The Spider Queen

(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)

(N'rean City)

Rachel coughed violently as she felt another wave of backlash slam against her mind. It took everything she had not to faint immediately from the pain.

The massive headache was getting worse…

Sophie furrowed her brows and secretly made a series of hand gestures. Two plainly dressed men stepped out from the shadows and approached her with their heads bowed.

"Escort us back to the estate immediately and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious who approaches," Sophie ordered calmly as she wrapped her arm around Rachel's body.

The two men nodded and then disappeared once more. Sophie helped her friend to maintain her balance as they walked towards the transport hub of the city.

"It does make sense that your dad sent shadow guards to protect us…" Cleo muttered quietly as she glanced around the plaza.

"Yeah… ever since I returned from the Unova Syndicate. He's made sure that multiple teams are by my side at all times on planet Gaia," Sophie replied calmly.

"They don't interfere unless a threat is posed to my life. This is actually the first time that I've been in contact with one of the protection squads."

The princess nodded in understanding while Rachel closed her eyes tightly and tried to ride out the sharp bursts of pain that were entering her mind.

"Now the only problem is figuring out why you were the target and not me," Sophie whispered softly as she moved through the crowd.

"Yeah… it doesn't make sense… no one should hold a grudge against me and I'm not really politically or economically powerful," Cleo replied with a puzzled look on her face.

Sophie was the daughter of a duke while she was just a princess.

A prince or a princess may sound powerful but with the sheer number of royal offsprings they were merely wealthy second-generation kids.

While Cleo was lost in her thoughts, Sophie's golden eyes kept scanning the people walking by with a serious expression on her face.

She made sure to pay attention to her body so that as soon as her instincts flared up, she would be able to respond to the threat.

The words of the hunter goddess echoed in Sophie's mind as the distance between herself and the transport hub narrowed.

There would be great danger coming her way….

Sophie rubbed her fingers together nervously but none of her emotions were displayed on her face.

Instead, the hybrid girl resembled a cold predator as her blade-like appendages extended outwards and forced a path through the crowd.

Rachel had closed her eyes and was now groaning in pain, so Sophie decided to lift up her body and hold her in her arms.

If she knew that Rachel's abilities had such a tremendous cost on her body, then she would have tried to persuade her not to use them.

That was probably a bit hypocritical coming from her, but Sophie did not want to see her friend get hurt.

Finally, after ten minutes of walking, the group approached the city's large transport hub that consisted of hovercar launchpads, bullet train stations and teleportation portals.

Aerodynamic machines constantly flew overhead with passengers heading to various locations across planet Gaia.

Sophie's wrist communicator vibrated slightly, and she received a message from one of the shadow guards.

[Gate 03. Ready for departure]

It was a simple message.

"Okay looks like we have to go to gate three and then we can head home," Sophie told the girls as she straightened out her back.

This was the final stretch of the journey, but Sophie was not going to relax her vigilance. Anything could happen…

Sophie gave Cleo a look and the princess walked a bit closer to her girlfriend. Sophie checked her wrist communicator and pulled up a map of the transport hub.

Rachel was now fully unconscious and only the slight twitching of her brow gave any indication that she was still alive.

As the group made their way through the crowd, a large commotion suddenly happened in the corner of the central hall.

A large muscular man was pulling the palm of a little girl who could have been no older than seven.

The man had a vicious scar across his face and wore dark grey clothing that made him seem both sinister and terrifying.

"Help! Help me! I don't know this uncle!" the little girl screamed desperately as she tried to get away from the man.

The people passing by stopped and some looked at the situation with expressions of hesitation and concern.

"Relax… she is just joking…" the man laughed heartily but he applied more pressure to little girl's hand until her fingers turned red.

Sophie's eyes narrowed and she was about to step in when her foot froze in place. No… what was this situation?

Something was a bit peculiar about this…

Why would a kidnapping attempt take place so openly and in the middle of a place where there were cameras everywhere?

Cleo was also upset by the situation and took a few steps forward before a warm hand gripped her upper arm.

"No… something isn't right here…" Sophie hoarsely whispered as she removed her hand from Cleo's arm.

"Help please! Can someone help me?! I want my mommy!" the little girl's heart wrenching cries echoed through the central hall.

"Sir get away from her!" a brave man ran towards the thug and attempted to help the child but was sent flying from a punch to the stomach.

The thug's attack only took a few seconds, but Sophie was able to determine that his cultivation level should be around the qi tide stage.

Okay… then he won't be a problem for her hidden guards to deal with.

Sophie made a series of hand gestures but this time her index finger was pointed in the direction of the child.

A slender pale-faced woman emerged from the shadow beneath the little girl's feet and dragged her into the darkness.

The thug noticed that the child had disappeared and looked around the hall like a madman who was possessed.

"No… no… no!" the man screamed in rage as he walked around like a mad bull. He destroyed the nearby benches and chairs before madly charging at the crowd.

Somehow his seemingly random charge was in the direction of Sophie and her friends.

The hybrid girl's facial expression did not change even as the thug pulled out a sharpened knife from his back pocket.

Bang!

A shot rang out through the central hall and an enormous hole appeared in the middle of the thug's chest.

The large scary looking man crashed to the ground and the only sounds that left his throat were gargles as he began to cough up blood.

Loud screams came from the bystanders and soon there was chaos in the station as everyone attempted to flee the scene.