Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 511: Elio’s chilling discovery.

When the unusual rescue squad arrived, the second crocodylus was dead. Its body lay motionless on the ground, just like Sunshine and Nimo. Leah was sitting atop the back of the beast, swinging her legs, biting into the half of the chocolate bear she had not finished before the fighting started.

"Mommy!" Ariel shouted with glee.

The serious captain of the kid’s squad broke into a run that surprised everyone, just like his ’mommy’ call. He was the kind to say mom or mother. Earl and Castiel followed, all throwing themselves at Sunshine.

"You should have told us where you were going. Do you know how worried we were about you?" Ariel asked, serious voice that tolerated no nonsense. "What were you thinking?"

Sunshine hugged all three boys. "I was thinking of sightseeing. Look at this place. Isn’t it beautiful? Such a shame that it is not part of Tracy Kingsley’s tour."

Earl rolled his eyes. No sane person was touring near death lake. He got his stethoscope and opened his first aid box. "Who is hurt and how bad?"

"My exo suit is scratched and dirty." Nimo announced, loudly, looking at Earl. "And I am grossed out from popping two stinky crocodylus zits. Got anything for that doc?"

Earl was astounded. "No, aunt Nimo. But if you want to vomit, I have sour candy."

"Care to share what you crazies were thinking by bringing the children out here?" Leah stopped straightening Ala’s hair and questioned Dominic. Her eyes did not forget to meet Hades and Dwayne’s.

"I told you she would be annoyed." Ala muttered.

Explanations would have to wait. The lake was not done, and the water churned again, stirring dirt from the bottom. Something even bigger had been sleeping beneath, but now, it was awake.

The ground trembled.

"Hades, get the kids away, activate their exo suits." Sunshine ordered hastily.

The men rushed to shield the kids and get them to safety. Nimo raised her grenades. Leah raised her hands. Sunshine exhaled mist.

Other superhumans prepared to fight.

The water split open as a shadow rose, as tall as the trees by the lake. It was not crocodylus, it was some kind of mutated fish! A shardling that was a little too healthy, too tall and too big! Its eyes glowed with molten fury. And on its back, dozens of sacs pulsed like glowing lanterns in the radiant sun.

"I am already grossed out." Nimo made a retching sound.

"You just had to say all that stuff about popping zits." Leah muttered. "These ones are yellow. God I hope its not pus."

The beast roared, a sound that shook the earth.

"I really hope its not pus." Leah repeated.

****

Ten minutes later, Leah’s exo suit was covered in yellow and red mixed goo. She had already stripped out of it and she was scowling at it. "It was pus."

"I know." Nimo laughed. "And you just had to show off your air slicing skills. Serves you right."

Leah had burst all the sacs in one go with a single slash of sharp condensed air. All that yellow goo had ended up on the outside of her exo suit. One could only imagine what would have happened if she had not been wearing it.

"I am going home; I need a bath." Leah muttered. She stretched her hands out to Dominic and Ala.

Dominic obediently gave them helmets and flew them away from the forest.

Sunshine looked at her kids. They were leading the kids’ squad to finish off the giant shardling that was breathing its last. They were firing at it, yelling as if the beast was still capable of attacking.

Only White was hiding behind Hades, trembling like a child in a snowstorm.

"White the cowardly bear." Nimo snorted. "His species would be ashamed to see him now." She shook her head. The bear would not survive on Veldek. Sunshine and Hades had practically raised him to be a hand fed, soft life kind of bear. All he was good for were cuddles! "I am leaving too. Dwayne looks like he wants to throttle me." She chuckled, activated her suit and flew off.

Dwayne flew after her immediately.

Sunshine collected her children and husband, and they left as well.

Other superhumans flew the children from the kids’ squad away, leaving behind a team to sweep the area for more threats, pack up the remains of the dead beasts and clean the area.

Only after reaching home did Sunshine recall that she had forgotten something. But what it was, she could not place her finger on it.

Back in the forest, Major Elio was doing a sweep of the lake. Superhumans in exo suits were diving to areas he pointed out, to retrieve crocodylus eggs. Some were inside the lake, others on the banks.

Phillip, like the genius he was, was roasting one of the eggs. He had always considered this a missed opportunity. He did not have plans to eat the egg; he simply wanted to see what happened when one was roasted.

The smell was awful!

"Remind me why Sunshine wants these eggs." Gregg asked, pinching his nose. "If she says they are food, I will volunteer to skip breakfast."

"Research." Professor Chloe announced, walking towards the men with her team that was just arriving at the scene. She paused to give Phillip her most scornful look. "What do you think you are doing with the specimens?"

"Err...research." Phillip answered, uncertain. "Think of it this way professor, I am saving you from wasting resources on one experiment."

The egg exploded with a loud bang. A sound that was similar to that of a bomb being set off in a building. Birds scattered, humans covered their ears or fell to the ground for cover.

It took a few seconds for them to realize that there was no bomb and they were all unharmed.

Phillip gasped. "We are alive."

"No thanks to you and your carelessness." Professor Chloe told him. She turned to her people and started yelling out instructions. "We need samples of the water from this lake. Obviously, something about it is very attractive to mutated beasts. First it was the giant snake, now crocodylus and giant shardlings.

It seems to be the perfect breeding ground for water related species. We figure out why and then we can make it hostile to them. We need biological samples, sediment cores, gas emissions, electromagnetic readings and any and all animal interaction traces.

If a snail took a nap here, I want evidence of it. Keep your eyes open and use your equipment wisely. Do not miss anything. Walk in pairs with a superhuman guard. Nobody works alone."

"Yes ma’am." They answered together and scattered to different areas around the lake.

Major Elio whispered, "Oh no."

Those closest to him wondered if now was the time to take cover again.

Elio grabbed a radio and contacted the command center. "We need to send drones into the lake. It is glowing down here, hundreds of those sacs like the ones on the giant shardling. These things are sleeping but soon, they will wake and no doubt attack the base. This isn’t over."