"Psychedelics?" Rik exclaimed as they went over the list of supplies they needed. "Isn't that counter-intuitive?"

"Not once the erratic electrical activity has been controlled," Doxonica replied.

"That's right," Arna added. "We are already administering sedatives and anticonvulsants. In addition, the electric currents applied by the augmenter will serve as makeshift electroconvulsive therapy that will further dampen the high-frequency neuronal firing and limit excitotoxic damage. We will eventually need psychedelics to stimulate neuronal receptors, which will improve the behavioral disturbances, and to kick-start the regenerative process of their brains."

"And we need them in significant amounts," Doxonica replied.

"That can be tricky," Rik said, scratching his head. "They are drugs with addictive potential, of course, and will draw unnecessary attention if procured in bulk."

To hear Grandma, that coward could have helped with something like this, Doxonica thought bitterly.

"If you really want something, there is always a way, Rik," Jayrock chimed in. "I might know of some places — and some ways — to arrange that."

"But where?" Rik asked curiously.

"I have a few things I need to ascertain with my contacts," Jayrock said. And by contacts, I mean Gylith, he thought. "Then I'll let you—"

An ear-splitting explosion somewhere cut him off. Before they had time to react, the windows shattered. A shock wave knocked them off their feet while the table toppled over and skidded along the floor. Immediately, an alarm resounded throughout the facility.

"What's going on?" Pinz asked, clutching her head. Puff! she suddenly remembered, to her horror, and stood upright, her heart racing. She had left Puff with an animal care specialist in the vast animal enclosure situated near the entrance. "I need to get to Puff!"

She raced through the shards scattered on the floor toward the now destroyed windows.

Heraclark dashed toward the table and nabbed the blueprints lying on the floor. No one will ever take them away from me, again, he resolved. He proceeded to join Pinz at the window threshold.

Pinz gasped at the sight. It was a war zone in the courtyard below. Several red, armored vehicles had rammed through the entrance gates, most of them equipped with heavy artillery. They fired indiscriminately and blew gaping holes into the buildings. Flanking them were troopers in black-and-red crystalline armor that glinted in the moonlight, firing neon-red crystals at headquarters security. The guards desperately returned fire, aided by the automated turrets at the perimeter which spewed volleys of amaranth energy bolts through the night.

"Are these Wystals? What are Wystals doing here?" Jayrock asked in shock.

"Don't have the faintest idea," Rik replied, pale-faced.

"How did they manage to bypass the outer gates?" Arna asked no one in particular.

Pinz glanced at the enclosure that sat mere yards away from the entrance. "I have to get to Puff!" she yelled and somersaulted into the air.

"Pinz, wait!" Jayrock cried, but it was too late.

As she plummeted, Pinz formed dark-orange feline energy on her soles. She let herself fall a few feet before she bounded off a ledge. As she accelerated downward once again, she sprouted claws from her hands and feet. When the ground drew close, she dug into the curtain wall of the tower, slowing her descent just as the claws tore gashes into it. She leaped off the wall one final time and landed on the ground on her feet.

"Feline Fury!" she cried.

Her VBP glowed, and a dark-orange and chartreuse blaster materialized in her hand.

By now, security armored vehicles and drones had arrived and were better able to keep the Wystals in check. Pinz made a beeline for the enclosure, running past the firefight. As she shot, her weapon fired dark-orange projections of cats, which viciously scratched and bit their targets before disintegrating. She took out a few unsuspecting troopers who veered too close to her destination.

Heraclark wrapped a dark-orchid tentacle around a steel beam poking out of the damaged exterior.

"What are you doing?" Jayrock asked, exasperated.

"For a commando, you are very slow to act," Heraclark snapped. "I'm sending those scum back where they came from," he added and jumped.

"Darn it!" Jayrock cried. Amateurs! They don't see what's going on!

"I want all units at the entrance," Rik blared into a transceiver. "Call for backup from every facility within an ETA of fifteen minutes. Alert the local authorities. Out."

"Copy that, sir," a voice responded promptly.

"Rik, no!" Jayrock said as he grabbed Rik by the shoulders. "You want some of your units at the dome. That's what they're here for — the fighters."

"If it was the Crimson Crows, I would have agreed with you, but as you noticed yourself, Mr. Petrolons, these are Wystals," Rik said patronizingly. "What are degenerates like them going to do with a bunch of more degenerates? Wystals are only known for attacking, looting whatever they can get their hands on, and then scampering away, just like that grabby king of theirs."

"And why do you think they happened to show up here just when we brought the fighters?" Jayrock countered. "What if I'm right?"

"Even if I entertain this laughable thought for a second, they can't reach the dome in a million years," Rik said haughtily. "The security is more than able to handle a few Wystals."

Looks like I'll have to deal with it myself, Jayrock thought irately. The burden of being the only sane one. "Alrighty, then. Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, rolling his eyes, and dashed out of the lab through the double doors.

You'd think people would listen to a commando, Doxonica was musing as Rik turned toward her. "Ms. Enzene, please, come with me," he said urgently.

"Where to?" Doxonica asked in confusion.

"To get you something to defend yourself with," Rik replied.

With that, they hastily left the lab.

...

Heraclark withdrew behind a security vehicle as a barrage of crystals whizzed past his head. Instantly, he turned around and fired the Shadow Tagger at the Wystal who had shot at him. The trooper staggered backward, but his armor protected him from the worst of the impact.

Maybe something that packs a punch, Heraclark decided and tapped the screen on his VBP. The Shadow Tagger disappeared in a dark-orchid glow.

"Dusk Slugger!" he cried. A dark-orchid and scarlet gauntlet materialized over his right arm.

Heraclark depressed a button on the gauntlet causing wispy shadow-force to gather. As the trooper regained his balance, the weapon unleashed a massive, dark-orchid fist, which smashed into him and sent him flying backward.

Where the heck is Pinz? he wondered as he emerged out of his cover and scanned the battlefield. At least the Wystals are on the ropes, he thought, watching the security team furiously pushing back the assault.

...

Jayrock stuck his back against the hallway wall. He could hear voices coming from the glass bridge. Steadying his breath, he moved ever so slightly and peered around the corner.

His jaw dropped as he saw several grapnels, with crystals at their ends, piercing into the glass walkway. They extended from the headquarters' perimeter walls far below, and several troopers were using them to reel themselves inside. Others had gouged circles into the walkway and had already infiltrated the dome at the other end.

Two Wystals carrying rifles stood guard at the nearer end of the walkway.

Jayrock formed deep-saffron chunks of rock in both his hands. He abruptly sprang into the open and launched them into the startled Wystals' faces. They immediately slumped in a heap.

"Gem Saber," he enunciated.

He rushed toward the walkway just as his sword appeared in his hand. He furiously began hacking at the ropes, sending several troopers plummeting to the ground, screaming as they fell.

A couple of Wystals made it before he could cut their ropes, but he promptly kicked them off the bridge.

Just as he was about to swing at the last rope, it fully retracted. The incoming Wystal threw all her weight at Jayrock and tackled him to the ground. His sword went clattering away while the Wystal formed a pointy neon-red crystal in her hand. Ready to stab Jayrock, she raised her arm.

Jayrock encased his head in rock and headbutted her. She let out a shriek and clutched her forehead before pushing herself off him.

Jayrock rolled away, grabbed his sword, and sprang to his feet once again.

"You'll regret doing that," the trooper hissed, forming sharp crystals on both her hands.

...

Pinz vaulted over the enclosure fence and noticed a lone Wystal standing in the dark outside the stable.

"You shouldn't be here!" he yelled as he spotted her and opened fire.

Pinz channeled her feline energy to dodge out of the way. "Right back at you!" she cried back and shot at him.

He ducked under her shot and resumed firing crystals at her. As dark-orange cheetah spots flashed across her legs, Pinz rapidly zigzagged across the fields, returning fire and closing the distance. Finally, she sprang into the air and rammed her foot into the Wystal's face, knocking him out.

As Pinz kicked his gun away, a welcome mew soothed her senses. She turned around to watch her adorable fluff ball scamper toward her from a nearby barn. She scooped her in her arms and snuggled tightly.

But then something struck her. "Puff, where is your carer?"

As if to answer, a horse neighed loudly from inside the stable.

...

As the Wystal grunted and lunged with a crystalline blade, Jayrock ducked and let her swipe the air. He crouched further and sweep kicked to trip her, but she hopped over his attack.

Jayrock slammed his hand into the ground. Rock jutted from the point of impact and rushed toward the trooper. It struck her and launched her into the air before she fell again on top of the jagged rock. A howl of pain left her mouth.

Jayrock lunged forward, but she released a barrage of crystals at him. He halted in his tracks and deflected them with his saber.

Meanwhile, she leaped off the rock and charged at him with her blade. She slashed at him once again, and this time, Jayrock brought his sword down hard on her arm. He heard the crystal crack as her arm sagged under his attack.

He wasted no time and snapped at her face with a stony hook kick. She growled and flailed blindly with her crystal blades. Jayrock brushed her arms away with his sword.

A tearing pain shot through his body as she drove her knee, studded with a sharp crystal, into his gut. Her elbow came crashing on his face next, making Jayrock stumble backward.

As his vision blurred for a moment, Jayrock struggled to anticipate her next attack and held his saber out at an angle to check her advance. Parrying her attacks, he steadied his feet and went for the offense. The bridge echoed with the sounds of crystal impacting against metal as their weapons struck each other furiously.

They circled each other, desperately trying to press their attack. Suddenly, their blows clashed, and Jayrock found himself locked in a struggle. As he grunted and held his ground, the brawl with the Metalloy at the spaceport flashed before his eyes. Funny time to be remembering it, he thought, grimacing.

As he gradually overpowered her, he instinctively noticed telltale signs in her stance as she prepared for a counter. You wish, Jayrock mused. Abruptly, he released the pressure and moved out of the way.

She staggered forward, desperately trying to regain her balance. She turned around, but it was too late. Jayrock leaped, spun around midair, and threw his legs for a powerful butterfly kick. As his stony feet slammed into her, a burst of amethyst seismic waves flung the Wystal backward.

She smashed into the glass wall with an impact that jostled the entire bridge. A faint groan left her before she skidded down the wall and collapsed into a heap.

"You will stay down if you have an ounce of sense left," Jayrock warned.

Clutching the Gem Saber tightly, he sprinted past her toward the dome.

...

Pinz tiptoed in the eerie stillness of the stable, taking care not to rustle any hay. She trained the Feline Fury in front of her as she slowly advanced.

Her vision was slightly tinged chartreuse as she made out a dozen stalls extending down each side. If there's a Wystal here, how can they see in the dark? Pinz wondered.

Horses occasionally whickered as Pinz passed by. She stopped abruptly and took a sniff. That's not right, she thought. She turned to observe the stall to her left. The stallion inside peered back at her with its beady eyes. Through the characteristic, overpowering odor of horses, she could smell something else inside the stall... a mer.

She cautiously made her way over, her weapon at the ready. When she got close, she immediately aimed the blaster through the bars of the enclosure. Her jaw dropped as she looked inside.

Pinz promptly threw the gate open, edged past the horse, and crouched in the corner.

As she lowered his gag, the animal carer whispered, "He's here!"

"A Wystal?" Pinz whispered back as she slashed at his enercuffs.

"Yes. He's... tagging the horses with something," the carer replied with a frightened look on his face.

"What?" Pinz blurted out in confusion.

The carer silently pointed toward the stallion in the stall. Pinz got up and turned around. Something glinted next to the horse's ear. No! Pinz thought in horror.

She moved forward, reached out, and removed the object. The stallion neighed as she observed it. It resembled an earpiece, modified to fit around a horse's ear. Boldly written on it was the word, 'fightsense.'

"Get out of here! Now!" Pinz urged the carer. "My cat is outside. Take her and go as far away from the battle as you can!"

"I'll take her to the panic room," the carer replied, dusting himself.

"Don't tell me, just do it!" Pinz commanded.

...

Jayrock stomped on the ground to erect a rock wall. He braced as a fusillade of crystals pelted it on the other side. Surrounded by the beds in the dome, Jayrock was forced to be on the defensive to avoid collateral damage.

As the cracks in the wall deepened, Jayrock spun around and drove a rocky reverse roundhouse kick into the wall. A massive chunk broke and hurtled toward a group of troopers. They barely screamed as it smashed into them. Jayrock pummeled the remaining section of the wall, and another fragment bashed a pair of Wystals standing to the left.

As he quickly scanned the infirmary, Jayrock trained the Crag Carbine at a Wystal affixing devices onto the fighters. From the corner of his eye, Jayrock sensed a figured about to rush him.

Darn it. Jayrock aimed his weapon at the floor and pulled the trigger. The rock torpedo exploded on the ground into a burst of sand that engulfed the area.

Jayrock's would-be assailant bent over and began coughing violently. A prompt ax kick to the back of his neck sent him crashing splat on his face.

As the sand began to clear, Jayrock once again aimed his weapon at his original target. The Wystal, however, freed the fighter next to him from her binds and pulled her in front of him.

"Careful, chump," the Wystal threatened as the fighter screamed and kicked. "Neither of us wants them hurt."

A flashback made Jayrock go weak in his knees, but for once, he consciously pushed it away. "How do you plan on making it out of here with a bunch of angry fighters?" Jayrock called out as he watched other troopers swiftly applying devices on other fighters. "Whom you seem to be trying to make even angrier? Or are you the expendable vanguard?"

The Wystal chuckled loudly. "Just wait and watch."

...

"Stereo Sirens!" Doxonica intoned.

Her Virtual Backpack — shaped like a hot-pink musical note with a deep-sky-blue screen — glowed brilliantly. Immediately, a matching pair of sonic blasters materialized in her hands.

"There you go!" Rik said, pleased. "Now, you must excuse me, Ms. Enzene. I need to join the battle. Stay safe."

With that, he cocked his gun and moved toward the reinforced metal doors.

"Don't let anyone in or out without identification!" Rik commanded the guard standing next to the doors before hurrying out.

Yeah, like I'm going to stay here, Doxonica thought. Grandma would disown me. She moved past the other employees huddled in the underground bunker and approached the guard.

"Let me out, please," Doxonica said.

"Ma'am, you just heard—"

"That was about Savvo employees," Doxonica cut in. "I am not an employee. You don't have to be responsible for me."

"Why did you come here in the first place?" the guard demanded.

Doxonica rolled her eyes. "To get this," she said flatly, pointing to her VBP, strapped to her left thigh just below the hemline.

"Let her go," Arna spoke up, stepping forward. "Ms. Enzene, please look out for Mr. Mavis."

There are more important things to do, Doxonica thought as she nodded.

The guard hesitated for a moment. "As you say, Ms. Zinvor," he said finally. Turning toward Doxonica, he added, "But don't come running back."

As he tapped at a wall-mounted touch screen, the doors parted with a hiss. Doxonica rushed out and made her way through the dimly lit concrete tunnel. Meanwhile, the doors shut behind her.

As she hurried onward, suddenly a figure came running from the opposite end. Doxonica reflexively trained the twin blasters at the figure.

"Oh, not again! Please, don't shoot!" the figure begged as he stopped in his tracks.

As Doxonica squinted, she realized he was holding a ginger cat. Is that the one Ailoraw went to get? Where is she? Doxonica wondered. "I'm sorry. I mistook you for a Wystal. Go on."

"Oh, thank you! You gave me a scare!" the employee huffed as he ran past Doxonica.

So did you, Doxonica thought as she continued on her way.

...

A stall opened at the far end of the stable, and an emerald glow emerged from inside. Pinz quickly realized it was a luminescent crystal... on the hand of a silhouette. She aimed the Feline Fury at him but balked at pulling the trigger for fear of hurting the horse inside the stall.

"I'm not done with all the horses," the figure called out, walking toward the back of the stable. "But since you are here, I guess I'll have to make do."

"Don't you dare!" Pinz screamed as she tapped the screen on her VBP and made her weapon disappear.

The Wystal raised another object in his other hand... and pressed. "Oops!" he jeered.

Pinz covered her ears as the horses reared up and screamed in agony. As several tore their stall gates and strode out, she remembered how she felt when the device was first activated on her — full of rage that couldn't be sated no matter what she did.

It was becoming too much to bear, but when she opened her eyes, a stampede was about to crush her.

Pinz focused her feline energy to bound high off the ground. A storm of browns, blacks, and whites rushed underneath her. As she fell, she kicked off a horse's back and propelled herself forward. Hurtling through the air, she grabbed a wooden post and swung around it before launching herself even further.

"Tiger Talons!" she