Shard stumbled around, growling to himself as he laid on the operating table. "They have grown stronger...Perhaps I should've erased Talon from existence instead of making him a solider..."

Kreji went over to his master, his tendrils rapidly typing on the computer as Shard had small tubes plugged into his body, injecting something to heal him. "It was a good plan, my Master."

"No...it was a foolish one." Shard said as he felt the healing serum inject into his body. He then grinned, sitting up. "But it only gave me one more idea...and I don't intend to make the same mistake."

"Master...you aren't saying..." Kreji said, stepping back, showing SOME actual emotion.

"No. I am no fool. If I mutate myself while upgrading my body, I will die." Shard said, laying back down. "They will try to find me. Ruin everything...it's why I want them to think I would be foolish enough to try such a desperate plan."

"Master, I don't understand." Kreji said, retracting his tendrils.

"You will see...get me back to full strength." Shard said with a growl. "We will not have much time...Everyone has a destiny. The traitor will meet his soon enough, just as I will meet mine."

Meanwhile...

I am traumatized by what I just witnessed, so I will be cutting back to something else to try and get my mind off this. Anyway, Nova and Eclipse kept scrolling through the Shade's weapons, using Dean to do so.

"Giant canons, swords, more canons, or ships." Eclipse sighed. "This isn't working."

"Well, I think I have an idea." Nova said. "I'm no space expert, but the canons on the ships are pretty powerful, right?"

"Yes?" Eclipse asked, tilting her head.

"Well, what if we took one of them and upgraded it? Y'know, give it some extra juice. Cause if I read this right, then we could actually destroy or distort the forcefield around the base with something like that!"

"Nova...you're a genius!!!" Eclipse exclaimed. "Heck, we could do that right now!"

"I'll let Macy and Tal know that we have a plan-"

"Believe me, they'll figure it out. I'll, uhh, send them a text." Dean said.

Eclipse tilted her head again. "We have a plan that could save the world right now. What could they possibly be doing that's more important than that to the point where they CAN'T be disturbed?"

Nova was confused as well before her eyes widened and she covered her mouth, close to gagging. "OH, GROSS. WE ARE GOING RIGHT NOW."

"What am I missing here?" Eclipse asked as Nova put on her helmet and jetpack, grabbed Eclipse and then flew off into the night.

They traveled in secret for a while before coming across a ship flying above the city. Eclipse grinned and held onto Nova. "Ready?"

"Yup. Hope you're not afraid of heights." Nova said as she took off into the air, loosely following the ship. She then took out a laser pistol and aimed it at the window, where the pilot of the ship was.

Eclipse took out her sword and pulled her hood over her head, and then got ready. "Alright, shoot him down and then throw me into the cockpit as soon as you do. Ready?"

"Count of three." Nova said as she kept flying after the ship, ready to shoot the pilot down. "One."

"Two." Eclipse said, gripping her purple blade tightly.

"Three!" Nova cried as she shot her pistol, the laser bullet going through the window and through the pilot's head, killing them instantly. Nova then zoomed over as the ship began to fall and threw Eclipse inside the cockpit.

Eclipse quickly grabbed the joystick and then pulled it, lifting the ship back into the air. She then kicked the body of the pilot away and sat down. "Wow! That was easy."

"Too easy." Nova said, flying next to the ship. She then looked to the back of it, and scanned it with her helmet. There had to have been a stowaway or an extra pilot. Or just someone.

And sure enough? There was. A fist punched a hole into the ship and then flew out of it. Nova gasped and quickly shot at the flying figure, but was punched in the helmet and then kicked in the stomach.

Nova, despite her pain, flew back, dodging another punch. She then got a good look at the attacker and saw it was the dragon Shade, Savage.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TRIED THAT. COMMANDER SHARD PLANS FOR THINGS LIKE THIS." Savage growled as he breathed red fire at Nova.

Nova took something out from her belt and threw it at Savage. It stuck to him as he breathed his flames. Nova then flew off, avoiding the flames.

Then, the device that stuck to Savage's shoulder exploded and sent him flying through the air and against a building.

"Macy would've made some kind of pun about sticking or a bomb." Nova said as she grabbed her energy canon and fired at Savage.

Savage wrapped his wings around him, blocking the energy blasts before breathing a fireball at Nova, and then flying back into the air.

Nova once again dodged and then gripped her canon. She then flew after Savage, and once she got close enough, swung the back of her gun against his head.

Savage roared in pain, holding his head before Nova kicked his wings and then forced him to fall onto a building. She landed on the very same building moments later, and cracked her neck. "Not so tough now, eh?"

Savage just growled as he took out his claws. "YOU'RE GONNA-"

"Regret that? Nope. Never will."

"Look, I'm new to this whole villain thing, ok?" Savage said, rubbing the back of his neck before he breathed out flames at Nova.

Nova flew off again, and then grabbed a pair of dual pistols and fired them at Savage, hitting him in the chest.

Savage stumbled, growling and roaring before Nova flew over and punched the Shade Dragon right in his face, knocking him off the building and into a trash can.

Nova chuckled before flying over into the ship and next to Eclipse. "Okay. We can go."

"I think I'm heavily attracted to you significantly more now." Eclipse blinked.

"What?"

"NOTHING. NOTHING AT ALL." Eclipse said, shushing Nova.

Nova smacked her hand away before sitting down. "Okay. Let's leave."

Eclipse nodded and then started flying the ship away. "I'll park it somewhere so we can take the canon. The Shade tracks these things."

"Eh, figured." Nova said.