The Three Crones

Inside the REAPERS hangar the 3 VAMPIRE class gunships, pilot's and copilots geared up in the same equipment the marines were using except the rifles and only had pistols in their holsters tied around their thighs or secured to their armored vests fronts however the pilots found it more comfortable boarded their two winged with chemical thrusters that could allow the gunships to freely hover in the air one after another.

While the service crew wearing different colored armbands were busing reloading the gunship's armaments and fuel tanks.

"John hurry up will ya! We can get the order to deploy at any second!"

Yin the pilot of the gunship codenamed alpha bat and the commander of the two other gunships that made up a flight together roared at the service crew rearming her all-black gunship with bloodred REAPER insignias, on her sides, top, and belly.

Which was big enough to comfortably carry a whole squad of fully geared up soldiers with four more people and their additional equipment without any problems as she peeked her head out from her opened cockpit while tying her fiery red-dyed bob-cut hair front into a small ponytail.

"Shut it, you flying junkie! We're working as fast as we can! Or do you want me to accidentally drop this baby and blow us all up to kingdom come?!"

Ivan an over 2 meters tall augmented human whose arms were as thick as a normal human's thighs said as he picked up a multipurpose missile and inserted it into one of the honeycomb launchers fixed to the two wings.

Which in total totaled up to 6 launchers that stored 30 missiles each with 3 launchers per wing.

While a few of his subordinates reloaded the gunship's 4 Vulcan Gatling guns, 3 miniguns, and countermeasures such as flares and decoys.

"That's it your good to go!"

Ivan said after seeing the whole gunship's status glow green on his HUD screen as he gave a thumbs up.

"Copy starting preflight checks."

Yang the copilot of alpha bat and Yin's twin sister with ocean blue dyed bob cut hair under her already equipped fully-enclosed helmet with a hose connected to the gunships life support systems said as she started pressing a bunch of buttons on her console making Yin get serious.

Don't worry pops no matter what happens...

Yin thought in her mind as she looked at her, Yangs, and their dad's photo made after they joined the space navy and became alpha bats pilots glued to her console while putting on her helmet.

In the photo both of the 20 years old looking girls fresh from the space navy academy were dressed in UN's standard black space uniforms with black berets with REAPERS insignia on their heads as they hugged their father in between them while performing peace signs with the straight fresh out of the factory UNSS REAPER behind them docked to Earths space station.

... I'm gonna keep Yang safe at all costs!

Yin finished her thoughts as her helmet's HUD screen lit up.

[System online]

[Neural connection-green]

[Life support'green]

"Bat Nest, I alpha bat connection check over."

"Alpha bat, I Bat Nest loud and clear over."

Yin performed a connection check with her flights TOC(tactical operations center) located in the middle of the bridge for convenience as she booted up her gunships operating system by pressing a bunch of switches on her control panel causing her cockpit to close while the gunships computer ran its readiness check.

[Operating system green]

[Fuel green]

[Arnaments green]

Only to finally hear Lilith's voice.

"Faster! Faster! By the time I count to ten, I want to see all of your asses on your seats and your backpacks in their places!"

Lilith roared at her fully geared-up jarheads with large black military backpacks stuffed full of additional military equipment needed to survive on the planet for a prolonged period of time on their left shoulders with their left hands holding onto their backpacks left straps making sure that they don't fall off.

As they ran towards their gunships in an orderly and disciplined manner one after another while carrying their assigned weapons with their right-gloved hands.

"One..."

Only to pick up their pace after hearing Lilith start counting causing each of them to practically crash into their seats after running up the gunship's backs lovered ramps.

As they did the alpha bats master chief and his two gunners who were already sitting in their seats fixed right behind the pilot's cabin with their safety ramps already lovered and locked down after finally not being able to hold it in burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! You guys looked like those animated characters from the tv shows for kids!"

One of the marines couldn't hold it any longer and started threatening them.

"You think you vomit cleaners are so tough huh?! Want to see how well you do one on one?!"

Upon hearing being called vomit cleaners, the 3 men's eyebrows furrowed in anger and as they did they were already considering overwriting their safety ramps locks and duking it out with the jarheads but after seeing the fully geared up Lilith, Wolf, Jack, and Catherine walk in they changed their minds.

"You know the ones who will be providing you with covering fire once a cluster fuck happens are going to be these so-called vomit cleaners so show some respect, will you?"

Lilith said as she hung her backpack onto one of the hooks in the middle of the ship with the occupied seats going through the middle and after that sat down on an empty seat facing the gunship's interior wall.

Only for AM's voice to sound throughout the hangar.

"Sigh*Ewryone get some shut-eye while you still can."

Lilith spoke into her platoons cc after sighing as she closed her eyes making everyone follow suit because if there is one thing that there is never too much in the military after having extra ammo on hand it's the extra sleep since you never know when you'll have to go without sleep for few days straight.

...

"Huh? Where am I?"

Luna asked out loud as she looked around the old hut only for her attention to get grabbed by the fireplace burning with green flames.

"The flames of fate and destiny are quite beautiful aren't they?"

Luna looked to the source of the sound only to see a young woman dressed In a white dress gently rocking back and forth on the armchair which just seconds ago was empty.

"Who are you?"

Luna asked as out of reflex her right hand grabbed the ancient-looking masterfully crafted greatswords handle on her back.

"Hehehe you shouldn't be asking..."

The young woman started saying only for a middle-aged woman dressed in the same dress to pop out of nowhere and continue her words as she too rocked back and forth on her armchair.

"...who but what..."

The last old woman together with the other woman finished their words.

"...are we."

"Sigh* You're the three crones. I'm going to die soon, aren't I?"

The dejected Luna asked after recognizing the three women as she plopped her ass onto the wooden floor only for the three women to start laughing their asses off.

"Hahaha! No, you're not! Well as long as you choose the right path."

The youngest woman said while smiling with a mysterious smile.

"The right path? What do you mean?"

Luna asked while furrowing her amber-colored brows.

"Hehehe you see child, a man who should have been dead long ago and doesn't belong in this world had arrived, and as long as that man lives this world's order will be turned upside down."

The middle-aged woman said as she grabbed a green thread tied to a black and white one intertwined together which no matter how she tried to cut it in two with her bronze scissors didn't budge at all.

"Although even beings such as us can't kill him now it doesn't mean that the ones who brought him back to life can't kill him once they feel like it."

The oldest woman finished saying.

"So what does any of it has to do with me?"

The irritated Luna not understanding what the crones were talking about asked.

Making the crones dresses turn into black ones and their tones change from friendly ones to hostile ones.

"It has everything to do with you child! You are carrying the key to that man becoming the apexer a being that stands above everything even Life and even Death itself! And as long as you give him the key the whole world will grovel at your feet!"

The crones said at the same time as they stood up and pointed at Luna's necklace with pitch-black blood inside its primordial-looking glass vile.

"No, absolutely not! My ancestors had sacrificed their lives in order to kill that thing! There's no way in hell that I'm allowing it to be reborn!"

The furious Luna roared as she stood up and drew her greatsword with her right hand.

"Then see as your people get slaughtered like the dogs they are! See how your women and girls get raped until their nothing more but lumps of meat! And experience the life worse than Death that awaits you!"