Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Notice/warnings: kissing, rudeness, death, decapitating
▪▪▪

June 15th, 2013,

It was graduation day at the University Institute Of Gloreth.

A young 21-year-old man with dark brown skin, a beginning of a short mustache and goatee, and short, dark hair, was in his usual plain white t-shirt, brown sweatpants, and black army boots, looking at the screens as he was packing the last of his stuff from his dorm.

He was a young man who showed promise ever since he was a kid. He worked his way up into the university but not meant it with the controversy of his college and schools knowing he was the only one who was born poor at the university that only accepted famous and rich people.

He was about to finish the last box when he heard a familiar voice ask, “You excited?”

"Yeah." He said with nervousness in his voice, looking a bit down before looking at the person.

The voice revealed to be his boyfriend, Ambrosius Goldenloin, an East Asian man with short, blonde hair curled over the left side of his head in a pompadours style, with the rest of his hair shaved close to his scalp, and dark and short, dark beard over his chin.

Ambrosius walked over to him, wanting to make sure his boyfriend was ok. “Want to talk about it, Bal?” he asked as he got to him.

"Yeah, it's just-" Bal tried to speak, "I can't believe it, 4 years have passed by so fast, and now we're graduating and going to the real world."

They begin sitting down on the bed, which is now just a mattress and bed frame.

Ambrosius nodded and held his hand, gently rubbing it. “There is more, isn't there?” he asked, looking at him. “Ballister, I see that you’re scared. ”

Ballister was quiet for a bit as he looked down. “What if… what if they hate me?”

His boyfriend is understanding why Ballister was scared. “You’ve worked so hard for this,” Ambrosius said, putting a gentle hand on his cheek. “They’ll love you.”

"You think so?" Ballister asked with hope in his voice as he looked at Ambrosius. “Yes,” Ambrosius answered, nodding softly.

Ballister begins to smile warmly and kisses him on the lips.

☆Later☆

Everyone was getting ready for the day of the graduation

Some were taking pictures, some were excited about the next chapter in their lives, and others talking with their families

Bal was getting his graduation gown ready which is unique, while most of the university's graduation wear only had white gold and silver, his was different having a more black accent in his suit while his boyfriend had more gold in his as well.

"Well, we finally made it after 4 years," said Meredith Blitzmeyer, a tall Romani woman, with warm brown skin, long gray hair tied back in a ponytail, and rounded gold frame glasses over her gorgeous blue eyes. "The future has come."

“Oh, hey Meredith.” Ballister said, looking at her with a smile.

"Well, Ballister, you are the future graduate of the era." Meredith jokes. She has been a bit of a jokester since high school. But at least her jokes were appropriate, unlike another classmate that was also graduating who happens to be a bully.

"More like a loser." A man named Thaddeus Sureblade jokes he's the one with short brown hair, pale skin, and green eyes. He had always been a bully to the three, mostly to Ballister.

"Ugh! Not you again." Meredith ground, crossing her arms, knowing he was her ex-boyfriend. They broke up a month ago after finding out that he was a jerk, trying to make him his trophy wife, and almost a bad manly macho after dating for a year. She already moved on but Thaddeus was a bit still in the denial stage of a breakup.

“Hey, I was just coming over to talk with Ballister.” Thaddeus started, smiling his best prize smile.

"Well, then, go ahead." Meredith said, glaring at him.

Thaddeus put an arm around Ballister’s shoulders and said, “Look, when I first saw you at the Institute, I thought that you were just a nobody.”

Ballister looked at him like he was going to say more. “And?”

Meredith began putting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrow, tapping her foot, waiting for an answer

Thaddeus noticed that and didn’t want to get her too mad. “I’m not going to answer that.” he said, popping his lips. Thaddeus got his arm off of Ballister and shoved him a bit as he walked away.

Meredith and Ambrosius caught Ballister before he fell on the floor and helped him stand up.

“Thanks.” Ballister said to them.

Ambrosius nodded to him and smiled. “No problem.”

“I still can’t believe that I dated him.” Meredith muttered under her breath.

Just then, The Director of the University opened the doors, smiling at the graduating class of 2013.

Everyone began to line up as the Director entered the room.

It was revealed to be a tall and thin woman with pale skin, and a long neck. her blonde hair in a long braided ponytail, and black eyes. She wore a yellow business coat over a white blouse, a matching yellow ankle-length long skirt, brown stockings, and black 3-inch high heels. She's a serious and kind woman.

“Everyone,” the Director started as she looked at the soon-to-be graduating students, “today is an important day. Not only are you all graduating but we have our first rise to the top student graduating.”

She smiled at Ballister, who nodded to her. “Thank you, Director.” Ballister said, smiling.

Then the Director clapped her hands together and said, “Now, everyone needs to finish up and get to the stage.”

Everyone did as they were told.

Ambrosius got his scabbard on his belt before getting his family’s sword from his locker. 

It was traditional of the Goldenloin family to carry the sword that Glorth carried throughout the war for special occasions, like today.

Ambrosius looked at Ballister and smiled softly. “You ready?” he asked.

“I will be. I just need to wait for my ring.” Ballister said. “You can go ahead.”

"Ok. We will be waiting for you." Meredith said, fixing her cap“

Ambrosius and Meredith went out as Diego, a man with light brown skin, brown eyes, and blonde hair styled in a short mohawk, came in.

Diego was the Jeweler of Ballister’s ring. 

“Hi.” Ballister said, smiling at him. 

"Hi. Sorry about that, I was just finding the ring which took a while." Diego was the Jeweler of Ballister’s ring. 

“Hi.” Ballister said, smiling at him. 

"Hi. Sorry about that, I was just finding the ring which took a while." Diego said, giving him the ring

“It’s alright.” Ballister reassured as he got the ring from him.

Before Ballister went with everyone, he got his University ring out and looked at it. 

The University ring was a silver ring. It had some gems all around it, with the top gem being a beautiful red. There was gold writing on the inside of the ring. The writing said, ‘Send the darkness back into the shadows to see the light’.

It’s the main motto of the university and of the city in case there is danger of any kind that comes in.

"Umm, sir." Diago started, about to get out of his phone. "I-"

“Ballister.” the Director said, walking back in. Both Ballister and Diago looked at her as the Director said, “It’s almost time. You need to get with the other students.”

Ballister nodded as he went out with everyone.

They went outside just in time for the graduation ceremony. As the music began to play, the three friends already imagined their future like everyone else.

The mayor is the special guest for the graduation.

The mayor was a woman with brown skin, black eyes, and long white hair tied in a tight bun, wearing a white blouse and blue pantsuit with gold and red accents and blue high heels heading to the stand.

She was the one to request Ballister to go to the Institute and his adoptive mother.

After everyone got the diploma, everyone clapped for the graduated students. Then everyone sat down as the mayor got up and went to the microphone. “Everyone,” she started, smiling at everyone, “I am so proud of this graduating class. This class has someone special, this person works all the way up. This person is my son, Ballister Boldheart.”

The spotlight pointed at Ballister and he began to stand up with everyone looking at him.

Then everyone cheered for him as he smiled and walked up to his mother.

Meredith got her phone and begin recording him, smiling.

Ballister hugged the mayor before he turned to the microphone. “Thank you, Mother.” Ballister said into the microphone.

Mayor Valerin began grabbing a small box from her pocket, and then opened it up to reveal a beautiful ring server and even with an obsidian gem with red spots on it, It was a family heirloom that has been in her family for generations.

Ballister looked at it and smiled at his mother. He started to reach with his right hand.

Then all of a sudden, Ballister’s University ring started to shake his hand as the top gem turned from white to green appeared at the top and shot a beam blasted through the mayor's body.

Everyone gasped in shock.

“Mom!” Ballister exclaimed in shock.

His friends came just in time, his boyfriend tried to stop but accidentally got the beam cut off by cutting Ballister’s right arm off.

Ballister fell to the ground, holding his now cut arm, bleeding as Meredith came to check on him.

Bal and Meredith begin hearing people panicking and screaming seeing their mayor hurt.

"Are you ok?" Meredith asked worriedly.

“I…” Ballister started but was interrupted by someone yelling, “The mayor is dead!”

Meredith grabbed something from her bag that she was carrying, it was a smoke bomb, she began throwing it and a puff of green smoke blew.

"Let's go." Meredith said, taking Ballister by his other hand and they ran out and away from the graduation grounds.

Ambrosius watched them run out worriedly. “How did this even happen?” he asked himself as he looked at the crime scene.

Ballister and Meredith ran into an alleyway.

“Ok, I think that we’re safe now.” Meredith panted as she caught her breath and looked at Ballister.

Ballister still held his cut arm as he sat down. His arm was still bleeding a lot.

Meredith got a med kit out of her bag and tented the wound. “Here we go.” she said as she finished wrapping the bandages around it.

Ballister looked at the wrapped-up wound before looking back at Meredith as she said, "We gotta get out of this place."

“I’m sorry… ‘We’?” Ballister repeated to see if he heard her right.

“Yes. ‘We’, Ballister.” Meredith said, helping him up. "We need to get out of this place."

“Meredith…” Ballister started as he sighed and looked down. “You can’t just drop everything for me. You’ll be hunted too and never get to be the scientist that you wanted to be.”

“Ballister, look at me.” Meredith said, lifting his head up. “I know that you’re innocent and that you didn’t kill your mother… and I am going to help to prove that.”

They begin hearing the news all over the city of the death of the mayor and that Ballister was a killer.

“Come on.” Meredith said to Ballister, holding his hand. "I'll call someone I know to help us and where we can go."

Chapter Text

10 years later… June 15th, 2023.

"Today marks the 10th year since the death of Mayor Valerin Boldheart," a news reporter said on the screen, “and the hunt for Ballister Blackheart is still going on.”

While the news was still going on, a 15-year-old teen walked over to look at the screen.

The teen had pink red hair, red side bangs, with a shaved head in the back, pink eyes, and pale skin. She wears only dark pink sweatpants and a light magenta hoodie to hide, with her red backpack on her back and headphones on.

“This man has no place in this city. This man is vile, a murderer, a monster.” the new reporter said with warning to any viewer watching.

“He’s perfect.” the teen said as she grinds a sharp smile.

"HEY!" A voice was heard which turned out to be the police.

The teen looked at them and then ran off laughing like it’s a game of tag.

The police dogs were already chasing after the teen but the teen was smart enough to know the way out of the cops

The teen jumped over a wired fence out of the city but not near the city wall.

The teen began to get away to the farthest tree until the coast was clear. When the cops investigated the main officer screamed in anger.

"Not again!" The officer said, angrily in defeat "That kid outnumbered us again!"

“We still don’t know how the kid does it.” a nearby rookie said.

Just then a thunder sound came by the wall. The officers looked at the wall before walking away scared.

☆

In a small tiny house in the middle of the woods

Meredith had her hair cut into a shoulder length hairdo, wearing a blue sweater, white jeans and a lab coat. She tested her test tubes while her friend, who now has a full on mustache and goatee, was fixing his new prosthetic arm that he made.

The news was playing in the background.

"Ugh, 10 years.” Meredith said, looking at Ballister. “I still can’t believe it was this long.”

Ballister was quiet as he finished fixing his black prosthetic arm. He was wearing a black shirt and black jeans.

Then it goes to the weather report, which got both Meredith and Ballister’s attention.

It began to show the weekly weather and it's going to rain for half a week.

"Looks like rain again." Meredith said, looking at Ballister.

Ballister nodded as he got his arm on, testing it to see if it works. His arm worked as it moved.

"Hope it works on the human nervous system." Meredith said as Ballister picked up a bottle.

“It does.” Ballister replied as he placed it back down.

But then suddenly they heard a huge thunderstorm, turning off the lights in the process

"I'll get the candles and flashlights" Meredith said who was about to get the candles and flashlights but then they heard the door open.

Meredith grabbed a scalpel while Ballister grabbed a broken bottle as they slowly went to the door, seeing what entered their home.

When they got to the door, they saw it empty, nothing but rain pouring down. Ballister hummed and closed the door, locking it.

"That was weird." Meredith said, looking at Ballister.

“Hey, boss.” a voice said behind them.

Both jumped and turned around to see a teen girl in their home.

'H-how Did you get in?" Meredith asked, placing the scalpel down pointing at the door and then at the teen. "You know you are trespassing on private property."

“And who’s property would that be?” the teen asked and began to look around the home. “This is a nice evil lair here.”

“What?” Meredith and Ballister asked at the same time.

"You mean straight from a comic book?" Meredith asked, knowing her knowledge of comic books.

The teen got a flamethrower on. “Oh nice!”

“Hey, put that down!” Ballister exclaimed, getting the flamethrower away from the teen.

This only made the teen go to another dangerous item as both Bal and Meredith tried to stop the teen from causing any more mayhem or making a mess of their home.

“Careful! Our weapons are dangerous for children!!" Meredith said, putting a weapon away.

“How old do you two think I am?” the teen asked, looking at them.

Ballister shrugged and guessed, “I don’t know, like ten?”

"13 to 15?" Meredith guessed as well.

The teen pointed at Meredith. “Ding ding! We have a winner!” the teen exclaimed with a chuckle.

Meredith smiled a bit while Ballister rolled his eyes. “Ok, kid. You’re a young teen, we get that.” Ballister said as he walked over to the teen. “But why are you here?”

"Yeah. You know we might have to call the police or take you to the station to report you." Meredith said, reaching for the phone.

“We can’t, Meredith.” Ballister said, looking at his friend. “I’m the most wanted right now. If we call the police, not only she is getting arrested but also me.”

"Right…" Meredith said, putting the phone away, but she knew she can't let this teen be alone

The teen smiled at them. “Well, thank you for not calling the cops.”

"But we cannot let you be running off alone without a parent or guardian." Meredith said " I do install every type of security in this house."

“Oh, to answer why I’m here is that I’m actually here for a job.” the teen answered.

"What do you mean?" Meredith asked "Should you be in school? Your education is important, you know, It can get you ahead in life."

“I don’t go to school.” the teen answered, her arms crossed.

"Are you homeless and homeschooled? I have books in my library if you want to read, but Don't mess anything up with the books" Meredith said, showing her bookshelf filled with books.

“Could we stop talking about school stuff?” the teen asked, sounding annoyed.

"Alright then." Meredith said, popping her lips.

Then the teen looked at Ballister and walked over to him. “I’m here to be his sidekick." she said, pulling Ballister into a side hug.

Ballister gave an uncomfortable look to the teen, not wanting to be touched.

"You mean assistant?" Meredith asked, crossing her arms knowing there's a difference between assistant and sidekick.

The teen rolled her eyes as she let go of Ballister and said, “No, sidekick. To help him with the evil plans.”

"What?!" Both said at the same time.

The teen looked at both of them. “You two look shocked by this.” she said before something caught her eye. “Oh, what’s that?”

Meredith and Ballister followed the teen. "Do you at least have some resumé?" Meredith asked after the teen. " It’s important if you want to get hired by someone."

“Uh, yeah!” the teen answered then shoved some papers to Ballister before looking at the thing that caught her eye.

Ballister held the paper that had very disturbing drawings. Meredith was shocked but memorized by the teen's drawings.

"That's a lot of blood." Meredith and Ballister said, looking at the teen.

“You like them?” the teen asked, looking at the grown ups.

Meredith and Bal looked at each other before looking at the teen, who was looking at the wall of suspects.

“Oh! Are these your next victims?” the teen asked excitedly. "No, It's not!" Meredith and Ballister answered in unison.

“It’s a suspect wall.” Ballister explained as he walked over. "And completely organized." Meredith added, sounding proud.

The teen’s excited look changed to a confused look. “Wait… are you saying that you’re not a murder?”

“Yes!” Ballister yelled, still holding the broken bottle. He looked at it and then tossed it to the side before looking back at the confused teen.

“But… the news says that you are-”

"HE'S NOT!" Meredith yelled. "I was there when it happened!"

The teen stared at the two grownups before noticed Meredith's lab and went to it, touching everything. "Hey! That's my lab!" Meredith said, chasing the teen as the teen began touching and looking everywhere in the lab.

Ballister grabbed the teen by her hood and put her down in a seat. “Alright!” he said angrily, looking down at her. “If you want to be a sidekick so badly, then could you help me clear my name? If you do, you can be my sidekick.”

The teen’s eyes sparkled and asked excitedly, “You mean it?”

Ballister sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Yes…” he said flatly as he looked at the teen.

"Ok, what's your deal?" Meredith asked, her arms crossed, looking suspicious at the teen. "What's your name and gender pronouns?"

“I’m Nimona.” the teen said, getting up and bowing to Meredith and Ballister. “I use she/her but I use any pronouns.”

"Ok, Nimona." Meredith and Ballister said together, looking down at Nimona, who was smiling big at them.

Chapter Text

Notice/warnings: food, bleeding mentioned, slipping, scars, naked, attacking, falling, knock out

Meredith had just got the candles out and lit while Ballister got the flashlights out. When the house had enough candle light to see, Bal and Meredith had a secret meeting about Nimona while the teen was listening to music in the living room.

"That kid is a wild one." Meredith said, looking at where Nimora was sitting before looking at Ballister. “Ya think?” Ballister asked flatly like Meredith just found that out just now.

"Yeah." Meredith said "But that kid can't be living properly without any parent or guardian."

Ballister nodded, seeing Meredith’s point. “You’re making a good point.” he said pointing at her.

" Plus, the kid must be wet from the rain." Meredith said, noticing that the teen was wet.

Ballister nodded again, looking at Nimona.

"And the kid might be a runaway." Meredith said, "I might need to get the bath ready for Nimona, but did that kid pack any change of clothes with them?"

“I checked, there was none.” Ballister answered, looking at his friend again.

"Well, I might ask What type of clothing she might like." Meredith suggested, "Then I will get to my clothing machine to get her some new clothes."

“That sounds like a plan.” Ballister hummed.

"Ballister, you need to get them something to eat from the kitchen, please." Meredith said, pointing to the kitchen. "That kid might probably be hungry."

Ballister nodded and went to the kitchen, looking at what they had.

They had the stuff to make breakfast tacos, eggs and ham, meatloaf, and pasta.

"You'll start making dinner, I'll get Nimona a bath," Meredith said, going to Nimona.

“Got it,” Ballister said, getting stuff to make pasta.

☆

"Nimona?" Meredith asked when she got to Nimora. "When's the last time you had any hygiene? Or clean yourself?"

Nimona looked up at her, taking her headphones off, and said, “It would depend on what you mean.”

"Well, you get cleaned up." Meredith suggested, "You are wet from the rain."

“That was my clean-up,” Nimona said, pointing at a window showing it was still raining.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I mean with soap and water." She said flatly.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? That was my clean up-”

Then there was a loud crash sound from the kitchen that made them jump. Both of the girls immediately rushed to see what was going on. “Ballister?” Meredith called out. “You ok?”

It was a falling tremble of a pot that was full of marinara sauce completely spilling on parts of the kitchen, and the pasta was almost boiling water.

“Yes…” Ballister answered from the floor. “Just a prosthetic hand malfunction.”

"I knew it." Meredith said, knowing that his prosthetic arm came out of function sometimes. "I'll get it oiled up, again." Nimona was surprised by the arm as Ballister took it off and handed it to Meredith before he started cleaning up.

Nimona begins inspecting the arm as Meredith takes it to her lab.

It was made of black metal and some wires.

Nimona was amazed as she looked at the arm.

"Whoa! Yeah! Sick arm." Nimona said, starting to run over to it. "Did it bleed a lot?!" She gasped in excitement as she looked at Ballister, who was standing in between the kitchen and the lab. “Did they let you keep the old one-?!” she started to ask but was cut off by slipping on the sauce that was on her shoe.

"NIMONA?!" Meredith exclaimed in worry.

Ballister grabbed Nimona, with the arm that he has, by the front of her hoodie before she hit her head. “You ok, kid?” he asked, panting after almost having a heart attack.

Nimona nodded.

"Are you supposed to be in the kitchen?" Meredith asked, looking at Ballister.

“I was but she stepped in some sauce and I wanted to make sure that she didn’t get hurt.” Ballister explained as he got Nimona upright and pointed at the sauce prints on the floor.

"Now I need to clean her up." Meredith said, "I'll be taking her clothes for a wash. Along with yours."

Ballister sighed but nodded in agreement. “Let me change first.”

Meredith took Nimona to the bathroom to get a dress. Then she notices a chest binder when taking off her hoodie and dark red tank top

"I didn't know you were wearing a chest binder." Meredith said, tilting her head a bit. "Where did you get that?"

“I’ve always had it.”

"Did you also have any bras with you?" Meredith asked "I'm just asking"

“I don’t.” Nimona answered, shaking her head.

"It's fine, I understand." Meredith said as she was getting the tub ready.

Nimona watched her when the bath was ready.

“Alright, that bath is ready.” Meredith said, looking at Nimona.

Nimora began to get undressed, revealing some scars on her back.

Meredith was shocked to see them with types of scars on their back, but she took a deep breath and calmed down. "I'll give you some privacy." She said as she began leaving the bathroom.

The teen nodded to her, letting her know that she heard her.

When Meredith closed the bathroom door, she went to Ballister, who had just changed out of his dirty clothes and was getting clean clothes for himself to wear.

"Bal?" Meredith asked as she entered his room. "Can I come in and talk to you for a bit?"

“Hm? Oh sure.” Ballister said as he got black pants on.

Meredith entered the room and sat on the bed, sighing as she was still thinking about the scars on Nimora's back, wondering what happened.

"Anything wrong?" Ballister asked Meredith as he got a gray shirt on.

"Nimona was just getting undressed when I noticed these terrible scars on her." Meredith said, sounding sad. "That kid must have had a tough life, must have grown up on the streets or the run their entire life."

Ballister hummed and nodded, sitting down next to her.

"What are we gonna do with that kid?" Meredith asked, looking at Ballister.

“For now, let this place be her safe place.” Ballister answered.

But then all of a sudden hearing the sound of shark chomps, coming from the bathroom

Ballister and Meredith looked at each other and then quickly went to the bathroom to see what happened.

As they opened the bathroom door they noticed water almost everywhere on the bathroom floor and what they saw in the tub was a reddish pink shark swimming around in the leftover water in the tub.

“Where’s Nimona?! And why is there a pink shark?!” Ballister exclaimed in fear, pointing at the shark with his attached arm.

Meredith was about to get a weapon from her pants pocket but then the shark stood up and began to speak, “Wait it’s me!”

Meredith was surprised but almost fainted. Ballister caught Meredith before she fell to the floor

Then the shark Niroma turned back to a human girl, pointing and laughing at the shocked looks of the grownups.

Meredith covers her eyes knowing that Nimona is naked.

Ballister was getting done with this. “Ok, kid. Get a towel on and talk to us. It’s time to explain.” Ballister ordered, looking at Nimona in the face.

" And put on some clothes, please!" Meredith added, still covering her eyes.

☆

Ballister gave Nimona old clothes, that Meredith doesn’t wear anymore, which were a bit big due to Meredith’s tall body and big clothes, but at least the clothes covered her.

It was a long green shirt, which fit perfectly, almost

Meredith was making some hot chocolate in the kitchen as the two entered the living room again.

“Alright…” Ballister started as Nimona sat on the couch. “What are you?”

“I’m Nimona.” the teen said, looking up at him.

"No, he means what are you?" Meredith said as she brought over some hot chocolate.

“I’m Nimona.” the teen said again, sounding mad.

"Haha, very funny." Meredith said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“No, that’s what I am and my name.” Nimona said, looking so done with the grownups.

"Seriously?" She asked Nimona as she handed out the cups of hot chocolate.

The teen nodded. “Yep.”

Ballister shook his head, not believing this. “I can’t believe this…” he muttered to himself as he held his cup. “On the day of the anniversary of my mother's death and of me being framed.”

"Bal, calm down." Meredith said, looking at him.

Nimona could watch them awkwardly as she sipped her cocoa.

Ballister sighed and sipped his drink before setting it down. “I’m going on a walk,” he said, walking over to get his jacket and a prosthetic arm.

"Ballister, it’s still raining.” Meredith recalled, pointing at a window that showed that it was raining.

"I'll get dinner from Huff and Puffs, the fast food place that we normally get." Ballister said, then he pointed at the dirty kitchen. “Since I ruined dinner and the kitchen.”

"Then I'll get the cleaning bots …again." Meredith said with a sigh. Normally, there are moments when they clean up after themselves. She created bots to do it for them just in case something like this happens. "We might be too tired to clean it ourselves anyway."

Meredith got her cleaning bots and commanded them to clean up the kitchen, so she can get some rest on the couch while Ballister got his arm and jacket on.

“I’ll be back.” Ballister said as he unlocked the door.

"I wouldn't walk in the rain if I were you. At least take an umbrella." Meredith said to him from the couch. "And remember don't be out too long!"

“Thank you!” Ballister called out as he got an umbrella and went out.

☆

Ballister begins walking in the cold rain. He began hearing the relaxing sounds of the dripping water.

It reminds him of when he first met his friends and mother. It also reminded him of how Meredith needed comfort to read and to get over some terrible breakups with some of her exes (including that awful Thaddeus) with her friends

It brings a smile to his face.

As he was about to go to Huff and Puffs, he went to the main square, where the statue of Gloreth stood.

The statue of Gloreth was made of stone and gold of a woman holding her war sword, pointing it straight ahead as if to give a warning or an order. Gloreth, the name of the woman, was a general who vanished the evil away from the city all these years ago.

Ballister smiled at it as he remembered when Ambrosius told him that he was a descendant of her.

He remembered that he was in shock until he saw the resembles, and so did Meredith.

He didn’t realize how long he was staying there until he heard a siren noise.

It was the police.

He knew it was time to run so he found the nearest place to hide until the coast was clear.

He dropped the umbrella as he ran to it.

He began noticing that the police searched the area realizing he was gone so they thought that he was away again.

Ballister begins to check to see if the police are gone, feeling a sigh of relief but something unexpected happens.

He heard the sound of handcuffs unlocking. “I’ve waited a long time for this.” a familiar voice behind him said.

Ballister slowly turned around to see none other than Thaddeus, who has physically changed a bit since graduation but his attitude didn't.

Ballister slowly backed away from him, trying to think of something and beginning to run out of there.

☆

Ballister’s plan didn't work as he was taken to a jail cell at the Institute.

“Did you have to take the arm?” Ballister asked the guards, glaring at them.

They just laughed at him and walked away.

Ballister sighed as he sat down on the cot. He looked up when he heard footsteps walking over to his cell.

It was the Director of the Institute.

She has changed a lot within the last 10 years. Her braided hair has been turned into a short bob and was wearing a white blouse under a white business suit with golden accents and yellow high heels, taking over the mayor's positions since the last mayor's death.

“Director.” Ballister breathed, getting up and walking over to her to be stopped by the jail bars.

The Director took a step back as she looked at him. “Oh… Ballister…” she whispered sadly, shaking her head softly. “What has happened to you?”

“Director, I’m innocent.” Ballister started but stopped when the Director raised her hand.

"I feel so foolish, and… I trusted you… and to let you know, I'm the mayor now." The director said, standing her ground and dusting herself. “The new director is Ambrosius Goldenloin.”

Ballister was shocked to realize how much has changed in the last 10 years. Not only his ex-boyfriend being the new director but the director-no ex-director as mayor now.

“Ma’am, I didn’t do it…” Ballister started again, trying to sound convincing. “I didn’t kill my mother. Please, give me a chance.”

“You already had your chance, Blackheart.” the director said, looking down at him. "Your mother, the woman who adopted you, thought someone like you could be an example of a new era…and it cost her her life, rest her soul."

“I’m telling you, I didn’t do it.” Ballister said again, then he remembered who the new director was. “Can I speak to Goldenloin?"

"He is as heartbroken as the rest of this city." The director said as she began to turn and walk and walked away. "You won’t be talking to anyone anymore, Ballister, I won't make that mistake again."

“NO! PLEASE!” Ballister shouted after her as tears streamed down his face. “GIVE ME A CHANCE!”

“You had your chance ten years ago.” The Director said before she left the room, leaving Ballister alone.

He gave up and was sad in his cell. He couldn't believe that he was going to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Just then, He began hearing a familiar voice say, "Told you it's a bad idea."

Ballister looked around to see who was there.

It was Nimona and she was in the cell with him.

"Looks like you shouldn't leave that food delivery to the scientist." Nimona said, referring to Meredith. Then she points at a vent, where Meredith was in and glaring down at Ballister.

"I told you going out in the rain is a bad idea." Meredith said flatly.

"How did you guys get in here?!" Ballister asked the two in shock.

“Nimona came in because of her powers while I had to crawl through the vents because I have this place memorized. It was part of one of the classes we took.” Meredith answered snappily and got out of the vent. “‘Every guard, scientist, and royal should know their city’. Our professor told us every time in class.”

“I thought I told you to stay outside.” Nimona said to Meredith as she magically got out of the cell. She then begins breaking the security system that connects to the cell to get it open.

“And get shocked by lighting, I don’t think so.” Meredith said, shaking her head as she exited the cell.

"You know that's probably damage, right?" Ballister asked Nimona, pointing at the broken screen of the cell.

“Are you coming or not?!” Nimora and Meredith shouted at him, making him come out of the cell.

☆

Meredith brought an invisibility coat that she invented and improved a couple of years ago so she can hide before the guards see her like in this situation with Ballister and Nimona.

The three began walking away to the hallways with Nimora getting bored, knocking stuff down.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here." Meredith said, being between Nimora and Ballister.

They went through every room while trying to escape.

Ballister and Meredith noticed that all of the other police officers were knocked out after she noticed the security cameras not even working and the smell of coffee coming from the keyboards

'Smart move, Nimora.' Meredith thought as they looked at Nimona.

“They were like this when I came in.” Nimona said to the grownups. Then she showed a big ax to them. “Just in case,” she said, letting it rest on her small body.

' And strong too.' Meredith thought as they continued to look for the exit. "Wait, where Did you get that ax?" Ballister asked, pointing at the ax that Nimona held.

They suddenly heard the alarm and guards started to run to them.

“Oh yes!” Nimona said with a big grin, ready to fight with the ax.

"Run!" Meredith said before running.

Ballister grabbed Nimona and pulled her to follow them, making her drop the ax in the process.

Meredith followed them, trying to be more careful with her invisibility coat and herself as they ran.

“You know, Bal,” Nimona started, looking at Ballister with a smile while they ran, “you make a great bad guy.”

"He's not a bad guy." Meredith corrected what Niroma said. “I’M NOT A BAD GUY!” Ballister yelled over Meredith, getting in front of Nimona with his arms over him and Nimona like he was going to attack her.

“Hello?” a familiar voice called out down the hallway.

The three stopped and looked around to make sure it wasn’t an officer.

It turned out to be Ambrosius, the new director.

Ambrosius looked a bit different than the last time that Ballister saw him last. He was wearing a golden yellow officer suit jacket with white pants and white boots. He looked like a general, like Gloreth.

“Ambrosius?” Ballister breathed as locked eyes with the new director. “Bal?” Ambrosius said as he looked at him worried.

Ballister lowered his arms down as three began to step away before running.

Meredith accidentally tripped on something, leading to her identity being almost exposed to Ambrosius. Ballister caught her as they ran. Meredith adjusted her coat, so she was still invisible as she ran.

The other officers ran after them after seeing Ballister and Nimora run.

Meredith ran with them until she saw an empty room and went to it. She took the coat off and in her bag before exiting the room, watching the stampede of officers run after Ballister and Nimora.

“Meredith!” Ambrosius called out to her as she exited the room.

Meredith looked at him as he ran to her. “Hey, what’s happening?” Meredith asked like she didn’t know what was going on. She's trying to give Nimona and Ballister more time.

“So, apparently Ballister got arrested earlier and just broke out with a pink-haired teen.” Ambrosius explained as he walked quickly with her to catch up with the other officers.

"Well, haha, that's interesting." Meredith lied. She is an expert liar, but when it comes to her friends it can be hard for her a bit. Her heart began to beat fast, knowing that Ambrosius might figure out what was going on. "So umm…how's the new director job?"

☆

Ballister and Nimora were running for their lives as the officers ran after them. They quickly went into the supply closet, barricading it with what was in the closet.

The officers were trying to break the door to get them, dead or alive.

"Open the door!" One of the female officers shouted as the officers were trying to unlock the door.

"Not an exit. That’s on me." Nimona said to Ballister, after realizing that they were in a closet and not in a room.

"Did you see the way he looked at me?" Ballister asked, ignoring the chaos that was happening. "He really still thinks that I killed Mayor Braveheart."

"Everyone thinks you killed Mayor Braveheart." Nimona said, not seeing why it was a big deal. Ballister glared down at Nimona when she said that.

The two jumped and looked at the door when the officers started to break down the door.

“What are we going to do?” Ballister said out loud, trying to figure out what they should do as he panicked.

Then Nimona slapped Ballister and said, "Snap out of it!"

"What was that for?!" Ballister yelled, rubbing where she slapped him.

"Look, I can get us out of here, but things are about to get weird." Nimona said quickly but was a bit hesitant at the end.

“What type of weird are you saying?” Ballister asked quickly and confused.

"Promise me you won’t freak out." Niroma said, sounding nervous.

"How, if I don’t know what’s gonna happen?" Ballister said, getting mad.

"I guess you’ll just have to trust me." Niroma said, having her hand over her chest.

"Why would I trust you?" Ballister said, looking down at the teen.

"Yeah!" Niroma said angrily. "Because if you don’t, you’ll die in this closet!"

"Die?" Ballister asked, worried in his voice.

"Now promise!" Niroma said, pointing at him.

"I promise." Ballister said, leading up against the beating door.

"Promise promise?" Niroma asked to double-check with him.

"On my life!" Ballister yelled, trying to keep the door closed.

"Then say it again!" Niroma said loudly.

"I promise!" Ballister shouted, not wanting to die.

"Wow. Even when you see the horn?" Nirmoa asked looking at him in surprise.

"Horn? You mean like a trumpet?" Ballister asked confusedly, looking at Nimona.

“Just keep the promise!” Nimona yelled at him, glowing red.

“Fine! I’ll keep the promise-!” Ballister started but then his jaw dropped when he saw Nimora then turned into something big.

☆Meanwhile☆

Meredith was still kept under control when talking to Ambitious as they were getting close to the group of officers.

"How are those new students doing?" she asked, knowing she had a lot of catching up to do.

“They’re doing great-” Ambitious started, smiling. Just then they began hearing a crashing sound.

Ambitious and Meredith ran to see what happened.

It surprised them when they saw a reddish pink rhinoceros and Balister on its back. Then the rhino began to speak to the officers, "This is the part where you run."

It sounded like Nimona.

The officers began to run, screaming at the top of their lungs, as the rhino chased while Ballister clung to the back.

Ambitious jumped out of the way as the rhino ran over.

"Ballister, what's going on?!" Meredith yelled over the screams as the running rhino stopped in front of her. She got her invisibility coat out of her bag and put it on.

"Nevermind that!" Ballister said, reaching with one of his arms to her. "Grab on!"

Meredith did as told and hopped on. Meredith was terrified as the rhino ran again. “Where’s Nimona?!” Meredith asked as she clings onto Ballister.

“She’s the rhino!” Ballister explained, pointing at the rhino.

"What?! First the shark, now THIS?!" Meredith said just as more officers and guard dogs came to stop them.

“I can do more!” the rhino Nimona explained as she laughed. Then the pink-red rhino transformed into different pink-red animals to dodge the officers, tossing Ballister and Meredith in the air and then catching them in the rhino form again.

Then they got to the stairs.

"Not the stairs!" Ballister yelled, clinging onto Nimona while Meredith clings to him.

The red-pink rhino laughed as she slid down the stairs.

"What are you?!" Meredith and Ballister yelled.

“I’m Nimona!” Nimona explained as she ran.

"So, you’re a girl and a rhino?"

"I’m a lot of things." Nimona said with a smile.

"REALLY?!" Meredith said, knowing she heard this but was in shock.

Ballister and Meredith cling onto Nimona as she changed from a rhino to an ostrich to run more to then change into a gorlla swinging on the chandler to get down on the ground, changing back to an ostrich.

"What is happening?!" Ballister yelled as Nimona kept changing into animals. But as she turned into a whale, sliding on the floor all the way into the cafeteria.

Ballister and Meredith were panting as they clung onto Nimona, both hoping that this wild ride was done.

“Wow, this floor is surprisingly stable.” Nimona said, looking at the floor.

The floor began to crack.

"Oh no." Meredith and Ballister said together, their eyes widened. “Oh, there we go,” Nimona said, smiling.

Then the floors gave way and broke on every floor.

Meredith was terrified and almost saw her life flash before her eyes.

They stopped falling through the floor at the statue hall of Heroes.

Nimona giggled while Meredith and Ballister got off of her. “You guys ok?” Nimona asked, changing back to her teen self as she looked at them.

“Let’s not do this again.” Ballister growled as he looked at Nimona.

“Please…” Meredith said, who was shaking as she adjusted her coat.

“You promised not to freak out.” Nimona said to Balister, as she transformed into her rhino form again.

"Right…" Balister said flatly, remembering what he promised to Nimona.

"Oh, guys! We need to go!" Meredith said, pointing an invisible hand at the other officers who were running to them.

"Freeze!" The other officers surrounded the area.

Nimona grabbed Ballister and Meredith and put them on her back.

Then the statues started to shake and the statues started to fall.

Nimona started to run to the window to the outside, breaking it to get through.

Meredith was amazed by how high they were as they fell out of the window.

Meredith got a built-in parachute that brought with her, thus managing to get to the ground safely. Nimona laughed as she got to the ground safely with her powers. Ballister fell onto his body nearly unconscious.

"Something, something we win." Nimona chuckled, as she looked at the building, so did Meredith but in shock.

Just then, the building started to blow up.

“Metal!” Nimona shouted at the top of her lungs.

Meredith notices her friend collapsing onto the ground. "Ballister!!" Meredith shouted as her friend lost consciousness.

Nimona looked at them and went over to help.

“We need to get home now.” Meredith said to Nimona.

They began getting out of here before they even caused more trouble.

"Let's go.” Meredith said to Nimona as they picked up Ballister.

☆

On the way back home, Meredith and Nimona take the usual shortcut to get home as they carry Ballister.

“So, what’s the history of Blackheart and the male version of Glorth?” Nimona asked while holding Ballister’s legs as she carried him.

“You mean Ballister and Ambitious?” Meredith asked, looking at Nimona as she carried Ballister by his arms.

“Yeah.”

Meredith was quiet as she tried to explain their relationship. “It’s… it’s complicated,” she said finally as they were home.

“Is the Ambitious guy the person who cut off Ballister’s arm?” Nimona asked as Meredith got the door unlocked.

"It's also complicated." Meredith said as they entered the home.

Meredith and Nimona just got Ballister inside and on the couch. Meredith checked Ballister, to see if he had any brain damage.

Ballister had some brain damage.

Meredith sighed and went to her lab to get a healing potion. When she went back, she noticed that Nimona, who was holding a Polaroid camera, was about to take a photo with Ballister.

“No! No! No!” Meredith exclaimed, quickly going over to them and taking the camera away from Nimona before she could do a flash.

“Hey!” Nimona said angrily, looking at Meredith.

“Bright light will make his brain damage worse.” Meredith explained, putting the camera on the coffee table. “You can take a photo with me after I give him this.” She shows her the healing potion.

Nimona looked at it as Meredith sat down on the couch with the knocked-out Ballister, but took a picture without Meredith noticing. “What is it?” the teen asked, tilting her head to the side as she waved the photo to get the picture and put the camera back on the coffee table.

“It's a healing potion.” the scientist answered, trying to get Ballister’s head up straight. “It’ll heal the damage that’s inside of his head and anywhere that is broken or needs healing. Mind holding his head up?”

Nimona nodded and held Ballister’s head up. Meredith got his mouth open and poured some of the healing potions.

“He’s alright right now. We just got to let him heal.” Meredith said, letting go of his mouth and looking at Nimona. “He won’t wake up for a few hours.” She got up and went to her lab to put the healing potion away.

“So, how long have you known him?” Nimona asked, letting go of Ballister’s head, and letting it plop on the pillow.

“I’ve known him for 14 years.” Meredith said, walking back to them. “We are just friends, just so you know.”

“I figured.” Nimona said, picking up the camera from the coffee table.

“You figured?”

“Yeah.” Nimona said, pulling Meredith into the shot with her and the still-knocked-out Ballister before taking the photo with the flash.

Meredith rubbed her eyes as Nimona got the photo from the camera.

“I saw the way that he looked at that golden general.” Nimona answered, waving the photo to get the picture. “There was so much love, guilt, and betrayal in both of their eyes.”

Then the next thing that Meredith knew was that Nimona was up in her face and asked, “So, how did they break up?”

“What?” Meredith said, backing up a bit. “Look, it's complicated. They didn’t have a… proper breakup. So they didn’t break up but they’re also not together."

Meredith wanted to talk on a different topic as she look around the place and felt it needed some redecorating.

"You know, Maybe this place might need some redecorating." Meredith said, smiling as she looked at Nimona. "Wanna help?"

Nimona smiled big at her and said, “I thought you never asked.”

Chapter Text

A couple of hours went by after redecorating the entire house

Meredith felt a bit tired from the decorating and collapsed on the couch, snoring. 

She woke up when she felt something on her back.

It was Ballister’s hand.

Meredith sat up, letting Ballister’s hand fall off her back.

She felt like she woke up from a fever dream as she rubbed her head. Meredith also noticed two cups of tea next to them on the coffee table. She picked up a cup and sipped it.

Ballister started getting back some consciousness when the grownups heard a noise from the kitchen. They saw Niroma making something in the kitchen while singing along with a song over headphones.

♪ “Can I get a witness, the status quo's so low. Everybody itching For a throne to throw and you could be the widget. To my turbo Better see your status when I go solo”♪

Nirmoa stopped and noticed the two adults awake by by. “Ah! You’re both awake!” she exclaimed happily as she walked over with food.

“Hey…” Ballister started as he sat up. “How long was I out?”

Nimona sighed as she leaned on the couch. “Oh, five years.” she answered and then the thunderstorm outside crashed and lightning flashed. 

“What?! Five years?” Ballister gasped, his eyes widened.

Meredith rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “No, you weren’t.” she reassured him.

"Don’t be so gullible. It was just a couple of hours." Then Nimora showed who brought a plate with some type of tacos. "Breakfast tacos?”

Ballister and Meredith got a breakfast taco while Nimona got her one.

Ballister felt that it was a dream when he remembered about the jailbreak. “Wait… Wait… Last thing I remember, we were in a supply closet. And now… How did I get here?" Ballister asked, looking at his friend and teen as he ate.

"We dragged you for, like, seven miles." Nimona said, before taking another bite of her food. "What happened?" Ballister asked again, wanting to know. "Your head bounced on the sidewalk a few times." Meredith said, with a sharp memory. “Until I help Nimona carry you.” Then she got up and went to her lab.

"It’s all so foggy." Ballister said, rubbing his forehead. 

"Really?" Nimora said, sitting down next to him. "You thanked me, said you’d forever be in my debt, and that we’d always be best friends." She then began pulling out the photo that she took while he was out with Meredith in it. "Totally happened."

"Uh…" Ballister started as he looked at them and then looked around in shock to see that everything in the house had changed. “What happened?”

Nimona smiled at him like she knew the answer. “Hey, we spruced up the place.”

“I’m sorry…‘We’?” Ballister asked to see if he heard her right.

“Meredith and I." Nimona said, pointing at herself and where Meredith went. “Though, I did most of the work when she fell asleep on you.”

“Wait- what?” Ballister started but was interrupted by a scream from Meredith.

Ballister got up and ran to where Meredith was. “Meredith?! You ok?” he asked when he got to her. All that his friend could was point at the suspect wall. Ballister looked at the suspect wall and screamed too.

The suspect wall had a red light over head, drawings of torment, and all of the photos of the suspects were out of place.

“You two like it?” Nimona asked as she walked over with a smile. 

The grownup looked down at Nimona, the look of anger on their faces. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE WALL?!” Meredith yelled pointing at the suspect wall. "IT TOOK US YEARS TO GET IT DONE!"

“I updated it.” the teen said, pointing at the wall with pride. "Plus, I drew up plans for revenge, torment, and good old general malfeasance. Even for the punchable face guy." She points at a photo of Thaddeus.

Ballister hummed and nodded in approval.

“Um… Bal?” Meredith said, getting his attention. 

“What’s up?” Ballister asked, looking at Meredith, who was looking at photos on a desk. Meredith points at the photos, making Ballister look at the photos.

The photos were more of Ballister and Meredith out cold with Nimona taking the photos but not in human form. Instead in the animal forms that helped them escape the Institute.

Two grown-ups look surprised at the drawings of different animals, connecting the pieces together about everything. "Rhinoceros." Ballister said, realized that the dream wasn’t a dream.

Then he and Meredith looked at Nimona and the photos that she took while they were asleep.

It all makes sense now.

"You’re…Y-you’re.." Meredith said as she and Bal started backing up.

"I’m what? Marsupial? Mariachi? Meatball?" Nimora asked, walking over to them with a glare.

"You’re a monster." Ballister said finally, glaring down.

"Do not call me that!" Nimona shouted at them as thunder crashed outside.

"No! No, no, no! Of course not!" Meredith said, trying to get everything under control. “You’re obviously not a massive fire-breather, you know… But you do do the shifty-shift-shifting-shape thing. And you’re a girl who can turn into… What are you?”

“I’m Nimona.” Nimona said, presenting herself while she still held her taco.

“No, that’s not an answer.” Ballister said, shaking his head as he walked over to her. “People don’t just turn into things.”

“I do.” Nimona said as she walked around the room a bit, eating her taco. 

“Okay. Fine. Then we have a million questions.” Meredith said firmly. Nimona stopped in front of them, pointing a finger at them, and said, “You get one.”

Ballister and Meredith looked at each other before looking back at Nimona. 

“Why are you helping me?” Ballister asked, walking over to Nimona.

Nimona looked at him as she finished her taco. “Because I’m bored. And everybody hates you too.” she replied, her arms crossed.

Ballister looked at her sadly. 

Meredith looked at both of them before looking back at the wall, thinking who it could be. 

“Wait…” Meredith started as she pointed at a photo and then looked at Ballister. “Didn’t you say that you got your ring fixed before the ceremony?”

Ballister looked at Meredith then at the photo.

There was a picture of a young man named Diego, a man with light brown skin, brown eyes, and blonde hair styled in a short mohawk with the rest of the class of 2012 at the eco-friendly jewelry content, where Meredith worked part-time Monday through Thursday throughout her Junior and senior years of high school and half of college before graduation.

Ballister thought way back to see what she meant. His eyes widened as he remembered. “Yes… Yes!” he exclaimed as he walked closer to the wall, pointing at the photo. “I gave him my University ring to fix it because the top gem got cracked and I wanted to wear it for the ceremony.”

"Then the jeweler has to know something." Meredith said, crossing her arms. 

Ballister nodded and exclaimed, “Of course, he's the one that gave me the fixed ring, the ring that-" But then he stopped mid-sentence as he looked at the pictures first the ring and then the photo of Mayor Boldheart. "That killed… my mom…"

“You need the Jeweler?” Nimora asked, walking over to them with a smile. 

The grownups nodded.

“Then let’s go kill- Get him. Let’s go get him.” Nimona said, quickly changing her tone when the grownup looked down at her. “You and me.” She offered her hand to Ballister, to shake it.

"And what will you do in return for helping him clear his name?" Meredith asked 

"I'll be his sidekick!" Nimona exclaimed with a smile. "No take backs!" She still had her hand out, ready to shake.

Ballister looked at it before he reached to shake it then stopped when Nimona shapeshifted to a shark. 

“Could you not, please?” Ballister asked flatly, not wanting to play. 

“I don’t follow.” Nimona said with a cheeky smile.

“Just be the girl version of you.” Ballister said flatly, pointing at Nimona.

Nimona tilts her head to the side. “But I’m not a girl.” she started, shaking her head before smiling. “I’m a shark!” Then she snapped her shark teeth at him.

Ballister sighed and then shook her fin.

Meredith smiled softly at them, chuckling softly. "Well, I'm joining too." Meredith said. "I'm not leaving you two again."

Then Meredith’s phone rang.

The three looked at it as she picked it up and sighed. “It’s work…” she said, looking at the two. “They probably want me to come over to substitute a class.”

“It’s alright.” Ballister reassured her, then pointing at himself and Nimona. “We can take the subway and talk with him while you go to work.”

Nimona nodded excitedly.

“Alright.” Meredith sighed, looking at them and then pointing a finger at them. “Don’t get caught and no mayhem. Got it?”

Ballister and Nimona nodded. “Got it.”

Meredith smiled before quickly going to the other room and began picking up the call. "Hey, what's up, Ms. Blitzmeyer?" Meredith asked, putting the phone near her ear as she got her bag ready.

"Did you see the news?" Ms. Blitzmeyer asked on the phone.

"Umm, yea." Meredith said, hoping they didn't find out about the whole criminal thing, and that she doesn't normally watch the news

Her heart raced as one of the headmasters on the phone said, "This new girl, she does look familiar. Where have I seen her before?" 

“Um… remind me, which news, please?” Meredith asked with a shaky breath.

"The pink hairy girl, She looks like the lab rat that escaped years ago." the headmaster on the phone said. 

That caught Meredith off guard. “What?” Meredith asked as her heart calmed down.

"I couldn't quite click my tongue out." The headmaster said. “But when I was a student, there was a project that the scientists did at the Institute. I don’t remember what it was but I do remember that it was a strange name.”

Meredith hummed but didn’t know why one of the headmasters was telling her this. “Ok, but why are you telling me this?” she asked, wanting to know the answer.

"Look, The school might be on lockdown because I think the monster might come back." the headmaster on the phone said "We might need to reschedule the classes just in case."

After the call finished, she went back to see the teen and her friend chatting as they went out.

‘Maybe I should follow them.’ she thought as she got her invisible coat.

☆Meanwhile☆

 A lot of officers were checking at Institution they have seen all the damage that has been done from yesterday 

"Oh man! Look at this place!" exclaimed Rudy, a man with black skin, black eyes, and full beard shadow wearing a detective uniform "A thousand years of history destroyed." Said his twin sister, Ruby, a woman black skin, blown eyes, and a brown bob cut, also wearing a detective uniform

"Huh. Hey, Mansley!" Todd shouted to an officer named Mansley.

"What?" Mansley asked, looking at him.

"Your uncle’s head fell on my grandpa’s butt!"

Everyone, except for Ambrosius, started to laugh at that.

"That’s hilarious." Mansley said

"Nice." another officer said.

"Oh, so sad, though." an officer said, looking at the ruined hall.

"Well, if Goldenloin hadn’t been distracted…" Thaddeus said, pointing at Ambrosius.

Everyone began looking at Ambrosius as the new director tried to explain, "I never liked…"

Then he went quiet with all officers when the mayor came into the scene with her bodyguards 

"Let me get this straight.” the mayor started, sounding upset. "The murderer of mayor Boldheart escaped with the help of a girl, an ostrich, and a whale?"

"It destroyed our showers!" One of the other officers said

"This is his fault!" Todd said 

"Tell him, Todd." an officer said

“Me?!” Ambitious exclaimed angrily, pointing at himself.

"Why didn’t you tell us Ballister was working with whales?"

“Whales? Really, Todd? I haven’t seen him until today!"

“Whales? Really, Todd? I haven’t seen him until today!"

“Oh, what? Whale? Really? Yeah. You knew him better than anyone, bro.” Thaddeus said, his arms crossed.

"I tried to stop him, bro." Ambrosius explained, glaring at him.

“Really? Like this? ‘Oh, hi, Ballister. Come right in. And of course you can bring your whale, ostrich, and big fat unicorn’.” Thaddeus said, mocking Ambrosious

"Fat unicorn?" Ambrosius said

"Yeah, you saw it. One with the horn that broke everything."

"You mean rhinoceros?"

"Enough!" the mayor shouted, making both of them quiet as officers looked back at the mayor.

"There is a villain on the loose in our city." The mayor said "Look at you, acting like common children. Remember your training. Remember who you are. We are born to protect this city."

"I was born." Thaddeus said, bowing his head. 

"Let me take the lead, Mayor.” Thaddeus said, being narcissistic as always “There’s only two things I want right now. A, to have really big weapons.” he shows his gun. “Check. And three, to treat Ballister like the mayor-killing monster he is. I’ll hunt him down.”

“Yeah!” the other officers around shouted.

“I’ll make him hurt. I’ll make-” 

“I’ll do it.” Ambitious said, stepping up and raising his hand.

This shocked everyone and started to ask why.

“If anyone can find Bal… find Ballister before someone else gets hurt… it’s me.” Ambitious said, knowing despite being the new director, he wanted to be an officer.

“This is the greatest threat we’ve faced in generations. Thankfully, we have a descendant of Gloreth to lead us.” the director said, smiling at Ambitious

“What?!” Thaddeus screeched but both the mayor and director just ignored him.

“Officers, search every street, every shadow. Find Ballister, and bring him to me.” Ambitious orders the other officers to find Ballister.

Chapter Text

Nirmoa and Ballister were checking each other Nirmoa and Ballister were checking each other before they went to the subway.

Ballister had his black jacket on with the hood up, so that no one recognized him and screamed in panic.

Nimora started to shapeshift again into a cat and ponce on a mouse, scaring Ballister in the process.

“Would you stop that?!” Ballister asked angrily.

Nimona looked at him with a deadpan look. “Counterpoint. Your plan sucks and it’s boring!” Nimona replied, letting go of the mouse. “Where are we going?”

"The market," Ballister answered, glaring at her, "Meredith always saw him when she needed to get some food."

But then they saw the news and it was the mayor speaking up.

"Fellow citizens," the mayor started, “In light of yesterday’s horrific attack on the Institute, we are taking every precaution to keep you safe.”

People had mixed feelings on their looks about this testing. 

“Please do not be alarmed. This is only a test. Go about your normal lives and rest assured that the Institute has this situation well in hand.” the mayor added with a soft smile. "Good day and may Gloreth guide you always."

"Do not be alarmed." One of the military generals said to the people. "Please remain calm. This is only a test."

"Oh! A “don’t-be-alarmed” alarm." Nimora said sarcastically, her arms crossed.

Nimona and Ballister jumped when they heard a voice say, "That's effective." 

They looked and revealed to be Meredith wearing her invisible coat.

Ballister and Nimona jumped when they heard her. “Meredith?” they whispered, looking in the direction that she was.

"I was looking for you guys." Meredith said, looking at them. "Plus the news is garbage."

Nimona nodded. “Yeah. It’s also a joke.”

Both of them laughed while Ballister rolled his eyes. "Don’t you guys get it?" Ballister growled at them. "The second we let our guard down, something terrible comes over that wall."

"Have either of you ever even been outside the wall?" Nimona asked, looking at both grownups.

“Yeah, ’cause I have a death wish.” Ballister said sarcastically then he hissed. “No! No one has!”

"So, maybe there’s nothing there?" Nimona said, looking at the grownups with a smile. Then she revealed two wings on her back.

Meredith was amazed while Ballister was so done.

"You know what? We need to go underground, now.” Ballister said, looking at both of them. “Without the wings." 

“You’ll want ‘em later.” Nimona grumbled as she shifted to hide the wings.

They begin walking through the underground subway as Nimora got bored and unplugged the game the kid was playing, making the kid cry as they headed to the underground subway station 

The subway was quite busy when the three got there but a lot of people were doing their business while some were trying to get money.

Nimona just walked with him like it was normal. “Hey look, we’re famous!” Nimona exclaimed, pointing at something. Ballister looked at what she was pointing at.

It was the news.

The news began popping up about the two, and new wanted signs all over the news.

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me…” Ballister growled at that. “Don’t Bal, it’ll be over soon and you’ll be a hero again.” Meredith whispered to him.

They began taking the down escalator and looked around to see if there were any police officers around. There was one at the bottom who was checking for any faces under the hood and two at the top, who were talking about an otter, trapping them.

"Great! We got to figure out a way to distract them" Meredith said, sarcastically.

“Leave that to me!” Nimona said with a big smile. "Who has four thumbs and is great at distractions" Then Nimona shapeshifts her thumbs into two more and points at herself.

"Nononono…Don't eve-” Ballister and Meredith said together, but calm down

"But at least try something inconspicuous and discreet, like…" Ballister said before Niroma vanished out of their sight. “Aaand she's gone." Ballister and Meredith said in unison, looking at each other.

Then they began to hear a scream at the bottom of the escalator.

"Mayor killer!" someone screamed, pointing at someone before running up the other escalator.

Meredith and Ballister began to take a peek to see what was going on with the officer at the bottom of the escalator.

It turned out to be Nimora who had shape-shifted into Ballister. The only thing that would definitely be a dead giveaway is the streak of her hair.

“Ah! Yes! It is I, Ballister Blackheart!” Nimona exclaimed in Ballister form, scaring the jazz musician and then scaring the woman as well

As everyone began to ran they were distracted looking at Nimora

“I hate everyone and everything!” Nimora said, ripping one of the stuffed animals 

‘Oh dear.’ Meredith thought as she sighed, doing a facepalm. 'Out of ALL people, she had to shapeshift into you, you had to pick Bal.' 

Ballister was thinking the same thing.

“But not as much as I hate myself…” Nimona in Ballister form said, sounding sad. “Could someone give me a hug?”

Meredith tried not to laugh a bit knowing that it is kind of funny but stopped when Ballister noticed her snorting.

"Baah! I hate smiles!" Nimora said, just as the other officers tried to catch him.

"Got him." One of the officers said, almost grabbing Nimona but she jumped out of the way with Ballister and Meredith slowly began hiding behind one of the pillars near the escalator.

"I hate cupcakes and I think babies are ugly!" Nimona yelled as she dodged the officers more.

"Hoo hoo!" Nirmoa begins picking up the trash can and throwing it everywhere "Look at this! I’m loitering, and I’m littering!" 

Then she picked up the saxophone that someone dropped earlier.

"I hope you all like freestyle jazz!" she said as she began playing random notes and began tricking every officer as she ran up the escalator.

"Get him!" One of the officers yelled, chasing after her. All of the officers ran after Nimona.

Meredith was pretty surprised that Nimora is pretty good at freestyle jazz. She did like that during her high school years. Ballister groaned as he covered his ear, hating freestyle jazz.

"Hurry up!" One of the officers shouted trying getting up the escalator

"Stop pushing me! I’m trying!" One officer shouted back at the officer.

"I’m not pushing! I’m encouraging you forward!" the other exclaimed.

"Well, do it without hitting!" the other exclaimed back.

By that time the officers were gone, the train arrived and the subway was already a mess.

Nimona slid down the escalator in a red pink rat form. When she got to the bottom, she grabbed a piece of pizza in her mouth, dragging it.

They heard the door chime and the doors opened up.

"Our chariot awaits," Niroma said as she dragged the pizza to the train cart.

"Let's just go, Bal and Nim." Meredith said, adjusting her hood. "Before any more trouble is done."

"And what was that?” Ballister asked before getting on the train. “You never said you could turn into me."

“Oh… I can turn into you and other people too.” Nimona said, getting on the train.

They stepped onto the train.

"Well, for the record, that is nothing like me."

"You’re right. You’re never that much fun."

"Your kind of right, Nimora"

Meredith smirked at Ballister while he growled.

The train then begins to move leaving their way to the marketplace, not noticing the security camera of the platform.

At the security place they were looking everywhere in the city for any form of trouble.

One of them working began to notice something from the train station.

"We found him. We found him!" the worker exclaimed.

The new director came in with most of the officers and the mayor, looking at the cameras screens.

“It looks like him.” Thaddeus said, sounding convinced. "All right, let’s go. Let’s get this gutter punk."

Ambrosius felt that something was off. “Wait.” he ordered, putting a hand up. “Let’s continue watching.”

Everyone looked at the screen.

"Something doesn’t feel right." Ambrosius said to himself as he looked at the screen while it continued. "He hates freestyle jazz."

"You’re letting him get away." Thaddeus said, his arms crossed.

“Keep playing.” Ambrosius ordered, still looking at the screen.

Then a hooded figure appeared, along with another hooded figure. One of the hooded figures showed part of Ballister’s face while the other stayed hidden. It was some sort of invisibility coat that showed the outline body of the person. 

Then a red pink rat appeared, dragging a piece of pizza in its mouth as they got on the train.

"That's him," Ambrosius said, pointing at the screen of the three, “and it looks like he has company.” 

The new director looked at one of the workers and asked, “What’s the next stop?”

“It goes to the market.” the worker said. “It’ll arrive there in six minutes.”

“That’s where we’ll meet him.” Ambrosius said as he looked at the other officers. “And now we go.” he said to Thaddeus, a bit of rubbing it in his face as the officers went out of the room.

The mayor looked at the invisibility coat on the female figure and the red pink rat, as if they knew each other before.

On the train Meredith and Ballister begin looking at Nimora, who is now in gorilla form, and eating pizza.

Meredith found the kid fascinating while Ballister was uncomfortable.

“You guys have been staring at me,” said Nimora, sounding uncomfortable, "does anyone want pizza?" She waved the pizza in their faces before eating more of it.

"I didn't know you can shape shift to people." Meredith said in amazement. "And you ate the pizza that was on the ground in your mouth. You could cause bad germs in bacteria to another person and could get them sick."

"And can you please just be normal for a second?" Ballister asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"Ballister!!" Meredith said, smacking his head a bit, be more of a person to straighten someone out when someone didn't say something nice 

Ballister whined a bit at that as he rubbed where she slapped him. "Ow."

Nimora rolled her eyes as she asked, “What do you mean 'normal’?”

"Well, being a teenage girl." Ballister said, chuckling nervously, hoping that Nimona won’t attack him.

Meredith raises a brow at him as Nimona asks, “You want me to be just a girl?” 

Then Nimona laughed sarcastically like it was a joke.

"What he means is not everyone is as accepting as us." Meredith said, explaining in a more simple tone but not an offensive one. "Thank you, Meredith." Ballister said, still rubbing his slapped head.

Nimora noticed Meredith's words then she sat up a bit from slouching. "I haven’t heard that in a while." Nimona said, her voice softly.

"What do you mean you haven't heard of it for a while?" Meredith said, trying her best to tell what was going on "You know you can tell us anything that has been bothering you, Nimora." 

“So, how did you get your shapeshifting from?” Ballister asked, wanting to understand.

Nimora sighed as she looked out the window, watching at the tiel pattern of the subway.

"What's wrong?" Meredith asked, getting worried about Nimora "You want to talk about it."

Nimora can already imagine the tiles of the wall moving around like in a movie theater. “I wasn’t always like this… ”

Nirmoa already imagined herself as a little girl running and hopping on the tiles of the wall.

“I was just a kid. Cute, little, innocent me. I was playing in the woods, following the birds flying and the fish swimming and the deer bounding.” 

"They all looked so happy together, but I… I was alone, with my mother trying her best to keep her family afloat after father passed away. And when I was rummaging in the woods, that’s when I heard it…”

Nimona could remember hearing a woman's voice begin to sing in a soft, beautiful way. Vocalizing leading to a well, a big one with beautiful colorful stones all over.

"…a song, calling me, leading me to a wishing well."

"Really, a well?" Meredith said "That seems interesting."

"But how did you know it wasn’t just a regular well?" Ballister asked

"Bal, let her continue the story." Meredith said, talking some sense into him, she then turned to Nimona. "Go on, we're listening."

Nimona looked down at the grownups with a deadpan look. “I just knew.”

"Knew what?" Meredith asked, getting invested by the story.

“That the well was magic.”

"And…" Meredith said, try to encourage Nimora to continue the story.

“As I went to it, a coin appeared in my hand and I made a wish.” 

"What is it?" Meredith asked at the edge of her seat

“To be trapped with a wanted guard and his scientist friend with small minded questions.” Nimona said sarcastically, smiling.

"Really?" Meredith asked, feeling a bit down but sarcastic. "That's all?"

“No. But I’m not telling you.” Nimona answered as she shapeshifted back to a teen girl.

"All right, fine if you're not ready to talk, We understand." Meredith said, nodding in understandment.

“Do you still have the pizza?” Ballister asked.

"I'll pass on the pizza" Meredith said in disgust.

Nimona handed the crust of pizza to Ballister. Then a second later, Ballister tossed it at Nimona’s face, making the both of them laugh.

Then they heard the subway chime as the train was heading to a stop. "Now arriving at Market Station." The driver said over the speaker.

"Finally, we're here." Meredith said, just as they looked out the window, they saw a bunch of police officers already there. 

“And it looks like your friends are here too.” Nimona said, pointing at the officers.

"Yikes!" 

They begin hiding under the window, 

"Everyone, don't make a sound." Meredith instructed as she got her hood up

"Did you think they saw us?" Baluster asked Nirmoa 

Nirmoa took a quick peek as a lot of lasers started pointing at the window before going back down. "Yes." Nirmoa said as they saw a bomb smashing through the window.

"Run!" Meredith said as they began to run out of here as the officers began following them

"Go,go,go!" On the officers said as the three begin to run

Ambrosius entered the cart along with the officers.

Everyone was surprised to see it was empty besides them.

“What?” Ambrosius asked himself as he looked around.

“Director.” one officer called out to Ambrosius, pointing at the ceiling. Ambrosius walked over to see what the officer was pointing at. 

There was a big hole in the ceiling of the cart. 

"Tiny whale."

"Whoa!"

Luckily the market is quite busy so they're easily lost them

Meredith, Ballister and Nimona Began running to the alleyway getting away from the police 

"That was a close one." Meredith said, catching her breath. “Agreed.” Ballister panted as he caught his breath

"What in the name of Gloreth?" Ballister exclaimed, holding his chest.

"Did Goldenloin see you do the thing?"

"Seriously? That guy cut off your arm, and you’re worried about being seen with me." Nimona exclaimed angrily at Ballister. 

"I told you, it’s…" Ballister started but was cut off by Nimona exclaiming, "Complicated! I know!"

"Look! Jeweler!" Meredith said, pointing at Diago who was out shopping. Nimona and Ballister looked at where Meredith was pointing to see Diago by stand.

"Hi. Hi. Uh, excuse me." Diago said, trying to get the owner's attention.

"Okay. We’ve gotta get him out of here quietly." Meredith said to the others.

“On it.” Nimora said shapeshift back to her teen girl.

“Wait, not like that. Not like that, either.” Ballister said stopping her

“You want me to shift. You don’t want me to shift. Pick a lane!” Nimona exclaimed in anger as she shapeshifted into a little boy with black hair wearing blue overalls over a green t-shirt, white socks, and red race car sneakers.

“And now you’re a boy…” Ballister said flatly, pointing at Nimona.

“I am today.” Nimona said with a dark giggle as she moonwalked out of the alley.

"Wait, no!" Ballister said before being pulled back by Meredith. "Lay low, Bal." Meredith said, looking at the wanted signs everywhere.

Ballister nodded and put his hood up.

Meredith did the same.

"Now, we need to hurry before mayhem happens." she said as they left the alley.

Meredith and Ballister were about to follow Nimona but stopped by a big futuristic car.

Then they heard voices in the distant

Meanwhile the other officers try to find them when Ambrosius gets caught by a bunch of his loyal fans.

Ballister and Meredith got into the car to hide.

“Don’t move!” a woman outside of the car said, making Ballister gasp, so did Meredith. It turned out to be a car saleswoman with a name tag, having the name ‘Coriander Cadaverish’. “Cause if you do then you’ll miss this big deal!”

Meredith sighed in relief while Ballister sighed in in anyonce

Nimora found Diego, who looked at an ad on a TV screen about Dragon Krisps, and began playing innocent and acting in a cute little boy's voice. 

"Excuse me, Mr. Jewel, sir.” Nimona said in the cute little boy voice, getting Diego’s attention. “I can’t find my mommy. She went to that scary alley over there." Then she pointed at a spooky alleyway before looking back at him. "Can you help me find her?" Nimora begins putting on that puppy eye face. "Please?"

"Oh, no." Diego says sarcastically, then begins to look around. "Let me go ahead and pass this onto someone else."

Nimona dropped the cute little boy act and went into a pretty deomatic voice while in the little boy form, "There’s no time!" 

Diego began to scream and begin to run away

While that was happening, Ballister and Meredith were trying to keep guard while listening to the saleswoman 

"This baby’s fully loaded. State-of-the-art sound system." 

As rock music begins to play, Meredith begins trying to stop the music before anyone heard it while Ballister tries to keep in guard.

“There. Can we just part the waters?

"Thank you."

"Thank you. Move aside."

“Please help me! Help me, please! A little demon baby is after me! Please help me!”

Nimona growled at him, causing Diego to scream

People began to scream in terror

“Check this out! With our 360-degree dashcams, you’ll always see what’s coming,” The saleswoman explained, pressing the screen, showing the officers walking toward the car. “and our news feature will keep you up to date with the city's latest trends and headlines.” 

The saleswoman began to recognize the face

"Uh, you look a lot like…" The saleswoman started, fear in her voice.

“I’m innocent!” Ballister yelled as started the car and drove.

"Help!" The saleswoman screamed as Ballister drove

The officers began to notice

"No!" Diego screamed

People begins being shocked and screamed as Diego finds something to hit the boy with

“Pineapple on pizza?! Bleeh!” Nimora said, in disgust 

"There!" One of the officers said

"Excuse me. I need to get through. Move!" Ambous said, trying to shove other people to get to Nimona 

"Uh-oh." Nimora said, realizing she was taking Diego shoes

Diego begin laughing in joy knowing he's going to get out of here until a car hit him

They open the door to reveal Ballister and Meredith in it 

"Aw. Why did you get to kill him?" Nimora complaint

"He’s not dead." Ballister said, picking Diego and putting him in the trunk. Nimona helped him 

"Hopefully." Meredith said under adjusting her hood to be invisible.

"Is that Ballister?" One of the customers said, pointing at him.

"It’s the mayor killer!"

"He’s working with a demon baby!"

"I thought he ate babies!"

"Uh oh, Let's get out of here." Meredith said as she got back into the car and rummaged through her bag. 

Ballister couldn’t agree more as he went into the car as bullets flew by.

"Ballister! Stop! Halt" Ambrosius shouted as he and the other officers ran, their guns out.

"Yeah!" Said the child cheering and excitement

"Get in!" Meredith and Ballister said in union to Nimona

“Bal!” Ambrosius called out .

“Shoot him in the face!” one of the other officers

“What are you doing?” the sales lady 

“We’ll take it.” Nimora said 

The sales lady was pushed out of the car and Meredith threw a few pink smoke bombs immediately sending electrical shocks to officers nearby.

"Drive, DRIVE!" Meredith said to Ballister to start the car 

“Dang it!”

People screamed in a panic all around the market

The whole ride was silent with Meredith taking a deep breath in the backseat, knowing it was a close call while Ballister was angry as he drove. 

"I hate to say it, but you make a pretty good bad guy." Nimora said, trying to lighten up the mood while still in child form.

Ballister slowly turned his head to look at Nimona, glaring down at her.

"Please, Let's just go somewhere when we won't be seen or cause any more trouble again." Meredith said, rubbing her forehead "We already caused more than enough mayhem for one day."

Ballister sighed as he looked back at the road, knowing a good spot where they wouldn't be seen.

They went to a hidden sketchy highway.

Nimora shapeshifted back to her normal self as the three got out of the car when it was parked.

"We’re gonna shake this dude down in this sketchy part of town.”

“We’re just going to talk to him-” Ballister started but stopped when he looked at Nimona’s leg. "Y-your leg!" Meredith said in horror, looking at Nimona's leg, which was strung by a bullet.

“What?” Nimona asked, looking at her wounded leg.

"There's a bullet in your leg!" the two grownups exclaimed in horror.

Nimona shrugged like it was nothing. “It’s just like a splinter.”

"I'll get the first aid kit!" Meredith said, looking through her bag and began instructing Ballister, "Bal, get Nimona to sit down."

Ballister nodded and got her to sit down. “We’re going to take a seat and take a look.”

"No, it’s fine." Nimona reassured as she sat down. "It's totally-"

"Look at you! You’re not fine!" Meredith said, getting the first aid kit from her bag and looking back at her leg, which was now bleeding. "You're bleeding!" 

"Now sit and relax." She began getting the tweezers out and went to get the bullet.

Ballister held Nimora's leg still. "Stay still." Ballister said to Nimona. "It'll hurt for a moment. We're going to do this on the count of three. Ok?"

Nimona nodded.

"One…" Meredith started as she got the bullet

"Two…" Ballister added, 

"Three!" Ballister and Meredith said in unison as she took the bullet out of Nirmoa's leg.

The grownup expected Nimona to scream in pain. But Nimona didn't even scream instead she said ouch a little as it was a little pain.

The grownups looked at each other then back at the teen. “Most people scream at this part.” Ballister said, looking at Nimona and the bullet.

"I’m not people." Nimona said, reminding the grownups.

"Right." Meredith said, as she began using rubbing alcohol just to get rid of any bacteria on Niroma's leg. "Um… does it hurt at all?"

“It does.” Nimona said, nodding as she rubbed her leg a bit. “But I’ve been through worse.”

Ballister had a thought come to his mind and wanted to ask it. "What does it feel like?" Ballister asked, looking at Nimona.

“Pretty stabby in my leg region.” Nimona said, waving her hand above her leg.

"No. No. The shape shifting." Ballister and Meredith said, feeling sorry for the girl.

Nimona went quiet for a moment as she looked at the two.

"Sorry. Small-minded question." Meredith said apologetically. "Now hold still." She said as she begin getting the bandages and wrapping around Niroma's leg

“Honestly? I feel worse when I don’t do it. Like my insides are itchy.” Nimona said, moving her fingers in the air like to tickle it. "You know that second right before you sneeze? That’s close to it."

"When you shapeshift, you're free?" Meredith asked as she finished wrapping the leg.

Nimona nodded with a soft smile.

"And what if you held it in?" Ballister asked.

“I die”

“What?!” the grown-ups said in union 

"Don’t be so gullible. I wouldn’t die-die." Nimona said, reassuring them. “I just sure wouldn’t be living.”

Then they begin pounding coming from the trunk of the car

"So nice to hear you guys bonding." Diago said muffed from the trunk. "Ah, it’s such a shame I have to go. So… Let me go!"

“Oh yeah, the punk in the trunk. Let’s go dunk on the punk in the trunk." Nimona said, getting up and cracking her knuckles.

"Agree." Meredith said, following them

They opened the truck and Diego screeched for a moment when he saw them.

"Start talking." Ballister and Meredith said, both of their arms crossed as they looked down at him.

"We want blood."

"Blood?"

"Your blood!"

"We don’t want blood." Meredith said, shaking her head

"Buckets of blood!" Nimona add.

"No! What I want is answers, so start talking." Ballister explained, want

"Or we start stabbing."

"No! What I want is answers, so start talking." Ballister explained, wanting to hear Diego explain. 

"Or we start stabbing."

"No stabbing!" Ballister and Meredith said to Nirmoa.

"Slapping." Nimona said for the torture.

"No!” Ballister yelled before taking a breath and looked back at the jeweler. “Why did you set me up?"

“I didn’t!” Diego except in fear.

"Then who?" Ballister asked in anger.

"You!" Nimona yelled l, pointing at Diego

"No!" Diego said, shaking his head. 

"Who?" Ballister asked, more angry. 

"Let me explain-" Diego started but was interrupted

“Blanche? Chad? Thaddeus?" Meredith said in a strict manner.

“Thaddeus?!” Diego exclaimed in disgust. 

“Punchable face guy?” Niroma asked excitedly.

"Of course. Thaddeus did something to my ring, didn’t he?" Ballister said 

“What? No!”

"Why are you protecting him?" Meredith said 

"Who’d ever protect Thaddeus?!"

"Guess we’re just gonna have to do things the hard way." Nirmoa said, walking away for a moment

“Hard way?” Diego asked, confused as he watched her walk away. “Hold on a second. Wait. Just wait.”

Nimora shapeshifts back to the boy from earlier and jumps up to get into the trunk. "Peekaboo." Nimora said

Diego screamed when seeing her in that form. “Alright! Alright!” Diego screamed, not wanting to be hurt by a baby again. “I have a video.”

“Then show it to us.” Ballister growled.

"Ok, ok, I'll show you the proof." Diago said as he pulled out his phone and began to play a video that took place a week before the university graduation of 2013.

“Check it out!” a young Diago on the phone said, who was in the fixing shop. “Right here, with me, is Ballister Boldheart’s ring!” Then the video shows Ballister's ring but the top gem had a big crack. “And I thought that this is a great opportunity to show you guys how to fix a university ring!”

"Boring." Nimora said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you going to show us the entire video or do we have to do it again?" Meredith said to Diego, flames in her eyes.

"Oh, we can just fast-forward!" Diago said, not wanting to cause trouble as he began fast forwarding the video. "Okay, this is the part you have to see."

A young Diego, with a gem to replace the old one, hid behind the shelves as the director, who was wearing a hoodie over herself, breaks into the shop, swapping the ring, and goes out of the shop, not being aware that someone witnessed her doing that or that a camera was still rolling.

“Um… I’ll do this on another day.” young Diego said to the camera before hitting stop recording.

Diego looked at everyone, who were in shock.

"The Director set me up…" Ballister said with realization, anger boiling up. "She killed the Mayor… She killed my mother!"

"I can't believe it." Meredith said in disbelief, but then turned to anger. "We trusted her. We put our faith in the institution and what did she repeat us swapping out an important ring that would have changed the city's history!" Meredith begins saying it out loud and angry knowing for years she's been working hard putting her fate. However, this discovery completely sent her to the end now realizing who the director really was, a selfish person.

Nimona looked at the grownups worriedly as she got out of the trunk, shapeshifting back to her teen self. “Hey! Snap out of it!” she yelled, getting their attention. “Take a deep breath and let's calm down.”

Meredith took in a deep breath and sat down while Ballister took in a breath and looked at the phone. “Did you ever post this?” Ballister asked Diego, wanting to know.

Diego shook his head. "No, I planned on doing it after graduation but after the whole thing, it would have looked like I supported you and I would have gone into questioning or more trouble."

Ballister got the phone from Diego and got his phone out, sending the video to his phone before he handed Diego phone back to him.

Meredith stood up and walked away with Ballister following her. 

Nimona was about to follow but noticed that Diego was getting out of the trunk. She turned back into the little boy again. “Oh. Hey, buddy.” Nimona said in the baby voice. “I’m sorry for kidnapping you.”

"It’s okay."

"Or am I?!" Nimora said in a deep voice 

Diego screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran away while Nimona laughed as she changed back to her teen self.

Meredith was processing what she saw while Ballister was transferring the video to her phone just in case something happens to his phone when Nimora caught up with them when they got home.

“So, what do we do now?” Nimona asked but then she noticed that both Meredith and Ballister looked betrayed.

“I can’t believe it.” Meredith growled as she hugged herself. “I had to pretend that I wasn’t friends with you, to protect you, Ballister, and I was working under the killer the whole time!”

"I get it. It sucks. But we did it. You’re innocent, Bal, and we have the proof." Nimora said, pointing at the phones. "Once we upload that video…"

"We’re not." Ballister said, looking at Nimona as he put the phones away.

"What?! Everybody needs to know the truth." Nimora exclaimed madly. "The system is jacked. The Institute needs to shut down."

"Will you be quiet?" Ballister asked angrily.

"Prospective target. Clear on Avenue Three. Over."

"I will not be quiet about this!" Nimona exclaimed loudly, her arms opened wide.

"For once, I have to agree with the kid." Meredith said, her arms crossed. "We can't keep the truth silent, everyone had to know what the mayor did to your mother-"

Ballister rolled his eyes before he looked at Meredith and Nimona, saying, “Look, this video could damage people’s faith in the Institute."

"No duh!" Nirmoa said 

"Look, I don’t know why she framed me, but the Institute’s not the problem."

"The Mayor is."

"That’s why I’m taking this to Ambrosius."

"Who cares?"

"Ambro-"

"This is the man who cut off your arm. Arm-chopping is not a love language!"

"He didn’t cut off my arm. He disarmed a weapon." Ballister said "It’s how we were trained."

Nimona looked at them in shock. "Wow!" she breathed. "They brainwashed you both pretty good."

"You think this stops with the Mayor?" Meredith asked 

"You should be questioning everything right now." Nimona said, standing on the couch.

"The will of Gloreth, the Institute, the wall." Meredith said, listing the things that are questioning their minds. "I knew everything we were taught here was a lie."

"And what’s it all really for?" Nimona asked, sitting down on the couch.

"For protecting the city." Ballister said

"You mean villains like you?" Nimona asked, pointing at him and then pointing at herself. "Or monsters like me?"

"Nimora, you are not a monster." Meredith said, putting a hand on Nimona’s hand, rubbing it gently.

"Look, if we get this to Ambrosius, everything is gonna be okay." Ballister reassured, looking at both of them. "For all of us."

Meredith saw a pair of scissors on her desk and began to do something she hadn't done before like she did with her previous haircut, cutting off her entire hair in a while.

"Ready." Meredith said, getting her coat ready

Nimona sighed and got off the couch. "Okay, fine. But when things go south, I’m breaking stuff." she said, hitting her first into her hand.

"That won’t be necessary." the grownups said together, shaking their heads.

The mayor and the director were riding in the mayor’s private limo.

The mayor noticed Ambrosius had a sad look on his face. “Director, are you ok?” she asked with concern in her voice.

Ambrosius was in his thoughts: 'I’ve lost my mind. I’ve lost everything in ten years. The man I love, my best friend. Although now he’s got a new best friend. What’s that about? What else is he hiding? Who is the real him? Who am I? A direct descendant of Gloreth? I never asked for that. Now everyone expects me to arrest Ballister. If I don’t, I’m a traitor to you. If I do, I’m a traitor to him. Oh, and on top of that, I chopped off his arm! HIS ARM! Who chops off an arm? Because I was trained to? I could have killed him! Also, ARM CHOPPING IS NOT A LOVE LANGU-!'

But all that Ambrosius could say was, “I’m fine, Mayor…”

The Mayor sighed and held his hand. "Stay strong, Ambrosius." she told him. "The blood of Gloreth runs through your veins."

Ambrosius sort of appreciated it but there was another thing on his mind, choosing not to tell it as well.

As they arrived at the mayor's office, it seems that it's been overrun. They began getting out of the limo to see what was going on.

"Ambrosius." a familiar voice called out.

“Ballaster?” Ambrosius said, looking at who was in front of them.

It was revealed to be Ballaster, Nimora and Meredith who no longer had her invisibility cloak, and her hair completely chopped off into a messy boyish cut. They didn’t look too happy.

"Security!" The mayor begin calling

But a lot of the security guards began getting knocked down by not only Meredith's electrical smoke bombs but Nirmoa's fighting skills.

"They were like this when we got here." Meredith said, finally spoken up with her arms crossed. "Plus I own the fighting part of Nimona." They look at Nimona 

"You!"

"Us!"

"Ambrosius, the Director,” Ballaster started, pointing at the Mayor, “killed the mayor ten years ago."

"What?" Ambrosius asked, looking at the Mayor before looking back.

"Another desperate lie." The Mayor said 

“He’s not a liar." Meredith said, shaking her head.

"Says the miscreant, whispering in his ear." the mayor said to Ambrosius.

Ballister, Meredith, and Nimona glared at her.

“I’m innocent, and I have proof.” Ballaster said, getting his phone out to show the video.

"He’s got a weapon!" the Mayor shouted, pointing at him.

The next thing that everyone knew was that the phone was shot out of Ballaster’s hand and falling to the ground, breaking it.

"No!" Meredith yelled. She was about to use her smoke bombs when someone grabbed her. "Let go of me!"

"Not happening, sweetie.” Thaddeus said with a low chuckle.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT YOU MACHO CHEATING JERK!" Meredith shouted as she began kicking Thaddeus's leg and face, with her own experience, learning some karate online in her spare time and finally kicking the officers holding her, setting her free.

"Ow!" Thaddeus said

Ballister and Nimona grabbed Meredith and pulled her away before they all looked at the mayor and the new director.

“It doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t need proof.” Ballister said, looking at Ambrosius. “You know I’m not a murderer.”

“What are you waiting for, Director?” the mayor asked, looking at Ambrosius like if he was going to let this happen.

“Hurry before the whale gets here.” an officer shouted.

“Come on, man.” another officers shouted

“Do the right thing.” another officer shouted.

Ambrosius sighed from the pressure as he got his gun out, pointing at them. Before he could give the order to arrest them, he looked at Nimona, wondering who or what she was. “Who is she, Bal?” Ambrosius asked, pointing his gun at Nimona. “What is she?”

“Arrest them.” the Mayor ordered the officers, pointing at the three. 

Ballaster, Meredith, and Nimona looked at the officers starting to approach them

Ballaster looked at the officers approaching them, being done by following the rules. “You wanna know who the kid is?” 

“Oh, I like where this is going.” Nimona chuckled with a smile.

“You wanna show ’em?” Ballaster asked, looking at her.

“I’d love to.” Nimona answered.

"Now, let’s break stuff." Meredith said, getting a laser gun with a smirk. "And show these corrupted officers what we misfit are made of."

Nimona chuckled as her eyes glowed before shouting, “Metal!”

The next thing that everyone knew when Nimona jumped up was Nimora transforms into a gorilla.

“Is that a gorilla?" an officer said, pointing at her.

Nimona roared in Ambrosius' face, making his hair go back, before booping his nose. “Bloop.”

Meredith begins electrocuting some officers with her electric gun, replacing her laser gun.

"Bal! Get the gun!" Meredith said, instructing her friend and then began to run away. 

Ballaster nodded and grabbed a nearby gun. He followed after Meredith.

The officers begin running for their lives as Nimona attacks them.

The Mayor watched this mayhem happen and wanted to stop it. “Give me a weapon!” the Mayor ordered Ambrosius.

“We need to get you to safety!” Ambrosius responded, looking at her.

He took her to the limo along with the other bodyguards

He begins taking her to the limo along with the other bodyguards. “Get her to safety now!” Ambrosius orders the driver before going into the fight.

"Let's go!" Meredith said to Ballister as he got a protective shield from a knockout officer.

The officers began to scream as Nimona attacked them in her different forms as she caused more mayhem and laughed.

"Sorry, not sorry!" Nimora said when she hit an officer.

"You see a way out of here?" Ballister asked

"Of horse… I do." Nimora said, shapeshifting into a horse.

"Okay, that was terrible." Meredith said, "No offense." Getting on Nimora 

"Stop that… horse?" Ambrosius said confusedly

"We’re going over, aren’t we?" Ballister asked, clinging onto Nimona.

"Yep! The only way out is down!" Nimona exclaimed as she jumped

"Horse!"

"Why are we always falling?!" Meredith and Ballister screamed.

Then Nimona got her wings out as she held them. "Ha ha! Told you you’d want the wings. Whoo-hoo!"

Nimora shape-shifted into a whale and “ate” the officers that Ballister threw out of the helicopter as Meredith took over the controls of the helicopter.

When Nimona landed, she spat out the people.

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" said Nimora as she shapeshifted back to her teen self.

"Okay, that was super gross." Ballister said with a chuckle, pointing at Nimona.

"Ha ha, I know!" Nimora said, as more officers came to the scene.

Ambrosius was in front of them and he was glaring at them.

"Well, if it isn’t the golden boy." Nimora said before she shapeshifted and ran off to do more mayhem.

Ambrosius was about to shock her with his electric gun but Ballister tackled him, making both of them fight each other, while Meredith takes care of the other officers 

"That’s the otter that bit me!" The other officer from the train with a casted arm said in fear before Nimona attacked him.

"I can see your confusion. I have the tail of a river otter, but the webbed back feet- oh forget it!" Nimora said as Meredith held one to her gadgets

Ballister and Ambrosius was still fighting 

"Did I ever mean anything to you? Or was it all just a lie?" Ballister asked, pinning Ambrosius to the ground.

"A lie? Says the guy running around with a monster!" Ambrosius shouted at him, glaring at him.

"Don’t call her that! She’s smart, kind, and quite sophisticated." Balister said

"That guy just peed his uniform! He peed his uniform!" Nimora said as she chased some running officers.

"You shouldn't see the look on his face, Hahaha!" Meredith said, feeling excited as she began using more of her electric guns and smoke bombs on them.

"And she has Meredith and mine back, unlike you." Ballister said, growled at Ambrosius.

"You lied to me about everything!" Ambrosius growled back.

"Only one lying to you is the Director!" Ballister yelled.

"What? You’re gonna kill me now too?" Ambrosius asked, glaring up at him.

"You believe that?" Ballister said in disbelief. 

Ambrosius looked at him in surprise. 

"Then you never knew us at all." Ballister said in a melatonin tone. "After all we've been through."

Then he tossed the gun to the side before he got off him.

"Yeah. Now I’m gonna punch you in the face." Nimora said, laughing before leaping onto the officers with the cast "Now, I’m no doctor, but this cast looks delicious." Nimora said while Meredith used the teaser to put him down

Nimona made more mayhem but then stopped when she heard Ballister scream in pain. "Boss?"

"You think this hurts?" Thaddeus said with a dark chuckle. 

Meredith began trying to attack Thaddeus and don't she was almost kicked in the stomach.

"Wait till you see what we do to your pet monster." The mayor said, before nodding to the officers as Nimona ran over.

Then the officers tossed an electrical net and started to shock her.

Nimora growled as she tried to shape-shift while being shocked.

"No! Leave her alone!" Ballister and Meredith screamed with terror in her eyes. "She's just a teenager!" Meredith screams, wanting the officers to stop.

Nimona growled low and then the next thing that everyone knew was that Nimora turned to a dragon from the Dragon Krisps ad.

"Kwispy!" Todd exclaimed happily, pointing at Nimona but then was confused. "Wait, what?"

"Hope you brought milk!" Nimora shouted, in a demonic voice.

"No!" Officers shouted, starting to run.

"Wait, wait! No, no!" Ballister and Meredith shouted

Nimora begins throwing up cereal to the other officers, making them run away or slip and fall on the bits.

Ballister and Meredith watched in amazement and smiled at Nimona.

Just as all the damage was done, the sirens began alerting them and everyone around the area.

"Monster attack. Monster attack. Seek immediate shelter." An automatic voice said from the speakers.

As Nimona panted heavily, noticed a little girl looking up at her with terror on her face.

Nimona figured that her current form was scaring her.

Nimora transformed into a little girl wearing a beautiful pink overall dress, red pants, brown shoes and her hair down to her waist.

Ballister and Meredith were surprised as she saw Nimora's child form.

"It’s okay." Nimona reassures the girl, showing her hands to her that she's not going to hurt her.

“…immediate shelter. Monster attack. Monster attack.”

The little girl saw a nearby taser and picked it up. "M-Monster." The little girl said with fear, pointing it at Nimona.

"…immediate shelter."

Then the little girl pulled the trigger, shocking Niroma who immediately collapsed.

The little girl was pulled away from her mother.

"Her! Come on!" The officers said, noticing the Nimona was down.

Ballister and Meredith quickly ran to Nimona before the officers got to her.

"We've got you, kid!" Ballister said, pick up Nimona as Meredith got a smoke bomb out and tossed it to the ground, giving them time to escape.

Ambrosius watched as his former friends went away with the teen girl.

The mayor watched, horrified at the scene from the limo.

Nimora was unconscious as they went home.

Ballister started to make food while Meredith took Nimona to her room to clean Nimona and herself up. She gave Nimora warm clothes before she got herself dressed.

"That poor kid." Meredith said as put it on her gray sweatpants and a teal shirt. "I knew she had an awful life, but just look at her." 

"It is sad." Ballister said as he came in with two plates of food.

Then she checked for any more injuries on Nimoa as Ballister put the plates on the bedside table.

Meredith saw that her leg had been healed already. 

"Huh? How's it already healed?" Meredith asked, putting a gentle hand over it.

Ballister checked her leg too and was surprised until he remembered what Nimona told them. "She's not people." he reminded Meredith.

"Indeed." Meredith said, nodding. "But that kid was still terrified of Nimona when she shapeshifted into her form of a child."

Meredith stepped away and sat down on the arm chair, placing her hand on her forehead, rubbing it. "It's like she knew someone before who did that same action to her."

Ballister nodded and picked up one of the plates from the bedside table, offering it to her. 

"Thank you." Meredith said, taking the plate. 

"You're welcome." Ballister said, nodding before he went out to get himself cleaned up and changed into different clothes.

Meredith looked at Nimoa, which reminded her of how she grew up differently and how she was an outcast after hitting her unexpected growth spurt right after summer.

-Flashback: 14 years ago-

A young 17-going-through-18- year-old Meredith walked around in the halls of the Institute. 

Her gray hair was down to her waist. She was wearing a gorgeous headband, black cat frame glasses, a blue dress shirt under a white sweater vest, dark brown khaki pants, and pink flats. 

She was holding her books close to her chest and a special light brown knapsack.

Of course but she was under her invisibility coat she was working on, hopefully not the cash on other people who would mistreat her like her formal 'friends'.

Her father has signed her up so she can make some new friends and hopefully to come happy.

As she headed to her first class she thought she's finally going to be alone further away from the other students until… the invisibility of her coat began wearing off just as someone was about to come over.

"Just leave me alone." Meredith said, fixing her cloak, hopefully to get work again.

“Oh… sorry…” the student said, sounding sad. The student started to walk away but tripped over a popular student's leg, hitting the ground hard. 

Meredith got out of her seat, helped the student up, and began checking for injuries. "Are you ok?" Meredith asked the student, who nodded, before she looked back at the other student. "Do you want me to get the principal involved?! You couldn't have ended up seriously hurting someone!"

“Well, he doesn’t deserve to be here.” the popular student said, pointing at the student. “That’s Ballister Blackheart.”

“It’s Boldheart…” Ballister corrected. “Mayor Valerin Boldheart adopted me a few years ago.”

The popular student rolled their eyes and said, “Who cares! You’re still part of your original family!”

Meredith noticed that Ballister looked down. She wasn’t going to let the bullies get to his head. "Well, CUT IT OUT!' Meredith said in anger. "If you ever hurt him, What makes fun of whatever it is again…YOU WILL REGRET IT " Meredith added, as flames in her eyes, showing some serious business "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

The popular kid and their friends were terrified and quickly ran to their seats, because of how tall she was. It looked like she's going to strangle them.

Ballister looked back at Meredith, seeing how tall she was. “Wow.”

Meredith was shocked and was about to go back to her seat that is usually far away until someone grabbed her wrist.

It was a different person. A young blonde East Asian student grabbed her wrist.

"H-hi." Meredith said hesitantly. "I request you let me go."

The student let go of her wrist and she began to calm down.

"Nice to meet you, Ballister Boldheart and -" Meredith said, looking at Ballister and the student.

“I’m Ambrosius Goldenloin.” the student said, offering his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Meredith Blitzmeyer." she introduced herself, shaking his hand. "I just transferred to the institution." Meredith smiled warmly at the both of them as she fixed her glasses.

Ambrosius hummed with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“Oh cool! It’s my first day here too!” Ballister exclaimed with a smile.

Meredith couldn’t help but smile softly at them, knowing that she had found friends.

Meredith met up with Ambrosius and Ballister at lunch time, talking with them while they ate lunch. 

Meredith scoffed. "These bullies had no matters, agreed?" she asked, looking at Ambrosius and Ballister.

“Agreed.” Ambrosius said, nodding.

"No… they're right…" Ballister said, looking down as he hugged himself.

"Hey, hey." Meredith said, in a sympathetic tone. "Talk to me."

“But they’re right! I shouldn’t be here…” Ballister said, wiping tears away.

"Want to talk about? What happened back there?" Meredith asked, sitting down with him.

“I was raised on the street… with my family who did a lot of bad things…”

"Like what? I'm listening." Meredith said in a more kind way "Is it bad? Were they…bad?"

Ballister nodded. “They stole and sold things… killed people to get the things.”

"Oh my, that's bad." Meredith said to him, giving Ballister a pat on the shoulder. "But did your parents ever love you?"

Ambrosius gave Meredith a look.

"Sorry." Meredith said "I'm just asking."

“It’s… it’s ok. I don’t mind it.” Ballister sighed softly, rubbing his neck. 

Ambrosius and Meredith waited patiently for Ballister to answer.

“My parents didn’t really care for me… Just for the money that they got with their deals and heists.” Ballister said finally, hugging himself. “It just got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore and called the cops on them during a heist.”

"Oh my, but then the cops tried to catch you leading you to the institution?" Meredith asked.

"Well…" Ambous said, getting out of video from his phone. It was when the other students were training. Mayor Valerin Boldheart was there in the video, supervising, along with the director.

A young kid with long, dark hair covering one of his eyes, and wears torn down gray shirt and black pants, appears to begin attacking the dummy. "I’m here to slay monsters and protect our city!" he said with pride, before being tackled by other police officers pinning him down.

Mayor Valerin Boldheart stood up and shouted, “Stop!”

Which made everyone look up at her.

Then the next part of the video shows the news going on with the kid and th e mayor. The young kid began looking at the beautiful ring from the institution.

"Whoa." The kid said, with his eyes in wonder.

“No, he’s not from a royal or rich family.” Mayor Valerin Boldheart said into a microphone. Then she smiled as she put a gentle hand on the kid’s back. “But he does have the heart of a hero and I’m willing to help him on the right path.”

The kid looked up at her and smiled at her while reporters started talking about the situation.

Then Ambitious stopped the video while Meredith was surprised as her thoughts clicked like puzzle pieces. "So that's how you got adopted." Meredith said, now knowing the whole story then she pointed at the video. "I never watched the news. I say it’s a waste of time, that's why."

Ballister nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing embarrassedly.

"Well, I know this might be fast but after school, can we go out around town? You know, looking at the city. Stop by Huff and Puff to get some food, if that’s alright with you two?" Meredith asked, twirling her hair.

Ambitious and Ballister looked at each other before looking back at Meredith and nodded. “That sounds like a plan.” both of them said together, nodding.

- P resent tim e, the same night-

Nimona woke up and looked around to see a plate of food on the bedside table.

Meredith went to check on her.

"Nimona! Thank God you're ok!" Meredith said, hugging Nimona in a big hug.

Nimona didn't hug back.

Meredith let go of her and backed away from the hug as Bal came to check on them.

“Hey, everything ok?” Ballister asked, looking at both of them. He noticed Nimora was awake. “I see that Nimona is awake.”

"Yeah, she's okay." Meredith said, nodding.

“No, I’m not ok.” Nimona growled, arms crossed. “I’m awake but I’m not ok.”

The grownups noticed the kid's behavior.

"Please, let's talk about this." Meredith said, trying to be more understanding to her.

Nimona looked down, not looking at them.

“Nimona, please.” Ballister said, walking over and sitting down on the bed.

"We are sorry about you-" Meredith started

Nirmoa got up from the bed and tried to walk away. "Don't talk to me." Nimora growled, hugging herself.

Ballister and Meredith looked at her in worry.

"We know something’s wrong." Meredith said, trying to stay calm

"I said I don’t wanna talk about it!" Nimona yelled, transforming into an almost bigger and muscular version of herself.

Meredith and Ballister were shocked to see this side of her but remained calm.

"Nimona, calm down." Meredith said, instructing the kid to take deep breaths. “You’re ok. You’re safe.” Ballister said to reassure Nimona.

Nimona growled as she looked at the both of them before turning back into her normal teen self.

Ballister and Meredith looked at her as they noticed that Nimona was trying not to cry.

“Did you see the way that little girl looked at me?” Nimona asked, looking at the grownups with tears in her eyes. "Kids… Little kids… They grow up believing that they can be a hero if they drive a sword or shoot into the heart of anything different. And everyone says that I’m the monster?"

Ballister and Meredith looked at Nimoa as she started to cry. 

"I don’t know what’s scarier." Nimona cried softly, holding herself and looked down. “The fact that everyone in this city wants to run a sword through my heart… or that sometimes I just wanna let ’em.”

Both grown ups were surprised at Nimora's story.

"We have to get you out of here." Balusters said, going to pack a bag. “We’ll go over the wall. We won’t stop until we find someplace safe. Okay, we’ll go together.”

"Together?" Nimona asked, looking up to look at him.

“Listen, you were right about everything. The Institute, the wall…” Ballister said sadly, hugging himself. “Ambrosius…”

“No matter what we do, we can’t change the way people see us.” Meredith said, coming to an understanding.

“You two changed the way you see me.” Nimona breathed.

“Didn’t you?” 

“We can’t let the mayor get away with this. We shouldn’t have to run. And you made a deal, right? We clear your name, you make me your sidekick.”

“You can’t back out on a deal because you believe in truth and honor and blah, blah, blah. All that stupid stuff.” 

“Truth and honor aren’t stupid, but all right.” Meredith said 

Nimona chuckled as she walked over to them. “So, you got a plan?” she asked.

“‘Course I got a plan.” Ballister said with a smile. “Something, something, something…” 

“We win.” Nimona finished with a smile.

They started setting the plan into action.

Chapter Text

The same time after Nimora, Meredith and Ballister left.

The other officers are all getting checked well the other officers check the other citizens as the ambulances arrive at the scene.

Ambrosius couldn't believe his own friends would do this. He saw them getting away from the crime but he couldn’t blame them. 

He heard that the fellow officers that were electrocuted by one of Meredith's electric smoke bombs that were transmitted to the hospital earlier were doing better.

He sighed as he went to the ungendered restroom. He locked the door and looked at his reflection.

It reminded him of the way his parents constantly braided him for not being good enough and not holding to their standard. They didn't come to visit him during his time at the University and school life.

He started to hear their voices shouting at him as he held his head.

“You’ve made a fool of yourself, Ambrosius!”

"If you disappoint us, you'll disappoint the director and our ancestor Glorth, you ungrateful brat! You understand?!"

"You will never be as good as Glorth! You coward!"

"No matter how much you try, you will never be like Glorith."

"

Ambrosius started to cry as he held himself. “I’m trying…” he cried softly. He started to wipe away the tears to then realize that there was makeup on his hand.

He looked back at his reflection to see that there were bags under his eyes.

“Oh!” he exclaimed softly as he got a paper towel and dried his face. Then he got a bottle of concealer out from his pocket and opened it. He started to use it on the bags and blended it in so that it looked like he wasn’t wearing makeup.

He sighed as he put it away before he unlocked the door and left to check on everything. 

-Later that night-

He went back to his wealthy apartment which was empty. Hoping that it will be full with his friends and boyfriend, but there was a problem not only because of his status or expectations.

He sighed and went to the kitchen, getting himself a microwavable meal ready. He picked chicken nuggets as he placed them on a plate and put them in the microwave.

He turned on the news on today's event while he waited.

"Earlier today… there was an attack on the mayor and downtown." The reporter said as the footage began showing the scene where it happened. “It was none other than Ballister Blackheart, Meredith Blitzmeyer, and the weird pink hair teen who apparently can shapeshift.”

When his dinner was ready, the newest was already continuing, “The people who are in the hospital are doing better.”

Ambrosius sat down on the couch as he ate his dinner, watching the news.

He was almost done eating his dinner as the news was still going until it got to the part with the dragon.

“The person who did this was the shapeshifter.” the news reporter started. “This thing must be-”

Ambrosius sighed as he turned the tv off, not wanting to hear more. 

He got up from the couch and went to his room to change into his pajamas, wash his face, and brush his teeth. “Hopefully, I will have a dreamless sleep tonight…” Ambrosius said to himself, looking at his reflection.

He went to bed, lay down and began checking his phone for the same articles relating to today which include something he hadn't seen before. 

It was the connection between some lab rat that went missing years ago and the shapeshifter.

Ambrosius thought about it for a moment before shrugging, putting his phone down on his bedside table and charging it.

He looked at the ceiling as he drifted off to sleep.

Before he knew it, he turned out to be back at the university graduation of 2013, where the event took place

There was a broken stadium. The students were panicking and Mayor Boldheart was in a pool of her blood. 

But there was something different this time.

Ambrosius looked at glowing eyes all across the stadium, some glaring down at him while some looked proud at him.

He was holding his family’s sword, which was covered in blood. Then he looked down to see Ballister, with his decapitated arm, on the ground, not moving. Meredith was checking Ballister before looking at Ambrosius. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” Meredith screamed at him. 

Then his parents came on the stage, both putting a hand over his shoulder. “Well done, Ambrosius.” they both said. “You uphold our honor." 

Ambius started shaking his head in terror looking at himself that is now covering blood.

Then the lights turned off for a moment before turning on. Ambrosius wasn’t in the stadium anymore. He was in a sometype of integration room.

Then a person came into the room, a dragon alongside a woman with long blonde hair with varying lengths, dark eyebrows, blue eyes, pale skin with freckles over her cheeks, and often wearing armor and carrying a shield and sword.

"You RUINED a legacy." she yelled at him, pointing her sword at him. 

“Glorth?” Ambrosius breathed in fear.

A dragon began to breathe fire to him, causing the dream to end.

Ambrosius woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. He began taking deep breath and looked around and checked his body to see he's awake  

Ambrosius started to cry again, hugging himself. 

He felt it was all his fault. The arm chopping, Ballister going into hiding, all of it.

“Cursed these nightmares…” he mumbled to himself, tears streaming down his face.

This wasn’t the first time that he has had this nightmare. He kept on having nightmares about the graduation ever since that eventuality day.

Ambrosius got something out from his nightstand drawer. It was the Goldenloin family heirloom ring.

Design looks like it was made of gold with a white gem instead of the beautiful ring server and even with an obsidian gem with red spots.

He started doubting himself as he held it.

'Wasn’t I meant for something else or a product of someone's legacy?' he thought sadly in the darkness of his room.

The next morning, Ambrosius thought about sleeping in so he can think about his actions to sign the call off work for the day. 

He didn’t feel good.

He made sure that no one was going to be following orders from Thaddeus when he called in sick.

He had a lot of thinking to do but first he started getting cleaned up before getting breakfast. 

Ambrosius had some thinking as he took a shower, letting the water run down his body as he cleaned himself. 

He looked at shadowing images in the steam after the shower that look like a dragon and Glorth herself as he got his towel to dry off. 

He got some clothes on after drying off.

He started looking for something to eat for breakfast when he went to the kitchen.

“Cereal sounds good.” he said as he got a cereal box down and onto the counter. Ambrosius got a bowl and milk out, making the cereal. He started to eat his breakfast when it was ready.

He began checking his phone for any updates and notifications. 

There were a few. 

After he checked the updates and notifications, he was about to put his phone down when it buzzed again. Ambrosius looked at it as he ate his cereal.

It was a photo notification.

He clicked on it to see what it was.

It was a memory line thing and it showed Ambrosius a photo of Ballister and Meredith doing karaoke with him in the right corner of the photo.

And the banner saying ‘Ambrosius' secret Summer sleepover at Meredith's place - 2011’

Ambrosius chuckled softly as he remembered that night.

It was fun.

Meredith was a pretty good singer compared to both Ballister and Ambrosius.

Ambrosius remembered that the three of them stayed up until passing out by midnight.

Ambrosius sighed softly as he put his phone down and focused on eating.

But then something came up in his head while he ate. Something about the way he was taught for so many years ago.

His purpose and legacy.

It was to show the good and get rid of the bad.

‘But the question is, who is who.’ Ambrosius thought as he chewed before swallowing his last bite. 'But what if there's more than just that?'

He drank the leftover milk before cleaning it in the sink. He was cleaning the dishes when he began seeing clips of visions.

There was a monster of shadow and smoke.

It was making its way to the city, but it wasn’t attacking anyone. It was standing in front of the statue of Glorth and the next thing that it did shocked Ambrosius. The monster went hard onto the sword of Glorth, killing it in the process.

Ambrosius snapped out of it as he placed a knife down.

“What was that?” he panted and tried to calm down. He took a deep breath and calmed down.

He knew what to do. Tell the mayor about everything and about resigning director and about the mayor.

With that, Ambrosius got into his uniform, headed to his car and headed straight to the mayor's office.

Chapter Text

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Mayor Yvonne begins hearing the sound of her digital alarm clock. “I’m getting up. I’m getting up.” she grumbled as she stopped the alarm and sat up, yawning herself awake. 

Yvonne got out of bed and began heading to the bathroom to check herself before getting dressed for the day.

She woke up in a mess.

She took a nice cold shower to wake herself up as she cleaned up. She brushed her teeth after getting out of the shower and dried off with her bathrobe. Then she got dressed in a white business suit and wearing her yellow high heels.

She made a quick breakfast and a coffee at home before heading her way to the office.

She began checking for any updates on the news and she sat down in her office.

Before she got started on some work, there was a knock on the door.

"Look, the mayor isn't available right now." One of the assistants at the front desk exclaimed to someone.

Then there was a loud knock on the door.

Yvonne’s security went to answer the door as she looked up from her desk. When she opened it, she saw Ambrosius there. "Director Goldenloin." she said, standing up.

"We need to talk." Ambrosius said, sounding serious. "Alone"

Mayor Yvonne looked at her security and nodded to them to leave. 

"Was Ballister telling the truth?" Ambrosius asked as he walked over. "He could’ve said anybody killed Mayor Boldheart, but he said you. Why you?"

Yvonne was taken back by that but stayed her ground. "Goldenloin, is your loyalty to this city or to an ex-officer who consorts with a monster?"

"Did you swap his ring? Did you set him up?" Ambrosius asked, anger in his voice. “Tell me the truth!"

Yvonne sighs.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had the same nightmare, I found a crack in the wall.” the mayor started, walking to the balcony with fear in her eyes as she looked at the wall. “I yell out, but no one listens and the crack grows bigger and bigger until the wall crumbles and the monsters pour in.” 

“Ok, but what does that have to do with Mayor Boldheart or Ballister?” Ambrosius asked, soft of getting it but still confused.

Yvonne turned around and looked at Ambrosius. “When Mayor Valerin told everyone that she was going to adopt Ballister and raise him on the right path to show that there’s a chance for people like him. That’s when the fear happened again.” Yvonne explained, looking down like she was remembering that day. “I begged Mayor Valerin not to do it. Not to question the word of Gloreth. Not to question what’s kept us safe for a thousand years. But she wouldn’t listen.”

The mayor walked back to her desk as she continued, “Allowing Ballister to wear the ring fit for a higher class was the first crack in the wall. And now we have a monster in our city."

"Is that…" Ambrosius looked at the ring on the desk before looking back at Yvonne.

She sighed and got out a knife from her desk drawer, in case of emergency. "I’m sorry, Ambrosius."

Then she stabbed him, making him lean onto the table of the miniature version of the city. 

Ambrosius gasped in pain as he fell to the floor, knocking over the miniature statue of Glorth down.

"So, yes, I framed Ballister." Ynonne said, looking down at Ambrosius. "I killed the Mayor."

Then she put the miniature statue back in place and went to her desk, getting a handkerchief.

"Gloreth did whatever it took to keep the monsters out." Yvonne said as she cleaned the blade of the knife with the handkerchief. “And so will I.”

She saw him laying down on the floor, not moving.

"May Gloreth forgive you." Yvonne said, her eyes didn't have any sympathy.

However, she began hearing a device playing, 'I framed Ballister. I killed the Mayor.'

Yvonne turned around to the balcony to see both Ballister and Meredith, both with phones, mainly back up ones.

'I framed Ballister. I killed the Mayor.'

"We can’t wait for the city to see this." Meredith said, with a smirk on her face and adjusting her glasses. "You won't be winning any awards anytime soon."

"You two!" Yvonne exclaimed angrily, pointing at the both of them.

"Well, and our sidekick. Round of applause, ladies and gents." Ballister chuckled, pointing his hand to the body before clapping.

“Hey, Nimona. You ok?” Meredith asked the body.

The ‘Ambrosius’ body hopped up to stand, making Yvonne gasp in shock at that.

"It was my idea, ok." Nimona's voice came out of the form of Ambrosius' mouth. "Was my acting okay? I was a little worried about my last ‘Ehh!’ was too over the top." Then Nimona shapeshifted back to her teen self walking to the grownups.

"If you’re looking for feedback, it was a little dramatic." Ballister answered, looking at Nimona.

"You won’t win any awards, but it was good." Meredith said, nodding.

“I’ve never taken a class.” Nimona exclaimed happily.

"Really? That’s a surprise." Meredith said with a chuckle. "With some practice you might make a pretty good star one day"

“Not one day, I already am.” Nimona said, then she looked back and pointed at the ring. “Oh, don’t forget your ring, boss.”

Ballister looked at the ring and the mayor for a moment. "Eh, she can keep it." Ballister said, shrugging. “I don’t fight for her anymore.”

"And I thought about finding a new job that doesn't involve propaganda." Meredith said, her arms crossed.

When the three got to the balcony, Nimona gasped excitedly, “You called me your sidekick.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Ballister chuckled softly.

“You called me your sidekick.” Nimona said in a song-like tone.

“And I regret it already.” Ballister muttered under his breath.

"Well I like it." Meredith said, teasing him.

“You called me your sidekick. You called me…” Nimona continue her song tone.

While this was happening, Yvonne slowly backed to her desk and pressed a security button, sounding an alarm, But it didn't work as the wire was cut, which confused Yvonne.

"Trying to alert the city?" Meredith asked, looking at her while holding some scissors. "I figured ahead that it was not going to happen. Once they see you for what you are, you still have to rethink about their precious city."

Yvonne watched them in horror as Nimona laughed, “Welp! Time to go!” 

Then she shapeshifted into a giant eagle, grabbed both Meredith and Ballister, and they flew away.

Yvonne couldn’t take her eyes off of them until the doors of her office opened. She turned around to see her security guards come in along with the real Ambrosius came in.

"We need to talk!" Ambrosius ordered while the security guards looked for the fake Ambrosius. Yvonne began to growl at him as she exited her office, leaving Ambrosius confused.

"Too soon?" Ambrosius asked, looking at where the mayor stormed off to. 

Then he saw the ring on the desk. “What’s this doing here?” he said to himself as he walked over and picked it up.

Back at the hideout, Meredith was doing the editing with some help from her friend Ballister to upload on the internet on their anonymous account.

“And there we go!” Meredith exclaimed happily when they uploaded the two videos.

“Alright!” Nimona cheered, two fists in the air. 

“Now all that we have to do is wait for people to see this.” Ballister said, getting up from his seat. 

“So, want to play a board game, video game, or a movie?” Meredith asked Nimona while Ballister walked to his room. 

Ballister sighed happily as he picked up a photo of his mother, Mayor Valerin Boldheart. “We’re almost there, mom.” Ballister said softly to the photo like if he was talking to her in person.

“HEY BAL!” Nimona shouted from the living room, which got Ballister’s attention. “WANT TO COME OVER AND PLAY?!”

Ballister chuckled softly as he set the photo back and went to the living room.

To keep themselves busy they did lay out some board games and video games and movies just in case it takes a long while for people to see it.

At one point, Meredith felt that she needed to tell Ballister and Nimona something. “Um… guys?” Meredith called out, sounding nervous. “I want to talk to you two about something.”

“Ok.” Ballister said as he walked over, in a change of comfortable black pants and a gray shirt. "What is it?" Nimora asked, getting changed into her usual tank top and sweatpants.

“Well…” Meredith started, rubbing the back of her neck as she didn’t know where to start.

"What is it?!" Nimora asked loudly, demanding an answer. "You guys can tell me!"

Meredith noticed that Ballister looked worried as he asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Well-um… It’s nothing bad, I promise.” Meredith reassured with a soft smile then she sighed.

It was a surprise.

“I… I feel like I have different pronouns.” Meredith said finally, rubbing her hands nervously.

"Really?!" Nimora asked excitedly, all up in Meredith’s face, making the scientist lean back a bit.

Meredith nodded. “Yes.”

Nimona squealed happily and shapeshifted into a bird, flying around Meredith. "What made you think that?" Nimora asked, shapeshifting back to her teen self.

“I guess… ever since I started helping Bal to clear his name. At first I didn’t know what it was. But it all became clear when we met you.” Meredith explained with a chuckle. 

Nimona’s eyes lit up and hugged Meredith so tightly that she almost knocked the wind out of her. 

Meredith chuckled softly and hugged Nimona back. "I think about all the research of other gender identities and sexual identities I researched in high school leading to the moment, now I realized…" Meredith said, processing. "I'm gender fluid or genderqueer. She/they pronouns."

They were so proud of their discovery

"And I have a surprise for you." Meredith said, as she began giving Nimona something 

Nimona looked at Meredith as she let go of her, curious about what surprise it was going to be.

Meredith pulled out a phone that wasn’t bought but that she made by research, apparently it looks like the latest model but with her own invention created into it

"Ta da." Meredith said, showing it to Nimona.

Nimona looked at it and Meredith, her eyes filled with excitement and wonder.

"I've thought about giving you something since you're a teen and your old one broke." Meredith said, handing the phone to Nimona. "And to make sure that you called us just in case you're far away. It's called a phone."

Nimona looked at the phone and then looked back at Meredith before slowly getting the phone from her. She smiled at them and hugged her again.

Meredith began to smile as they hugged her back. She looked at Ballister, who was smiling at her. 

“I’m happy for you.” Ballister said as he went to them.

"Well, we are waiting for the two videos to be uploaded and viewed. I may want to make some changes to my clothes in the lab, but also we can still keep ourselves busy in the meantime." Meredith suggested, smiling back. “Like, playing games or watching a movie.”

“That sounds like a plan.” Ballister said, chuckling.

Nimora was having a good time with the grownups.

"Come on, come on" Nimora said as she began rolling the dice. It began going through a 10.

"Whoo-hoo! Yes! Let’s take that pooch for a walk.” Nimona said happily as she moved her piece. “Eight, nine, ten."

"Ooh, landing you in the Enchanted Forest, which is my domain." Ballister said with a chuckle. “Cha-ching. 600 gold, please.”

“My Scottie dog will not pay your tyrannical toll." Nimora demanded as she stood up. "He rallies the oppressed woodland creatures and starts a rebellion!” Then she shapeshifted into an otter as she pretended to blow fanfare "Squirrels scale the castle walls!” Then she shapeshifted into a bear. “Bears batter down the gates! Bloody chaos ensues!”

Ballister and Meredith looked at Nimora in a serious and deadpan look as she began spilling the juice in a straw from a juice box to pretend to be dead.

"I’m still taking the 600 gold." Ballister said flatly, taking the 600 from Nimona and placing it at his spot.

"And another 600 for property damages," Meredith added, taking another 600.

“What?!” Nimona exclaimed angrily as she sat up, shapeshifting back to her teen self. 

The next thing that Meredith and Ballister knew was that Nimona breathed fire onto the board game, burning it. The grownups jumped when she did that.

"You didn’t tell us you could breathe fire…" Meredith said in shock while Ballister could only just stare.

Nimona's mad face turned into an ‘oops’ face. “Oh… You two didn’t ask before.” she said, sitting down.

"Metal." Meredith chuckled awkwardly. “Best two out of three?" 

The other two looked at them. “Hm? What?”

“Nothing.”

Then the computer started beeping a lot, getting their attention. They got up and went to check the two videos.

It was at seventy five million views!

"Omg! It's going crazy!" Meredith gasped, her hands over mouth as they smiled big. “The whole city is seeing this!” Nimona exclaimed, her hands pointing to the computer.

"Well, we guess there’s only one question left." Ballister said with a chuckle.

”And what’s that?" Nimona asked, looking at him.

"Can a shark dance?" Ballister and Meredith asked her, smiles on their faces.

Nimona laughed as she leaned on Ballister. “Can a shark dance? Ha!” she laughed, wiping a tear away and then looked at both of them. “Watch me.” Then she snaps her shark teeth at them before shapeshifting into a shark.

They began playing music as they danced throughout the night, singing along with the music.

♪ I don’t want to bend Like the bad girls bend! I just want to be your friend. Is it ever gonna be enough?♪

Meredith, Ballister and Nimona begin taking pictures both with the camera from earlier and the camera from Nimora's new phone as they partied.

Later it was on the whole news

"Still reeling from the monster attack, the kingdom is rocked by new footage of Mayor Yvonne making a truly shocking confession and action." The reporter said, sounding in shock. “Take a look at these.”

A video shows Yvonne swapping the ring ten years ago and another shows Yvonne confessing, “I framed Ballister. I killed the Mayor.”

People all around the city begin watching the entire thing in shock.

♪ Enough, enough, enough!♪

♪ Is it ever gonna be enough?♪

♪Is it ever gonna be enough?♪

"I framed Ballister. I killed the queen."

A couple of weeks has passed and the new spread like wildfire

♪ Enough, enough, enough♪

♪ Is it ever gonna be enough?♪

Oh!

♪ Is it ever gonna be enough?♪

‘I killed the queen.’

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

“But the question still remains, who is the real villain?” the reporter asked, leaving the question in the viewers’ minds.

Well that was going on, There were protesters who now see the truth. Begin 

“Give us Mayor Yvonne!” the protesters shouted.

Yvonne closes the door of her office, noticing the sign of a villain she had to do something or else everything she worked for would be ruined.

Ambrosius was wearing his casual clothes, was watching the news. He was a bit shocked by this but he did have a feeling that Ballister wasn’t the one who killed Mayor Boldheart.

He looked at the ring that was formerly dropped and scratched on it, showing the silver part under the gold.

He hadn't resigned from being director yet for he knew what he had to do as he got his uniform and weapons before going to the office with his fellow officers.

"With me!" he said to the officers.

They look around the mayor’s office looking empty but a secret door is opened and a staircase goes down.

They went downstairs until they found the mayor by some shelves, looking at something.

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Mayor Boldheart and for-”

“Ambrosius.” Mayor Yvonne interrupted as she turned around to face him and the officers, holding two things. “This explains everything.”

Ambrosius slowly walked to Yvonne as she showed him the things that she was holding. There was a news article and a scroll.

Chapter Text

It It was movie night and the three were watching a scary zombie movie.

“Zombies are immortal, eternal beings. There’s no way to kill them.” the main man on the tv said, holding his woman counterpart. “But what if they come for us?” the woman on the tv asked in worry.

Then there were zombie sounds from the zombies walking over to them.

Meredith got the last piece of pizza while Ballister got himself a drink from the fridge.

"I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I actually feel bad for the zombies." Ballister said, admitting it as he sipped his drink. "Yeah, agree." Meredith said, taking a bite of her pizza. "It's like discrimination in our city. Right, Nimora?"

The grownups noticed Nimora already asleep on the couch, snoring softly.

Ballister chuckled softly as he went to the couch.

Meredith went to the lab to get her transition for her clothes for her Genderqueer identity while Ballister was about to tuck Nimona in with a blanket. 

Then Nimona started shapeshifting in her sleep. First it was a wolf, then a cat, and then a little girl of herself. "No... no…" Nimona whimpers in her sleep. 

"Hey, hey." Ballister reassured her in a soft voice, putting the blanket over Nimona as she shapeshifted back to her teen self. "It's ok. We're safe. You’re safe. You’re home."

"No one will hurt you." Meredith said, who just got back from the lab, rubbing Nimora's head.

“Home? I like it here.” Nimona said, sleepy with a smile as she curled up in the blanket. “Let’s live here forever…” Then she fell to sleep, snoring softly again.

Meredith and Ballister went to check on the computer, realizing there was an unread message from Ambrosius.

Ballister clicked on the message to see it.

Ambrosius: Nachos.

It was a signal that they needed to talk about something serious.

They looked at each other and then looked at Nimona. "If it involves Nimona, we leave immediately." Meredith said to Ballister, looking at him.

Ballister nodded as he got up and got their jackets.

Ambrosius was wearing his light gray hooded jacket with his hood up, not wanting to be recognized.

Ballister and Meredith got to the bar, Meredith still had her invisibility coat while Ballister had his black hooded jacket with his hood up.

"You got 30 seconds." Ballister growled low when they sat down.

“30 seconds?” Ambrosius asked in shock.

“That’s a lot more than you gave us.” Meredith hissed, almost surprising Ambrosius.

“Look, I’m here to save both of you.” Ambrosius said quietly, looking at both of them and then nodded at Ballister. “Especially you, Bal.”

Ballister was taken back by that but he stood his ground with Meredith.

Then a waiter walked over to the table, notebook and pen ready to take the order, and asked, “Hey, are you ready to order-?”

“Nachos!” Ambrosius, Ballister, and Meredith said together angrily to the waiter. 

“Please.” Ambrosius added with a calm voice.

“Ok.” The waiter said as they wrote it down and left.

“And hold the olives!” Ballister said to the waiter before looking back at Ambrosius. “He’s allergic.” Ballister and Meredith said at the same time. They both looked at Ambrosius, who looked worried.

"What do you want, Ambrosius?" Meredith asked, their arms crossed. "If it's anything about us, stay out of it."

“Bal, Mere…” Ambrosius started, getting a familiar ring box out. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.” 

Meredith notices the ring box. "You mean something else…right?" she asked, looking at the new director. "We're waiting."

“Right.” Ambrosius started, taking in a breath. "There's something I need to tell both of you."

But before Ambrosius could say more, they heard someone at the bar ordered, "Hey, turn that up!"

The three had their attention looking at the tv, which showed Mayor Yvonne with the clip of her confessing.

"Citizens, that is not me in the recording. I know it looks like me and sounds like me, but it is not me. That was the monster working with the real mayor killer, Ballister. They are trying to trick you."

It begins the show footage of the fight that happened earlier weeks ago of Nimona shapeshifting into her little girl self.

"That’s a lie." Meredith breathed, their eyes wide.

"We are under attack by something that can take any form." Yvonne continues on the screen. "It could be anyone. Your spouse, your child, your best friend, the person sitting next to you. None of us are safe so long as the villain and that monster are still out there."

The whole bar began looking at each other as if they were strangers or enemies and some even left their seats to be away from the person they were sitting next to.

"The mayor is lying!" Meredith hissed, looking at the news. "She’s twisting everything." 

Ballister nodded and looked at Ambrosius, who looked at the tv worriedly. "Ambrosius, I'm not the villain." Ballister said, sounding desperate as he got Ambrosius’ attention. 

"I know." Ambrosius said, reassuring in his voice. "I know. I believe you." Then he puts a hand on Ballister’s metal hand. “I’m so sorry for everything.” Ambrosius said, sounding sad. “For your arm…”

Ballister gently squeezed his hand before letting it go while Meredith did not look at him.

"That doesn't excuse the way that you've been brainwashed for years by the mayor and your parents." Meredith said, her voice breaking. " We were friends from the start, but after graduation… You have been promoted as the director while we're in hiding for the last ten years. "

Before Ambrosius could say anything, Meredith said to Ballister, "Let's just go. This was a mistake."

Meredith and Ballister got up and left the bar. Ambrosius got up as he put the ring box back in his bag, and ran after them in the alleyway. 

“Bal! Mere! Stop!” he yelled as he caught up and grabbed both of their wrists. "Let us go!" Meredith said, getting their anger into control before slapping him. "We had enough, Mr. Goldlion!"

Ambrosius let go of their wrists and rubbed where Meredith slapped him. Before Meredith and Ballister turn to leave, Ambrosius gets something from his bag and calls out to them, "Just look what I found out about your sidekick!" 

Ballister and Meredith stopped and looked at Ambrosius pulling two things from his bag and gave it to them.

Ballister and Meredith looked at what Ambrosius handed them.

It was a newspaper and a scroll. 

The scroll was of the monster that Glorth fought against while the newspaper article was about a lab rat that escaped the Institute’s lab.

“The mayor had found these earlier,” Ambrosius explained, looking at the newspaper and scroll. “I was in shock… I’m still shocked by these.”

Meredith and Ballister looked at Ambrosius, one not believing it and the other confused. 

“Why are you telling us this?” Ballister asked confusedly but wanted to know more even though it felt like the conversation was leading up to a fight soon.

“I know that this might sound crazy,” Ambrosius started, looking at the both of them, “But I think that your sidekick is either the beast itself or a descendant of it that was taken to be tested at the Institute.” 

Ballister and Meredith looked at the newspaper and scroll before looking back at Ambrosius as he explained, “It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Ballister started to connect the dots after thinking about it while Meredith shook her head. "I-I don't believe you." Meredith said, kicked Ambrosius’ leg.

Ambrosius exclaimed in pain and held his leg. "The evidence is here." he hissed, pointing at the newspaper and scroll while rubbing his leg in pain.

Meredith growled in anger at him.

Then the next thing that the three knew was that Meredith jumped and started to fight Ambrosius.

They hit each other as they rolled on the ground of dirt and glass.

They continued to fight until Ballister came in to stop it before it got out of control. "That's enough!" Ballister yelled, getting Meredith off of Ambrosius. 

Ballister panted angrily as he put the two items in his big hoodie pocket and looked at the both of them while both looked at him in shock.

Then Meredith gasped, clenching her stomach. Ballister and Ambrosius looked at her, to see what’s wrong. There was a nasty scar on Meredith's stomach.

“Mere!” Ballister gasped as he held her up. 

“We need to get me home.” Meredith gasped, still clenching their stomach. Ballister nodded and they started to go home as Ambrosius got up from the ground.

“Bal-” Ambrosius started, grabbing his arm to stop him from leaving. 

“Why do you care?!” Ballister yelled at him, trying to get his arm out of his grip. “Do you even care?!”

Ambrosius was taken back a bit. “Because I still love you…” Ambrosius said, letting go of Ballister. “And I understand if you no longer love me…” 

Ballister looked at Ambrosius like he was serious but snapped out of it when Meredith, still clutching her scar, said "Come on, let's go."

Ballister nodded and they went back home, leaving Ambrosius alone. 

As they made it back home, they looked at a still sleeping Nimona on the couch.

"Come on, let's not wake her up." Meredith said, quietly. Ballister nodded and they quietly went to the sick room.

Ballister got the healing potion and first aid kit after putting Meredith on the bed. Meredith was still clenching her scar when he came over to her.

“Here we go. Here we go.” Ballister breathed, trying to stay calm as he put the stuff on the hospital table. He got the kit opened and treated the wound after getting some of the extra glass out.

"Thanks." Meredith said weakly. "I appreciate it"

Ballister nodded as he put bandages over it before he got the healing potion and gave it to Meredith.

“Ugh…” Meredith grunted in disgust after drinking it. “I should give it a different taste for when hurt people are awake.”

"You should take some rest." Ballister suggested, rubbing their shoulder. “You need it.”

Meredith nodded, letting her head rest on the pillow and slowly fell asleep as Ballister put the blanket over her.

Ballister went to put the scroll and the article in a drawer when he went to his room. He sighed as he thought about what happened in the alley way.

Meanwhile at the hospital, The doctors checked each officer from the attack when Ambrosius came in to check on them. 

Ambrosius had some bruises and a bloody nose from the fight.

"Any luck, doctor? " A male nurse asked a female doctor. “They’ll pull through.” the female doctor answered, looking up from her clipboard.

Ambrosius looked at every officers as the other nurses begin checking every single officer of the current conditions

"Is there any effect from the last couple weeks?" Ambrosius asked a nearby nurse which wasn’t busy.

The nurse looked up at him and said, “Well, some still are in shock from that shock bomb but they’ll be ok. As for the ones from the mayor's office, they’re doing ok as well.”

Ambrosius hummed and nodded. “That’s good.”

“Do you want me to get you an ice pack?” The nurse asked, pointing at her face as like a referice. “For your face?”

“No, but thank you.” Ambrosius said, shaking his head a bit. 

The nurse hummed and nodded. But before she left to check on other patients, she handed him a napkin. “It’s for your bloody nose.” she said to him before she left.

Ambrosius nodded to her as if to say “thank you” and started to use the napkin to take care and clean up his bloody nose.

When he was done taking care of his bloody nose, the news popped up on the tv screen about the same thing from the bar.

This led Ambrosius to think about what he did earlier that night at the bar as he looked at the screen. ‘Is it my fault?’ he thought, hugging himself

Chapter Text

Meredith woke up when feeling the morning sun rays hitting their face.

She began to get up and check herself in the mirror. She noticed that she still had the scar on her stomach but it wasn’t bleeding anymore.

She began to get herself cleaned up by taking a shower.

It felt nice. Feeling the water go down their body as she cleaned felt like the pressure on her body was fading away and they felt light.

She turned the water off and got her towel to dry off. Then they grabbed herself a handmade chest binder in the lab using her old bras after she got cleaned up along with her underwear.

She then puts on her casual clothes, fixes up their hair, and goes down for breakfast, when she notices Ballister and Nimona trying to figure out what breakfast is going to be.

"Good morning." Meredith called out to them, stretching their arms. Ballister and Nimona looked up at her and smiled. “Morning!” both of them exclaimed, waving.

"We thought we might let you sleep in so that you can get your energy back." Ballister said, getting a pan out.

"Well, thank you." Meredith said, as she took her seat at the table. They noticed some fresh coffee on the table already made for her. They smiled softly and gently blew it so it could cool down a bit.

“Do you have any suggestions for breakfast?” Ballister asked from the kitchen.

"Maybe some eggs?" Meredith asked, feeling the mood for eggs.

"Eggs are coming up!" Nimona exclaimed loudly as she went to the fridge and got the eggs out.

Meredith smiled as she drank her coffee and felt something good about this coffee. It tasted like cinnamon with hints of vanilla and lemon.

"Is that cinnamon, vanilla, and creamers with a pinch of lemon in my coffee mixed together?" Meredith asked, looking at Nimona and Ballister.

Ballister and Nimona looked at them as they got the pan heated and cracked the eggs into the pan. "Well, I thought I made it something special for you." Nimora said, smiling at them. "I thought it was a bad idea." Ballister said, cooking the eggs.

"It's pretty good." Meredith said, with a warm smile. "Thank you, Nimona."

They have never felt so happy in years, not since the graduation and incident.

Meredith began checking her phone as she sipped her drink and saw something. It was some sort of science festival coming up this afternoon.

Science Expo Today and Today Only!

BRILLIANT MINDS WILL COME FROM ALL OVER THE LAND TO EXHIBIT AT  THE ANNUAL FAIR

AT 2 PM

'That looks like fun.' she thought but she started to feel unsure since she knew there will be more officers on point, and with people more destruction.

"Look, there's a fair today." Meredith said, looking at Ballister and Nimona, who just got eggs on plates.

"Oh, that sounds fun!" Nimona exclaimed, looking at them as she set the plates down.

"It's a science festival." Meredith said, smiling for a moment then frowning. "But with the current situation, we don't know what might happen, we could get caught."

Ballister nodded as he sat down at the table. 

Nimora thought of an idea as they started to eat. “I had a thought.”

"What is it, Nimona?" Meredith asked, looking at her. "You're thinking what I'm thinking."

“We can do the science fair.” Nimona said, smiling. 

"In disguises?” Ballister asked, looking at her.

Nimona nodded. “Yep.”

"Well, that's not a bad idea." Meredith said, nodding and smiled. Then her smile became a frown as she added. "But, there will be more guards at this point. There’ll be more eyes."

"What if they don't…" Nimora said with a smirk.

The grown-ups looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“What if we’re careful?” Nimona suggested, looking at them.

The grown-ups looked at each other, surprised by this for it was different from Nimona. “It could work.” they both said together, nodded.

The fair was busy when they got there.

Meredith was in her light blue hoodie, brown cargo pants and gray boots, with her glasses and face mask. 

Ballister was in black hoodie, gray work gloves, and black pants. He wore a fake beard on his face, so he doesn’t get recognized. 

Nimora shape-shifted to the boy from earlier, wearing a blue jacket.

“Why is this itchy?” Ballister asked, scratching the fake beard. 

"Probably because of the lack of oils or the yarns it was made of." Meredith chuckled a bit.

Ballister gave them a deadpan look at them as he itched more. 

"Well it's not going to happen if you keep messing with it." Nimora said in her little boy voice.

Ballister looked at Nimona and hissed, “I’m trying.”

"You two, cut it out." Meredith said, looking at both of them. "Let's just have fun before we get caught."

Ballister nodded in agreement.

They looked at the different stands as they walked around before stopping at one point. The grown-ups were talking when Nimora noticed something from the food stand nearby. 

"Churros!" the vendor said loudly. “Come and get a tasty churro!”

Nimona’s mood for "Churros!" begins feeling excited, grabbing each of Meredith's and Ballister's arms and taking them to the stand.

“Could I have a churro, please?” she asked, looking at the both of them.

Ballister chuckled, nodding and looked at the vendor. “Could I get a charro for this little one?” he asked, gettley messing up Nimona's little boy black hair.

The vendor nodded before looking at Meredith and asked, “Anything for you?”

"Guess I'll have a chocolate filled charro please." Meredith asked the bender.

The vendor made it right up and gave the two to them. 

Ballister paid for the two charros while Nimona chow down on hers. 

"Well, someone has a big appetite.” the vendor chuckled, looking at Nimona chow down.

"Like his father." Meredith said, giving a chuckle and nudging Ballister a bit, making him blush embarrassed as she ate hers. "I haven't eaten a churro in years, I forgot what it tastes like."

The vendor hummed and nodded with a smile. 

"You have a great day, ma'am." Meredith said, waving the vendor a goodbye as they left. 

"Have a good day too." the vendor said, waving back before going back to working the stand.

The three enjoyed the fair.

Meredith loved to talk about information with other scientists while Ballister and Nimona loved looking at the different projects.

It was almost the end of the day and Ballister was carrying Nimona.

"You are a bit heavy." Ballister said to Nimona. The child hummed tiredly at him, almost falling asleep. "Just leave the kid be." Meredith said, smiling softly. "The kid is just tired." 

But then they notice her shapeshifting into a cat. “Interesting.” both grownups hummed.

They were about to leave the fairgrounds when something caught their eyes.

It was some green orb, like a crystal ball.

Then a person with blue curly hair, dark skin with pale patches all over, and goggles over brown eyes, came over to them. “I see that you two like my project.” the person said, smiling at them. 

"What is it?" Ballister asked, pointing at it with his free hand while holding Nimona in his other. "Anomalous Energy Enhancer, is it? I heard all about it!" Meredith exclaimed excitedly.

“It is.” the person said with a chuckle, nodding. “You have a good eye.”

"They just love to see it in person." Ballister said, giving Meredith a gentle bum with his elbow. "They've been into science since she was young."

He did remember how Meredith often loved science since they were younger.

The person nodded and hummed. "I see." Then the person offered their hand to Meredith and then Ballister before handing a business card. "The name is Ocean Sealine."

The grown-ups looked at the business card.

Doctor Ocean Sealine, Scientist

they/he pronouns 

"I'm umm… Margo." Meredith said, using a fake name. "And I'm Gregory." Ballister said, using a fake name too.

"Well, it was nice to meet the both of you." Ocean said, smiling at them.

"So what does this do?" Ballister asked Ocean.

"Yeah." Meredith said, nodding.

Ocean smiled as they showed them the orb.

"Did it work on a beam of energy?" Meredith asked, very interesting. “It does!” Ocean exclaimed happily with a smile. "How does this work?" Ballister asked, pointing at the orb.

“Oh! It runs on its own energy. No electricity needed!” Ocean explained with a big smile.

"Will this help with climate change?" Meredith asked 

“It can!” Ocean exclaimed, nodding with a smile.

"How does it work?" Ballister asked, very interested about this.

“Well-” Ocean started but then the orb buzzed and then the light went out. “Oh man…”

"It should work." Meredith said, getting a tool out of her bag. "Let me fix it " she began fixing it

Ocean looked at her as they fixed it.

The orb began shaking and began the glow causing rays to be flown out of control. 

Almost exposing the identities.

Based on security guards walking towards them and they begin to run.

"Nice meeting you Dr. Sealine!" Meredith said as they ran into a nearby tent.

“Um… Bye!” Ocean called out, waving bye.

Ballister and Meredith ran into a tent to hide from the officers. Ballister looked at Nimona as he held Nimona in her cat form while Meredith kept on a lookout with a peek in the tent.

“Nimona?” Ballister asked the cat, who just stared at him. “We need to go.”

Nimona just looked at him.

"How's Nimora doing?" Meredith asked Ballister, still looking on if any more officers or security were about to find them.

“She’s still in her cat form.” Ballister said worriedly.

Then Nimona meowed at the grown-ups.

“Oh, this is serious.” 

"Mama! Look!" A nearby kid walking by said, pointing at Nimona. "Kitty cat!"

"Kid." Meredith said, looking at the kid. "Yes it's a cat but if you want to pet her, it’s a no."

Then the two grown ups saw their mother walking over. “Yes, sweetie?” the mother asked, walking over with a smile. Then her smile faded when she saw Ballister. The woman pulled her child away as she pointed at him and shouted, “BLACKHEART!” 

"Un oh." Meredith said, grabbing Ballister’s arm. "Let's get out of here, NOW!"

Ballister nodded and they started to run.

When Nimora noticed a bunch of rats trapped in a cage. She got a plan as she jumped out of Ballister’s arms.

“NIMONA!” Both grown-ups shouted at her.

Nimona got the cage unlocked and scared the rats out of the cage, making them scatter.

It ended up causing mayhem across the fair, but at least Ballister, Meredith, and Nimona got away.

Nimona was able to change back to her teen self when they were almost home. 

When they got home, Nimona literally kicked the door open and stomped in angrily. “That never happens!” she yelled as she went to the couch.

"Kid, calm down." Meredith said, trying to get everything under control. "What never happened?"

Nimona looked at the grown-ups and said, “Being stuck! I never got stuck before!”

"What do you mean stuck?" Ballister asked, wanting to understand as he sat down with her. “Do you mean being in the cat form?”

Nimona looked at him and nodded.

"Why?"

Nimona was quiet for a moment as she held herself. “It never happened before…” she said finally, looking down. “It was probably the orb thing. It may have stunted my ability.”

Meredith and Ballister realized what she meant.

"You mean the Anomalous Energy Enhancer?" Meredith asked worriedly.

Nimona nodded, trying not to cry.

Ballister and Meredith looked at each other then they looked at Nimona, who was crying.

“Hey…” Ballister said softly to Nimona, making her look up at him. “Want me to put on your favorite movie or show on?”

The teen nodded. “I would like that.”

Meredith hugged Nimona while Ballister went to do that.

"I'll also cook something." Ballister said after getting the tv ready and looking at the both of them. “Any suggestions?”

Nimona and Meredith looked at each other before looking at Ballister. “Meatloaf?” Nimona asked. "Yeah, but make mine without ketchup." Meredith added.

Ballsiter nodded and went to the kitchen to make dinner.

Everything calmed down after a bit when Ballister came back after cooking, with plates of meatloaf, and everyone ate.

Chapter Text

Ambrosius got an invitation to his family gathering. 

It's been a while since he's been to one of his family gatherings.

He has a somewhat close relationship with some of the relatives but most of them do not but they are family. He had no choice but to attend their just place and his parents which he hadn't been in a while. He thought that he might be there for just a little bit before heading home. 

'I hope it goes well…' he thought as he went over.

He arrives at a huge mansion, a lavish garden statue holding each member who has been the institution and business tycoons that completely looks like a palace or rather a big Palace with eight floors for each family member of each generation.

Though some relatives died to protect the city, some of the rooms would be extra space rooms or guest rooms.

Ambrosius sighed as he went to the door and knocked. 

One of the other members, one of his cousins, came and opened the door. “Oh, Ambrosius. You’re here.” his cousin said, looking at him in surprise. 

"Hey." Ambrosius said, smiling a bit. "I'm here for the gathering."

His cousin hummed and let him inside.

The inside was pretty huge then his apartment and the madison in comparison. 

Of course, the relatives are quite a bit shorter with fewer relatives and a couple newcomers on the way they're mostly rich associates.

Ambrosius looked around as he talked with different relatives.

Some were happy to see him. 

Others not so much.

Ambrosius started to have a good time until he saw his parents.

When saw his parents, the most cruel people he ever knew out of all the relatives.

He felt like his good times were non-existent, not one wanting to get involved he excuses himself.

Ambrosius sighed as he went outside, wanting to be away from the party.

“You’re not enjoying the party?” a voice behind him called out.

He turned around to see Aunt Gloria. 

Aunt Gloria looked almost like Glorth, but with wavy dirty blonde shoulder-length hair with half of her hair shaved on the right side with a scarlet red ombre hair dye, and blue and green eyes. She had some piercings in her ears and a small red dragon tattoo on her left elbow. She was wearing a hot pink maxi jumpsuit with gold trimming, red flats, a silver necklace with a pendant of a blue diamond, and a black fake leather jacket.

“Oh, hey Aunt Gloria…” Ambrosius said, nodding to her.

"I wonder where you are." Gloria said as she went to him, "Did something get on your nerves recently, kid?"

"Yeah… a lot has been happening…" Ambrosius said, looking down as he remembered what happened in the past few weeks.

"Look, I've been watching the news recently and I did notice a few things including your lover and best friend." Gloria said, looking at him.

Ambrosius sighed and hugged himself. “Yeah…”

"And a pink-headed teen?" Gloria said, looking out of the balcony and sighed. "They kind of remind me of my first girlfriend when I was young."

Ambrosius looked at her and asked, “Oh really?”

"I mean I have been the type of person that didn't agree with that ancestor and wanted to be my own person." Gloria said, playing with her cup of her drink "I mean at this point when I hit my teens I dated a girl that I offended secretly, the girl that can shape-shift."

“Wait… You dated a shapeshifter?” Ambrosius asked, his eyes wide.

“Oh, yeah. She was great” Gloria said, sighing happily as she remembered memories. "Before that she was a friend, even though we're from different backgrounds. We began having our play dates in secret and even hung out most of the time, and we dated in secret around our teens… That is until..." Then she became silent which confused Ambrosius.

“Aunt Gloria?” Ambrosius asked, waving a hand in front of her face, getting her attention to get her to look at him. 

"Sorry, it's just a train of thought." Gloria said, as she began taking a sip of her drink.

"So… What happened?" Ambrosius asked, getting curious.

Gloria almost choked on her drink but was able to swallow it before facing Ambrosius. "Well…" Gloria said, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's complicated."

Ambrosius nodded in understanding, knowing that it was different.

They begin looking at the night sky.

"Beautiful night, is it?" Gloria said, trying to change the subject.

 Ambrosius nodded again. “Yeah…”

It was clear that something was on his mind.

Gloria looked at him and asked, "Hey… you ok?"

Ambrosius hugged himself, trying not to cry but failing to. “No…” he answered, crying. “I’m still in shock…”

Gloria started to comfort her nephew being the more mother figure to him. "I know that it's never easy to move on or to stop reliving a traumatic experience. It’ll feel like you never forgive yourself too." Gloria said, holding him. “But you’ll learn to forgive.”

Those of the encouragement Ambrosius needed to hear. After all, she was the only one out of all of her family members to attend his graduations and other school events.

“Thanks, Aunt Gloria.” Ambrosius said, hugging her back.

When they headed back inside, the party was still going on. “I’m feeling a bit better now.” Ambrosius said, smiling softly. "I'm just glad to see you better." Gloria said, smiling softly at Ambrosius.

Chapter Text

-The same night of the Goldenloin party-

At the hideout, Nimora tried to get some sleep on the couch.

Meredith and Ballister were checking on her after they changed into their pajamas.

"I hope the kid's alright." Meredith whispered to Ballister, who nodded in agreement.

"I know that we need her space, but I hope she won't mind when I'm checking on her just in case she has a nightmare." Meredith said, looking at the poor kid.

“That’s very understandable.” Ballister said, walking over to Nimona to adjust her blanket. “I used to have nightmares and my mother used to check on me.”

"Yeah." Meredith said " We don't know what type of nightmares Nimona might have, but we might want to make sure that she's slept soundly."

Ballister nodded.

Both grownups looked at the sleeping Nimona as she slept shapeshifting.

-Nimona’s nightmare-

A young Nimora was walking with her mother and father in the forest, with her sitting on her father's shoulders and her parents holding hands.

A red leaf landed on her father’s nose.

"Hahahaha, Daddy, there's a leaf on your nose." Nimona giggled, pointing at the leaf on her father’s nose.

"Oh, you are right, Nimona." Her father said, getting the leaf off his nose. "That's a leaf, and it's red, like you." He begins roughing her head, making her giggle.

"Honey, you'd mess up our daughter's hair." Her mother said, laughing alongside her husband and daughter. "But at least it's peaceful out there."

The family looked at each other, noticing the sun going down.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?" her mother asked, smiling at her husband and her child.

"Oh, yeah." Her father said, nodding as he got Nimona off his shoulders and the ground.

The family started shapeshifting into wolves and started running.

"Race ya!" Nimona said as she began running to her parents.

They begin running together, feeling the breeze and then reaching near a cliff racing each other.

They began to howl together. It felt perfect, but it didn’t last long when it became silent. 

Nimona looks around to notice that her parents are gone. “Mom? Dad?” Nimona called out worriedly, trying to find them.

Nimona found her dad, in his human form, on the ground after looking for a while. 

She shapeshifts back to herself as she runs to him. “Dad!” she exclaimed as she got to him. "Dad! Dad! Please wake up!" Nimona begged as she shook him to wake him up.

Then the next thing that she knew was that there was a pool of blood under her dad, which scared her.

“Hey, over here!” a voice called out.

Nimona looked up worriedly and saw some people with weapons and nets.

The next turned into running into the woods but her mother trying to get away as much as possible.

"Come on, Nimona!" Her mother said carrying her and their bags they packed before "We're almost free!"

They were close to getting out of here. That is until-

ZIP!

Someone tased them and they both black out.

Then the next scene begins showing them into a lab, chained to a wall.

Nimona was scared as people in lab coats entered the room. 

"Let us go, you kidnapping science freaks!" Her mother said to the other scientists in anger as her mouth bared sharp teeth. "You can't just go around kidnapping families!"

A scientist shocked her to make her quiet.

"AHHHHHH!" Her mother begin to scream in pain, taking each form as Nimora watched in terror 

“Mom!” Nimona shouted in fear.

Then she saw the scientists going towards her and immediately electrocuted she began to scream.

Nimona began to wake up, shocked and afraid. Cold sweat dripped down from her face.

‘Oh! It was a memory dream.’ she thought, sighing a bit in relief.

Then she heard footsteps run over to her, making Nimona look at the people who ran over. It was Ballister and Meredith.

“Nimona!” Ballister and Meredith exclaimed worriedly.

Ballister and Meredith begin to hug Nimora, who hugs them back and cries softly.

"It's okay, you're safe now." Meredith said, gently calming her down.

“Yes, you’re safe.” Ballister said as he held her and wiped her tears away.

Nimora started to calm down and looked at them.

"It's over now." Meredith said with a warm smile.

"Want to get some water?" Ballister asked, smiling softly at her.

Nimona nodded.

Ballister went to get a cup of water as Meredith held Nimona. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Meredith asked softly, rubbing her shoulders.

“I… no… but all I’m going to say is that it was a bad memory.” Nimona said, leaning on them.

"What do you mean by bad memory?" Meredith asked, looking down at her.

Nimona sighed and looked at the ceiling. “You know that sometimes when you dream, you sometimes have a memory that has happened or hasn’t happened?” she asked as she looked at Meredith again.

The scientist nodded. “Sometimes.”

“I had a past memory dream this time…” Nimona sighed, looking down.

"What is it?" Meredith asked, wanting to know.

Nimona looked at them with a sad frown.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about the dream, take your time." Meredith said, understanding.

Nimona nodded. “Yeah… I’m not ready to talk about it yet…”

"I know it might sound weird, but do you like us to keep you company until you get some rest?" Meredith asked as Ballister walked over with a cup of water. 

Nimona smiled softly as she got the cup of water from Ballister and said, “I would like that.”

They kept her company until around midnight when she finally sounded asleep.

Ballister and Meredith begin to hug Nimora, who hugs them back and cries softly.

"It's okay, you're safe now." Meredith said, gently calming her down.

“Yes, you’re safe.” Ballister said as he held her and wiped her tears away.

Nimora started to calm down and looked at them.

"It's over now." Meredith said with a warm smile.

"Want to get some water?" Ballister asked, smiling softly at her.

Nimona nodded.

Ballister went to get a cup of water as Meredith held Nimona. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Meredith asked softly, rubbing her shoulders.

“I… no… but all I’m going to say is that it was a bad memory.” Nimona said, leaning on them.

"What do you mean by bad memory?" Meredith asked, looking down at her.

Nimona sighed and looked at the ceiling. “You know that sometimes when you dream, you sometimes have a memory that has happened or hasn’t happened?” she asked as she looked at Meredith again.

The scientist nodded. “Sometimes.”

“I had a past memory dream this time…” Nimona sighed, looking down.

"What is it?" Meredith asked, wanting to know.

Nimona looked at them with a sad frown.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk about the dream, take your time." Meredith said, understanding.

Nimona nodded. “Yeah… I’m not ready to talk about it yet…”

"I know it might sound weird, but do you like us to keep you company until you get some rest?" Meredith asked as Ballister walked over with a cup of water. 

Nimona smiled softly as she got the cup of water from Ballister and said, “I would like that.”

They kept her company until around midnight when she finally sounded asleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Meredith and Ballister were already rearranging some books in the living room with some music on the radio to The Clash's I fought the law when they notice Nimora coming in and walking to the kitchen to get something. She seems to be like her old self again.

That made Ballister and Meredith happy. "Morning, Nimona." both grownups said, smiling at her. Nimona looked at them and smiled. "Morning." Nimora said, stretching out her body before getting something from the fridge. 

"You seemed much better last night, huh?" Meredith asked with a bright smile.

"Yep!" Nimona said, nodding as she pulled out a soda and opened it.

"How did you sleep?" Ballister asked, putting a book away.

“A bit better.” Nimona repiled, walking over to them. She noticed that they were rearranging some books. “What are you guys doing?” the teen asked, looking at the grownups.

"Just rearranging some books." Ballister said with a smile, putting books away. 

Meredith noticed purple hair dye in the bookshelf they put her books away.

"Oh great! I must have left it there by mistake when Nimora and I were rearranging it when you were asleep, Bal." Meredith said, taking the bottle off the shelf after putting books down.

Nimora noticed it and wanted to try something.

"Is there something you want to say, Nimora?" Ballister asked 

“Could you guys help me dye my hair?” Nimona asked, looking at them and pointing at the bottle.

Ballister and Meredith nodded. "We can."

As they went to the bathroom, they began getting ready for the hair dying, Nimona passed Ballister’s room and noticed a photo on his bed stand.

She went into the room while the grownups were getting things ready. Nimona picked up the photo and looked at the photo.

It was a photo of Mayor Boldheart and a 12-year-old Ballister at the Gloreth statue. They were both hugging each other and looked happy.

"Why is Ballister with Mayor Boldheart?" Nimona asked out loud.

Ballister and Meredith noticed as they enter the bedroom

"It's just…" Meredith said, then looked at Ballister to see if he wanted to talk about it. "Complicated…"

Ballister smiled sadly as he walked over to Nimona. "That's my mother and I." he said, pointing at the photo.

"Really?" Nimora asked, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

"Well, it's a long sad and happy story." Ballister said, putting the photo down and the guide Nimona out of the room. "We'll tell you the whole story."

"Oh, that’s a story I'm willing to listen to!" Nimona exclaimed happily, following him.

Ballister chuckled as they got to the bathroom. "I was born to a very bad family," Ballister started as they got Nimona ready for dying her hair. “And they steal and have a bad reputation for this.”

Nimona hummed and nodded. “So, was Mayor Boldheart a criminal?”

"No, Boldheart and Blackheart are very different surnames." Meredith explained, adding the dye to Nimona’s hair after it was wet. 

Nimona hummed. “Ah ok. So, how did you two meet?”

“Well, it started 20 years ago.” Ballister chuckled softly, remembering that day.

Flashback 20 years ago

 10-about-to-turn-11 year old Ballister was huffing and puffing finding the nearest alleyway, looking as his parents were being taken in by the police.

"Hey! Let us go!" His father yelled at the cops.

"Yea! You jerks!" His mother yelled.

Both of them begin getting into the car but then the policeman begin to notice the child

"Young man,” the officer said, waving a hand to let him come over. "Come here."

Ballister backed away, thinking that he’s in trouble, before running.

“Hey!” the officer shouted after him.

"Officers! We got a runaway kid!" The Officer said

He ran and ran into the institution door, entering into a ring full of the students of the Institute and an audience. 

Everyone looked at Ballister as the boy realized that he was in the Institute and he noticed a challenge was going on. 

He grabbed a wooden sword, and began running away from the officers and security guards trying to stop the boy but then he began climbing on the fence to a practice area and fighting a dummy in a battle cry.

"I'm here to slay monsters and protect our city." Balister said before the other officers and security guards tackled and pin them down

'It over for me…' Ballister thought.

"Stop!" A female voice shouted. 

Everyone looked at the female who shouted. 

It was Mayor Valerin Boldheart. 

She walked over to him. "Let him go." The mayor said to the officers and guards. 

Officers did as they were told.

Ynonne, along with everyone else, looked at the mayor as the mayor helped Ballister up. 

Ballister stood up and looked at her. 

The other kids began whispering to each other like everyone else in the arena. 

The mayor begins to quiet everyone down. 

“Everyone,” Mayor Valerin said with a smile, “we have our chapin.”

Everyone gasped in shock.

"Mayor Boldheart, are you serious?" Director Yvonne asked, worried on her face.

Mayor Boldheart nodded. "Yes."

"But…" Yvonne started but stopped when Mayor Valerin raised her hand to her.

Then the Mayor look at Ballister, smiling softly at him

"H-Hi." Ballister said, nervously smiling at her.

The mayor then looked at the other students and everyone. "Give us a minute." she said to them.

Everyone left the room, leaving just Ballister and Valerin.

Ballister looked at the blonde boy before looking at the mayor again. “Am I in trouble?” he asked nervously.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. “Nope. I just want to talk to you.” 

“Um… ok. What do you want to talk about?” Ballister asked, calming down a bit.

“I noticed that you have a different type of bravery that I’ve seen.” Valern said, beginning to think with a slight smile

“What’s so different about my bravery than everyone else's?” Ballister asked, tilting his head a bit.

Mayor Boldheart chuckled softly, "Well most bravery have strength from their family and ancestors but with you, I see you have the heart of a hero. I want to ask you, would you like to be an officer or guard?"

"W-what?" Ballister asked, surprised. "Are you serious?"

"I am. We need people like you." Valern explained, with a smile. "So, what do you say?"

Ballister stared at her before hugging her, crying. "Yes!" he cried happily. 

The mayor chuckled softly and hugged him back before calling news stations and child centers, then telling Ynonne something.

Later, Ne ws stations and reporters come from all over the city was in front of mayor's office  with the director and Ballister 

Ballister was shy, looking around a crowd of people

"Excuse, Madam Mayor Boldheart?" One reporter asks "Is it true that You're going to train and adopt the Blackheart kid?"

Valerin looked at the reporter and nodded. "Yes, I am." she replied with a smile. "I'll help him on the right path."

Then Valerin looked at Yvonne, who was holding a university ring, and nodded to her. Yvonne looked at Ballister in a stern look as she gave him the university ring.

"This ring and child," Valerin started. "will be part of a new chapter of our city"

"Whoa." Ballister said, with his eyes in wonder as he looked at the ring.

"Does he even come from a royal or rich family?" The other reporter said

“No, he’s not from a royal or rich family.” Mayor Valerin Boldheart said into a microphone. Then she smiled as she put a gentle hand on the kid’s back. “But he does have the heart of a hero and I’m willing to help him on the right path.”

Ballister looked up at her and smiled at her as other reporters immediately asked another question after another.

Ballister was surprised by this act of kindness.

Later that night, B a llister begin getting settled down in his new room when Valerin knocked on his door

"Come in, Mayor." Ballister said, sitting on the bed.

“Hey, Bal.” Valerin said as she entered the room and smiled.

"Are you checking on me?" He asked, sitting on his new bed.

Valerin nodded. “Yep. I know that change can be hard.”

"Yea, All my life. I never had any comfort or any love growing up. I never had any chance to be who I am now.” Ballister explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "Living alone with awful parents who mistreat you and give you a scar, it’s not fun."

Then he pointed at the scar over his right eye.

Valerin hummed and nodded. “I see.” she said, sitting down on the bed with Ballister. 

“I have a question.” the young boy said, looking at the mayor.

“Yes?”

“Am I just a project to see if it works or not?” Ballister asked, hugging himself.

Valerien was surprised about this question. "No, you are not a project, you are my SON now." she said, holding his hands in hers.

Ballister looked at Valerin with wide eyes as the mayor added, "I will be adopting you."

Ballister smiled as he hugged her, making Valerin chuckled softly and hugged him back. 

Present Day

"That's a very interesting story." Nimora said, "But sad at the same time."

Ballister nodded and chuckled, "Yeah, like I said it was a long sad and happy story."

Nimona chuckled softly too. "Yeah… it reminds me of a quote that 

… reminds me of a quote that some people from my home beyond the wall used to say.”

Then the timer went off, meaning that the hair dye was done. “Oh? Mind telling us?” Meredith asked, turning the timer off.

The teen nodded. "Sure. This is the quote: ‘Some of us don’t get the happily ever after we were looking for. Maybe it’s not that kind of kingdom. Or maybe it’s not the end of the story’. It’s a very old quote. It started with Niki, my ancestor.” Nimona explained before Meredith helped her wash her hair to get the extra dye out. 

“Oh, really? When did it start?” Ballister asked, handing a towel to Meredith.

“It's as old as the city’s rude quote, ‘Go back to the shadows from whence you came’ ...” Nimona said, drying her hair with Meredith’s help. 

Ballister and Meredith looked at each other before looking at Nimona. 

“I see.” Ballister said sadly. “Sorry…”

“It’s ok, boss.” Nimona reassured, smiling at him and giving him a gentle punch on the shoulder.

Ballister, who was feeling a bit better, smiled a bit at her as Meredith rubbed Nimona hair to be dry before taking the towel off.

"And here we go!" Meredith exclaimed happily, taking the towel off to show beautiful purple hair on Nimona.

The teen gasped happily when looking in the mirror.

"You like it?" Meredith asked with a warm smile.

Nimona nodded. "Yes!"

Balllister had a smile on his face. "I'm glad you like it." Ballister said, walking over. 

They never saw Nimora so happy as she hugged both of them.

'This kid had been through so much. She deserves so much better in this world.' Meredith thought with a smile. Ballister smiled softly as Nimona exited the bathroom.

"That girl is really a sweetheart." Meredith said, looking at Nimona walking out. “She really is.” Ballister said, nodding.

Chapter Text

A week later, at night

Meredith and Nimona challenge each other in a video game while Ballister gets snacks from the kitchen.

"Oh ho ho, You are going down, Nimona!" Meredith said, trying to beat her in her red car in the game. "You can't beat me at this level, for I'm a master of this!"

“We’ll see!” Nimona commented, trying to win with her yellow car in the game.

Ballister noticed that Nimona was a bit red as the two played. "Remember to not burn the tv." Ballister said, walking over with snacks. "Or catch it on fire." Meredith corrected, as she was distracted as Nimora beat them. 

The next thing that the grownups knew was that Nimona won.

"Darn it." Meredith said in defeat, placing their controller on the table and standing up to walk to calm down.

“Yes!!!” Nimona exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and doing a victory dance.

Ballister chuckled as he got a chip from the snack bowl.

"Did you cheat on this game or something?" Meredith asked, looking down at her. 

“Nope!” Nimona said, still doing her victory dance.

Meredith recheck.

It was an extra arm holding the console

"I knew it!" Meredith laughed, pointing at the extra arm and console.

Ballister had his hand out and said, "Come on Nimona. You know the rule."

"No cheating." Nimona said, mocking him in his voice as she gave him the console. Meredith laughed a little at her impression of Ballister, who was glaring.

"Cut it out." Ballister warned, glaring at both of them. Meredith and Nimona stopped and looked at him. 

Then Meredith looked at the time while Nimona gave Ballister the controller. 

It was 10:30 PM.

"Well… It's getting late. You should get some rest" Meredith said, looking at Nimona. "Look at the time."

It was getting late.

"Come on, just one more hour." Nimora said, acting energetic but then yawned a bit.

“Come on, Nimona. It’s time for bed.” Ballister said, getting up from his seat and turned the tv off.

“Alright, dad!” Nimona chuckled, going to get herself ready for bed.

Meredith was surprised when Nimona called Ballister 'dad' as Nimona left the room.

"She called you dad." she said, looking at Ballister. They noticed Ballister’s face looked surprised in shock. “You ok, Bal?” Meredith asked, looking worried. “I… Yeah. I’m ok.” Ballsiter said, nodding and getting up. 

The two grownups started getting up and fixed the couch for Nimona to sleep. They were quiet for a bit as they did that.

"Bal, do you remember the story that Nimona told us about her past?” Meredith asked, breaking the silence while fluffing a pillow.

Ballister nodded as he put the blanket down. “Yes. What about it?”

“I noticed the story on the subway didn't make any sense, apart from the well, since there’s a well near the wall." Meredith started, placing the pillow down. "Of course the lab rat part seems familiar."

“Nimona didn’t mention being a lab rat.” Ballister said, picking up the snack bowl and went to the kitchen.

Meredith followed him and got to her lab. "I mean from the new newspaper headlines and articles." Meredith said, getting another article about the breakout from her lab.

Ballister looked at her when he got into the kitchen.

"I was trying to connect her story and this." Meredith said, placing the newspaper on the kitchen table.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions, ok?” Ballister said, looking down at the article and then looked at Meredith.

But then his mind starts to wonder.

It was about everything for the past ten years, Ambrosius, the adventures with Nimona and Meredith, Gloreth, and wondering if there were other shapeshifters. 

Meredith noticed

"Is it about Goldenloin?" Meredith asked, getting a chip from the bowl and then ate it.

“Yeah… and Nimona.” Ballister sighed, looking down.

Meredith walked over to him and asked, “Want to talk about it?”

Ballister nodded and

"Come on, Bal." Meredith said, "Spit it out."

“Do you think that there are shapeshifters?” Ballister asked, getting a chip and eating it. “And if so, where are they? Beyond the wall?”

Meredith thought about it as she ate some chips before saying, “That’s an interesting thought. It would explain some of the sounds from beyond the wall.”

Ballister nodded. “Yep. I wonder if we'll confront Nimona’s family beyond the wall.”

"But I don't know if we can confront her about family or others like her yet." Meredith said, putting the snacks away. "She might be mad and get triggered, but I think parts of the story like, how on earth did she ever had a single mother who had to work but didn't have any records of her."

“Agreed. But let's be slow and wait when she’s ready.” Ballister hummed, nodding.

"Yeah, good point." Meredith said, pointing at Ballister.

Nimora begins shapeshifting her hair back to purple after taking a shower and dressed when she stumbles upon Ballister's office.

She thought she took a quick peek. 

She wanted to read a book. 'If I was Ballister, where would I put a book?' she thought as she tried to open the door.

It was locked and authorized by his handprint.

Nimona hummed as she shapeshifted into Ballister and put her handprints on the lock.

It was now open.

She looked at his shelves as she looked around the room.

Though she wasn't usually in school due to her past, she secretly wanted to read (though when Meredith talked about education since the first time they met she was just too stubborn to say she's in denial). 

She looked around the shelves until she noticed something on a desk. Nimona looked at them and her eyes widened. 

There on the desk was the scroll of her ancestor and the article of her.

She looks at it in fear and anger, not knowing how long she was there for until she heard the door open.

“Nimona!” Ballister exclaimed in surprise when he came in. Meredith came along too and was surprised. "What are you doing here?!" Meredith asked, but noticed the scroll and article.

The grownups and teen looked at the scroll and article before looking at each other.

"Please Let us explai-" Meredith started but was cut off by Nimona shouting, “How long have you had these?! How long did you two know?!”

The grownups looked at each other, both worried about this. "A week or so." Meredith answered, rubbing the back of their neck. "But it's not what it looks like."

Nimona glared at both of them before pointing at the scroll and article, saying, “What it looks like is that someone gave you the bad side of history instead of telling both sides of the stories.”

"Nimona…" Meredith said trying to reach out to Nimona but Nimona ran out and jumped out the door.

“Nimona!” Ballister and Meredith shouted after her, started to run after her after getting their coats and something to protect themselves. Meredith got her jetpack on as they ran.

“Nimona!” they shouted after her as they left the hideout.

But then a bright light shined on both of them after they ran about half a mile.

Meredith and Ballister got the things ready to protect themselves 

It was revealed to be Thaddeus and the police.

"Well, well, well…" Thaddeus chuckled darkly, looking at them. "You're out in the open."

Ballister gasped before looking at Meredith and ordered, “Meredith run!”

"Don't worry, I'll get help!" Meredith said they got their jetpack working. She flew up as the officers grabbed Ballister.

Nimora shape-shifted to a wolf and ran far and far away as fast as she could. 

She was crying as she ran.

Nimona stopped running when she got to the wall, looking out to the city.  She gasped when she saw a well. “Oh no…” Nimona breathed as she remembered her past.

Flashback

A young Nimora and her mother sneak out of the lab and shapeshift around the woods just for a while, to be themselves and catch a breather. 

It had already been a year since she and her mother were caught and brought in for testing.

They were treated terribly by the scientists and sneaked out when they could.

They were in the woods a bit aways from the lab.

“Ok, honey. Mama is going to get some food, ok?” her mother told her. Nimona nodded and watched as her mother went off to get some food.

But as she waited, she saw in the distance a young girl, around Nimona’s age, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles, playing with stones and being happy by herself playing by the well.

Nimona slowly walked over to the girl but still was hiding. She didn’t know where she was stepping as she stepped on a twig and it snapped it, which got the girl’s attention and looked at her.

The girl slowly walked over to Nimona. “Hi there.” she said, smiling at her.

Nimona almost backed away in fear when the girl got close to her. “H-hi.” Nimora said nervously.

“Hey, it’s ok.” said the girl, who gave Nimona a rock and helped her walk out of her hiding place with a smile. “Want to play with me?”

Nimora was unsure but nodded a yes and Nimora tried to throw a rock but it just landed at her feet.

The girl giggled and explained, “That’s not how you throw.” Then the girl taught her to throw and the two girls played.

“What’s your name?” Nimona asked at one point, looking at the girl. 

"Gloria," the girl said, looking at her with a smile, "yours?"

Nimona was about to speak when her mother found her. "Nimona, there you are!" she called out before looking at the girl.

Gloria looked at Nimona’s mother with wide eyes.

"Who was this girl?" Nimora's mother asked, pointing at Gloria in worry in her voice.

"Her name is Gloria." Nimona said, smiling and holding Gloria's hand.

"Well, nice to meet you Gloria." her mother said in a softer tone, smiling softly at her.

Nimona begins sneaking off, so does Gloria. They begin being close friends in secret, going to their favorite hiding place in the woods, having fun at the playground near the woods, playing knights and soldiers and cowboys, and sometimes sleeping into the woods.

At age 7, Gloria was struggling to get an apple out of the tree. When the little girl was about to give up, Nimona shapeshifted into a little bird in front of her for the first time, which Gloria was amazed by. 

Nimona gave Gloria the apple as she shapeshifted back to little girl self. “I’m so sorry! I should have remembered that you’re human… ” Nimona apologized in worry. “Please don’t be mad-!” 

“That was amazing!” Gloria exclaimed, holding the apple in one hand and holding Nimona’s hand. “How did you do that?!”

Nimona looked at Gloria in surprise but then smiled. “Well, it’s more like what I’m feeling or I think of what I want to shift into.” she explained, giggling.

Of course Gloria kept that a secret between them and the relationship started to get stronger and stronger.

This relationship went on for almost nine years.

Then on Gloria's 15th birthday, they snuck out to the biggest skyscraper in the city looking around. 

Gloria has changed with her now long blonde hair floating into the wind, wearing a beautiful white dress, light blue leggings, and brown flats laughing and having a good time, holding onto a line of the tower. 

Nimora had a pink hair in a Chelsea haircut, a magenta tunic over a large red T-shirt, black cargo pants, crimson red socks, and light pink and cherry red Velcro sneakers she got it from Gloria on her birthday last month 

"Glad I suggested sneaking into the skyscraper on your birthday then a boring party." Nimona jokes with a smile.

Gloria chuckled softly and held her hand. Nimora blushed softly, rubbing her hand gently as they sat down.

“I love you, Nimona.” Gloria said softly, smiling softly at her.

Nimora blushed red, even though she would have gotten used to it by now. "I love you too, Gloria." Nimona said, smiling softly.

They have been secretly dating for almost 6 months now.

Nimona poker her lips and nervousness, about to say something to her… but then the next thing she knew Gloria kissed her on the lips.

That caught Nimona off guard but she kissed her back.

They are in love.

But it seems that the time is almost sundown and everyone might be worrying.

"Looks like we have to get out of here." Gloria said as they left. But when they got to the streets, Gloria gasped when she had an idea. 

“What’s on your mind?” Nimona asked, facing her. 

"What if we run away together?" Gloria asked, smiling.

"W-What?" Nimona asked, very lightened and surprised in her voice.

"We can start a new life together, over that wall." Gloria said, pointing at the wall. “I want to explore and have an adventure with you. So, what do you say?”

Nimona smiled as hugged her and exclaimed, “Yes! I would love to!”

"What are we waiting for?!" Gloria exclaimed. "We should tell your mom!"

Nimona’s smile fades a bit and sighed, “My mom is gone… just last week.”

"Oh… I’m so sorry…" Gloria said sadly. "What happened in the lab? If you don’t mind."

“She was shocked for not ‘following’ the rules…” Nimona said, almost close to crying.

"My God, that's horrible." Gloria said, holding her hand before squeezing it gently. "That's it! WE are leaving together TONIGHT!"

Gloria begins packing up all her essentials needed to get over the wall as well as some food. She's stolen from the pantry to last them days, with Nimona waiting outside.

Gloria climb out of the window with a ladder 

"Ready?" Gloria asked, adjusting her hood.

Nimona nodded excitedly and held her hand out to her.

Gloria smiled and held her hand as they both ran to the wall.

Unfortunately It was pretty high.

Nimora shapeshifted into an eagle in order to fly them out of here, at first it was completely successful as they saw the outside of the wall for the first time.

It was beautiful. The river was beautiful and shining in the moonlight and the moonlight shone so brightly and there were thousands of stars, along with beautiful trees and grass.

Nimona landed and shapeshifted back to herself.

She looked at Gloria, who looked shocked while looking at the new surroundings.

The moon was bright and the stream was there as before and the forest looked amazing.

"Gloria, you ok?" Nimona asked, 

"W-we're…FREE! We're finally free!" Gloria said, grabbing Nimona by the waist and laughing. "Look at this! It's amazing!"

Nimona laughed and hugged Gloria back as Gloria spun around as they fell to the ground. They both laughed softly and got up when they realized that they were free at last.

But it didn't last very long as they noticed a flashlight pointing towards them.

"Run!" Gloria yelled, grabbing her girlfriend's hand and along with the bag. They begin running as the alert sounds start rolling and helicopters fly up above to catch them.

They begin running to the woods trying as fast as they can, They found a hiding spot.

Mid-flashback

Nimona can still remember the loud sounds of the helicopter and the bright lights as they were catching them as she began to cover her ears.

Then the next thing she knew was that she got shocked and was paralyzed her. 

Nimona was breathing heavily in fear as she started to pass out after getting more shocked.

Back to flashback

They held onto each other, hoping they wouldn't get caught. 

They began catching their breath

“Gloria… I’m so sorry about this…” Nimona said sadly. “They’re after me…”

“They’re after me too…” Gloria said after a while. 

Nimona looked at her in a bit of surprise.

They begin to check if they are safe.

There are more officers, searching for them.

"We need to go." Nimona whispers 

They try to run trying to go further and further. 

But then they were caught by officers and were grabbed.

"Let me go!" Gloria said, trying to break free from the officer's grasp.

"Well, well, running away from your family aren't you, Gloria?" Said a voice, which revealed to be the new director-in-training, Ynonne. The new director-in-training with straight long hair in a ponytail reaching her waist, and in a military uniform, with a smirk.

"You…" Gloria breathed in fear and anger.

She was then hit in the stomach and fell to her knees.

"GLORIA!" Nimora yelled in terror. She took down the guards holding her and was about to attack but was caught in the electrical net, shocking her so much until it was about to kill her.

“Nimona!” Gloria exclaimed in worry, trying to get to her but was still being held back.

Then Ynonne cleared her throat, getting Gloria’s attention.

"We’ll forget about your runaway from the city and everything goes back to normal, with you back with your family and this monster back with the lab… or we will do this to your lover until she’s dead." Ynonne said, looking down at Gloria.

Gloria looked at Nimora in terror as the shapeshifter kept on being shocked repeatedly. “Fine!” she shouted at Yvonne. “But at least let me say goodbye to her… please…”

Yvonne rolled her eyes but nodded and raised her hand to signal the guards to stop shocking.

Gloria walked over to her girlfriend, who was panting heavily.

Nimora began to blackout as Gloria got the net off of her and held her hand and left with her last word to her girlfriend, “Don't forget me…”

-present time-

Meredith got to the address of Dr. Ocean Sealine's place and arrived there.

She took a deep breath and began knocking on a wooden door. “Dr. Sealine!” they exclaimed as she knocked.

Ocean opened the door as he adjusted his goggles over his eyes, wearing green pajamas.

"Sorry to disturb you at this late hour." Meredith said, looking at him, ignoring that Ocean was in his pajamas. "But I believe you remember me?"

“Oh yes! Margo!” Ocean exclaimed, smiling at her.

“Well…it's actually Meredith.”

“Oh! Well, want to come inside?” Ocean asked, stepping to the side so Meredith could come in.

She nodded and looked around his place as they walked inside. It was a bit cluttered but a bit clean.

"Do you like Earl Grey or Oolong tea?" Ocean asked as he entered the kitchen "Although I have tea in a couple options, I also have some coffee or water or milk or orange juice. Please take a seat."

Meredith had a deep love of both Earl Grey and Oolong teas. 

"Maybe a mix of Earl Grey and Oolong please." Meredith said, sitting down on the couch.

"I'll try." Ocean said, nodding and starting to make the tea.

While she was waiting for her tea, she looked at the research Ocean made. 

One was of Gloreth's monster. 

Almost like the one she had given from Goldinloin. "Hey, Ocean?" they called out, looking at Ocean.

"Yes?" Ocean replied, looking at Meredith from the kitchen.

"Do you know anything about shapeshifting and Gloreth?" she asked, pointing at the photo.

"Yes, I do." Ocean said, walking over with the tea.

"Mind telling me?" Meredith asked, taking the tea.

Ocean nodded and sat down next to her. "Well, the story of Gloreth and her monster is incorrect. Gloreth wasn't a grown woman but a child when she faced her monster. They started off as friends but then became enemies when they were older."

"But, did any of them have descendants?" Meredith asked 

Ocean nodded. "Yes."

"Why aren't there any more shapeshifters in the city? How come some of the history happened raised while others"

"Well, to sort of stop the war, Gloreth ordered and built a wall to protect the city, or kingdom as it was called back in old times." Ocean said, waving his hand a bit. "Anyway, the shapeshifters are on the other side of the wall but some of the scientists wanted to figure out how the shapeshifter bodies work. So, some shifters were taken into the labs."

"I think… I think I heard about those horrible experiments before, but I did see a poor girl during a field trip to the science lab in terror in secret." Meredith said, looking at the history books Ocean collected. "You think other shapeshifters escape this horrible fate?"

Ocean nodded. "There was one. It looked exactly like the one on the news. You know with the red pink hair. But it can’t be… unless…" Ocean’s eyes widened with realization. “Unless the things, like shots and a lot of testing, that the scientists used on the shapeshifters used so much that they stopped aging when they don’t get or stop taking whatever the scientists give them.”

Meredith nodded as they began collecting the pieces.

"I'm also working on some memory projector." Ocean said, getting up. "It basically has memories of the shapeshifters. Wanna see it?"

Meredith nodded. “Sure. What is it?”

Ocean walked to a desk and then brought back something.

It contains some sort of cube light, blue, pink, red and gray.

Meredith watched as Ocean pressed the button and began to reveal alive sections of whose memories check the past shapeshifters.

Meredith picked Nimora's and was shocked to see the truth.

"I need to get to Bal!" Meredith said, putting her cup down and getting up.

Ocean nodded. “Um… ok!”

She began to rush out the door and out the place. But before they took off, she felt something hit her arm. They noticed a dart in her arm and collapsed to the ground.

The moment she woke up a couple of hours later, she began to look around. 

It was a prison cell.

She looked again and Ballister was there, by their side. “Bal?” she groaned, slowly sitting up.

“Mere.” Ballister breathed in relife, smiling. 

"Bal!" Meredith said, hugging him. But as they hugged him, she felt that her ankle was chained. She looked down to see her ankle, and Ballister’s ankle, chained to the floor.

“Hey.” a voice called out by their cell. “It’s good to see you both awake.”

Ballister and Meredith looked to see who was by the cell and it turned out to be none other than Ambrosius, waiting for them to wake up.

"Oh, you…" Meredith growled, glaring at him. “What do you want, traitor?”

Ballister looked at Meredith and hissed, “Mere!”

“No… Meredith is right…” Ambrosius said, his voice sounding full of guilt.

Then Ballister and Meredith looked at Ambrosius and asked, “What do you mean?”

Ambitious looked at them and pointed at Ballister’s arm. “This…” he started, remembering like it was yesterday. “Everything… I didn’t mean to hurt either of you…”

"And?" Meredith asked, with her arms crossed. She noticed that Ballister was glaring at her.

“I’m so sorry…” Ambrosius said, starting to cry.

Bal and Meredith's expression changed when they saw Ambrosius crying.

"What do you mean 'you're sorry'?" Meredith asked, uncrossing her arms.

Ambrosius looked at both of them and they were surprised to see makeup tears smudges.

"Tell us… please." Ballister said, wanting to know.

Ambrosius took a deep breath and sigh sadly. 

"Ambrosius…" Ballister and Meredith started to speak, trying to understand.

"I understand if you two don't want to see me ever again but I can help you out. By taking you over the wall." Ambrosius said, wiping away the tears before looking at the two again. "I know it'll get me in trouble but hear me out."

Ballister and Meredith looked at each other before looking back at Ambrosius as he explained his plan.

But then someone opened the cell when he was done, it was one of the officers. 

"Come with us." the officer said, looking at them.

Meanwhile, Nimora slowly woke and saw herself inside of some sort of big orb, for when she tried to move she was stuck. She tried hitting it but it didn't break.

Suddenly a group of scientists came in. 

"Ah, subject 615, after the last eight years that you escaped and we had our search team across the city and then almost giving up, we finally found you." The main scientist  said, smiling at her.

She escaped from the lab 8 years ago and went on the run, hiding and surviving on the streets.

Nimona growled at them. "You-" then she screamed in pain when she got an electrical shock.

"Don't you be disobedient to us again, you belong with us." The main scientist said, looking at her as the others walked over to her with testing equipment.

Nimona breathed fast and heavily as she felt fear and anger rise up inside of her.

Meredith and Ballister were taken to the hallways towards the lab. 

Ambrosius walked with them along with the guards.

There Mayor Yvonne was waiting for them. She smiled darkly at them and said, "Welcome."

"You…" Meredith growled . "What do you want with us?" Ballister asked in a growled. "And what is ALL of this?!" Meredith asked, her eyes filled with fire.

Yvonne smiled more at them. "Well Ms. Blitzmeyer, stubborn and intelligent just like your father." Yvonne said, looking down at them.

"It's Mx. Blitzmeyer." Ballister corrected, glaring.

"Whatever that means." Ynonne said, clearly not into changing gender identity. "Anyways, I bet you know this place before, Blitzmeyer. Maybe one of your classes on a field trip or when you were a student on a trip?."

Meredith looked around and her eyes widened knowing where they were. "We're in the testing lab." they said, looking at the mayor. 

Yvonne nodded. " But you never saw this part of the lab, but this is the department of defensive weapons." the mayor explained before she started to lead them and the group of officers to a room.

Everyone looked at the machines for experimenting. "We do have a surprise for you." Yvonne said, smiling dark.

Then they heard banging echoing.

It was revealed to be Nimona in a sometype of big orb.

"Nimona!" Ballister and Meredith exclaimed worriedly.

Nimora began trying to break free by shape shifting into her bigger self but she was shocked by the orb, making her stop and falling to the floor.

Ballister and Meredith watched in terror. "Just stop! PLEASE JUST STOP!!!" Ballister begged.

But they both got beaten in the stomach by the guards. They both fell to the floor as the shock stopped.

"Why are you doing this?!" Meredith exclaimed, tears falling down her face as they looked up at Mayor Yvonne. "She's harmless!”

Yvonne looked darkly at them and said, “You all don’t know what it can do.”

"W-what do you mean?" Meredith asked in shock. "You're not doing what I think you're doing to Nimona."

Yvonne could only smile darkly. “Yep. It’s a living weapon.” Yvonne said, pointing at Nimona.

“She’s not a weapon!” Ballister shouted, anger building up inside of him. 

"Yeah! And not a toy to use for military affairs!" Meredith said in anger as well.

Mayor Yvonne just ignored them as she walked over to the orb, looking at Nimona. 

"Please don't do this." Meredith pleaded, worriedness in her eyes.

Yvonne didn’t listen as she smiled at the weak Nimona, who was still panting after being shocked.

"Why are you using her anyways?" Ambrosius asked, confused and wanting to know like the other officers.

“Maybe it’s because she’s afraid of losing her reputation." Meredith said, snappy.

Ynonne heard it loud and clear.

Everyone did.

The officers started to talk among themselves while Ambrosius was in shock.

Yvonne turned around, walked over to Meredith, and slapped her. The room went quiet when the mayor did that.

“Gloreth did whatever it took to keep the monsters out.” Yvonne growled loud and clear. “And so will I.”

Then there was a laugh, coming from the orb that held Nimona. Everyone looked very confused at the trapped shapeshifter.

“Oh! That’s rich!” Nimona laughed, wiping a laughing tear away. 

“What do you mean?” Ambrosius asked, taking a step closer to Nimona.

Nimona sighed with a big smile before it faded as she looked at everyone. “Gloreth and the monster, her name was Niki, were kids and became friends when they first met. Like me and Gloria.” the shapeshifter explained darkly. “But, unlike Gloria and I, Gloreth stopped being friends with Niki and turned her back, or better terms, stabbed her in the back and started the war of the humans and shapeshifters.”

Everyone was surprised about this historical fact. 

"Niki? What did she look like?" Ambrosius asked, taking another few steps forward.

“Like me, but with long hair.” Nimona said, pointing at her hair. “It makes sense since she’s my ancestor. Like you being the descendant of Gloreth and almost looking similar to her.”

Baliister and Meredith realize why the girl from the scroll looked exactly like Nimona, but different.

It all makes sense now.

Then Nimona got shocked again before she could say anymore. As Nimona panted heavily, Yvonne walked over and said, “That’s enough.”

"Why do you want her and her family or kind anyway?" Meredith asked, looking at the Mayor.

Yvonne looked at her and said, "It's to know and understand what these monsters are."

"But why use her when you hate shapeshifters?"

Yvonne glared. "It's to protect the city. Also, the shapeshifters don’t attack each other."

Then a scientist quickly came over to the mayor. "Ma'am." The scientist said, sounding serious. "You all should leave. We need to do testing subject 615."

Nimora tries to break free as they begin to leave but it doesn't work. Just then all the emotion and her bottle of anger started to grow more and more as she remembered hurtful words that were spoken to her.

'You are nothing but a lab rat'

'You're a monster.’

‘Go back to the streets, freak!'

‘Monster…’

'You freak!'

‘Don’t disobey us, test subject 615.’

The words got louder and faster that they overlapped in Nimona’s mind.

Nimona began clutching her hands as she began to shapeshift into a sometype of shadow and smoke. She was growing bigger and bigger as she shapeshifted, leading her to scream so loud that it cracked the orb.

The scientist looked at her and gasped in horror.

Meanwhile, Meredith and Ballister were in the interrogation part of the room. Ballister getting beaten in the stomach again by Thaddeus while getting corner by officers 

Ambrosius just walked in and saw this happening. “Hey! Stop it!” he shouted, pulling Thaddeus away. “You are supposed to ask questions!”

"Yeah, like he said!" Meredith said in agreement. "You are just abusing your power as an officer!"

“Says from a trader.” Thaddeus said, looking at Meredith before going to one of the chairs in the room.

"TRADER?!" Meredith screamed in anger standing up but was forced down into her seat by the other officers.

"You guys brought in a runaway monster." Thaddeus said, ignoring the screams. 

“No, we didn’t.” Ballister said, looking at everyone.

"Dr. Sealine?!" Ballister and Meredith exclaimed in shock, surprised to see them.

Ocean looked at them and waved before getting his backpack off and getting something out. “Yes, I do. And it’s this.” he said, pulling out a cube.

Everyone was surprised looking at the cube, but then there was a loud crash sound and screaming scientists ran out. "EVERYONE OUT!!! EVERYONE RUN!!!" a scientist screamed as they ran. "Alert the Institute!"

Ocean puts the cube back in their backpack as everyone quickly gets out of the room.

Everyone began running out and evacuating the building before half of it collapsed.

Meredith and Ballister were set free by Ambrosius. “Come on!” Ambrosius said, taking Ballister and Meredith.

“Hey, wait up!” Ocean shouted as he ran up to catch up with them.

They got to a safe spot near the woods to catch their breath.

"What is this? Nimona?" Ballister asked, pointing at the two photos and looking at the officer. “We haven’t met her until about a month and a half ago when we were in hiding.”

Just then, the door opened and it was revealed to be Dr. Ocean Sealine. Everyone looked at him as he ran in.

“Sorry that I’m late!” Ocean exclaimed as he got in.

“It’s alright.” Ambrosius reassured him. “You said you had something to show us about this case.”

"Dr. Sealine?!" Ballister and Meredith exclaimed in shock, surprised to see them.

Ocean looked at them and waved before getting his backpack off and getting something out. “Yes, I do. And it’s this.” he said, about to pull out something from his bag.

It was the cube from earlier. 

But before Ocean could explain what it was, there was a loud crash sound and screaming scientists ran out. "EVERYONE OUT!!! EVERYONE RUN!!!" a scientist screamed as they ran. "Alert the Institute!"

Ocean puts the cube back in their backpack as everyone quickly gets out of the room.

Everyone began running out and evacuating the building before half of it collapsed.

Meredith and Ballister were set free by Ambrosius. “Come on!” Ambrosius said, taking Ballister and Meredith.

“Hey, wait up!” Ocean shouted as he ran up to catch up with them.

They got to a safe spot near the woods to catch their breath.

“What’s going on?!” Meredith exclaimed, looking around to see what was happening. “Where’s Nimona?!” Ballister asked, looking around to see where Nimona was.

“Hey! I think that’s your friend!” Ocean shouted, pointing at something.

Ambrosius, Ballister, and Meredith looked at what Dr. Sealine was pointing at and then they gasped.

There was a big monster of shadows and smoke.

Ambrosius quickly got his walkie talkie out and got it on. "Calling all units! Calling all units! Get the mayor and alert the city NOW!" Ambrosius said into his walkie talkie before turning it off. 

"What have we done?" Meredith and Ballister breathed in shock as they looked at their friend's state.

They realized what they've done and needed to fix this.

Chapter Text

People in the city are just doing their business by either going home from work, getting food, enjoying the night or some protesters from different sides to fight who’s the real villain.

But everyone stopped what they were doing when they heard something at the near edge of  the city and the woods within the wall.

It sounded like a low growl.

Then white flaming eyes appeared from the darkness and a huge paw of smoke and darkness entered the city.

Everyone screamed loudly and ran away as it entered.

Ambrosius arrived at the scene with a few officers and got his walkie talkie out. "We need barricades on Avenue A through F." He ordered. "And can we clear the streets? These people are in danger."

The officers in the area got the order and some went to get the barricades up while others got some people to safety.

The mayor begins looking at the city, hearing the dispatch from every officer in the city.

‘Now there’s the monster on the loose.’ Mayor Yvonne thought as she turned to her security.

"Sound the alarm!" she ordered them. "And get me to the wall"

They immediately pressed the emergency button that they fixed a week ago and the emergency alert came on as the shadows and smoke monster crawled more into the city.

Monster attack. Monster attack.

This is not a test.

Monster attack. Monster attack.

This is not a test.

Monster attack. Monster attack-

The screens came off when the monster swiped a screen off as if to say ‘SHUSH!’

Mayor Yvonne was surprised by this but she kept her guard up as she went to the wall with her security.

All of the citizens panic as they try to get away from the monster walking more into the city.

When the monster was walking more into the city, Members of every officer, military, and S.O.S available came to people’s aid.

“It’s go time, people!” a general shouted as everyone got in position.

Then all of the officers gasped when they saw the monster of shadows and smoke.

They stood their ground. 

When the monster was walking more into the city, Members of every officer, military, and every S.O.S available came to people’s aid.

“It’s go time, people!” a general shouted as everyone got in position.

Then all of the officers gasped when they saw the monster of shadows and smoke.

They stood their ground. 

Sirens began the sound though every corner of the city that was attacked 

There were still some citizens in the area and some officers said to them and to their coworkers, "Everyone stay calm."

Ambrosius begins checking on every person when he notices a terrified old woman about to get hurt by some falling glass and metal.

"Look out!" Ambrosius shouted as he moved her out of the way. 

The glass and metal hit the ground just seconds after Ambrosius got the old woman out of the way, shattering.

"You okay?" he asked her.

The old woman nodded, trying to calm down.

Ambrosius sighs softly before he hears a familiar ruin voice shout out at him.

"Hey, Goldie!" Thaddeus shouted at Ambrosius. "Watch how a real officer gets it done.”

Some of the officers pointed their weapons at the monster when Thaddeus was on his work police motorcycle with the other officers, arriving at the scene.

“Alright, officers. Let’s shoot some bullets and break some hearts." He began getting his gun out. "I’m gonna be a freaking hero-!” Thaddeus said out loud to his group, which made everyone roll their eyes at him. But when he looked at the monster with everyone else, he didn’t know what came over him but it wasn’t his prideful self. And then came screams in terror, which got the monster’s attention and looked at the officers.

The monster saw the weapons pointing at them, growling at them as if to say ‘don’t think about it’.

This act made some of the officers run, including Thaddeus.

As Thaddeus tried to get away on his motorbike, his bike hit another bike, leading it to get out of control, heading to a wall and crashing into it. 

Meanwhile, the mayor was pacing and pacing of what to do then she remembered the cannons 

"What is it, Madam Mayor?" One of the security guards spoke.

Yvonne looked at her security guards and said, “Prepare one of the cannons and aim it at the monster.”

They were shocked but did as they were told.

Meredith and Ballister were running and they saw the mess of the whole city's current state. 

“We need to get to Nimona.” Meredith said, looking at Ballister.

But then they noticed a photo of the three of them out of Meredith's pocket fell to the ground. Ballister picked it up and both of them looked at it.

Then they began hearing a scream.

A very loud and high pitch scream that could almost shatter glass.

"Sealine!" Meredith and Ballister exclaimed looking at him.

"There you are, I was looking for you after you left." Ocean said, panting when he got to them.

Ocean caught their breath as they put his backpack, which was open, on the ground.

The cube fell out of his backpack and Ballister picked it up. But then an idea pops into Meredith’s head as she looks at the cube.

“Bal! I think I know a way to talk with Nimona!" Meredith exclaimed.

"What is it?" Ballister asked, looking at her.

Meredith got the cube, looked at Ocean, and said, "Get to the security room and newsrooms and get the cube working."

Ocean was shocked but nodded and did as told

"Come on, Bal!" Meredith exclaimed. Ballister nodded and ran with Meredith to get to the same level of Nimona. “I’ll tell you on the way!”

They look at the monster coming towards the bridge.

'Please don't think what I think you're doing.' both Meredith and Ballister thought as they ran.

Nimona, in her monster of shadow and smoke form, stomped through the city, roaring in pain.

She looked at a wall screen that a commercial about a game was playing.

"I killed the monster!" the child on screen exclaimed happily.

"I killed three!" another child exclaimed happily too.

Nimona growled at that and swiped at the screen before she continue to stomp through town

Ambrosius begins evacuating the citizens under the subway. "Come on!" he said, leading some people down. 

“Let’s go!”

Some officers got to Ambrosius, where Ambrosius ordered, “Keep them moving. Get everyone underground.” 

“Yes, sir.” a female officer and led the officers to help the people.

Ambrosius was about to follow but then he noticed Meredith and Ballister running to where the monster was going.

"Bal! Meredith!" Ambrosius shouted after them.

Then he gasped when he noticed one of the cannons being turned to the city.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” he mumbled under his breath as he got communication device out 

“Ma’am, someone is turning the cannon into the city!” Ambrosius exclaimed in worried into the communication device.

"Yes, I know. I gave the order." Ynonne said into her communication device, already at the wall and walking over to the cannon.

“But firing them will take out half the city!” Ambrosius argued. “Innocent people will die!” 

“And so will the monster.” Yvonne said, showing no sign or sound of remorse for her people.

“But…” Ambrosius started but the communication device went off. “What are we doing?” he mumbled to himself as he put it away before running to the wall to stop the cannon.

As Nimona got closer and closer to Gloreth’s statue, people started to watch some recordings while some threw random objects at her. 

Along with news helicopters captured the scene as Nimona got to the statue.

She looked at the statue of Gloreth and the blade that the general holds.

She began hearing the angry shouts going through her head again as she breathed heavily.

She nearly weeps in tears after all the years she has been through.

She has lost everything. Her family, her mother, her home, the girl she loved, and even the two people who saw her, loved her and trusted who she was and didn’t run away.

'I don’t know what’s scarier. The fact that everyone in this city wants to run a sword through my heart… or that sometimes… I just wanna let ’em.' Nimona thought as she began opening her heart. 

She began to scream at the top of her lungs.

But then she began to feel something just as she was about to stab herself on the sword of Gloreth. It wasn’t the blade.

It was more of stopping her.

This shocked everyone.

Nimona looked at what was stopping her.

It was Ballister and Meredith, who arrived just in time to stop her from ending her own life…

Both of them had a hand over her heart and, with their might, stopped her to let the blade hurt her.

Ballister panted as he looked up at Nimona with Meredith on his side.

"I’m sorry… I’m sorry.” Ballister said, looking up to look at Nimona. 

"Please… don't do this…" Meredith said, looking up too. "We understand where you're from now."

"We see you now, Nimona." Ballister and Meredith said "And you’re not alone."

Nimona began to calm down and shapeshifted from a white light back to her human teen self.

The two grownups took a step back as Nimona shapeshifted back.

Showcasing a lot of burns and dozens of scars she had over the years and her hair mixture of the purple and pink red colors. She had red, purple and even black on her skin with a lot of marks.

She started to cry as she tried to walk over to them but her body was tired that she almost fell to her knees.

Ballister quickly caught Nimona and held her close, comforting her.

Meredith began looking at the town's people, who were looking at them. She got a bluetooth microphone, that can connect with any speaker in the area, from her bag and turned it on.

"People of the city, please listen. We're all living a lie!" Meredith said, with the microphone. "Everything you know about the city’s history and legacy isn't true.”

Everyone begins listening to Meredith.

"Our city isn't build on glory, but from centuries of war, manipulation, and fear" Meredith continued "Ballister and I Once loved the institute but now that we see things clearly that this city and the institution is built by the blood and sweat of the people being forced based on generations of bloodlines from descendants of the original knights and ended up raging at the expense of other people, even taking children who came from original knights away from their parents since birth and raise them to be soldiers!"

The citizens were talking among themselves.

"You want more proof?" Meredith said, pointing at one of the screens to show everyone to all the screens of the city.

Then there was static on the screen for a moment, getting everyone’s attention. Ocean was revealed when the static stopped. “Hello everyone.” they said, waving before stepping to the side to show the cube on a table with some cables. “I have something that I've been working on. It’s the memory projector of the shapeshifter.”

Then he attached it to one of his cables and exposed some horrifying scenes of the past.

Everyone was completely shocked at the truth and when they got to the part of the shape shifters and Glorith that was downright terrifying, and Nimona's and Gloria's past.

Everyone started to watch in horror. Even the officers and guards on the wall saw them with Mayor Yvonne.

"It's time to rewrite our history and it's time to take our power back." Meredith said, throwing away her university ring to the ground, symbolizing breaking away from the past.

A lot of the students of the Institute got their rings. One by one, they all threw their university rings to the ground

Mayor Yvonne noticed that everyone was distracted, even the monster. 

The truth about everything about their secrets were revealed.

"Kill it." Yvonnoe ordered, not wanting to waste a second and have everything ruined. She didn’t hear the cannon being fired up or the officers and guards of the wall didn’t move from their spots. The mayor got mad and turned around to look at them, started to shout, "I said fire the cannon-!"

She was cut off when she saw Ambrosius and other officers.

Ambrosius had his fist up as if to say ‘wait’ to the officers and the guards. "No! It’s over." Ambrosius said, lowering his hand but still had it in a fist.

Yvonne looked at the director and officers in shock. 

“It’s fooling you! Fooling all of you! Can’t you see this is what it wants?!” Yvonne exclaimed angrily, pointing at where the shapeshifter was. “For us to let our guard down! But I see what it really is, and so did Gloreth! Monsters like that are a threat to our very way of life!"

“And what if we’re wrong?" Ambrosius spoke out. "What if we’ve always been wrong and shouldn’t be afraid?"

The officers and guards nodded in agreement.

Yvonne looked at them and sighed 

"I'm sorry." the mayor said, taking something out of her pocket.

It was a ring.

Yvonne got the ring on and then pointed her hand to them, then some sort of beam of green light appeared

It began to target the officers and guards of the wall and shoot all of them, including Ambrosius.

With everyone down, Yvonne went into the cannon and closed the door, not wanting anyone to stop her from what she’s doing.

Ambrosius tried to get up to stop her, even though he was badly hurt. “No! No!” he shouted as the door closed.

The mayor began activating the gun.

Ambrosius realized that there was no point in stopping her.  He got a guard and looked at other guards and officers, who were helping the hurt others. “Let’s go!” he ordered them.

They all went to get out of the way.

Ambrosius looked at the cannon one last time before looking at at city, worried for everyone

Some people started to run to get to safety. Nimona, Ballister, and Meredith looked at everyone running on the ground.

“That gun is gonna kill everyone.” Ballister breathed worriedly.

“We got to do something!” Meredith said, trying to think of what they could do.

Nimona looked at the grownups, everyone, and then at the cannon. She started to hear a familiar sound that she could hear. 

“Hey, boss.” Nimona called out to Ballister, getting his attention along with Meredith’s.

“Be right back.” the shapeshifter said, pointing to the wall before hitting her fist into her hand. “I’m gonna go break some stuff.”

“Wait, Nimona. What are you…?” Ballister asked worriedly, thinking of what she could do next.

“It’s time to rewrite this story.” Nimona said, turning around to look at the cannon before jumping off of the sword.

“Nimona! Nimona!” Meredith and Ballister yelled in unison as Nimona jumped off the sword and shapeshifted.

Nimona turned into a shadowy beautiful red Phoenix flying across the city.

People watched in worry and in awe as she was heading towards the gun.

"Go back to the shadows from whence you cam-" Yvonne growled, pulling a lever to activate the cannon as Nimona flew to the cannon before it could go off.

Then it exploded, destroying that part of the wall, leaving it with a pile of smoke and some glowing sparkles everywhere.

Ballister and Meredith ran to the rubble of the broken wall.

“Nimona!” Both of them called out, looking for her.

“Nimona…” Balister said, realizing that Nimona was gone. He looks at the glowing sparkles caused from the red Phoenix. 

“Come back!” Ballister begged, trying to catch one of the glowing sparkles as they faded. Then he just held his hand out as the final sparke slowly fell to his hand before fading. “Please come back…”

The spark completely faded out of his hands.

Ambrosius went to them to see both Meredith and Ballister crying. 

Ballister looked at Ambrosius as he went to him. Then he leaned on him, crying, as Ambrosius held him.

Gloria came into the scene to check on everyone. “Is everyone ok?” she asked, walking over to the three.

After the entire smoke and dust came off they saw the wall finally being destroyed, a lot of the officers and other civilians now seeing the other side of the wall.

It was beautiful. 

The sky was clear. 

The moon was bright and the stream was there as before and the forest looked amazing.

Some people who were hiding in the woods over the years saw the citizens, mainly the ones who were hunting for some food. All of them have different colored hair and colored eyes. They were also wearing clothes that came from many centuries or even from different eras of history.

Everyone looked at each other that looked different from each other.

Then ghosts appeared in beautiful light pink auras in front of Ambrosius, Meredith, Ballister, and Gloria, which scared everyone for a moment.

They were Nimora's ancestors tracing all the way back to Glorth's time.

The first one of her ancestors who almost look like the grown up version of Nimona but with beautiful curly pink hair tied up in a low ponytail reaching to her calves and gorgeous reddish-pink eyes. She wore a gorgeous embroidered crimson red dress ripped revealing a pink underdress, also ripped, revealing scars of her legs, along with a little stab in her stomach.

It turned out to be…

“Niki?” Meredith breathed.

Niki began to smile, showing her grateful attitude.

“Thank you for breaking those chains.” Niki said as the other ancestors came forth and nodded to show their gratitude alongside Nimora's parents.

“Thank you for keeping our daughter safe after Gloria helped her.” Nimora's parents said to them before they turned to Gloria. "And Gloria, Thank you."

“For what?” Gloria asked, confused.

"For not giving up who you are and never forget what you did to protect Nimona." 

Gloria begins with a smile.

The ancestors then turn to both Ballister and Meredith.

"And you two, Thank you for letting Nimona in your life and let her feel like home." Nimona's parents said to them.

"R-really?" Meredith said, wiping a tear

The ancestors nodded.

Ballister wiped some tears away and calmed down.

The other civilians saw the ghost before the ghosts disappeared out of thin air and saw some more shapeshifters in the distance.

One of the shapeshift hunters went back to the village to warn them about the wall while the rest stayed.

Some of the kids that were with the hunters were completely shy and backed away with their respective parents/hunters.

Ambrosius noticed that he had his gun on him. So, very slowly, he got it out and placed it on the ground and pushed it away from him. “We’re not going to attack.” he reassured them.

He looked at the other officers and nodded to them to signal to lower their weapons. The officers did the same thing and put their weapons down.

Then two kids from the city suddenly ran out, amazed by the outside, that they bumped into a girl who was hugging her Father's leg.

"Hey, I like your hair." One kid said, pointing at the light pink girl’s hair.

“You do?” the girl asked, brushing some hair out of her face and losing the grip of her father’s leg.

The two kids nodded. “Want to be friends?”

“Let’s take one step at a time. But yes.” the girl said, letting go of her father’s leg and walking over to them.

The grownups, both from the city and the woods, saw this interaction. 

A bright shadowy figure was watching from the shadows before being called by her name and leaving, hoping for a better future for the city and the woods.

Chapter Text

July 29th, 2024

A year later…

Meredith and Ballister are seeing a great view of how far it's come along and how much has changed since the wall was down.

Meredith even let her hair grow a little bit before cutting it to a bit of a left side-shave hair-do to honor her old friend. She is wearing a turquoise t-shirt, wearing the same lab coat but decorated with pink and red animals, dark brown khaki pants, some new black boots, and pink red Rectangle glasses.

Ballister was wearing a clean gray shirt, black pants, black boots, and wearing the family heirloom on his left ring finger.

Though they are a bit down after all that happened.

'Some of us don’t get the happily ever after we were looking for. Maybe it’s not that kind of kingdom. Or maybe it’s not the end of the story.’ Ballister thought as he looked at his family ring.

The part the wall has become has completely changed into an open community with a park and new homes. 

The shapeshifters that lived outside of the wall are now part of the community with some who moved to parts of the city

Ballister and Meredith notice a young shapeshifter girl running to with some human kids playing kickball.

"Over here, I’m free." the shapeshifter girl said to the other kids.

As they began to play, an officer nearby was walking by as the ball rolled to him and the officer easily kicked the ball back to them.

They wave the officer a goodbye as they begin to play again.

Meredith and Bailter smiled, happy about the change.

'If only Nimona was here to see this' Meredith thought 

Then Ambrosius came up to surprise them, mostly Ballister, by hugging them.

“Hey!” Meredith exclaimed with a smile as the two hugged Ambrosius back. 

Meredith let go of the hug as the couple hugged more. She began to chuckle at them as Ballister and Ambrosius kissed.

Ballister and Ambrosius were now married shortly after the events and some time in couples therapy.

Of course they also patch things up with their friendship.

Meredith became part of the science community and even started working there.

Meredith quitted her teaching job  and applied to her current job as chief scientist with help of Dr. Ocean in their new science laboratory and workplace downtown with the building being helped by Ballister, who is mayor now.

Meredith saw Dr. Ocean Sealine walking over to them, blushing softly. Of course both the husbands knew what was going on between Meredith and Ocean.

Meredith playfully punches both of their arms as they all begin to walk to the memorial of Nimona.

Along the way they noticed a lot of changes like removing the cannons and moving the already detecting body of the late Mayor Yvonne.

"Can't believe it's already over." One builder said to another worker. "Along with those awful policies of bloodlines."

"Agreed." the other builder said, nodding.

As they begin walking down the stairs, the four saw some graffiti with the wanted posters calling them heroes and transportation has never been better for both sides meaning for one another.

As they made it to the memorial, they noticed both sides of the border finally being together as it was decorated along inside a new statue, almost finished completion and museum in the works.

They notice Thaddeus who still had a broken arm due to the incident, giving flowers to the memorial.

He nodded to them.

Meredith and Thaddeus respected each other and passed things up under one condition that they stay friends, knowing now they felt about each other but they still had some work done.

Thaddeus started to walk away.

Ambrosius picked up a drawing and showed it to Ballister and Meredith.

The drawing was of Nimona with the lettering spelling out ' we love Nimona”! .

Meredith and Ballister begin looking at the picture, missing their friend.

When Ballister and Meredith got into the woods, they went towards their old hideout.

They did border up some things and had some of their stuff moved into their new places with Ballister moving in with Ambrosius and Meredith staying with them for a while until she found a new place, which was much better than what she used to live in.

Of course the hideout was mostly abandoned after the events of last year, so it was in ruins.

Ballister and Meredith looked around the old home as they went inside, including the lab.

Meredith could remember the day they met the person that changed her life for the better at her lab. She also look at the old library and the old rooms' healing room, including the kitchen and living room where they had fond memories and even went to check on the old suspect wall.

They both looked at each other and got an idea.

Then they begin removing dusty curtains, piles of wood from the windows, and fixing some lights.

Even decorating the place.

They begin making their own little memorial on the old suspect wall, taking off the suspect photos. Ballister put the drawing from the memorial pinned onto the wall while Meredith put the other photos of them with Nimona onto the wall.

Ballister and Meredith smiled softly at the new look of the hideout.

Then they heard a knock on the door.

The two grownups went to the door with excitement and opened the door. They looked around and all they saw was just the woods with a gust of wind and birds chirping when Ballister opened the door. 

Ballister and Meredith sighed with a smile and chuckled softly. 

Then a voice called out behind them, "Hey guys, long time no see."

The two grownups turned around quickly and their eyes lit up when they saw a pink light transform into a familiar shapeshifter. 

"Holy- Nimona!" Ballister and Meredith exclaimed, smiling big.

Nimona looked a bit older when she fully formed, with additional ear piercings, including one on her left eyebrow. She was wearing a pink tank top over a Crimson red T-shirt, black pants with gray reptile scale pattern, and dark brown boots. 

Meredith checked her before they held her hand when she finally saw that it was the same person. "It's you!" Meredith exclaimed, smiling.

"It's me." Nimona said, smiling softly and nodding before hugging Meredith, who hugged back. 

Then she looked at Ballister, who was crying. "Are you ok, boss?" Nimona asked, walking to him.

Ballister nodded and wiped away some tears. "I'm happy to see you again." Ballister choked out, smiling at her.

Nimona smiled back with tears in her eyes. “I’m happy to see you again too.”

Then the three all had a group hug, united at last.

The end