Lego Monkie Kid: Reincarnated as a Demi-Human

As they say, out of the frying pan and into hot water. Soon, Aizhen and Amber were about to be in LITERAL hot water, for they'd found themselves trapped in a jungle gym dome guarded by half of Tanlan's men. Armed with tasers, pipes, and one had a frying pan, he strikes against the bars to try to give the girls a jolt-to no prevail.

The other half of Tanlan's gang scowered the junkyard for a large pot big enough to fit the girls, but so far, they've come across barrels and old beaten-up brass cauldrons. As they say, work with what you got, and their horn buddy began melting the sides of the brass cauldron to fuse them into a more enormous cauldron.

"Ha, I didn't know their friend had a knack for metalsmithing.", said Aizhen, astonished by the horned demon's craftsmanship.

"Don't go being awe-struck by our soon-to-be hot pot. Once he's done forging, they'll clean it up, fill it with water, toss us in, and cook us up until we're soft enough that the flesh falls right off our bones.", explained an aggravated Amber, sitting on the ground drawing escape strategies in hopes to find a way out of their predicament.

"So, they do mean to cook us up for dinner?", asked Aizhen like a child asking the teacher to repeat the question.

"That's what I've been saying for the past five minutes!" she raised her voice toward her friend, returning to her drawings, "Can you not grasp the gravity of the situation we've got ourselves!?"

"Well, I've never been in a situation where I've found myself captured and about to be devoured by demons."

"Because you were safe in your ivory palace, eating pheasant and drinking the finest of wine with your celestial buddies," she scratched at one of her plans as she swore under her breath.

"It was chicken. I am not a fan of pheasants. Too gamey."

"Well, to these guys, they see us as the chicken."

"I'm a demi-human. You're a spider demon. We're not chickens.", Aizhen replied, walking over and leaning over to see what her friend was drawing.

"I know we are, but to them- we are livestock! Ya know, some demons keep to the ole 'cannibalistic tradition' and see fellow demons, besides humans, as a delicacy."

"Do you eat fellow demons or humans, Amber?"

Amber nearly gagged at the thought of eating a demon- let alone a human. Unlike the Spider Queen, she wasn't keen on eating a fellow being- she'd much prefer either bugs or a nice plate of steamed buns to wolf down than some screaming flesh bag.

She turned her head toward Aizhen, "As if! Why would I wanna waste my time hunting down a flesh bag, drag em' back to my lair or some shady spot, and rip em' to shreds for nourishment!? I may be a demon, but I have my standards!"

"Okay, that's good to know.", assured Aizhen, trying to lean over her shoulder to take a peek at her drawings, "So, have you come up with a plan to help us get out of this mess we've gotten ourselves in?"

"Well, I was thinking we'd dig our way out, but with eyes on each side that might not be possible. We might get proded by those pipes or zapped by those tasers, and trust me-ya don't want our prison to become the Lightning Dome."

"Because metal and electricity go hand in hand, like Seiryu and Byakko. Each complimenting the other."

"Exactly, and we'd be fried should the harmony of metal and electricity conjoin with the help of our dome prison here.", Amber tapped one of the bars to make a point but pulled her hand back when one of the demons tapped a pipe to the bar she tapped on, "HEY! I was making a point, BUB!"

"Sorry, thought you were starting a jam session beating on the bar," the demon apologized.

"You can make a jam session by beating on a bar? How so?", asked a curious Aizhen gandering at the bars.

"Ya just tap em with your finger or an object, like this pipe for instance," the demon began to tap the bar a few times with his pipe. It created a sharp click-clack.

Click..clack..clickclick clack! Clickity click click click!

Aizhen took in each beat, studying the rhythm, and followed by tapping a finger on the sidebar.

Clack...clack...clink-clack!

Aizhen and the demon energetically banged against the bars, creating a symphony of clanks and clinks that caught the attention of the others guarding the cage. Intrigued by the rhythm, they began to slowly headbang to the beat. One demon rattled the side of the dome while another tapped on an old trash can. The combination of bangs and rattles, timed with each click-clack, produced a junkyard song that would make anyone want to tap their feet and sway to the metallic tune.

Bang! Bang! Click! Clack! Ratta-Tat-Tat! Ba-bam!

With one final well-synced bang, the demons and Aizhen rose their arms to signal the end of the beat. Who knew a jam session worked up quite a sweat, but when you're drawn to the beat of the junkyard melody, you can't help but jam along.

"PHew....I must say, that was pretty fun.", Aizhen admitted to the demon, "You guys are pretty good."

"You're not half bad yourself, Miss. Too bad our boss is gonna eat you and your pal soon if, under different circumstances, we could've had some sick jam sessions together."

"Aren't you going to be partaking in the cannibalistic ritual of devouring our flesh?"

"Nah. We don't roll like that. We're not much into eating folks. We prefer dumplings and kabobs over fellow demons and fleshies.", answered another demon.

"So the boss sticks us with the lesser jobs like guarding prisoners, taking out the trash, cleaning up the mess-ya know, grunt work."

"It ain't pretty, but it's better than being in the pot than anything else."

"Being in the pot...", Aizhen thought for a moment, These demons, were they being forced against their will to follow their boss's orders to avoid being eaten themselves?

"I get it. Any defiance against your boss, you end up being eaten yourselves to be an example of what happens when you cross him?" asked Amber, raising a curious but agitated eyebrow.

"No duh! We'd be on the menu if we refused to do as he says."

"If your boss is that cruel, then why did you join him in the first place if you don't like what he's doing?"

The demons glanced at one another, rubbing their opposite arms and turning their heads to the side before one of them stepped forward toward Aizhen.

"It's not like we joined for the thrills, but because he forced us to join. Some of us got recruited because we didn't have enough yuan to pay Tanlan or threatened to bring harm to our family and friends."

"I was forced to join when I accidentally stained his limited edition sneakers with cheese tea. He said, if I didn't have the funds-I'd work it off as his lackey.", confessed a feline demon.

"Heh. I'm not surprised he didn't eat ya for staining his sneaks'. Those limited editions are Super Rare. You have to get in line a week in advance to land ya a good spot.", commented a snarky Amber.

"I know one guy who camped out for two weeks, so he was a 'shoe-in' for the limited edition Lunar New Year Sneaks.", answered a horned demon.

"If we can steer the conversation back on track, can I say what your boss is doing is immoral and downright cruel to indenture you?"

"We know, but what can we do? Tanlan is the strongest and most terrifying demon in Megapolis."

"I bet if the Spider Queen was still around, he wouldn't be bragging about being 'terrifying or the strongest in Megapolis .' Why, I bet when she had you lot wrapped around her webby fingers to power her machine, he'd be second fiddle on the energy tank compared to the Demon Bull King", Amber bragged so loud for everyone to hear.

"Second fiddle!?" Tanlan's voice roared from across the way.

The demons stiffened up when Tanlan began marching toward the dome. Aizhen stepped back as his massive shadow towered over their prison, but Amber didn't flinch. She stood her ground, staring at the gargantuan demon in his eyes.

"That's right...When the Spider Queen captured all of you guys to power her machine, your power was second rank compared to the Demon Bull King's massive energy. He and the Monkey King greatly boosted the Spider Mech during her invasion. Yours can only lift like....what? A LEG?" she sneered at Tanlan, watching the fumes poof from his crimson ears, gritting his teeth.

"Eeerrrr....," he hissed through his teeth, taking a sharp breath and exhaling, his putrid breath filling up the dome.

Aizhen and Amber aired away the smell but had to cover their mouths because the horrid stench lingered like a string of moldy garlic.

"Okay, seriously, dude. You need to do something with that breath. I thought the chemical stench in Syntax's lab was bad, but yours is full-on nuclear."

"Syntax....Is he one of your old compatriots?", asked Aizhen.

Tanlan leaned back, raising a curious eyebrow. Did that girl say that this 'Syntax' was an old friend of that snarky brat?

"You mean Mister 'Ego-Trip'? He and Huntsman were always so competitive to impress the Spider Queen when gathering those relics for...her associate."

"Ah. Huntsman must be the other spider demon."

"Yep. Syntax-brains. Huntsman-Instinct. As for Goliath-he's the muscle."

"So you must've been the 'jackie of all trades' of the group?"

"Well...." she hesitated at the question.

Tanlan squatted down to Aizhen and Amber's level. He squinted, getting a good look at Amber for the first time. Lavender skin...Neon green eyes...And her visor....A sinister grin formed on his face.

"Hahahaha, well, now this is a rare treat. I thought all the spider demons got killed by Lady Bone Demon, but one scurried away from being squashed."

Amber bared her fangs at Tanlan, gripping her fist. She was the one starting to fume now. Aizhen turned to Amber, her gaze a mixture of sincerity and horror. Lady Bone Demon...She recalled reading about her in one of her scrolls back in the palace. Was that the associate Amber was referring to earlier?

"It must suck being the last of your kind. The sole survivor of a rare, elusive clan that got wiped out by a ghostly witch demon. Wouldn't that make the Spider Queen's second fiddle'-no wait! A fiddle wouldn't compare to Lady Bone Demon, for not even she can hold a fiddle to that monster!"

"A better say is 'holding a candle to one's flame,' but you can better phrase it as 'Hold a fiddle to one's tune.'', corrected Aizhen.

Amber chose not to respond to Aizhen's comment; she was too focused on the backlash she was receiving from Tanlan. He spoke about her clan with such disrespect that it made every vein in her body feel as if they were electrified. Her appendages shot out from her back as she pulled down her visor, which lit up with fiery pupils.

"I don't know where you heard that, but I'd watch your tongue on how you speak of the dead...Or you might lose it!" she launched one of her appendages through one of the gaps, stabbing Tanlan in the nose.

He let out a painful roar, stumbling backward while cupping his nose. He drew his hand back, and a droplet of blood stained his palm. He growled fiercely at Amber, who retracted her arm to her side and gave him a dirty glare.

"Why, you little wench! How about we shred up the meat early! I'll start by ripping your itsy-bitsy spider legs right off your back!" he threatened Amber, grasping the bars. The metal crunched between his fingers, widening the gap.

"Amber!" cried Aizhen, reaching out her hand.

Amber prepared herself for battle, but a small scorpion crawled up Tanlan's thumb just before either side could react. He stared at the creature, dumbfounded for a moment.

"What the..."

The scorpion hopped off his thumb and onto the bar. Two more scorpions joined it, followed by three others. Four began to crawl up the sides of the dome, and their numbers kept multiplying. As the scorpions surrounded the dome, Aizhen and Amber, along with the demons and Tanlan, watched their movements, wondering what they planned to do next.

"Okay...I do not remember scorpions taking up residence. Rats, yes, but scorpions-Those guys usually live in the desert."

Aizhen's eyes widened in shock. Desert... Scorpions... Could it be? Before her mind could process the answer, the first wave of scorpions that had settled at the top leaped off and fell onto Tanlan's men. Meanwhile, the other half jumped onto Tanlan's mane, horns, and face!

"AhhhH~! Get em off! Get em off!", cried a demon leaping toward the ground and began to roll in the dirt like he was on fire.

"Don't let it sting me! Don't let it sting me!" another cried as he tried to swat it off his arm with a drumstick, but it kept jumping up and down like they were playing jump rope but with a drumstick.

"Where in the world did these scorpions come from?", asked Amber as she turned to Aizhen her digital pupils transformed into question marks.

"I have no clue, but we need to-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the ground caved in underneath them, and startled screams escaped their lips as they fell straight down! Plummeting down the hole, their descent was halted as Aizhen was cupped under a pair of purple claws while Amber landed face-first on a green rock.

"W-w-hat the..." Aizhen gazed down at the purple claws that cushioned her fall.

"Aizhen! Are you okay?"

A familiar voice rang through her ears as she followed the limbs up to the shoulders, rearing her head to find the Scorpion Queen gazing back at her. Relief filled her eyes, and she was happy that her friend was safe.

"Queenie?...I-Is that you?", Aizhen asked, shocked to see her friend was just as big as Tanlan, but more importantly, that she had claws and now had mandibles on the side of her face.

"Yes, it's me. This is what I truly look like. Please, don't be scared.", begged Scorpion Queen as she turned away from her gaze, afraid that her friend would find her terrifying, "Falling through a hole, falling into my claws, and seeing your friend as a monster must make you despise me."

Aizhen stared confused at her scorpion friend, "Despise you? Why would I be scared of you? You're my friend, Queenie. You saved me. It's like you told me back in the alleyway with Camille, 'What truly makes you unique is being yourself', and that friends like you for who you are. And, I like you for who you are, Queenie, in this form of the other."

The Scorpion Queen turned back, looking at Aizhen, and a small smile appeared.

"Now I know what Camille meant earlier when she mentioned the sparring match regarding claws. I didn't get the chance to get an answer regarding it-due to nearly being killed by a rancid dumpling-but I get it now. You got some pretty sturdy strong claws that can cut through even steel if given a chance." she fondly stroked one of the claws under her, "And if I am being honest-I've never seen such well-manicured claws. Those stylists at the spa really did a good job when they were just fingers."

Scorpion Queen's tail swayed, her cheeks flustered at Aizhen's compliment she couldn't help but squeal, "Aizhen! I never knew you were such a little flirt, you!"

Aizhen's eyes turned saucer plates as her complexion matched Queenie's. Sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck, she chuckled to her friend, "Was it about how your claws might cut through steel?... I wasn't trying to flirt per se; I was merely complimenting on what a wonderful job they did."

"I know, right!" Camille popped up behind Queenie's back with a big grin, "Not only that, but her hair is still glossy and poofy from that special shampoo they used even when we were digging our way here!"

"Camille!" Aizhen shouted in surprise as her eyes were saucer plates.

Scorpion Queen placed Aizhen on the ground while Camille leaped off her back, dashed toward her friend, and tackled her toward the ground.

"Ai-AI! Thank the Great Sage, you're alive!" Camille began to tear up, clutching her friend close like a precious china doll.

While Camille gave Aizhen the biggest bear hug imaginable, Amber slid off the side of Scorpion Queen's abdomen, brushed herself off, and scrubbed the dirt off her visor.

"Are you okay!? Did they hurt you!? Any bones broken!? Tell me where it hurts!" she pulled away with a frantic gaze, checking over Aizhen to check for any bruises, bleeding, or limping limbs.

"Hahaha! C-c-camille! I-I'm okay! I'm okay!" Aizhen reassured her friend, trying to pull her right hand free, but her grip began to tighten as she felt the sharp tingle from her ribcage, "COurse-My right ribcage MAYbe a little sore from nearly being squeezed earlier...."

Camille released her friend and got up as Aizhen rose to her feet. Both brushed the dusty dirt off their clothes.

"Squeezed? Who squeezed you? Give me a name, and I will SQUEEZE em' so hard that they'll turn to goo in my grip!" Camille shouted as her tail twirled and tightened to make a figurative point.

"Before that, I have my own questions I would like answered. Where did this giant tunnel come from, and how did you know exactly where I was in this JUnkyard Jungle?"

"Oh! Tudi helped make this tunnel; we had to brush, pat, and stabilize the sides so there wasn't a cave-in."

"Tudi?"

Suddenly, a tiny bearded man popped out from the side of the wall, surprising Aizhen, gibbering cheerful gibberish toward her.

"Gasp! A Tutelary deity! I've read about them in my scrolls, but never have I had a chance to meet one!" Aizhen stared in wonder at Tudi. She approached the small man with a warm smile, "It's an honor to make your acquaintance, and thank you for your assistance in helping my friends. My name is Aizhen, but I also go by Huanglong the Yellow Dragon."

Tudi spoke a few gibberish words, tilting his head to the side as he stared at Aizhen. He pulled out his staff and drew a doodle of a dragon surrounded by shining lines. Then, he tapped the end of his staff against the drawing. Aizhen gazed at the doodle and nodded in approval.

"Yes. That's what I used to look like before I became this. I know it's hard to believe but hard to explain now."

"And we don't have a moment", Amber spoke up, approaching Aizhen and ruffing her hair as tiny dirt specks flew out, "Don't mind me seeping in the background while you and your buds have a heartfelt reunion and making new buds while we're still in DANGER of being killed."

Queenie's tail struck down between Aizhen and Amber, and she scurried toward Amber. Her face stiffened up, fangs bared, and claws ready to snip her in two like she was like ribbon.

"Hey, lady! Don't you dare go near my best friend! If you think I'd let one of Tanlan's goons put a claw on her again, YOU THOUGHT WRONG!" Scorpion Queen growled as she jerked her body toward Amber, claws raised up, ready to fight.

"Queenie, wait!" Aizhen protested; she stood in front of Amber, spreading her arms to defend her, "She's not an enemy! Nor is she part of Tanlan's gang! This is Amber! She saved my life back in the junkyard!"

Scorpion Queen looked toward Aizhen, listening to her every word, before returning to Amber. She lowered her gaze briefly and took a few steps back from them, rearing her tail and cupping her claws together.

"My apologies. I get a little defensive when it comes to protecting my companions."

Camille patted the side of Scorpion Queen's leg, "It's something she's working on. She used to live in the desert with only her servants, and when someone new came along-she'd ensure that they'd never leave. That, and trust issues when it comes to new palsies like yo-"

Camille froze mid-sentence when she saw Amber. Her eyes widened in shock, and she wasn't the only one reacting that way. When Amber looked Camille's way, she pulled up her visor, and terror spread across her face upon realizing that the chameleon girl was staring directly at her.

"Oh no~DO NOT TELL ME that you're friends with 'Chatter Box'!" shouted Amber, letting out a frustrated groan.

"Chatter-Box?"

"Gasp! No way! That's the Spider Demon who guarded me and the guys back at the Arachnid Base!" Camille squeed, dashing over toward Amber, cupping her hands into hers, and shaking them violently, "I don't believe it! My bestie is friends with my kidnapper/guard! This is awesome!"

Amber growled, trying to pull herself away from Camille's handshake, but it was impossible to break free due to being shaken up.

"L-l-let go of me, yo-y-you crazy reptile!" she pleaded, her voice shaky from the hyper handshake.

"Hold up...Amber, you kidnapped Camille?" asked Aizhen with a raised eyebrow.

"ORDERED to kidnap any demon, including this blabber mouth!", she shouted, finally pulling her hands free and tumbling back, nearly falling down were it not for Aizhen, "She would NOT shut up while I was keeping a close watch on the captives! 'Where does your webbing come out of?', 'Did you guys try the kabobs before you invaded?', 'I love your hair. How can I get a coool mane like that?' SHE just kept going ON, and on that, I had to coat her mouth shut with webbing six times!"

Camille counted her fingers as she was in deep thought, but held up eight fingers toward Amber, "Actually-It was eight times. I chewed the first two through the webbing, but let me tell ya-it didn't taste like cotton candy, but like sticky stringed glue."

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT THE WEBBING! IT'S SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" Amber screamed at a chibified Camille, nearly blown away by her shouting.

"Thus, she got the name Chatter Box because she wouldn't shut up?" asked Aizhen.

Amber took a few deep breaths, ran her fingers through her hair, and released a tense moan, "YES! Thus, the name Chatter-Box was born."

"And I am honored by that nickname.", Camille complimented, putting her hand on her chest.

"Okay, if we're done with the introductions and unruly reunions, we need to move before Tanlan, and his goons notice the giant hole and come down here after dealing with those creepy crawlies!"

"Oh? Do you mean my babies? I should call em' back before they get hurt up there." Scorpion Queen turned back to the hole hanging behind them. She put a claw by her lips and let out a sharp whistle.

Tiny scorpions swarmed the hole, cascading down like a waterfall and piling onto one another until they formed a small hill of these creepy, crawly creatures. Scrambling to their feet, the army of scorpions approached the Scorpion Queen, climbing up her legs and settling comfortably onto her back.

"Well, that explains where the scorpions came from."

"Yep. I sent my little babies out a little ways from where we are to keep those knuckleheads busy while we got ya out of that cage", Scorpion Queen tapped her babies with the tip of her tail.

"We better get moving before Tanlan and his men discover what's happening.", commanded Aizhen as Scorpion Queen's tail wrapped around her and plopped her onto her back.

Camille and Amber got scooped up and dropped onto Scorpion Queen's back as she readied herself.

"Then we got no time to waste! Hold on tight, besties and new palsie!" Scorpion Queen made a mad dash down the tunnel.

"I AM NOT YOUR NEW PALSIE~!" protested Amber, holding on for dear life alongside Aizhen, Camille, and the tiny scorpion babies clinging to Queenie's back while some clung onto their legs.

Jun and the Chaos Bros waited near the truck above the other end of the tunnel. Jun kept himself busy by cooking up a batch of lo mai gai. He grilled marinated vegetables, sausage, shrimp, a dash of teriyaki, and BBQ, and clumped them into the rice before nestling the clusters in leaves to settle. He stressed and cooked about twenty lo mai gai when Camille and Scorpion Queen went off to rescue Aizhen.

Every minute alone, a second glanced back at the hole in the ground, hoping at any moment his sister and Scorpion Queen would pop up with Aizhen in hand. Yin and Jin guarded the tunnel, playing cards to pass the time. They weren't paying attention at all, occupied with their silly game to keep watch over the hole for any sign of his troublesome sister.

"Could you two put the cards down for two minutes and keep watch!? I can't focus having to look over my shoulder every minute while making sure the meat doesn't burn!", he barked at the brothers.

"Oi! We are keeping watch! One eye on the tunnel, the other on our game!" exclaimed Jin, picking up another card from the deck as he glanced down at his cards.

"Camille was specific about the signal when they reached the entrance. Once we hear it, we'll tell ya.", explained Yin, looking at his hand as he laid his cards down, "Ha! Read it and weep, bro! Straight flush!"

"W-ha!?", Jin couldn't believe his eyes. He bent down to look at his cards, "You must've cheated! Ain't no way you got straight flush!"

"This coming from the guy who hid aces in his pocket and made me look away while you swapped the losers for those?" Yin said, recalling his brother once cheated at a poker game by hiding the aces in his pant pocket and winning every round. When they did laundry, he found bits of a crumbled ace card in Jin's pocket.

"Hey! I was serious about the bird stealing our Brown Sugar Buns during breakfast, but that was a coincidence!"

"Okay, but the other times you made me look away like 'a UFO floating above the ceiling behind us' was the lamest excuse I've ever heard!" barked Yin, slamming his horns against Jin's horns.

"Well, I'm about to send ya up to outer space if you don't get out of my face!", growled Jin pushing against his brother's horns.

The brothers dropped their cards and began to rumble. A fight cloud formed as they spat insults at one another while Jun could do nothing, but shake his head. Why did he have to be stuck watching over two knucklehead demons who couldn't even scare a mouse.

"CAW-CAW! CAW-CAW!"

The sound of the caw ceased the brothers' squabble while Jun froze mid-fold on the latest lo mai gai when they heard the cawing getting louder and louder with each second.

"THAT'S THE SIGNAL!", said the brothers in unison.

"Cawing? Seriously, sis?", Jun raised a skeptical eyebrow hearing the growing caw.

The brothers saw a shining light glisten in the darkness and shot out of the hole dispelling in mid-air before Scorpion Queen leaped out of the tunnel as the brothers backed away to give her enough space to land. She descended safely on the ground, perching down to allow Aizhen, Camille, and Amber to slide off her back alongside her scorpion babies.

"Cawww-cawwww~!" Camile cupped her hands around her mouth, excitedly laughing, and threw her fists up, "WoooO~! Mission accomplished!"

"Thanks for that glow-up in the tunnel, Aizhen. I didn't realize how dark it was on the way back." Scorpion Queen shifted back into her human form, brushing off any traces of dirt on her dress and arms.

"Yeah! I didn't know you could make balls of light! Where were you hiding that little trick?" teased Camille, sliding over to her friend and curiously poking her arm with a sly grin.

"I wasn't hiding it; it was on reserve for emergencies, and seeing as the tunnel was dark to see through on our way back-I decided to brighten things so it'd be easier for Queenie to see better."

"Yeah, next time we make a tunnel when busting our palsie out, gotta leave some glow stick trail or something.", Camille put a finger to her as she thought.

"Hey, Scales! Nice to see ya in one piece!", shouted Jin waving his hand alongside his brother.

"Good on ya surviving being mauled by Tanlan!", replied Yin.

"Not out of the woods yet in regards to being mauled. He might be on us any minute if we don't get a move on", informed Aizhen.

Amber brushed herself off and opened her bag. Lumie peeked her optic out, letting out a stream of beeps to her friend, and in response, she patted her head.

"Good girl staying out of sight. If Tanlan or his men saw you, they'd break ya down for scrap." Amber softly spoke to Lumie, caressing the little bot like a kitten.

The brothers caught a glimpse of Amber and Lumie from a distance, and at that moment, they let out a unison scream, recognizing the lady cuddling her spider-bot. Startled by their scream, Amber paused her pet session, jerked her head in their direction, and couldn't believe her eyes!

"YOU!", all three screamed at once.

"You're the Spider Lady who kidnapped us on New Year's! " Jin pointed an accusing finger at Amber.

"And you're the annoying brothers who wouldn't shut up on which metal came first: Silver or Gold!" barked Amber, throwing her fists to her sides.

"NO way!~" Camille slid in the space between the three. Talk about coinkydink! Ai-Ai's savior, who was my kidnapper, knows my palsies; who was their kidnapper, too!? " She smushed her cheeks as her pupils sparkled like sparklers. "This must be destiny that my pals got kidnapped by the SAME Spider Demon who kidnapped me AND now helped save my bestie from Tanlan!"

"Wait!? Did they say spider demon!?" Jun shouted, rearing his head out from the truck door, "I thought all the spider demons were gone!"

"All except one, buddy," Amber pointed to herself before hearing an objective boop from her bag. Okay, one and a half if you count Lumie here. Before you jump the gun, I don't eat people, but if we don't hightail it, we're gonna be the star dishes for Tanlan and his boys tonight."

"Wait, so its true that he does eat demons!?", cried Jin.

Yin held his brother close as they shook like tofu, "I thought it was a rumor!"

"It's actually quite true. They were preparing a giant cauldron to throw us in and turn us into a hot pot," answered Aizhen, hoping that would clear up the rumor. However, it only made the brothers shake in terror.

"Over my scaley body, he'll make us into a hot pot! We'll be long gone before he tries to get us!" Camille dashed toward the truck, hopping over her brother and performing a superhero landing behind him.

"Camille, what did I tell ya about superhero landing jumps in the truck!?", Jun shouted back to his sister, getting out of the way while Yin and Jin hurried inside.

"Move it or lose it, Gecko Boy!"

Aizhen, Scorpion Queen, and Amber were the last to climb aboard the truck. Jun locked the door behind him and headed toward the front, but not before he grabbed a plate of lo mai gai and held it out to Aizhen.

"Thought you might be hungry after the ordeal you've faced. This is for you. I still have two more plates and one on the side so everyone can refuel. Camille told me about your appetite, so I doubled up. I was stress cooking, waiting for sis and Queenie to get back from rescuing you." Jun smiled warmly at her while rubbing his neck.

Aizhen took a whiff of the lo mai gai and plucked one of the plumped leaves off the plate. She unraveled the leaf and was met with a sweet aroma tickling her nostrils and a hint of zesty spice. Gazing down, she found the oval brown rice piercing with diced sausage, shrimp, and vegetables. She dug right into the hill of rice and took a hefty bite, savoring the newfound flavors erupting in her mouth!

Juicy! Tangy! Sweet! Spicy! Each flavor morphed with every bite! She's never had a lo mai gai as delectable as this! This was more savory than the lao mai gai Camille offered her earlier! It was bursting with flavor, the rice was perfectly soft and the vegetables, meat and sauces complimented one another in a perfect harmonious cluster of deliciousness!

Aizhen couldn't help, but shed happy tears that trickled down her cheeks, "This...This Lo Mai Gai...It's...delicious!", she resumed wolfing down the rest of the lo mai gai, tossing the leaf into a nearby trashcan without looking and took two more lo mai gai off the plate, ripping each leaf open and ate out of both her palms.

Camille wasn't kidding when she mentioned Aizhen had a ferocious appetite. Jun, watched in awe and horror as the dragon lady finished two more lo mai gai and grabbed another set to shove down her gullet.

"Wow...That...Is some appetite you got there.", he said to Aizhen; he took out a napkin from his pocket and handed it to her, "Here got a little something on your..." he pointed to his cheek, indicating the bits of rice on her face.

Aizhen took the napkin and patted her cheeks clean of the rice bits. She held out the napkin back to him, but he raised his palms up, "Uh-you can toss that out when you're done. It's for wiping your face up. It's called a napkin."

"Ah. Then I shall be sure to toss it out when I am done wiping my face." She tucked the napkin into her pocket and resumed eating the rest of her lo mai gai.

"I'm gonna leave this over here in case you want any more. Like I said, I got a few more plates for everyone else-Including for MK and Mei, as a token of appreciation for when they help kick Tanlan's butt. In the meantime, I have to head to the front and get this truck a-going.", he pointed behind him and headed down toward the front of the truck.

Aizhen tossed the empty leaves into the trashcan and headed toward the plate, grabbing another lo mai gai, and when she was about to rip right in, she felt a presence behind her. She was met with two sets of wobby puppy dog eyes as Yin and Jin's lips quivered looking like hungry strays looking for scraps. Aizhen looked at the lo mai gai in her hands and back at her plate, she sighed and gave them a friendly smile. Reaching over, she grabbed the plate and held it out to them.

"Here. Jun said these were for me, but sharing doesn't hurt. You watched over the hole entrance to ensure no enemies didn't get through, so I offer you my remaining lo mai gai."

Their wobbly eyes burst into sparkles, cupping their claws together, each grabbing hold of the plate.

"Much obliged, Aizhen." Yin said, reaching over and grabbing the lo mai gai on the left while Jin grabbed the other.

"Ya should've seen us earlier when one suspicious fellow snooped around! We scared em' off with his tail between his legs by unleashing one of our mini-bots on em!", muffled Jin between chews, his face coated with rice and vegetable bits.

"One shot fire while the other shot paintballs!" chimed Yin, taking a large bite of the lo mai gai.

"If that's true, where are your supposed 'mini-bots'?" a skeptic Aizhen asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

Yin and Jin nervously stared at one another. Aizhen was sharp enough to start seeing through their lie, but they had to coat it up quickly before she unraveled the tale.

"They got hit by a truck when getting back from chasing that guy off?", they answered.

In the front of the truck, Jun buckled himself in and started the vehicle. Camille sat beside him, looking back at the kitchen, hearing Aizhen chatting it up with the bros while Scorpion Queen and Amber sat at a table eating their own Lo Mai Gai.

"Okay, so we get out of this death trap of a junkyard, head toward the bridge, and take a few turns-BOOM! We're at Pigsys, and after MK and Mei help us out, they help Aizhen out, we take the bros and Queenie home, AND you will explain to MOM and DAD the WILD Night you lot had." Jun glared over at his sister with a stern look.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" she brushed it off, occupied at the moment at the calmness of the atmosphere, seeing her friends altogether safe and sound before escaping the oncoming storm that was Tanlan, "But I'm also gonna tell Mom and dad that it was for a good reason. Aizhen needed our help, and I promised I'd give her the greatest tour around Megapolis and help her get to where she had to go."

"Which is to Pigsy's to see Mei, right?"

"Yeah. Mei and her buds know all about the mystical business stuff, and I'm sure they can help Ai-Ai with her mystical stuff."

"You mean with the whole 'being the leader of an ancient beast team that guards powerful stones and kept the universe from falling apart'? Questioned her brother.

"Yes...I don't know much about mystical stuff, especially legendary guardian beasts, but I do know that when somebody's in trouble, I try my best to help them. No matter who they are...Ai-Ai's no different. All I want to do is help her in any way I can to ensure she gets to where she's going and finds what she's searching for, even if it means taking risks. But isn't taking a risk worth it to help those in need? For those you love, Jun?"

Jun was about to protest but paused, letting his sister's words sink in. Taking a risk is worth helping folks including those you love. Camille may be a live-wire, but there was reason behind her actions. Tonight was a prime example: Going through the Yaoguai Market as a shortcut despite how dangerous it was (be it day or evening), saving Aizhen from a fall that resulted in tripping and publicly embarrassing Tanlan, and coming up with a ridiculous rescue plan to save her. His gaze softened, letting out a slightly annoyed sigh, and he smiled at her as his tail ruffled her hair.

"I swear, sis, you are gonna be the death of me one of these days. Hopefully, it won't be tonight."

"Don't worry, bro. We only meet our end at the ripe ole age of elderhood. Oh! Or sky-diving from the Moon toward Earth at alarming speed!"

"Camille! That isn't how physics works with sky-diving off the moon!", Jun scolded his sister, rubbing his temple as he started the engine.

"You'll never know unless you defy physics to prove it can be done!", Camille argued.

The moment the truck sprung to life, a thunderous roar echoed from the tunnel entrance. A beastly claw grabbed hold of the earth, then the other claw and pulling his hefty body up was a furious Tanlan. Bloodshot eyes glowed as he breathed heavily to contain his rage, and tiny pincer marks coated his face. This demon was at the end of his rope and was going to wrap up loose ends to put an end to the nuisances that had brought him nothing but trouble all night long.

Tanlan spotted the truck swirling momentarily and quickly sped toward the gate. He leaped out of the hole and frantically chased after the gang. His men carefully crawled out, with Renzhe calling out to the boss. In response, Tanlan commanded his men to retrieve their bikes and pursue the gang while he continued on foot.

Amber silently munched on her lo mai gai while Lumie had a bent-up spoon to munch upon. Scorpion Queen kept her eyes on her, taking small bites of her lo mai gai. The air was still like day-old bread the longer the silence between them went on. If anyone was going to slice through the crusty bread, it might as well be Queenie.

"So...You're a spider demon?", she asked.

"What about it?"

"No, it's just...I've heard about them but never imagined I'd meet one in person, not since..."

"Not since Lady Bone Demon wiped out the Spider Queen and her followers. Me and Lumie, we're what remains of the Spider Empire."

"How did you survive being killed by her?"

Amber stared down at the flat leaf sprinkled with remaining rice and mushrooms. Closing her eyes for a moment, trying her best to suppress the onslaught of memories breaking free from their prison. Bits and pieces flashed in her mind: Her running down the caverns searching for any sign of her fellow spider demons, her mother facing off against Lady Bone Demon while MK transformed into a falcon and took off amongst the scuffle. The worst was her mother's dying scream when she was ripped from her mech and-!

She pushed back the horrific scene as her eyes clenched tighter, each push leading them back to its subconscious cell to keep from resurfacing. Just nearly seeing a glimpse of that last bit rose the tears hiding underneath her eyelids. No, she cannot let herself be vulnerable. Why was she even attempting to try to answer this lady's question? Why did she care about how she survived the slaughter of her clan? Why would anyone care about a Spider Demon like her?

She shot open her eyes and stared directly at Scorpion Queen, ready to give a good lashing to her until she felt her hand caress hers.

"It's okay...You don't have to talk about it if you don't feel like it. It must've been difficult and terrifying to have lost everything you've known."

Amber was surprised, but her eyes shrank to a narrow glare as she ripped her hand away from Scorpion Queen, "That's nearly scratching the surface of what terrors I've been through. Nobody knows how much I've suffered when I lost the only home I ever knew...But then again, why would anyone care for a spider demon. When they see me, they'd just scream and run away thinking I'd take em' back to my lair, eat em' or use em' in some weird experiment. I'm just a nobody...", she plopped her head down onto her arms and turned away from Scorpion Queen's gaze. She focused on her reflection staring back at her on the freezer.

Scorpion Queen felt her heart starting to break in two. This poor girl in front of her felt like she didn't belong in this world because of the crimes her kind committed against Megapolis. Sure, from what Camille told her SHE did kidnap her and the brothers once, but she was only following orders. Despite her past demeanor, she was a lost soul trying to find her place.

"You're not a nobody, Amber. Nobody is." the Scorpion Queen sympathized, "We're all trying to find our way in this world, but even if we're on our own-it doesn't have to be that way."

Amber turned her head slightly but didn't raise it. She just gave her an annoyed glance, "Oh? And give me ONE good example."

The Scorpion Queen paused for a moment, only to be interrupted by the uproar from the brothers. She turned her head to see Aizhen, her cheeks puffed up with lo mai gai, happily munching away. A plate full of empty leaves sat nearby, while the brothers stood with their hands curled into fists at their sides, seething with frustration.

One lo mai gai remained, and it was noticeably larger and puffier than the rest. To decide who would get the last one, the brothers played rock-paper-scissors. However, they lost to Aizhen. In a desperate attempt to sway her, they tried to convince her that a giant slime monster was lurking around, but she wasn't fooled. Instead, she gleefully finished the last lo mai gai, much to the brothers' dismay.

In retaliation, Yin and Jin attempted to tackle Aizhen, but she leaped onto a counter while they fell to the floor, comically toppling over one another. After finishing the last of the lo mai gai, she stuck out her tongue and jumped down to join Scorpion Queen and Amber. However, she unexpectedly landed flat on her stomach! Jin managed to grab hold of one of her legs, while Yin seized the other.

Aizhen propped herself up halfway, arms crossed, glaring angrily at the brothers. "Pinning me to the ground won't bring back the lo mai gai. Besides, I won fair and square! You tried to snatch my delicious morsel away from me, claiming there was a 'slime monster' behind me. I'm not falling for that trick again, like you did with the scorpion on my back."

"Just admit you used your keen 'dragon sight' to see through hand gestures and cheated to get that plump lo mai gai!" barked Jin.

"I did no such thing! I simply considered the most logical weapon to use during our match. You both chose scissors, while I chose rock. Rock breaks scissors. Although I may have been reborn today, I am familiar with the game. Byakko and I used to have matches where the prize was the juiciest stone fruit from the harvest."

"And you just ate the juiciest lo mai gai with more meat!"

Aizhen smacked her lips, assessing the aftertaste, "Actually, it was more shrimp and veggies than meat."

"Doesn't matter! That should've been ours!", barked Jin.

"How do you divide it based on which side has more veggies and meat?" Aizhen raised a valid question to the brothers.

The brothers stared blankly at one another, returning their gaze to Aizhen.

"Clearly, the elder brother receives the most," Jin stated, pointing to himself, but Yin gently pushed his cheek.

"Uh-uh! The youngest gets the most! They need more nutrients than their older bros!", protested Yin, feeling his brother grab hold of one of his horns.

"Oldest!"

"Youngest!"

The brothers fought amongst themselves but didn't realize that by fighting, they'd release Aizhen's legs, allowing her to get to her feet. Backing away a few feet, speculating their sibling scuffle, she squatted down, staring at the two, each with their hands on their horns and growling ferociously at each other.

"If I may interject. No matter how old or young, everyone deserves to have equal nutrients so they can grow. Even if there is a sliver of extra protein, you still get equal rations when you divide it amongst yourselves."

The brothers ceased their fighting to listen to Aizhen's comment.

"And, there's more than ONE plate", she pointed to the counter with two extra plates of lo mai gai, "So, you guys are fighting over naught but watching you having your 'sibling squabble' is quite...entertaining?", she chuckled to herself.

The brothers' cheeks flushed red, and they glanced up at the two plates of lo mai gai, releasing their grip and brushing the dust off themselves.

"W-we knew that.", said Jin.

"Sure you did, Tangerine."

Jin's eyes shot open at the nickname, "T-t-tangerine!?"

Yin guffawed pointing at his brother while his hand cupped his face, "Hahahaha! W--w-well, you do look like a giant orange!"

"If Jin's an orange, that makes you a Blueberry, Yin.", Aizhen pointed to the blue demon.

Jin laughed at Yin's nickname while Yin's jawdropped at the name Aizhen gave him.

"Hahahaha! B-b-bblueberry! She called you Blueberry!"

"I mean, no offense to you both, but I learned recently that nicknames are a form of short name people give to those they've met or bonded with. Amber, for example, calls me Star Girl because of my starry hair. So I thought I'd begin giving those I've bonded with a nickname to call em' by sometimes."

"Couldn't you come up with something cooler like....Silver Charmer, Silver King, Silver Bro."

"Those seem too generic. When I get to know you two better, I'll update the nicknames that befit you."

"Fine, until then, I'll keep calling you 'Scaley," responded Jin crossing his arms.

"But I/she doesn't have scales.", Yin and Aizhen said at the same time.

Amber watched alongside Scorpion Queen for a moment. Aizhen had been reincarnated today, and already she had a circle of unusual friends who were willing to risk their lives to save her. At that moment, she was in a noogie lock with the brothers, who were playfully ruffling each other's hair and sharing a good laugh.

"You see, Amber. Aizhen came into this world alone but after one day...She found us. Right now, she may feel like she's the only one here, but with our help...I'm sure we'll help find her friends."

Amber took in her words, repeating them softly in her head. May Feel like she's the only one....with help...we'll help find her friends...Would the same apply to her? Can anyone help her find her people? To find out if other spider demons were spared from the Lady Bone Demon's wrath or lived outside the city?

Before she could dwell deeper into the idea, suddenly, a rapid banging against the serving window. Large fist-like dents began to bend up the window until a crack formed on the bottom, allowing a massive claw to rip it wide open, revealing a deranged Tanlan staring directly at the group. The brothers and Aizhen ceased the roughhousing; Yin and Jin held one another as they let out blood-curdling screams while Aizhen got to her feet with fists at her side. Scorpion Queen and Amber rose from their seats at the sudden appearance of the malicious giant.

"AIIIIZZZHEEEENNNNN!"

"Tanlan!? H-h-h-hhow did he catch up!?"

"He must be freakishly fast to caught up with a truck!"

"Fast and strong...I'll give him credit for his iron will to try to end my life, but I'm not looking to have it taken that easily."

"I just hope Jun has car insurance because this truck is about to get wrecked.", said Amber, pushing down her visor as she was ready to rumble.