She was always alone. Jane Lauren was starting to realize that fact. It seemed like no matter how much she tried to get involved, she would just never be able to stay at her daughter''s side for very long.


    It had all started when her husband, Alexander, got that damn virus. Hope had seemingly drifted away from her. She still got to see her daughter, she still got to talk to her, and she still got to hold her, but something in Hope had changed that day. A light that had been in her daughter''s eyes wasn''t there. It was made all the worse by the fact she had to work so much.


    She was always working. Jane knew that fact long before this moment. She would work so many jobs, going until she threw up, and then she would pick herself back up and do it all over again. All so she could pay the bills and keep her dying husband alive for just a bit longer. He wasn''t in her life either anymore. He had been placed into a slumber, seemingly never awake when she came to see him. Maybe it was because he didn''t want to cry in front of the woman he loved.


    By the time she realized her daughter had settled on being a superhero, it truly was too late. Hope had regained that light in her eyes without her. She wasn''t needed. At least, that was the conclusion Jane came up with. Hope had moved on without her. And then, at the same time, her daughter had died, and her husband had been able to leave the bed. Yet she was still alone. Not only was Hope gone now, but Alexander was far too busy helping Paragon keep everyone safe, all while she wallowed away in self-hatred.


    She thought it would be different now.


    For the first time in forever, she felt like she wasn''t alone. Her daughter was back with her, and her husband was able to walk, run, and talk; oh, did he talk. She had them both in her life once again. She wasn''t alone.


    Until she was.


    Jane Lauren stood numbly outside of the destroyed van, staring at the spot where her daughter had been. Just like her father, Hope had been stolen away by a mysterious force. Once more, she was alone.


    "Why... why couldn''t it be me this time..."


    "Did you say something?" Kevin slid out of the van, having transformed into some weird red slime-looking creature. The Pod was seemingly copying, having become the same form as him, and followed after him, but as soon as it noticed the look on Jane''s face, it changed and formed around the woman, wrapping her up in a tight silver blanket.


    Jane held onto the blanket and forced that hollow feeling that was in her gut down. "Where are they?" She demanded, speaking in a calm tone that shocked even her.


    The world''s greatest hero team, the Enforcers, were scrambling around. Mister Man and Wyvern were both pacing back and forth in what looked almost like a comical fashion. Lady Time and Fable were both helping Lightning Empress back up. The young girl''s face had been changed into a nasty purple color from the beating she took, but the girl still had a smile on her face—a twisted and broken one.


    Finally, that left Pretty Face, who stood off to the side. He was wiping his forehead and letting out a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank the gods above, the games aren''t being held in this city. Guess I don''t have to get involved. Although, ''Pretty Face takes down the Immortals'' would have been one hell of a news title."


    "What city is it?" Wyvern snapped out, flames dripping down her chin.


    "How should I know?" Mister Man grunted out. He was playing with his gun, fingering the trigger. "Whatever one it is, I think it is far too late. No way we can get in. Not even my phasing powers work on the damn barrier they set up. Seriously, it''s bullshit!" He kicked out, smashing his foot into the table where they had been sitting earlier. "We''re supposed to be the best. That''s why we''re on this damn team. Why is it that everyone else always seems so much stronger? I''m getting tired of it!"


    "Don''t break your foot." Fable let out a heavy sigh. "We need to think of something. We need to do it fast as well."


    Lady Time numbly nodded her head. The woman crouched down and stared into Lightning Empress''s eyes once they placed the wounded hero in a chair. "Lois. Look, I know you don''t like me because your mother spends more time with me than she does you, but I seriously need you to work with me here."


    "That''s not why I dislike you." Lightning Empress let out a weak giggle. "I dislike you because you''re just not that important to the story-" The Lord of the Sky suddenly found herself cut off as a hand grabbed her face. Lois found herself staring into the eyes of Jane Lauren. "Mrs. Lauren?"


    "Why didn''t you try and stop that?" Jane said in a cold tone, staring into the other girl''s eyes. "I- I met you a few times when I visited my daughter''s base. You were on the same team as Hope; you were a friend of hers, and she always talked highly about you. Why did you just do nothing? You can see the future, can''t you? So you should have seen this happening? Why? I don''t get it. Why? Why did you all leave Hope? That light in her eyes is gone again. Why didn''t any of you stay by her side? Why aren''t any of you helping her? Why did you abandon my daughter?" Jane let out a choked gasp as her hands shook and her eyes began to tear up.


    It just wasn''t fair. She knew what it was like to be left alone. It was such a horrible feeling. One she didn''t want her child to go through, yet Hope was once again alone. Armin was dead, Myth and Whisper left her, and that Mr. Larison guy turned his back on her. Her daughter was all by herself.


    Lightning Empress''s eyes seemed to soften a bit. "Do you think I wanted any of this to happen?"


    "If you didn''t, you would have done something." Mister Man barked out.


    "I can''t." Lightning Empress shook her head and let out another giggle. "My understanding of the Paths grew ever since I became the host to my father''s power, yet there are still so many restrictions. This is likely how Dad felt, now that I think about it. He knew he was going to die; he knew that fight with the Beast would be his last, yet he didn''t know when it would be, nor did he know how or what other people would be taken to hell with him." The Lord seemed to ponder her own words for a moment. "I knew the games would start. I also knew Alexander would be selected for a player, and I know who the other players are. I didn''t say anything because once you start messing with a story, it starts changing. The fact is, I honestly don''t know what will happen in the Murder Games; I just know there is an outcome and a Path that I like, and if even one thing were to change, well... They sometimes say even the flapping of a butterfly''s wings can cause a storm. I don''t want anything to be ruined."


    "So you just decided to keep all of this secret from Cinder and Alexander so they wouldn''t screw up the plot? Is that it?" Mister Man demanded.


    "Not exactly." Lightning Empress rubbed at her injured face. "As I said, I knew Alexander was going to be selected. I also knew Hope would be dragged off with him. From there, though, I don''t know what choices they''ll make or do. Lucifer''s power is grand, and it breaks all Paths. Not to mention he seems to be surrounded by so many strong people that are doing the same. Not even I know how this game will go, I''ve just selected the beginning of the Path after looking at the end of the Path. The way to that ending is a mystery to even my eyes. There was also no point in telling anyone. We couldn''t stop the games even if we wanted to. They were always going to happen, and the players would always be selected. If we did try to stop it, Hope would stop at nothing to get in the way of Lucifer''s plans, which would result in her meeting ''Full Monarch'' a little bit earlier than she should."


    "Full Monarch?" Wyvern''s eyes were wide. "What do you mean?"


    "You''ll see. Eventually-"


    "I''ve had it, bitch." Mister Man jammed his gun down into the stop of Lightning Empress''s head. "Lord or not, one bullet through the brain is bound to kill you."


    The girl didn''t even flinch, a smirk staying on her face. "Can you really do it? You and Mom are always screwing on the side, right? What will she say when you''ve killed her only daughter?


    Mister Man''s teeth ground together so hard blood actually began to pour down his lip. His arm shook, and Lady Time placed a hand on his shoulder and moved him away. Fable folded his arms and let out a sigh of his own. "This isn''t right. You shouldn''t hide things from us like this. I understand you think this is the correct thing to do because of whatever ending you''re seeing, but my brother has proven time and time again that the Paths aren''t always set in stone. You said he would die to the Beast, yet he made it back from two battles with it. We could have done something. We could have found a solution, or at the very least, if we couldn''t stop the players from going into the games, we could have prepared them. Because you stayed silent, we can''t. If anyone dies, blood will be on your hands."


    Fable''s words silenced Lightning Empress and finally removed her smile. Jane remained where she was and stared down at the girl that had once been her daughter''s friend. "The end of the Path, is it at least a good one?"


    "It''s good enough..." Lightning Empress looked down, not saying anything. "The closest thing to a happy ending. That was another reason I was silent on it for so long. I need you all to be here so you could hear him out when he comes."


    "Hear who out?" Pretty Face asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Wyvern felt it before anyone else. It was back, stronger than ever. A terror that she still hadn''t been able to shake off. It appeared at the end of the park they were in. A shimmering blue portal began to unfold as reality cracked, and three people stepped out of it. Tallest Wave looked around, and her eyes instantly locked onto the other heroes.


    "P- Poseidon?" Lady Time said in shock.


    "No." Tallest Wave didn''t say anything else as she stepped out of the way. Her old hero costume was fully gone, dressed in her icy armor with her trident over her shoulder. She was still in her Lord mode, her hair a blue color and her eyes holding a fiery red light to them. Behind her, Beta walked out. The robot looked the same: a silver suit of armor with a red dot in the center of its forehead. Now strapped to its shoulder was a massive camera, created to record even the fastest of fights.


    It was obvious who the last person who stepped out was going to be. Battery wasn''t wearing his mask anymore, and his trench coat was folded up, covering his costume. Both of his eyes held a strong light to them, one crackling with black lightning, the other looking like a deep blue star. Those eyes roamed over the Enforcers, who were all suddenly on guard, besides Pretty Face, who instantly let out a yelp and dropped to the ground. Slowly, Battery stared at Lightning Empress. He walked forward, each pace taking its time. Beta was recording the entire thing as Battery stopped in front of Lightning Empress.


    "Where is she?" Battery placed a hand on the girl''s head, his Imaginary energy flaring out. It wasn''t anywhere near as good as the Victorian''s or Paragon''s healing, but Lightning Empress''s face mended and put itself back together. He had used the Victorian''s Cosmos power for a bit, and he still remembered it, so it was easy to mimic it with his own energy that could take on nearly any form.


    "I knew you''d come." Lightning Empress, or maybe it was the Loudest Thunder, smiled back at Battery. "You want my help finding where my mom is, right?"


    "Of course." Battery chuckled. "That''s the only reason I kept you alive. It''s time."


    "What the hell are you talking about?" Mister Man spat out and pointed his gun at the Ruler.


    Everyone was tense, all staring at the hero that had taken over each city. Jane stood off to the side next to Kevin, nervously watching the scene. She hoped it wouldn''t get violent.


    "What do you think I''m planning?" Battery sighed. "I''m going to break the Victorian into the Murder Games."


    "What!" Everyone stared at the man in shock.


    "You heard me." Battery chuckled and raised a hand. "If my father can do it, then so can I. I''m better than him, after all. That was why I joined this stupid team. I''m taking them all down here and now. Every Ruler, every Calamity but the Beast. I''ll do what no one else can and be the number one hero that puts an end to every threat. We''re going to cheat at Lucifer''s silly little game. But first, I need Ruby. Where is she, Lois?"


    Lightning Empress casually flipped her hair and let out a fake sigh. "I''ll tell you, Jackson, but first you need to do something for me."


    Battery frowned a bit, clearly not liking her tone, but he nodded his head. "What?"


    Lightning Empress slowly pointed past the man and down to where Kevin was. The girl''s smile still hadn''t faded. "Could you kill that thing for me?"


    Everyone tried to move, but it was too late. Kevin didn''t even get a chance to react. In less than a second, Battery casually turned and fired out a wave of blue energy. In an instant, all that was left of Kevin was a pile of ash on the burned ground. Jane let out a scream and collapsed back, and all the other heroes were frozen in shock, having not expected how easily he did it nor how ruthlessly.Stolen story; please report.


    "Was that all? I''m kind of running on the clock, you know." Battery said, casually placing his hands in his pockets. "Now. Where is she?"


    ***


    Despite how different the world had changed since the old days of before power, there were still many stories that had been passed down. Things from culture and history that made it even after the collapse of the old society when the Shadow first arrived. Many of these old concepts were used today, some heroes taking inspiration from them, like Myth did with his various monster forms, and some villains naming creations after them.


    In the video game, Ocean Empress''s Adventures Two, you play as Ocean Empress, and the final boss is a villain named Druid, who always swarmed the field with massive wolf monsters that you had to fight. She had never been able to beat it and always used cheat codes that Armin had taught her anytime she got to the end of that game.


    Hope found herself thinking of that game as she stared at the wolves that were slowly surrounding her and her father. They were sort of like the creations Red Ape would make, being massive fanged beasts that were far bigger than they normally should have been. The smallest was a gray wolf that was still as big as a horse, and the others only got larger from there. The biggest wolf was one covered in black fur with angry yellow eyes. That wolf was nearly as big as a dump truck, literally shoving trees out of the way as it stalked forward, each step shaking the forest floor.


    They also hit really hard.


    This was something Hope suddenly learned when one of the wolves rammed forward and smashed its weight into her body. She let out a gasp as she was blasted back and slammed through a few trees. The attack wasn''t anywhere on the level of Halo, but it still hurt a bit.


    "Hope!" Alexander cried out when he saw his daughter get flung back. One of the wolves howled and charged at him, but it never got a chance to grab him. At the last moment, before it could reach him, Hope came rocketing back in, swinging half a tree. She smashed it into the side of the wolf''s head, and this time, it was its turn to be flung through the woods around them. The gray wolf tumbled and smashed into the ground and didn''t get back up.


    "Dad! Get back! I''ll handle this!" She yelled out.


    "R- Right." Alexander scampered back a bit and got as far away as he could while still being close enough to watch. "You can do it, sweetie! Kick their ass!"


    Hope gave a slight smirk and shot her dad a thumbs up. Her eyes remained fixed on the black wolf and the rest of the pack. Besides the one she knocked out, there were three more gray wolves and the biggest one in the back, making four in total. It was a pretty small pack, all things considered, and normally, wolves weren''t as upfront in their hunting as this. They normally stalked their prey and picked it off slowly. She only knew the basics of wolf behavior thanks to a quick lesson Mrs. Mars had given at school, but it was enough for her to know that something was wrong here. These wolves must have gotten cocky and brave due to their size and no longer viewed stealth as something they needed to do.


    Either way, it didn''t matter. Not at the moment, at least. The black wolf stomped its foot down and let out a strange bark, which set the other three wolves off. They charged toward the prey in front of them, ready to tear it apart.


    Hope took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and getting her mind on track. She was Cinder—a superhero. A couple of wolves weren''t going to scare her. The first one jumped toward her, and she met it head-on, ramming a fist directly into its face. The wolf''s eyes went wide, almost in a comical way, and it was smashed into the ground hard enough to knock it out. Before she could attack again, though, the second wolf used all its weight and strength to ram into her. She felt the air leave her lungs as she was smashed down, and she barely had time to lift her other arm up as the wolf chomped down. She''d have to remember to thank that dwarf guy because the jacket didn''t even tear. The sleeve withstood the onslaught, and she used her own body''s strength to roll over, dragging the wolf with her.


    The wolf let out a strangled cry as it was smashed into the ground, and she wrapped her legs around part of its waist, pinning it in place. Before she could strike at it, though, the third one rammed into her from behind. Its claws tried to slash into her back, but again, her jacket withstood the force. The wolf tried to bite her head, but just like her jacket, her own flesh was too hard, the teeth unable to fully puncture. It did hurt quite a bit, though, and the smell was awful since her entire head was nearly in the animal''s mouth.


    "Will you knock it off!" She yelled out in anger and rammed her elbow back, hitting the wolf''s stomach hard enough to send it rolling off of her. It didn''t get up, just like the others. The final wolf, the one she was pinning down, whimpered and stopped thrashing beneath her. She got off of it and kicked it slightly in the rear, making sure to hold back. "Now get!" It ran off with its tail tucked between its legs. "Now for the boss fight, I guess." She rubbed her shoulder slightly and turned to stare at the black wolf. Its eyes were full of hate and venom, and it was showing its fangs, clearly not ready to back down. "You need a good name. You''re clearly special from the others, so I need to call you something." She stated. "But what?" She rubbed her chin. "What would be a good name for a big boy like you-"


    The black wolf tore down every tree in its path as it jumped forward. The shadow it cast stretched out across the land as it let out a roar so loud Alexander had to cover his ears. Hope only grinned, withstanding the sound-based attack. The ground exploded in front of her, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions, and the wolf swung out with its paw in an attempt to split the girl in front of it in half. Hope easily dodged the strike, jumping over the paw. She spun in midair and twisted her body as the wolf then opened its mouth as wide as it could, trying to bite her in half. Instead, she used one of its teeth to kick off of it faster than it could close its mouth, sending herself further up. She bounced in the air, using a tree to kick off of once more and land down on the snout of the wolf. The animal''s eyes narrowed as it stared at her, and the sunlight that poked through the trees above reflected as she drew her sword.


    "I''ve decided." Hope stated in a cool tone as she lifted her sword up. "From this day on, you are now Wolfy." She smashed the sword, using the side of the blade, causing her to ram the wolf''s head into the ground as it smashed down hard enough to instantly knock it out. She placed her boot on it and pointed her sword to the sky. "I''m the alpha wolf now!"


    Alexander poked his head from around the tree he had been hiding behind, his eyes wide. "You beat it?"


    "Of course I did, Dad! I''m your bodyguard. I''m not going to let anything hurt you!"


    Alexander nodded and moved closer to his daughter. He stared down at the knocked-out alpha wolf, a little impressed. "So what do we do now? We don''t really know where we are in this city, do we? Any ideas?"


    "We should find a cave or something." Hope shrugged. "My nose tickles a bit, and thanks to my enhanced senses, I can smell rain. A storm or something is coming soon, and we don''t want to be out when it comes."


    "Really?" Alexander looked up at the blue sky above. "The skies look clear? It must be far away, then. Your senses are pretty strong, aren''t they?"


    "They are now. I''ve cranked them up as much as I can to make sure we don''t have uninvited guests." Hope explained. She was actually getting a slight headache doing it, though she wasn''t going to tell her father that. Her enhanced senses were so strong that she could hear his heartbeat and even the pumping of his blood. She kept shifting them on and off, constantly flipping through whenever a loud sound would happen to avoid going deaf. That was actually how she withstood the wolf''s howl. She had used her sense ability to lower her hearing so far down she was unable to hear anything. It was almost like a form of inverting, though not very useful since she could only use the power to make herself deaf or blind if she lowered them instead of increasing them. She missed her fire powers...


    "So we need to find cover? Where''s that going to be at, though?" Alexander asked.


    "I saw some mountains in the distance. They''re kind of far, though, but in the opposite direction of the storm. I bet a cave will be there, and if there isn''t one, I can just punch a hole into it or something." She shrugged. "Besides, I''d like to get high up if I can. I wanna check and see if I can find a way out of this place. I know that Gabby thing said we couldn''t, but I don''t really trust them." Speaking of Gabby, the thing had left as soon as she selected her card and was nowhere to be found. She hoped it wouldn''t return.


    Alexander nodded. "So, how are we going to get to the cave?"


    Hope gave a smirk and looked down at the knocked-out black wolf. "Wolfy will help us."


    "Hope, no!"


    "Hope, yes!"


    And that was how Alexander found himself clinging to the fur of a great black beast as it thundered down the field they were in. As soon as the poor creature had woken up, his daughter had kicked it in the rear and sent it running like she did the other. She then grabbed him and jumped on top of it so they were now riding the giant wolf. He didn''t stop screaming as he clung to its fur, trying not to go flying off. Despite how big the animal was, it was shockingly fast and had gotten them out of the forest, heading in the direction of the mountain Hope had pointed out.


    Wolfy was only doing this because Hope sat on his head and was holding onto both of his ears, using them as steering wheels. She had a large grin on her face as she drove the animal. "I bet I could beat Druid now without cheat codes. As soon as I get the chance, I''ll replay that game. I''ll beat it just for you, Armin!"


    Alexander climbed on the back of the wolf, doing his best not to throw up as he forced himself to take a seat behind his daughter. They were still quite a bit away from the mountain, and he wasn''t sure how much longer he would last, so he did his best to distract himself by asking his daughter a question. "What card did you get?"


    "Huh?"


    "The cards. You picked one, didn''t you?"


    Hope''s eyes lit up, and she nodded, reaching into her pocket. "Thanks for reminding me. I forgot I even grabbed it. I don''t think I''ll be using it, though. From the sounds of it, they aren''t that useful and might have some nasty effects if the Emperor gave up on them." She was still eager to see which one she got. She was sort of hoping it was Hades or Aphrodite. Hades because of the crown, which, now that she thought about it, seemed like it would be useful, and Aphrodite because of the huge knockers, and that was it. It wasn''t either of those two, though. Instead, she found herself looking down at the image of a woman holding a shield. "Athena."


    "That''s the one you got?" Her father raised an eyebrow.


    "I just picked at random, so I guess it''s my fault it''s not any of the ones I wanted. I did it in the heat of the moment because at the time I couldn''t decide." She turned the card over, looking at the back of it. Gabby had mentioned you tear the card to use it, and what''s on the back of it would be the power it has. "Tear this card in two to give yourself the wisdom of Athena? Aw, damn it, I got a Mental-based card, didn''t I!"


    "Why are you upset? You said you weren''t going to use it?" Her father snorted slightly as she huffed and stuffed it back in her jacket pocket.


    "Yeah, so what? I wanted it to be something cool. Is that so bad?" She directed Wolfy back in the direction of the mountain when the animal tried to run off on its own again. "Oh well. I guess it''s my fault for not picking anything cooler. I''ll make do—shit!"


    "What now?" Alexander was instantly on alert and looked around.


    "Something fast from above!" Her enhanced senses had alerted her of it instantly. It was far away but insanely fast, blasting toward them. She turned, and her eyes focused on what looked like a dozen massive eagles. They were each as big as a plane and let out loud cries as they came toward them. "Dad! Get behind me-"


    The air in front of her shimmered, and then suddenly, from out of nowhere, another eagle appeared. The thing just seemed to morph into existence, its claws stabbing down onto her father''s shoulders and blasting away before she could grab him.


    "Dad!"


    The eagle launched itself up, meeting the others, and thanks to her senses, she heard laughter. They weren''t alone. Someone stood on one of the eagles, looking down at her as her father''s body was dangled in the air. It was an older woman, one with long gray hair, who wore a dress made out of branches and leaves. The woman carried a long wooden staff that had a glowing green orb at the end of it and seemed to have a large and cruel twisted smirk on her lips. She knew who this person was instantly. After all, she had been thinking of her.


    Druid. An old villain that had gone toe-to-toe with Ocean Empress in the past. "You''re the bodyguard to this man, aren''t you?" The old woman asked, her face twisted into a sneer.


    "Touch him, and you''re dead!" Hope yelled back. Wolfy had stopped and was cowering down. Now that she thought about it, Wolfy had likely been created by this woman. Druid was a Super who could trace her bloodline back to a Lord of Life. The woman had the ability to spawn animals into existence and could alter their size. At the end of the day, though, they were still animals. She got ready to jump into the air but was stopped when Druid placed the staff under her father''s chin.


    "Move, and I kill this man." The villain said with a sneer. Druid was high up, reaching the clouds, surrounded by her eagles. She stood on one, and the one that held Alexander flew next to her, placing the man directly against her. The birds flew in a circle, going around the wolf that was below, staying out of reach.


    Hope gritted her teeth and glared up at the woman. "What do you want?"


    "I can''t hear you, sweetie, too high up, but you seem to be able to hear me." Druid giggled. "I''ll have to thank Lucy for letting me play in his games. This is so fun. Our job is to kill guys like this, but I enjoy the hunt. I''m willing to let him go and give him another chance to get away, but not while you''re around. So here''s what we''re going to do. That sword you have on you, go ahead and split your belly open with it, and then I''ll let this guy go once you bleed out."


    "Like I''d fall for that." She drew her sword but didn''t move. There really wasn''t much she could do. She''d never reach her dad in time before Druid struck. She was at a loss. Should she use the card and hope it would work out, or pretend to go along with Druid''s plan? Would pretending even work?


    Up in the air, Alexander gasped and grunted. He glared at Druid, and the woman smirked and hit him in the stomach with the end of her staff. He gasped out, and unfortunately, that proved to be too much for him. His stomach was already acting up from the wolf ride, and he was afraid of heights, so all that added together, plus the smack, meant he couldn''t stop it. Druid went to say something witty, but he cut her off by vomiting all over her face. It was a mix of red and green, and it caused the woman to nearly throw up herself since most of it got in her mouth, and she stumbled back, nearly slipping off her bird.


    "Y- You bastard!" Druid''s eyes filled with hate, and she went to swing her staff, using the end to attack the man, but before she could, something on her face moved. It wasn''t blood that had come out of Alexander''s mouth. That red stuff was something else. Druid suddenly let out a scream of pain as the red stuff formed together into a small golf ball-sized slime, which bit down directly on the woman''s eye, crushing it.


    "Tiny Shift to the rescue, bitches!" Kevin announced.


    Earlier, when he had been checking out Alexander''s body, several of his cells had been forced into the man, and now that his main body wasn''t around, those cells suddenly gained all of his consciousness, and they were pretty hungry, wanting to get back to their normal size. The golf ball dropped down off of Druid''s face and landed on the back of an eagle, where it began to tear into the creature and eat, causing the bird to screech as it began to fall out of the sky. That was also the one Druid had been on, so Druid suddenly found herself free-falling.


    The woman screamed and flailed out, her staff firing out various massive animals that tore through more of her eagles, hitting the one holding Alexander, which let go of the man. Alexander screamed as he began to fall, and Hope took that as her chance. She blasted into the air and caught her father, wrapping her arms around the man as they began to fall. She did nothing for Druid and stared coldly as the woman smashed into the ground. Druid was still alive, having some basic durability, but a few bones were broken for sure. Seconds later, the old lady''s body was piled on by dozens of dead eagles, which dropped on top of her.


    Hope landed on her feet as she dropped down and placed her father down. "Are you okay, Dad?" She asked quickly.


    Her dad hugged the ground, his face a bit pale as he wiped some vomit from his chin. "Y- Yeah... Is Shift okay?"


    "Shift? You mean Kevin-" One of the eagles exploded open as a baseball-sized orb of red meat came sliding out of it. She stared down at it in shock as it grew a pair of eyes and looked up at her. "K- Kevin?"


    "I''m just as confused as you are, don''t bother asking."


    Hope blinked, staring down at her teammate. "I... Wait... Did we cheat and bring in a second team member?"


    They did, in fact, cheat at the game.