1 Prologue

{Come…. Can anyone…. This is the Hellgun… still alive…. Please…. General Cartson…}

"This is USMC carrier Delete… I read you but everything's going dark. Marcus Aurelius's troops got us good, I'm not making it out alive."

{Don't say that…. ETA Two hours….}

"Don't, just don't. Activating prototype core overlord and frying all attempts to shut it down…. It's done. It's time I go, my time among the living is done."

{General!}

Cutting the coms line I pulled my old trusty Smith & Weston revolver from its holster loading it. Clicking the cylinder closed I looked around eyeing the dead around me. From a corner through a store room hole a duo of animals crawled their way out. Both wearing modified K9 unit vests as they entered the room, a white tiger and a Warg, a military experiment to make a more effective war dog. Both of their giant frames are battered with blood dripping from their frames, the tiger dripping blood as a metal fragment sticks out of its left flank. We looked at each other before they hobbled towards me and laid down quietly.

"Loki, Gaia… good to see you survived for now but, it's the end of the line girls. No one is making it out alive."

Loki turned her black furred canine head towards me letting out a gruff growl. Her way of saying "Good job." As the Warg line is also highly capable of thinking since they've been engineered to hunt down rogue spec ops. Gaia simply chuffed weakly so I sat between the big ladies stroking her back. My gun trained on the doorway. As I stroked her back a flashlight shone through the doorway, I fired once a soldier flew off his feet as the shot blew a part of his head off. Cocking the hammer back, my eyes catch the sight of a grenade, my gun snaps to it and I fire at it in the blurry hand of a soldier.

An explosion rocks the hallway as it lights up from the grenade consuming soldiers, collapsing the hallway. Chuckling, I cocked the hammer back as I spotted a wall sparking unnaturally. Firing I watch as blood flies through the new bullet hole a bit. My two beastial companions silently watched, three shots left. Looking at the girls I move a bit popping the cover off the command console from before. Firing into it twice I cracked a conduit feeding power from the core that's melting down. Looking at Loki and Gaia we seem to just silently communicate something as we huddled together.

My gun cocked and ready to fire its last shot as the fucks finally breached the room. Letting them storm in till they couldn't escape, I held my finger over the trigger as the girls hid my gun from sight. When the last person entered and seeing who it was I smirked. My last day alive, I take out the bastard's favorite pawn. Sarah Johnson. As she opened her mouth to speak I cut her off patting the girls one last time.

"Semper Fidileus girls. No more suffering."

Squeezing the trigger suddenly my shot rang out hitting the cracked conduit. The bitches eyes widening realizing everything too late when everything just turned red. The USMC carrier Delete had fallen, all personnel KIA. There was nothing left to salvage after the command center blew, the rest of the carrier followed.

[GARDEN OF LIFE & DEATH]

My vision returned to me and I felt the bodies huddled against me still. Looking down it's the girls both coming to as well as they looked up at me blinking. Shaking my head I don't know what to say to them as we certainly died. Looking around I noticed we were in a garden with various flowers and other plant life. Looking at us though is a man you could only think was a walking skeleton in a butler suite, smiling at us.

"Welcome to mine and my wife's garden General Dakota Cartson, tigress Gaia, warg matriarch Loki. I am Death. Don't think this is a dream, you three are dead as can be. Your souls however, have been struck from the three main realms. So you ended up here in our garden. Though you can't stay so let me help you into your next life, a world where soldiers like you are needed. Terra Arknight."

Finishing his little speech up he waved a hand and a projection of the world and its inhabitants appeared. Huh the mobile phone game from like twenty eighteen? Should be interesting to experience.

"Humans are all but gone in this version of Terra, only a handful remain after the Oripathy plague. It all but altered human DNA to share more animal, and mythos traits while unlocking a unique system of power. This could use more soldiers like you three so I wish to send you there."

Hearing Death we just nod our heads, not really having an issue with it as honestly? War is our specialty. Seeing us not really having any issues with it Death smiles at us affectionately like a father. He waved his hand again and two steaks shot into my companions causing them to glow before it stopped. Death's finger piercing my forehead and a searing pain racked my soul causing me to seize up before he ripped his finger out. A line of text in my vision now.

*SOUL LINK COMPLETED TO GAIA AND LOKI. AWAITING FURTHER INPUT.*

"Now to finish this up young man please say some detailed things you'll need for the next world, as powers there aren't unusual."

Blinking I thought it over before sighing and scratching my beard stubble from having not shaved in two months.

"A race change from my Human self to better get myself situated is in order. So my race will update to that of a Chimera using Wendigo, Sarkaz, Sankta, Oni, and Draco as the base. My height being seven feet and six inches tall with a weight of four hundred pounds at most due to how my new body will work. My skin will stay my same pale tan color but my hair will be brown with streaks of dark red and green in it at places. Eye color being pitch black with a red iris color and diamond slitted pupils. Along my body will be tough draconic scales covering vitals like armor that can withstand being shot by a rail gun shot.

The Sankta halo will be wrapped around my right upper forearm like an arm band. A rotting draconic wendigo tail comes out from where a tail would usually be, its length being ten feet long with a bladed tip. A bone mask covering the upper half of my face that's got a bit of a metallic shine to it. Two large Oni horns curving up from my bone masks forehead. My skeletal, muscular, nervous, and other bodily systems are all basically powered up to their limits due to my racial specific demands. This means near instantaneous healing, feeding off other creatures for food and water to survive with a partial craving for corpses, and as it were basically semi-immortality due to the fact I would like to have my head blown off and survive. Granted I'll need to eat a whole lot to maintain myself due to how much I'll burn by doing anything strenuous."

Death looked at me with a rather intrigued smile as he appraised my first choice. Chuckling softly I began to cover something else as I saw *BODY INPUT ACCEPTED.* by whatever Death did.

"A gear loadout for the three of us is going to be needed as well so first off to help Loki out. I am thinking of a cybernetic armor system with a harness. The armor would help enhance her already genetically created strengths and cover her weaknesses. When it's to be removed it will harmlessly eject itself off of her body like a living creature, and fold up into a portable shield. That should help her out fairly well in my opinion. Next would be Gaia who would get a more stalker style of Loki's armor, so it enhances her ability to stalk and hunt her prey. That should help out my two partners I guess.

As for me I'm going to require a few things fully decked out. One being an armor for myself that'll fit my new physiology, so VERY heavy juggernaut style armor that only I can technically wear, but it won't fuck me over if I go stealth. A marksman rifle preferably an HK417 as I trust that gun for sniping fucks dead. A collapsible M134 minigun with a chain fed ammo pack that it'd attach to. A Kriss Vector and an MP5 as two perfectly suitable SMG's. Two desert eagles that will puncture a tank's armor. A Trench Sweeper Full-Auto Shotgun for a little kick.

Now here's where I go a bit Dungeons and Dragons on this all. To keep up on all the consumption I'll need an infinite ammo bag which will give me any ammo I need. The minigun pack will be like this but only when it nears ammo depletion. While becoming worn is fine and all it'd suck to have it just break on us so it'd be nice if it's indestructible. All our gear being soul locked to us, so no stealing shit happens."

Death smirked and shook his head at my logical second bit when it suddenly went magical. Moving onto the third idea I thought of, I begin to explain it.

"Now I won't want to be infected with that Oripathy shit so here's where the more tricky stuff comes in. To keep us clean of that shit as my Sarkaz ability I would like total control over blood. As I can think of a few ways to use blood for some fun. Sahkta wise for angelic bullshittery I'd like bioelectrical control to be able to turn each gun shot into a railgun shot basically. Draco wise, firebreath to add a surprise in case someone wants to be in my face. Wendigo wise as I've heard about soul semantics in legends, soul manipulation would be good. Oni wise nothing as I'm already fully going to be abusing their racial specialities."

Death rubbed his chin as his eyes shone with interest at this bit since he figured ways out I could use my racial abilities.

"Finally, putting us before Rhode Island is a thing, when Babel still exists. We'll need that time to adjust and learn."

"I must say those are some clever ideas with a good balance to it all. As you covered a majority of your first little detailed bit. I'm impressed by your choices, General."

Chuckling I shake my head at Death, I was just thinking tactically if I'm honest. Just thinking of normal shit to use that all for is honestly hard to do now. Anyways after I had finished we started to fade from the garden under Death's watchful gaze. Soon we awake once more standing in a building that's seen better days. Glancing down at myself I see that I am wearing an ashen gray full body juggernaut armor styled suit with armored combat boots and a rather fancy coat that has a fur lining around the collar. All together my entire set up is an ashen gray color.

On my waist are two holstered guns, my vector and my mp5. On my chest holstered in a chest rigging are two rather beefy and big desert eagles, the various ammo pouches empty but I get the feeling they aren't. On my back I can feel the entire minigun ammo pack covering it like an extra armor layer. Looking at my companions I notice they're wearing their armor which moves and bends to their movements naturally. Sighing I feel the gunsling on my left shoulder and get my HK417 ready as I notice my shotgun is slinked over my right shoulder attached to my ammo pack.

"Well girls, let's go get a lay of the land."

Stepping forward I hold my gun down at an angle ready to fire at a moment's notice. My boots caused the flooring to creak as I lumbered my way outside with the girls flanking me. Stepping out onto some destroyed dusty street we looked around before hearing gun fire from the east. Looking at each other we moved with the girls taking point while we searched for the fighting. As we moved I spotted a few of those uh Reunion fucks running towards somewhere so we tailed them. As we followed them I would occasionally drop some as they showed up. Noticing after my first shot my gun had an inbuilt silencer, neat for sniping.

As we neared the fighting we split up with Loki going right, Gaia going left, and me going straight ahead switching to my bare hands as I needed to learn to adjust my strength just in case. Seeing a bunch of Babel personnel being hounded by Reunion members. Grabbing one from behind, my fingers sink through their flesh easily, I rip them in half suddenly. As their blood spills out I use it instinctively. Wrapping blood tentacles around some necks I snap them as I twitch a finger. Six more Reunion members die like that. One carrying a sledgehammer hammer turns to look at me only for my fist to connect with her flank.

The feeling of flesh warping against my armored hand causes a ripple effect, the thug's body flys through a nearby wall. My abrupt entrance and slaughter startles everyone but I don't stop, my tail whips around piercing through a thug's heart before ripping free of their body. Releasing a low growl I take a good whiff of the air and identify the Babel member's blood that had been shed. My eyes flashing gently causing the blood to slither like snakes back into where it came from. Their wounds sealing up as the blood stitched them close. One Reunion member punched my armored stomach but I didn't flinch as their hand audibly cracked. Looking at them I raised a fist and brought it down on their head, crushing their head into their body, blood spraying.

"That was supposed to be gentle to knock them out. Oh well, one less problem to deal with."

Hearing me everyone seemed to flinch while I popped my neck and walked towards my next target. A shotgun wielder shakily shooting me in the chest as the pellets bounced off my armor. Grabbing their neck I swung them like a ragdoll into their friend, their neck snapping mid swing. Okay too much strength still gotta go lower. Tossing the body aside my stomach suddenly growled and I felt a HUNGER. Eyeing a scared thug I grabbed their face and lifted them up while thinking about how this would look. Shrugging I grabbed an arm and well just ripped it off in one tug. Crushing the thug's head I dropped them while beginning to snack on their arm.

"Too much work trying to be gentle in a fight is making me starve. So I got to say thanks Reunion your bodies will keep me operational during this all. Since well eating a corpse is my main diet given my primary race."

Seeing me just start snacking on their friends arm mid fight caused a few to run away. One big guy got in my face with his hands grabbing my coat collar. Looking at him I belched noxious fire into his face causing his head to metal down to being just a skull. Watching them drop to the ground I resume snacking on my treat. My bloodied companions stalking from different locations licking their lips of blood. Under the watchful eye of the Babel personnel the girls sit on either side of me. A few looked at us weirdly, three looking sick, one looking amused, two looking at us wearily, and the last just taking the sight in casually while dressed like the Doctor.

A young rabbit looking girl by the doctor looking at us weirdly made a remark that I raised my eyebrow at.

"Why are you eating that arm? It's not something people eat like a chicken wing."

Loki made an amused chortling growl, Gaia looked at me and chuffed amusedly. While I finished eating the arm satiating my hunger I shrugged at the young girl.

"Well considering my race, I require a lot of food but that arm is enough to tide me over for now. As well I'll eat anything organic really just corpses are my primary food source. But anyways yo, who are you chuckle fucks."

"I'm Amiya, a chimera and this is doctor Larkson."

"Ya look nothing like a chimera bunny girl. I look more like one than ya honestly. But my name's Dakota Cartson, these are Loki and Gaia, my lovely companions. Been alive for about five hundred years though so we've seen shit."

Technically I'm not lying as this body does have a history courtesy of Death. So yeah the three of us are some ancient fucking soldiers that have been wandering about apparently. Although hearing our age causes the Babel crew to blink at us as if I said something outlandish. Because of my high regenerative rate my dying cells never really die and as the girls are linked to me, they don't die easily. While all this information is quite weird to just have it, it's useful to have. The one to break the silence is is the doctor who just straight up gives no fucks about what happens.

"Want to join Babel? I could use some new study material on chimera's."

Pointing at the doc I deadpan a look at them.

"You give no fucks do you?"

"No, if it helps me research Oripathy then I don't care. So want to?"

Looking at the girls they just give me essentially shrugs. So I just copy them and cross my arms while looking amused at the others' reactions.

"Ya know what sure, we'll work with Babel. Though I'm taking a few bodies as food."

Using the surrounding blood puddles I gather up a few bodies in between a solid mass of blood. Solidifying the blood using its iron contents to form a carrier case I grabbed the handle to it and lifted the heavy thing up. The fact I can lift this fucking much up is scarying people as I casually hold the deep freezer sized body container made of bloody iron. Thus the doctor walked off and we followed their lead. Though when we came across a Reunion tank I took a round to the chest and my feet dug into a random strip of road. Dropping my food with a thud I trudged towards the thing smacking the next shot away. As the tank tried backing up I grabbed the bumper. Holding it in place while slowly lifting it up before punching a hole through the bottom grabbing someone's ankle.

I made a bloody mess. I ripped them from the tank before flipping it entirely. Climbing on top of it I drew my minigun letting it go to its full length. Walking along the tank I let my bullets rip through its underside, before getting off and collapsing my gun once more. Attaching it back to my pack I walked back to my food and opened the container grabbing a corpse before closing it and lifting it up. Eating the corpse head first as I held it with my tail, a hand in my coat pocket. Seeing me eating the corpse rather quickly the doctor hums asking me a question.

"Why do you require a full corpse when you didn't exert yourself?"

Looking at them with a piece of lung hanging from my mouth I slurped it up before answering.

"Need to replenish what was used to heal."

"Interesting."

"If you say so man."

Returning to my food we continued walking on before meeting up with the Babel extraction team. They were put off by me but the doctor waved them off so I loaded my food container into the back of the transport truck before climbing inside. The girls followed me and surprisingly Amiya who looked at me awkwardly. When she spoke up as the truck started moving her voice was squeaky.

"Mr. Cartson you're a chimera right?"

"Yeah and you don't look like one but it must be a genetics thing."

"D-do you know anything about our kind?"

"Every chimera is different, but we're a freak of nature. Sometimes called heralds of destruction. Why what's on your mind bunny?"

"I was just curious… This is the first time I'm meeting another Chimera… especially one so old and weathered by time. I don't know what exactly being one even means or entails as my parents…"

"Calm down kid, don't hyperventilate on us. Just take it slow and breathe before your clock out. So what exactly are you expecting out of me?"

"Help…. Family…."

"Eh sure I'll help see what Chimera ya are, Amiya Cartson."

"Eh? Amiya Cartson?"

"You wanted family, I'm an old fucking man eith two old ladies, never had a kid so I'm surprise adopting you. You have no right to refuse."

"EEEHHH?! THAT'S TOO SUDDEN!! WHY DON'T I GET A SAY IN IT?!"

"So you don't want a family?"

"No… yes I do… treat me well from now on d-dad…"

"Huh so not grandpa but dad? Alright I'm game."

Amiya's eyes widened as she became a blushing stuttering mess of a bunny. The three of us startled laughing at the poor girl which only made her blush worse. The driver's up front screaming at the doctor with a chuckle about the surprise adoption of his little Chimera. Looking at Amiya I pulled her over with my bloody tail and sat her in my lap stroking her head. Causing the child to shudder when I squeezed to hard with my tail but I did VERY VERY gently stroke her head so I don't snap her fucking neck. My armband halo glowing dimly as I concentrated on being as gentle as the Hulk petting a rabbit.

"Wonder if I need to fill out adoption paperwork when we reach wherever."

"Probably would d-dad…"

"I'm not about to snap your fuckin neck am I?"

"No you're being extremely gentle… it's almost embarrassing since it's like you're treating me as something fragile… if you didn't you'd probably do worse than break my neck."

"Ah true… probably would accidentally rip your head off by just one mishap stroke. Haven't really tried controlling my strength in a while so I'm going to have to relearn that."

"Mmm…"

Silence settled into the back of the truck but I remembered that Manticore girl. Thinking of her I looked down at Amiya and suddenly announced a future surprise adoption.

"Just remembered there's a child that is close to being a Chimera but she's a Manticore, called Manticore as well. If we meet her I'm taking her home regardless of if she tries assassinating us. That child needs a family that won't use them as a weapon but till we meet, they're stuck with their masters."

"Eh? Assassin? Manticore? Surprise adoption? Kidnapping? Are you sure d-dad?"

"Yes, I shall surprise adopt her if she ever is sent to assassinate someone around us."

"O-okay…"

"Heh, you accepted that easily."

"I…. Just like the whole family thing already… if this girl would need it I don't see a reason to stop you… you've already my day just suddenly treating me like your daughter…"

"You're a good kid Amiya, I'll make sure to try and keep ya happy. Plus the girls will probably help with that."

As if to say yes the two raised a paw and bleped at Amiya trying to be cute. Bloody but cute. This gets the little rabbit in my lap to giggle slightly so I shake my head at the sight. A day in mentally and I've all but adopted the main girl! Like so as we rode to our destination we spent time getting to know each other. That once we arrived and got off Amiya was sitting behind my shoulders on my ammo pack holding my horns. With my container in hand I followed the others, when a Lupo woman handed me some paperwork and waved at an excited Amiya. The woman chuckled and let her husky voice out as she eyed us.

"So girly you found another Chimera and his pets, and got suddenly adopted?"

"Y-yes! They've spent the last six hours letting me ask about them! They're pretty nice… just d-dad needs to relearn strength control so he doesn't need to treat me as if I'm a glass doll…"

"Good for you Amiya. Now Mr. Cartson as you know those papers are both personnel registration and adoption papers. Please fill them out and hand them back to someone in human resources."

"Alrighty."

With that the Lupo woman sauntered off somewhere else and we went to find somewhere to fill these out. Finding a nice little spot I sat down while pricking a finger for some blood and dipping one of my sharp nails into it. The small pricked hole healed up afterwards while I began writing in literal blood, occasionally resticking myself for more blood to write with. Amiya seeing me writing with it looked on with morbid curiosity. By the time an hour passed I filled everything out and looked them over just in case. Seeing nothing wrong I asked Amiya where HR is and followed her directions. Ducking extremely lowly into the doorway of the wing before standing back up once more.

The people in human resources seeing my giant frame and Amiya ducking through the doorway looked at us curiously. Walking over to what should be the main desk I hand the papers to the receptionist like person. They looked everything over before filling them away just then they noticed it was all signed in my blood. After it was filed I was made some dog tags as I'm frankly going to be very much forced into the armed forces side of Babel. Pulling some old worn out dog tags from under my armor I attached the new tags to my current ones. Loki and Gaia's tags also were with mine.

Taking our leave we left human resources while Amiya directed us to her room as we'd be staying together. Upon arriving at her door though we met the doctor once more who just seemed to eye us indifferently.

"So I see you went for it. Congratulations on finding some family Amiya. But we've got some tests to conduct and your new father and his partners need to take a physical and take a combatants test. So come along now."

Eyeing the doctor with narrowed eyes I set Amiya down onto the ground gently by the scruff of her neck. Gently I rub her head before heading off with the girls for what the doctor mentioned. When the physical happened, the doctors were floored at how our bodies are. One even tried moving my shedded armor only to realize, it's too heavy to move physically till I casually put it back on. Next came the combat test and the girls did well. I told the instructor they didn't want my full strength, they mockingly said love tap them then. They dented the wall by an inch. I just looked at them wordlessly saying "That's my love tap, should've wanted fragile." They were stumped there till a doctor and one of the field team we met mentioned something. So love tap person turned ghostly realizing how fucked they would've been.

After that we headed back to our new living space. Entering the room we looked around seeing it was mostly bare bones. Entering the kitchen I looked through the fridge to see it basically empty… sighing I got out some eggs and a pan. Dicing up some peppers and parsley as well I made an omelette setting it on a plate wrapped up on the kitchen counter. Lumbering over to a corner I sat down after setting up an area for the girls to eat half and half of a Reunion member's corpse. Resting my head low I fell asleep in the corner to get some sleep as being so gentle has been exhausting.

[Amiya pov]

The doctor's test ran on for a while today… opening my room door I entered and didn't see my new dad or his companions. Sighing I walked further into my room when I noticed something on the kitchen counter. Curiously walking towards it I find it's an omelet wrapped up just waiting to be reheated. A smile creeps onto my lips as I giggled at the gesture. Picking the plate up I unwrapped the omelet before heating it up. Turning around slowly when I heard something that seemed to laugh at me.

Looking towards the source I see its Loki… in dad's lap while Gaia basically hugs him like a child. His sleeping figure rested against the corner behind the door. Loki looks at me amusedly as if saying "Looking for us?" Shaking my head I take the omelet out of the microwave before grabbing a fork to eat it. It actually tastes pretty fluffy and good…

"So he made this for me?"

A low growl was my answer before Loki went back to sleeping against dad. Eating slowly to think about something, I leave my empty plate at the counter. Slowly making my way towards the trio instead of my bed and just gently insert myself between them all. Hugging onto the older chimera's frame before nestling my head into his side and falling asleep as his arm wrapped around me. This is nice…..

[???? Pov]

Growling lowly I stalked towards Amiya's room and used my clearance to enter it. Finding the room basically empty I stepped in noticing an area set up and covered in blood and bones. Grimacing, I searched for that brat that when I closed the door I found her and the three new personnel sleeping in the corner together. Growling a little louder I reached to grab Amiya when a head shot up and a gun was pressed to my forehead. The long arm of the older man stretched out holding a pistol to my head as his red eyes focused on me.

Swatting at his arm to knock it aside it felt like hitting steel as the outstretched arm stayed put. The older man still staring at me silently as if asking something. Growling a lot louder I attempt to move the gun but nothing happens.

"Get your weapon out of my face you mongrel! Do you even know who you're aiming it at? Because I can make your life hell."

"I do not care. You threaten to physically harm my new cub with how you're acting. So step back."

"Your cub? Oh please, you're just some mongrel that the doctor picked up today. The fact you had the gaul to adopt Amiya is also just ridiculous and unacceptable. She isn't your daughter or anything so cut the crap."

"The kid wanted a family, as the only other Chimera around I am at least close to being family. So yes she is my cub, wyrmling, or whatever a youngling is to be called. So the fact you look ready to rip her from her spot means your not someone I want touching her."

"How dare you?! I am Kal'tsit Babel's co-leader and that child is my partner's future successor! I will not let her suddenly get close to some stranger like you! W! Get Amiya from this wretched mongrel!"

My ever faithful shadow that worships Theresa, stepped out from behind me, but stopped looking at the man. Then she slowly Approached him and sat down in his little group… my eyes narrowed as I growled out a question.

"W, what do you think you're doing?"

"He smells like Theresa… he's making Amiya sleep even through this. He's protecting her like a father… so he's good…"

The traitorous Sarkaz nestled into the man's armor and seemed to find some sort of peace. Growling, I stormed out of the room, that man's voice echoing behind me.

"Eh time for a surprise adoption, welcome to the family kid."

The confused squeak of W being heard before I was out of earshot of the room. Fucking mongrel… you'll suffer. Just you wait bastard.