto the interstate that led to New York , less than a few miles northeast. The speedometer was reaching sixty miles an hour, other cars and trucks passing like memories , fast and blurry. Dahlia, in her silver vehicle made a sharp turn left , then right , swerving through the lanes , horns blaring and honking .''

''Rigel followed, the other passengers in the car being knocked about in the back. Adalene held onto the dashboard as the three were swerving about moderately .''

''" Watch it !! " Misty exclaimed as Spica nearly knocked her in the face with her hand, which would've hurt ---alot. Experience taught her that .''

" Sorry ! Rigel, can't you go slower ! '

" I can't, " he replied > " It looks like she's trying to shake us off ! "

''The Manhattan skyline began to come into sight, many iconic buildings and structures peaking over the horizon. A sign reading " Now Entering New York State " whizzed by and the interstate dipped into the harbor area, coming in the city limits. Dahlia took another sharp turn, alerting a handful of drivers. Rigel took another sharp right as cars knocked into one another and a few overturned, getting knocked off the overpass into the bay water below. Shrapnel and car tires bounced over the passage as Spica and the others watched .''

''Suddenly, Dahlia turned again onto the Brooklyn Bridge and sped at a very dangerous speed , veering and going about. Ambulances and police cars screamed by as they raced to the scene a few blocks away. The gang followed the rest of the way as she turned off into Battery Park, leading them onto the streets that went into quieter neighborhoods , finally turning into an alleyway between two buildings , one an abandoned store , the next , an old church. The lights were turned off and suddenly, everything was quiet. Rigel turned into the alleyway, stopping and letting the others and himself out .''

" Well, all that shit , but where's Dahlia ? " Misty exclaimed , kicking at a old beer bottle , watching it fall down a gutter , never to be seen again .

''"Hey, this old store , it was my cousin's from back in the day , " Adalene said. " Come on, I know a back way . "''

''In the store, the ceiling was broken and cracked in several places , an old cash register and several shelves being the only things in it. Misty stepped in first, followed by Brandon and Spica , then Rigel and Adalene. Misty had unsheathed a six inch knife for protection whilst Brandon had his hands in fists, glowing bright orange , ready for fire unleashing. Spica had already made a shield of solid nitrogen whilst both Rigel had a pistol and Adalene, her walking cane. It was also used as a weapon, as it had a thin sword blade when one took the handle from the pole segment. It was pink with a plastic strawberry ornament on ts handle, a gift from Misty on the most recent Mother's Day. She had a great deal of training from Misty, able to use it much better than most .''

''A clink sounded from the shopping area, as Dahlia was in the open , waiting. Misty sprang in first, lunging for her back with the knife , only for Dahlia to swerve out of the way at the last minute .''

''" Stop ", she proclaimed. It was not heard. Brandon and Spica went in next as Spica threw a spear of nitrogen at her, impaling the wall as Dahlia dodged. Brandon jumped over the shelves and blasted fire at her, running up and engaging in one-on-one combat. A strike was landed first as Brandon kicked at her leg although she grabbed him by the arm and threw him at Misty, who was preparing to attack again , knocking both into the rotting wall. Adalene went in and sliced at Dahlia, the swing hitting her in the midriff , but the armor under her clothing prevented any injury. A kick from her sent Dahlia into a disorientated spin but catching her arm, she sent her onto her back. Adalene got up and charged again, but was stopped as Dahlia threw a old plate at her .She dodged and threw a rock from the dirty floor , but it was caught and thrown at Rigel , who was helping Misty and Brandon up off the floor .''

''Spica came from the behind and kicked Dahlia in the back, knocking her forward. The two were in a scuffle as everything Spica threw or landed was deflected or missed .''

''" What the hell do you want ?! " She shouted. As Misty ran into the scuffle ,her knife landed in the nearest shelf as she kicked Dahlia, but to no effect. Dahlia pushed both of them down as Rigel, Adalene and Brandon came towards them , cautiously .''

''" Rebels, believe me when I say that I am not your enemy . " Dahlia helped Spica and Misty back to their feet and returned Misty's weapon. Misty took it, although with a very skeptical look .''

" I don't believe you . " Misty said .

''" I don't need you to . But believe me when I say this ," Dahlia prompted. " The Cassiopites are coming . "''

''The group was shocked. All of them. So, it was true , Spica thought .''

" The Cassiopites ? As in plural ? But we destroyed their beacon - " Brandon said .

Dahlia shook her head .

" No, they are coming . And they are bringing all of their power and military prowess with them . The end result will be destruction of your entire Solar System . "

" Excuse me ? " Misty said, shocked .

" The news gets worse . The Heart Of Darkness' capsule was reported to have been above water for the past week now . They are planning on retrieving the weapon that lies within the machine for their invasion . "

''" Do you have any thing else to say or is that all ? " Brandon chimed in. Spica was holding his hand again. She was scared .''

''" Your ship -," Dahlia pointed at Spica. " Was found near Liberty Island at 9:30 this morning . "''

" I'm afraid that don't see the connection . "

" If the Cassiopites arrive when the ship is visible, they will have confrmation of your existence here on Earth , hold in on this planet and exterminate it . "

" Sorry I asked . " Brandon said .

The room was silent for a bit before Rigel asked his question .

" Dahlia, why do the Cassopites hate Earth so much . "

" It is not Earth, but Spica , is why they are going to invade . Spica left Cassiopeia a little over three years ago , due to the immense abuse my sister placed upon her , but now , Andromeda wants to attack Earth and take Spica back home with her by force - "

''" No !! I'm not going back !! I'll never go back !!" Spica shouted. Brandon hugged her, telling her that she doesn't have to , whilst Misty placed a hand on her shoulder .''

" This is what they want . You all understand why I have came here, so -" She removed her sunglasses " Shall we start on our planning ? "