3 years after the fight, Zac was shocked with some news from Ever. "We are having a baby..." Zac repeated back, and Evermore just waited for his reaction. She smiled, waiting to see how he felt about it. Sure, he never had any children of his blood, but to him, his first child would be Machi. And Ever knew that, knew deeply, how much he loves... loved Machi, and that the pain - even if he didn't show it - was too much to think about.
But when joy filled his face, elated by the news, Ever hugged him tightly. After that, the only two who knew apart from them were Jo and Dawson. The time from when Evermore found out about her pregnancy to the birth of the future Baby Harkness-Kalona, was met with secrecy. Ever wanted to enjoy the pregnancy, the nine months before she gave birth, because she couldn't 17 years ago, while there were wars and fighting and the revolution she had to lead.
Jo was shocked and so was Dawson. Especially when they were asked to be the godparents. And not because they're a strong family of their own. But because it was the people that the married pair trusted the most to raise and protect their child in case of anything in the future.
But.
Dawson really… took his role seriously. He ensured that the birth of the baby was done in a secure, protected location. The only place they knew... was home. Machi's system in the house made it so secure that anyone who was in a 5-mile radius of the house could be detected. Then, as Evermore felt the same drain as she did with Machi, giving birth to the daughter the world would come to know as Harper Harkness.
The only reason why Machi was able to be taken right after his birth, and Evermore was nowhere to be seen was due to the effect mothers go through during birth. You can be the strongest person alive, but during childbirth, all of the energy - including the energy needed to power abilities - gets diverted to the natural functions of childbirth. As the time draws nearer to the actual birth, the power, level of the new mother decreases, all the way to level 1. And that's what Freed took advantage of 17 years ago. With Evermore being left defenceless, he was able to take Machi and eliminate Rylan all the while, Evermore was the weakest she had ever been other than when she was born.
So, it was warranted that the birth would be more secure than the city and Ever herself had ever experienced.
"Harkness? Are you trying to destroy your bloodline?" Daria asked as she sighed. Seeing Zac across the phone with the baby girl, he nodded. He understood why Machi was given the Harkness surname. Names, no matter how insignificant they may be, hold power. While everyone knows Kalona, it isn't as present as a household name like Harkness. It can protect her. But also, he didn't want his daughter to be carrying the name Kalona when it caused him strife.
Harper Harkness. A beautiful brown-haired baby girl who resembled Evermore more than Zac. But had his grey-blue eyes.
Balancing a newborn and the City became a little hard for Evermore. Especially when she wanted to be more present. But even still, it was not as bad as when Machi was a baby, but it was hard. "Ever," Kai walked in and she shushed the scientist as her baby was sleeping in her crib Anne decided to put in the office, "We have movement from the tagger I put on that Dragur. They're heading to Earth."
Unlike last time, Evermore had more people spread around. Word was received in the other three nations and they began preparations.
"That can't be right."
Communications were set up between Ashmire and Seraph Haven when Kai went through his map again. "I'm counting... 49 black signals. T-This has to be wrong." Kai was trembling, his voice filled with worry and fear.
"Luckily I mass-produced these," Zac said. "We need to get all the high ranks in one place ok?" But no matter the calm and collected bravado he masked, behind the mask was fear. "I was only able to almost defeat that Black Dragur when my power went out of control." Zac looked at her and watched as she let her fear show unlike normal. "Don't worry," Zac smiled, "we still have me."
Everyone knew, that even though Evermore was the strongest, when Zac tapped into his powers… Evermore would have to have hundreds not thousands of clones of herself to defeat that form of Isaac Kalona. But the consequences were huge and they had no idea how to fight them anyway with the power they all held in the first place.
***
"Here hold this." Machi handed a piece of machinery to Jisa. "What is it?" She tossed the cylinder with a column filled with glowing orange minerals and looked to Machi. "I dunno I just hope it isn't important." He wasn't only training, but dissecting and learning about the ship that Jisa stole. But never really could explain how he knew how things linked up, Carbine didn't even have that sort of knowledge. But this… this was pushing it for them. They all looked to Machi who had spent the entire journey trying to reconfigure the ship to be back in their control.
'He's gonna kill us.' Jisa thought as he worked with something advanced and unknown to the human. No one even knew if he knew the Dragur language but Machi worked anyway.
Hours later, Machi dropped to the floor and sighed. But a few things worried him. One, the Dragurs are made, and despite them being all over the universe, they know human language. English language. According to Jisa, it was the main language spoken in the universe, which, fair enough, if the Final War 10000 years ago on Earth told him anything, it was that the population of 10 billion on Earth was reduced to 3 not just by the massive wiping of non-abilities off of Earth, but by at least 4 billion of them got on ships and left Earth in favour of their survival.
Two, they're made. This is what worried the ice user a lot more.
'Someone had to have created them then. Why? Who? And can I punch their faces in?'
Carbine was impressed with how his mind worked. More advanced than Rylan. Not only just focusing on the task in front of him but also wondering and planning.
"Can we get away now?" Mysco asked.
"I don't think we should," Machi admitted. "Think about it. We are in the middle of the troops, the heart of the attacking force. Once the annoyances drop on Earth, we can target the other 48 aircraft." They all turned to the kid and had to realise he wasn't the scrawny child that arrived at their temporary home 5 years ago. Honestly, they felt like proud parents, except for the younger dragurs.
"We are classed as betrayers so siding with the humans may be our best chance at surviving. If... they hate the empire and not the race. So we can attack this on two fronts..."
Jisa went off to explain how Machi and the aircraft team should remain on the ship while the rest should head down and at least help out against the Black Dragurs. All... 48 of them. With their skills and training from the number 3, they should fare well against a Black Dragur.
As they approached Earth, they released pods from their ships to send fighting troops to Earth.
***
"Don't reveal I'm alive," Machi said and urged them to follow. "Freed is after me. And the book you all know as The Power of Boreas. If even he has the passing thought I'm alive I could be dead. Even if they resist help... show them you don't want to fight and are against the current rule." Machi stressed. His death and his ability to remain a covert warrior in this battle were imperative to their survival.
Crash landing in Academy City, Plue was the first to leave when he was met with a massive force of men.
"A kid?"
The next to exit was Jisa, despite the warning that her appearance would warrant... heavy caution. "A black dragur. I guess your end is fated because you've landed right by Lady Harkness' house." The agents had alerted Evermore of the presence of the Black Dragur but noticed she picked up Plue and looked at them.
'Harkness. Lady... that must be Machi's mother.' She looked around and saw everyone pave the way for their ruler and Jisa just looked at her. Plue hid in his mother's arms as she approached with anger on her face.
"A dragur that hasn't attacked. Is this some sort of joke?" Evermore asked.
"No joke," Jisa spoke, "I'm in charge of the ones in the vessel behind me. And we don't want to fight."
Confusion set through their faces as Jisa continued. "You can come at me all you want if you don't believe me but I don't want a fight. We are probably the only vessel that will be like this. Heed my warning Lady Harkness, there are 48 black scaled dragurs arriving on these vessels that won't hesitate to kill you all. Each one has a number, 1-50. Their strength increases as the number goes down."
They had no reason to believe her. But Evermore saw no... malice. No anger. No fight in her. "And what number are you? Assuming you're numbered."
"Now that Lady Harkness, is a secret."
Hearing cries of a baby, Evermore turned around and saw Zac arriving with Harper in his arms. "I don't wanna know." Zac chuckled. "Everyone is in shelters. And the devices are being planted."
Evermore looked to the baby when Jisa realised something. "You're a mother. In that we are alike."
"We are not alike!" Evermore yelled. "Your kind... killed my son."
Jisa sighed and held Plue tighter. "Hate the empire, not the race."
Zac looked to Jisa and unlike Evermore, he was...
Intrigued.